Dec. 9, 1919

San Francisco, Calif.

Your Eminence, dear Vladyko,

We are hard up. Banks don’t want to give mortgages on churches. I run round and round and don’t know what to do. I am afraid to go to the brokers-speculators: we can loose everything. Yesterday we had a parish meeting; the Serbs are expecting a response to their letter. I didn’t want to broadcast your letter: it would be better to send a diplomatic answer either with your signature or from the Diocesan Council. We don’t want to make them angry because we don’t want to run aground. The answer could be something like this: In accordance with the resolution of the Cleveland Convention, the archbishop cannot transfer church property to the [jurisdiction] of a parish solely. Perhaps by such an answer it would be possible to convince them and they would agree, and the situation in the parish will improve. Although, they keep saying that if the archbishop doesn’t agree with our proposal then the bank will auction the church and the Serbs will buy it.

Please, dear Vladyko, do not tarry in sending such an answer. I’ll be waiting impatiently.

Your devoted and obedient servant,

Priest V. Sakovich