|
Washington and had an anxiety that his son should observe something of the workings of American republican institutions, it was decided that the young prince should first visit the United States; so after his mother had procured for him a letter of introduction from the Bishop of Hildesheim to Bishop Carroll, afterwards Archbishop of Baltimore, and in company with Rev. Felix Brosius, a young priest coming to America to begin a missionary career, he landed in Baltimore, October 28, 1792, and in company with his companion immediately presented his letter of introduction to Bishop Carroll who - received him with marked courtesy, and then and there commenced friendship which was never broken. The good bishop gave him letters of introduction to several persons of prominence throughout the country that he might have in his travels throughout the land which he was expected to soon commence facility of admittance into aristocratic society; but Gallitzin never had much use for them.
The Russian Prince Resolved to Become a Missionary Priest.
While enjoying a period of rest and relaxation from the fatigue incident to his voyage across the Atlantic, and closely observing things around him, young Gallitzin was amazed at the contrast between the terrible social and political state of France and the greater part of Europe and the calm security of the social order of the United States, in which civil and religious liberty had become the fundamental principles of the social structure, at least for those of the Caucasion race, but, unfortunately, not for all; and he determined to devote his life as a missionary priest to the spiritual and also to the temporal welfare of the Catholics in the wilds of America.
It was with feelings of deepest regret that Bishop Carroll learned from the young prince of his determination to renounce the "flattering prospects of the world" and become a missionary priest, and endeavored to dissuade him from attempting to carry out his resolution, but without effect. The Bishop also wrote to Gallitzin's mother apprising her of the determination of her son that she might use her parental influence to deter him from adopting the course he had determined to pursue; but all protests were unavailing; so the young aspirant for the priesthood was allowed by Bishop Carroll to enter the Sulpician Seminary in Baltimore to take his theological course, he having been
|
