Our Catliolic Heritage in Texas
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the third and fourth degree. He could dispense from impediments arising from spiritual relationship, except that contracted between godparents and godchildren. He could permit Indians and heretics who had more than one wife to keep after conversion the one of their choice on condition she, likewise, accepted Christianity. Under no circumstances was he to grant dispensations to persons who had been infidels or heretics and then converted to the Church, allowing them to marry another related in the first degree, or declare legitimate the children of such marriages. The Rural Dean was to visit the churches in his district, inspect parochial records, pious legacies, and supply Church materials and all things used in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and in the administration of the Sacraments. He could restore to sacred use, by the ceremony of reconciliation, churches and cemeteries that had been desecrated, and he enjoyed the lesser right of blessing churches and cemeteries. Pena was empowered to grant the privilege of eating meat on days of ab- stinence to working men and to those so directed by their physician. In a word, he was given the authority to do everything not requiring episcopal jurisdiction. The circular was to be read at Mass on three successive Sundays or Holy Days of Obligation in all the parish churches and other places of worship, and entered on the official records of each church. 11 Pena wrote Stephen F. Austin as commander on the Colorado to inform him of the appointment. He requested Austin to make known to all Catholic families in his settlement that they would no longer need have recourse to Monterrey in spiritual and ecclesiastical matters, for they could now be handled by or through the Rural Dean in San Antonio. At the same time he asked Austin to send him an exact report on the religious life of the settlers respecting Baptisms, marriages and burials in order that proper steps might be taken for their spiritual welfare. He requested an accurate census, setting forth each member of every family by name, sex, age, and status. He, likewise, desired a list of those married before their arrival as well as of those who had contracted marriage subsequent to their advent, as also by whom they had been married. llPeiia notified the City Council of San Antonio of his appointment as early as December x, and was congratulated a few days later by the Political Chief. Bexar Arc!,ives. The faculties granted the rural dean here summarized are set down in the Circular recorded in the Libro de Gobierno ,y visita, Sa,, Flt'nando ArcMvu, hereinafter referred to ~s Libro de Gobierno.
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