The Prefecture, 1840-1841
49
and sermons were preached in Spanish and English. "Twelve mar- riages were validated and we hope soon to have no more scandals of that kind," wrote Odin. Repairs on the church were begun and the people, despite their extreme poverty, contributed generously to the work. Soon the church roof leaked no more. 30 Although delighted with the spontaneous response, Odin had an un- easy feeling. "The work of God is not solid except it repose upon the cross and its tribulations," he observed. "I began to fear ... [for] we were doing too well." His foreboding proved correct. Puzzled by the unwarranted practice of ringing the church bells to announce horse races, cockfights, public dances and the burial of non-Catholics, as well as of Catholics, Odin decreed that in conformity with Canon Law, the bells would be rung henceforth only to summon the faithful to Church services and tolled during the obsequies of the faithful. 31 Two days later, on August r7, Colonel Henry W. Karnes, a hero of the Texan Revolution and a prominent figure in public life, died. His friends came to Odin to ask permission to toll the bells in his honor, and were deeply hurt when refused. An indignation meeting was held that evening, but Odin noted in his diary that only nine per- sons attended. They adopted some resolutions condemning the action as "intolerance wholly inconsistent with Christian charity" and reminiscent "of the age of the inquisition." The next morning Mr. Dwyer again pleaded with the new pastor for permission to toll the bells. "I told him it was impossible," Odin jotted down in his diary. This served only to increase the displeasure and arouse the antipathy of some of the Americans. Resolutions were sent Tiu Senti-nel in Austin, where they were published on August 29. In the meantime, Smith, who had personally instructed Odin to enforce the Church rule on such matters, allowed his personal attachment to Colonel Karnes to blind his better judgment and he tried, as a protest, to get up a petition among the Mexicans for the restoration of Garza as parish priest. The attempt failed completely. When the resolutions adopted by the friends of the deceased were published without the explanation given by Odin for his refusal, the Vice-Prefect felt it was his duty to send the editor a statement of fact concerning the whole incident with a request for its publication. He 30 0din to Blanc, August 24 and October 2, 1840; Odin to Etienne, April 21, 1841, C. A. T. 31 0din, Diar,y, entry for August 1 S, I 840; Odin to Etienne, Galveston, April 11, 1841, C. A. T.
Powered by FlippingBook