Letter from Alexander Winster to PF, 1666-03-15

Letter from Alexander Winster to PF, 1666-03-15

Scotland

Mission reports

Letter from Alexander Winster, prefect of the Scottish mission, to PF. Winster writes about the lack of priests, as in Scotland there are only four secular priests and one teacher. The missionaries are: John Walker, who has been in Aberdeen and the surrounding area for four years, but has currently been called to Edinburgh; Gilbert Gray who has been frequenting Buchan and Strathbogie, and Francis White who has remained in the Hebrides and in the northern mountains, serving the over 2,000 Catholics there alone. Seven years before there had been four priests in the Highlands and Hebrides, but currently no other missionary speaks Gaelic. Winster states that he has often asked for other Irish priests, especially for John White (who is now in Paris and would not refuse to work with his brother), but also others which the nuncio might propose. He complains about the fact that there are so few Scottish missionaries, since many have died or gone back to France; only Gilbert Gray has stayed. PF summary on f. 279v states that the archbishop of Armagh has already been asked for Irish priests. PF has also asked the nuncio in France to talk with CM about letting "il Bianchi" [John White] go to the Highland mission, but they answered that they would find someone else because John White is teaching; to date, they have not done so. PF meeting of 20 September 1666 decides that John White should be sent, and that the nuncio should be written to stating he must give him 30 scudi as viatcum. The nuncio is also asked to not listen anymore to the excuses of the Fathers of CM, since they never proposed any other priest, as they had promised to do. White should be declared missionary in the Highlands, under the prefecture of Alexander Winster, with the same provision as the other missionaries there have. The letter dated 15 March 1666.

Date discussed 1666-09-20

Additional comments

Alexander Winster

APF SOCG 308, 278r, 279v

1666-03-15

Addressed to PF

See for the discussion of this petition: APF ACTA 35, 246r, 262v-263r (same information; not in this database).

Latin

Italian

Letter

343

Origin: [Scotland]

Destination: Rome