Villaprovedo, (O.M.Cap.) Father Joseph de
New Galvez, Louisiana

to (Bishop Luis Penalver y Cardenas
New Orleans, Louisiana)

The census of the parish of St. Bernard at New Galvez for the year 1796 shows a total of 283 men, 210 women, a total of 493 souls. 203 have fulfilled their Easter duty; Villaprovedo knows no Protestants. 12 pesos, 6 reales was collected the year before; there is no fixed income. The parishioners, wishing to have the Blessed Sacrament permanently in the church have maintained the lamp by collecting weekly offerings, the surplus has been used for candles for the third Sunday for the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and for other small expenses of the church. These offerings total about 90 to 100 pesos a year. There are other incidental alms but all together the offerings are not sufficient for the needs. They need a sacristy and a bell tower and the church should at least be lined with boards. The only other way to help this church, it if were not forbidden, is the tax on the tavern as it was proposed in public, according to what the inhabitants tell him, by Commandant Larronda sent for this purpose by Marigny in authority at that time; that for six years it was handed over and accepted in favor of the church. This is the opinion of the inhabitants that while it does not seem that this concession is for any other use yet it seems the church has not received one cent up to the present.

IV-5-j A.D.S. 2pp. 8vo. (Spanish)
3