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foi- tXVH, Na 452
Jaiiuarf-Februarf#
ANNALS
OF THE PROPAGATION
OF THE FAITI^i a*
GO TE INTO THE WHOLE WORLD AND
PREACH THE GOSPEL TO EVERT CREATURB
BALTIMORE, KIk.
€0?^3ra:NTS.
* - • ' PAGE
AUDIENCE GRANTED BY HIS II0UNE$S PIUS X. TO THE DELEGATES OF THE
SOCIETY FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE^FAITH ' 3
Missions in Asia.
CHINA.
^£//.CAai/.— Latter of Rev. Father Cavalerie, P. F. M 5
Visit to a persecuted mission. — ^The people of Chui-Kia. —
Satisfactory results.'
INDIA.
laAore.— Letter of Rt Rev. G. Pelckmaiit, 0. M. Cap 16
Missions in Africa.
EQUATORIAL AFRICA.
South ¥htoHa N/anziL'-£xbrjic\$ from a letter tl Rev. Father Hurel, Ai. M. . 21
A Journey into Kiza'.
Missions in Oceanica.
TAHITI.
Cook /e/a/M/8.— Letter of Rev. Father CaeUnle, S. H. Pic %6
The island of Mauke.
News of the Missions.
EUROPE.
Irleh Missionarlee Praised hy the King of England S9
ASIA.
Famine and Emigration In India SI
Official Acknowledgment of a MIesionary't Work 40
AFRICA.
SUttetlct of the Vicariate Apostolic of Central Madagascar 41
Progress of the Mission of Lower Niger 41
The Persecution at Kalfa and Harar. 41
OCEANICA.
The Leper Colony at Moiokal 42
Destrttctlon by Fire of the Church at Mua-Tonga 43
DESTINATION OF MISSIONARIES 45
Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals*
EDITORIALS 7T7TTTTT 46
MISSION NOTES AND NEWS.
An American In Korea: An Explanation of the True Causes of Rellglotts Dlstur-
banees In the Hermit Kingdom. Letter of Mr. W. F. Sands • . 48
SPECIAL DONATIONS 58
OBITUARY 64
Botered at th« Post OiBoe, Baltimore, Md. as Sooond Claaa Hatter.
ANNALS
OFTHB
Propagation of the Faith
A PERIODICAL COLLECTION
OF
LETTERS FROM THE BISHOPS AND MISSIONARIES ENGAGED IN THE MISSIONS
OF THE OLD AND NEW WORLD, AND OF ALL THE DOCUMENTS
RELATING TO THOSE MISSIONS, AND TO THE INSTITUTION
OF THE PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH
This Collection serves as a continuation of the ** LsTTRES Edifiantbs''
VOLUME LXVII
BALTIMORE
PUPLISHED BY THE SOCIETY FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE FaITH
>
Blessed John Gabriel Perboyre, G. M.
Martyred in China in 1840.
One of tbe first missionaries assisted by the Society for tlie Propagatiou
of the Faith.
*^*t
AUDIENCE
GRANTED BY HIS HOLINESS PIUS X
On the Twenty-Second of November, 1903,
to the Delegates of the Society for the Propagation
of the Faith
Upon the day of the election of His Holiness Pope Pius X.,
the Central Councils of the Society for the Propagation of
the Faith sent congratulations to the new Pontiff, at the same
54 time assuring him of their continued submission to the Holy
1 See. In addition to this it was decided that a delegation,
consisting of the directors of the Coimcils and the editor of the
Catholic Misdons and Annals of thb Propagation op thb
Faith, should go to Home.
The delegates were granted a special audience by His Holi-
ness on the day after their arrival in the apostolic city. The
reception accorded them by the august Pontiff was most kind,
his manner was charming and his words marked by a gracious
simplicity.
M. Berloty addressed His Holiness, speaking in the name
of both Councils. He first expressed the hope that the new
pontificate would be long and prosperous; then he assured the
Holy Father that the Society for the Propagation of the Faith
placed .itself entirely at his command, and that his will would
Ml be law to this association, which for eighty years had had for .
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its only object the extension of the knowledge, love and service
of Christ, the Saviour and Redeemer, in the most distant
lands.
" It is our hope and prayer," he continued, " that, under
the supreme direction of Your Holiness, and with the support
of your good-will, it will furnish the apostolate with those re-^
sources which are now more in demand than ever and that it
will renew, according to your desires, the world in Christ.
" As your illustrious predecessors have often done, we beg
you also. Most Holy Father, to bless the delegates of the
Society for the Propagation of the Faith 'who now humbly
kneel at your feet. Bless our Central Councils, our diocesan
and parochial directors, our promoters, all, who in any degree
— ^missionaries, priests, faithful — ^have helped to make our
Society more prosperous.*'
Pope Pius, in replying to this address, thanked the dele-
gates for their expressions of submission to his authority and
said that the Society for the Propagation of the Faith was a
work designed by Providence and that, as all his predecessors
had recommended it to the faithful, he would do likewise, for
it assisted greatly in spreading the kingdom of Jesus Christ
in the worid.
"Upon all sides," he continued, "the truth is opposed.
^ \ The Protestant sects are particulariy strenuous in the fight
\ against it; they labor hard and are backed by large resources.
The means at our disposal are not so great as theirs, but our
missionaries are self-sacrificing workers and their success
springs mostly from the example they give.
"We must * re-establish all things in Christ,* as St. Paul
says. The Gospel must be made known throughout the world
and the precepts therein contained must be practiced, for in
the Gospel all the means of salvation are found. Our priests
spread the knowledge of Christ, it is true, but in the times
in which we live a good Christian laity is their powerful aux-
iliary and every member of the faithful may become an
apostle."
His Holiness finished by conferring his blessing upon all
the members of the Society, both clergy and laity, their
parents, families and friends — tutti da per tutto, as he said,
with his charming smile.
^
-JZ: 54/
ANNALS ^" FL :111m ^"
Propagation of the r
Vol. LXVII, No. 452. Jaxdary-Februaby, 1904.
MISSIONS IN ASIA
VICARIATE APOSTOLIC OF KUl-CHAU, CHINA
Kui-chau is a Chinese mission in which the spread of the Gospel has been
greatly retarded. Nevertheless there are at present about twenty-thou-
sand Catholics in a total population of ten millions of souls. The Euro-
pean missionaries number thirty; the native priests eight. One hundred
and fifty catechists are devoted to teaching neophytes. There are no Sis-
ters in the mission, but, in a certain number of parishes, pious natives
conduct schools for girls and take charge of the manual training schools
and orphan-homes. The number of churches and chapels is seventy-
seven. The capital of the province of Kui-chau is Kuiyang-fu. The vicar-
apostolic. Bishop Ouichard, has made this city his place of residence.
Letter op Rev. Father Cavalbrie, P. F. M.
Visit to the People of My district comprises the parishes situated
of Chiii-Kia. — Con- in the prefectures and sub-prefectures of Tu-
veraions. yun-fu, Tu-chan-chau and li-po-hien. This
is the country of the Chui-kia natives, excellent people indeed, but
somewhat afraid of the Chinese who oppress them.
A large number of conversions (more than two hundred families)
having taken place on the banks of the li-po, I determined to visit
the newly-received Christians. Upon the way I learned that the
mandarin of li-po was irritated at the fact that so many people
under his control were leaving the faith of their fathers and that he
was using every means in his power to prevent their doing so. Eight
native Christians had been thrown into the prisons of Li-po. Others
fled for concealment from house to house or sought a refuge with
the tigers in the jungle. The poor neophytes were fast in the
5
6
MISSIONS tK ASIA
clutches of the first magistrate. The mandarin, " father and mother ^^
of his people, was hurrying to the sfcene. After having passed the
night at Chui-tso he rode upon the following morning into the
'^"^
•4
\
View of
KUI-YANG-KU,
Capital or Kui-cnAU.
market-place of Eiu-tsien. Dismounting, he strode forward, struck
his breast and sputtered forth maledictions against religion and its
ministers. His final words were:
" If the stupid people of Chui-kia are firm in their resolution to
practice the Catholic religion, they cannot remain here; they will
have to go and work on the rice plantations of Europe.^'
KDI-OHAU^ CHINA
A hundred soldiers formed his body-guard. In the hands of each
something shone in the sun which at a distance looked like rosary
beads^ but which upon close inspection proved to be manacles. In
a short time the market-place, but lately thronged with people, was
abandoned. Nobody stopped to look at the red flags of the troop,
but hastened at the utmost speed along the road which led to the
mountain. The wine which had been exposed for sale was taken by
Mandarin and Attendants.
the mandarines pretorians to quench their thirst, and it is to be re-
marked that none of them failed to appropriate to himself whatever
he could get of those objects which the fleeing Christians had aban-
doned in their haste. At length, when well fed and refreshed, the
soldiers gave chase to these people who were guilty of no crime. A
mob composed of the inhabitants of the neighboring country districts,
encouraged by the example set them, pillaged the house of a rich
Christian. The chiefs of neighboring villages also took a hand and
plundered t^'O families.
8
MISSIONS IN ASIA
Upon hearing this news, I hastened forward by forced marches
and on the tenth of November reached Kiu-tsien. Thank God! the
storm had passed and the Christians of Chui-kia had borne it well.
The higher the wind, the lower bends the blade of grass. The Chui-
kians had imitated the grass blade and in consequence I found them
iminjured.
I continued on my way. I was regarded by the inhabitants of the
country through which I passed as a curious animal. At Ma-tao I
A Wayside Halt during a Missionary Journey.
was surroimded and critically examined, being obliged to permit my-
self to be turned this way and that before the people were satisfied.
At Ki-chang all the inhabitants stood at their doors to watch me pass.
When we reached the center of the town, Cadet-Eoussel, my mule,
suddenly stopped and remained immovable, looking straight ahead,
his two great ears pointing to the front, a ceri^in indication to one
who knows his character of profound astonishment. Dozens of chil-
dren approached me smilingly and after some hesitation were em-
boldened to address me as Yang-jen (European devil). When these
KUI-OHAU, OHINA 9
two words are spoken to one in a manner especially friendly^ accom-
panied by a smile of particular gracionsness^ they should never be
taken as an insult. In China^ as elsewhere, it is the manner that
shows the intention.
.^^ At Chni-po the amazement of the people at
*"' my appearance was greater than even that of
the natives had been through whose towns I
had just passed. It was said aloud that I was indeed a brave man
since I was going forward to meet danger. My ears were assailed by
such compliments as this all along my route, but at length the climax
was reached when I was surrounded by a group of old men of ven-
erable appearance who prostrated themselves three times in silence,
each prostration being so profound that their foreheads touched the
dust. It will be noticed that the Chui-kians do not do things by
halves.
I did not have time to recover from my astonishment before I
found myself the center of a procession of from ninety to a hundred
old men, white bearded and gray haired, all of whom were clad in
their richest robes. I learned from them that at Chui-kin the Chris-
tians had been subjected to great annoyance and had been forced at
the point of the sword to pay to their persecutors more than five
hundred taels (nearly $400).
And then I learned the following: The Chinese, trying in every
way to excite the people against the foreign missionary, had spread
abroad the extravagant rumor that I was advancing at the head of
a hundred armed soldiers. The story had been repeated to the Chris-
tians and finally found its way to me. In consequence of this fairy
tale, the city of Ti-po was made ready to withstand a siege. Night
and day the road which circled its ramparts was patrolled by guards.
It was heavily garrisoned, the soldiers holding themselves ready at
short notice to repel the assault of the Yang-jen and his terrible fol-
lowers. It was all very foolish, but it did much to increase the
hatred which was already entertained by the Chinese for us.
Consequences of the ^ P^* ^^ ati^ntion to the people of Li-po,
Visits to the Chris- l>^t went quietly on my way, visiting the
tians.— An Agreeable Christian neophytes. I had already traversed
Surprise. {he plains of Pan-lan-chai and Chui-je. I
was now at the village of Chui-mei. At each station there were about
fifty catechumens. The resignation with which they met the evi-
dences of their neighbors' hatred was astonishing and at the same
time very consoling to me.
10
MISSIONS IN ASIA
On the twenty-fifth of Ifovember the public crier proclaiined in
the market-place of Kin-tsien that soldiers were expected soon who
had received orders to exterminate the Christians. Every family was
commanded to furnish a quantity of rice for the constmiption of this
troop. The Christians who would apostatize would not be molested.
The others would be beaten and despoiled of all their goods; their
rice fields would become common properiy. This was another attempt
to terrify the people. It was a scheme concocted by the village chiefs.
However, my presence in the country has exeiied a restraining influ-
Open Air Kitchen in Kui-chau.
ence upon them. The mandarin has written me a letter in which
he asks for an interview with me either at Ki-chang or Tu-chan. But
why not here, where he has jurisdiction ? Can it be that he fears to
face the unhappy people whom he has had beaten and robbed ?
While waiting for the horizon to clear I visited Yu-pia, where I
found a number of converi:s. Then I went to Chui-je and set up my
pori^ble altar in the house of a man who had formeriy been a great
sorcerer. At this station, where the people less than a year ago had
never heard of the Gospel, an agreeable surprise was in store for me.
I had not expected that the neophytes would have memorized the
catechism or prayers, yet I listened to a group of little children recite
KUI-OHAU, CHINA
11
together morning and evening prayers Avithont hesitancy from be-
ginning to end. They have indeed reason to be good Christians.
Their father at that very time was lying a prisoner in Li-po on
account of his religion ; before this honor of public confession of faith
had been conferred upon him he had taken care to instruct well his
children and the other members of his household. In a short time
I hope to confer baptism upon seven or eight members of this family.
Interior op a Lodging-House in Kui-chau.
An Interview.
From Chui-je to Chui-mei is but a short
distance. At the latter place I had baptized
a family the previous year. During the present visit three adults
received the grace of regeneration. While in this village I had
the honor of bein^ interviewed by an envoy expressly sent by the
mandarin of Li-po. He did not at first come himself to see me, but
sent his card with a message requesting me to call at his house. He
was an adept in the art of Machiavel, for his note informed me that
he would be very happy to offer me some bottles of the wine of my noble
country should I deign to accept them; he was sure they would
refresh my precious heart. I refused, however, the presents of Arta-
12 MISSIONS IN ASIA
xerxes. Purthennore, the meeting place which he had appointed
appeared to me particularly ill-chosen, and the wording of his invi-
tation filled me with distrust. He was not discouraged and pro-
posed a second rendezvous which was no more acceptable to me than
the other and for the same reasons. He was forced at length to
come to where I was stopping to obtain the interview he wished for
so earnestly. He found me surroimded by my Christians, and said:
" The ' great man ' ought to go to Tu-chan, where he will find the
repose which he must need after his many labors. This country is
dangerous to the health, it — ^^
''Oh, yes,'* spoke up a young man, "this is indeed a dangerous
country, especially when the ' father and mother of his people ' comes
with his soldiers. They carry away the cattle, eat the hogs and
drink all the wine; and those who do not pretend to be pleased
when they are robbed are cruelly treated. In proof of what I say,
go to the market-place and see the old men who have been himg up
by the thumbs.^'
I turned the conversation and we spoke of religious matters. As
a man of good birth my visitor began to emphasize my own assertions.
''Ah I what a beautiful religion; how sublime! To do good,
to avoid evil. How reasonable it is I But would the ' great man ' go
to Tu-chan where he will find the repose which he must— r '*
" Pardon me,^^ I interrupted, " I am very fond of the pure air
of these mountains; I find it agrees with my constitution. The
exercise is very healthful. Finally, my dear sir, do you not know
that your great Emperor has given permission to missionaries to
preach the Gospel throughout the whole of China ?^'
"Why, of course the Emperor permits it,*' he replied. "Could
he do otherwise than approve of the dissemination of such beneficent
doctrine ?^^
These words were heard by all who were present, and before long
they bore fruit.
In this village there was a pagan who upon my previous visits
had followed me about everywhere, had watched my comings and
goings, in fact had been as close to me as my shadow. It was annoy-
ing at times, yet I had taken it in good part, for I believed him a
little mad. A great error. This year he had adopted the same
tactics. Therefore he was naturally present when I received the
visit of the mandarines envoy. When the visitor had departed my
faithful shadow came forward, made a salutation before me and
KUI-CHAU, CHINA
13
flkod to become a Christian. He explained that for a long time it
had been his desire to join the ranks of the faithftd; that he had
always felt attracted toward the religion of the Master of Heaven.
However^ as he had heard it so badly spoken of^ and as Christians
were said by their enemies to be rebels and members of secret socie-
ties, he had hitherto hesitated to take the definite resolution.
"To-day," he went on, "I heard an ofBicer in person publicly
acknowledge that this religion is good and that the Emperor permits
its practice. I will hesitate no longer. My eyes have beheld the
actions of the Father, my ears haVe heard his words. I am certain
Scene in the Neighborhood op Chui-sl
that Christians do not belong to secret societies and that they are
not rebels; it is my desire to be admitted to their ranks.'*
You may imagine with what pleasure I listened to these words.
We continued our journey and set out for
^^"^ ^ ' Chui-si. As we were traveling along at an
easy pace I overheard my catechist say that we would be able to find
nothing to eat in this place.
"My friends,'* I said to them, "reassure yourselves. Observe at-
tentively this beautiful mule upon which I am mounted. You have
heard it said, have you not, that the pagans, the enemies of our
faith, have sworn to sacrifice him in honor of their worm-eaten
idols? The vows of the wicked will not be fulfilled. But if we
are ever reduced to such an extremity, we will ourselves kill my
faithful Cadet-Eoussel, and this noble animal will have conferred
14 MISSIONS IN ASIA
upon him the great honor of furnishing us with the sausages neces-
sary to the sustainment of our lives/'
These plans were useless, our fears vain. Having heard of my
approach, the Chui-kians had killed a pig in my honor.
4-
Let me here insert an ethnographical detail. Ordinarily the Chui-
kians prepare their food with the least possible amount of fat and
salt. When a guest seats himself at their table he is served exactly
according to his wishes. The culinary art of this people is such that
the daintiest stomach could have no cause for complaint. Their good-
heartedness and the excellence of their wine is attested by the fol-
lowing surprising words which I heard from the lips of an old Chris-
tian of'TPtf-chan:
" When I return from among the Chinese I am obliged to take a
drink o;f wine to strengthen my stomach; when I return from the
Chui-kian' villages I have recourse to water to reduce the redness of
my nose.'^
From Ghui-si to Chui-kin is a distance of three leagues with one
hill to cross. Chui-kin is a stronghold of Christianity. Its enemies
have not been able to obtain possession of this village of four hun-
dred families nor have they, though they have tried in vain, suc-
ceeded in wiping out the Christian name. In this place there are
more than one hundred Catholic families, all of whom are bound
together by strong ties of friendship. Their number, and perhaps^
also, the sight of their muscles, have prevented all attempts at pillage
by their pagan neighbors. After a week devoted to the instruction
of converts I resumed ray journey and visited the villages of Chui-ko,
Jong-jao, Chui-long, etc., and in all I was listened to with eagerness,
f At Meu-long, a large market-town near Li-po, I was approached
by some of the inhabitants who asked to be instructed in the truths
of Christianity. The mayor of the village of Uai-se-kiao came to
me, greeted me very politely, and presented a like request. To try
his earnestness, I said:
*^ The times are hard ; you had better wait until some future occa-
sion.^'
"Oh,*' he exclaimed, "we have no fear.''
" Very well, my son," I consented, " you may come and attend our
instructions."
A delegation came ttom Chui-kui. "What do you wish?" I
fisked.
KUI-OHAU^ CHINA
15
" Catechists to teach us to pray and adore the true God/' was the
answer.
" My friends/' I replied, " I am your man; I can fit you.''
Finally a little tribe from Miao-tse, in the neighborhood of Li-po,
paid me a visit of couri;esy. They closely examined some pictures
I had with me and exclaimed in admiration:
A Wayside Inn.
"What fine persons these are with their beautiful clothes and
nicely arranged hair. They must belong to our ancient dynasty.
How close the resemblance is!"
And all expressed the wish to embrace the religion of the Master
of Heaven. The tribe comprises three hundred or more families. .
I wish very earnestly that I could have a brother-priest, a co-worker,
at Tu-chau or Tu-yun. We could carry on the work of evangelization
more efiEectually and make wider breaches in the fortresses of Master
Satan. Members of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith,
you who are the friends of missionaries, who assist them in their work,
pray that my wishes may be realized.
DIOCESE OF LAHORE, INDIA
The following letter which was sent us by the Right Reverend Bishop of
Lahore gives a graphic account of the plague which has devastated the
Punjab in India. Bishop Pelckmans makes an appeal for assistance as
the missionaries in his diocese are very poor and the natives who have been
reduced to desperate straits by the bubonic fever can do nothing to help
them.
Lbttbb op Et. Eev. G. Pelckmans^ 0. M. Cap.
JPEW years ago the English Govenunent undertook
and carried to success a gigantic plan to irrigate the
immense extent of territory which is traversed by
the five rivers of the Punjab and which had lain
waste perhaps for centuries. The field in which
this work was carried out lies for the most part
in our diocese; that is, in territory situated between
the river Bavi and the river Chenab, where our colonists settled in
1900. The building of the canals brought to the heart of a desert
region, formerly the haunt of vagabond tribes of marauders, the
fertile waters of five rivers and opened a new era of prosperity
to this province in the north of India at the very time that a
providential movement arose on the part of the dense population of
the great centers toward agricultural districts. GonciLrrently with
this material development there was a renewal of religious activity
on the part of Protestant missionaries. We could not permit our-
selves to lag behind. Villages were springing up here and multiply-
ing, where, not so many years ago, had reigned the silence of the
desert. The development of commercial relations, facilitated by the
building of new stone-ballast roads, has given birth to cities which in
time will acquire capital importance. We considered that the time
16
LAHORE^ INQIA 17
was opportune to plant onr tent in the midst of this new agricultural
region.
Upon the plains which I have described above, those namely which
are fertilized by the canals canying the waters of the river Chenab,
Ehnshpur, '* the dty of joy/' has been built. Its beginning, like that
of Adah, Sahowala and Maryabad, was very simple. Father Mark
and Brother Ferdinand, the pioneers of the Catholic foundation at
this place, were obliged to content thCT[i8elves with a poor structure
made of bricks dried in the sun. About this time the Very Beverend
Mother Qhislaine, superior general of the Sisters of Chari^ at Gand,
visited the missions of Ceylon and the Punjab, where the nuns of her
order had been working for six years, and expressed a desire to see
the young colony of Elhushpur. The sight of the miserable condition
of the native women and their profound ignorance inflamed her zeal.
At the present time Ehushpur possesses a solidly built convent with
a regularly constituted community of Sisters. Mother Wilfine of
Bruges is the superior. The colony progressed; it had grown to
twelve hundred Christians and catechumens, when suddenly, like
lightning from a clear sky, the plague broke out — ^the bubonic fever,
which in two years claimed 141,789 victims at Ehushpur. The num-
ber I have given is official, that is to say, much below what in reality
it should be. For the natives, exasperated by the sanitary rules which
the authorities have vainly tried to persuade them to follow, secretly
buried many of their dead, who thus were not included in the official
coimt. I may say without exaggeration that 200,000 perished be-
tween the sixth of January and tiie first of May of this year.
One morning the cry was heard, ^' The plague is in the village ! '*
and terror spread among the people. I Imow of no better way to
convey an exact idea of the panic produced by the appearance of the
scourge than to transcribe these two letters which I have recently
received:
Lbttkr of Bev. Fb. Bbrnabdik.
Khubhpub, Mat 23, 1903.
The weather has grown terribly hot, a fact which will, for a time at least,
lessen the ravages of the horrible epidemic I am able to breathe a little
easier and I wlU attempt to give you some slight Idea of what has taken
place here during the past month*
We had celebrated the feast of the risen Lord, and I was returning to
my house when I suddenly found myself surrounded by a group of natives,
weeping and crying plteously:
" Father, Father, pity! have pity on us! The plague is in the village.
18 MISSIONS IN ASIA
A 70un£^ man has died after two days' illness and two others in the slune
house have fallen sick."
Without pausing I hurried to bury this first victim and then returned to
the hut where he had died to administer the last Sacraments to his poof
mother. An hour afterwards she also was dead. Losing no time I went to
the others and examined them; the tumors under their arms were very
noticeable. There was no room for doubt, it was the plague. I sent word
to the Mother Superior of the convent Gk)d alone knows the immense
amount of good which she has done in this village. As soon as she had
finished caring for the fifty or sixty poor sufferers who came daily to the
dispensary, the indefatigable Sister went from house to house, arranging
the beds of the stricken, cleaning their dwellings, washing and binding
their repulsive sores, giving them medicine, advising them as to the pre-
cautions to be taken, reviving the courage of the timid, or reciting the
prayers of the Church at the bed-side of the dying. Many and many a
time was she exposed to contracting the evil. In spite of all our efforts
to withstand the progress of the scourge, it continued its ravages and in a
few days I had buried fifty of its victims. They had departed well pre-
pared for death. All the catechumes who had not received baptism begged
me with tears in their eyes to administer the sacrament to them.
If my people at the beginning of the epidemic had been more prudent
many would have escaped the contagion. I had advised that no one go
near the affected except those who were absolutely obliged to do so. Use-
less advice! The evi^ spread to such a degree that I had buried forty more
in a few days. The people were seized with panic and fied from their
homes to camp in the open fields. This gave rise to a very sorrowful inci-
dent
One evening a Christian came to inform me that a woman who had been
attacked by the bubonic fever had been forsaken three or four days before.
I hurried immediately to her house. In a dark corner of a room I dis-
covered a dead body already in the process of decomposition. I returned to
the door to get a breath of fresh air and to call the family which was camp-
ing in the open. But what good did it do to ask them for help? They
told me they were all afflicted with the disease. I was obliged to wait until
the next day when with the aid of some good Christians I carried away the
others who had caught the contagion from the uncared-for corpse. I asked
for information and learned the following. It appeared that as soon as the
poor woman was stricken she had called her son and said to him:
" I have the plague: there is nothing to be done for me, I must die. As
for you, run outside; place some water near my bed and leave me to die
in peace."
One does not know whether to admire this evidence of self-abnegation
which is by no means common in a pagan or to be indignant at these child-
ren without heart abandoning their mother about to die such a sorrowful
death.
At present the plague is diminishing, but it is not yet over. May the
God of Mercies deign to withdraw this scourge!
LAHORE^ INDIA 19
Letter of the Rev. Mother Wilfi5e of Brtjoes.
Superior of the convent of St. Vincent
A few days after Easter at three o'clock in the afternoon as I was re-
turning from our little parish church I noticed a group of Christians about
the priest's cabin who were crying that the plague had broken out in the
village. The father tried to calm the excitement of his parishioners and
pretended that he attached no great impoiianoe to the fact He remained
perfectly calm and spoke these words to the people:
" My dear friends, calm yourselves. It is not so terrible as you imagine.
Indeed how do you know that it is the plague? You have never seen any-
one suffering from it. I do not deny what you have told me but listen to
what I have to say. God who has spared us till to-day may well have sent
us an example of what he hold^ in reserve to punish some, to reward others
and to try us all. Now is the time to show your faith and your charity.
Commence by appeasing the Just wrath of God by fervent prayers. Let
each one examine his conscience well and make a worthy confession. After
that, fear nothing."
"Father, Father, baptize us at once," some of the catechumens who
were in the group, cried.
"I refuse baptism to none," the Father replied. "But I will admin-
ister it only to those who have prepared worthily and have earnestly de-
sired it"
These words produced a marvellous effect. Next morning at daybreak,
the whole parish was at church.
On that day we commenced our visits to the plague-stricken, especially
to the natiye women. Permit me to give you an example. We knocked at
the door of one of the huts which contained a fever patient and it was im-
mediately opened. A yile odor which assailed our nostrils nearly forced us
to retreat; the room was crowded with men and women and altogfBther
unventilated. With great difficulty we forced our way to the sick bed.
Our first care was to drive out of the house all who could be of no assist-
ance; then we aired the place and carried the sufferer outside and set her
down in the shade. The victims of the plague are attacked with violent
fevers and sores appear under the arms or in the throat where the glands
break open; the wounds enlarge more and more until they are of great
size. There are few known remedies. When a person dies, a great hub-
bub is immediately set up. All the women of the neighborhood collect and
commence a lamentation over the body, at the same time beating their
breast with a cruelty that makes one shudder. These newly-converted
Christians have not yet renounced this stupid practice which is a remnant
of paganism.
On the other hand, we find among our young Catholics many edifying
traits. This is one example among many.
The father of a family had fallen sick. When Father Bernardin had
heard his confession and was leaving, he said:
"Tomorrow morning I will return and give you Extreme Unction and
Holy Communion."
The sick man's daughter, a child of fourteen, hearing that God was to
come to her house was filled with Joy and, having prepared some white-
20 MISSIONS IN ASIA
wash, straightway set about whitening the walls of the poor little hut
Passing by chance, I asked what she was doing.
"God is coming tomorrow morning^' she replied. "And I must make
ready to offer Him a worthy reception."
" But, my dear child," I continued, " do you not know that you will make
yourself ill by working so hard in this hot sun? "
" Father Sahib will give us God's blessing and we will 1>6 protected from
the plague."
Poor girl! Upon the following morning she was taken down. But the
Lord considered her simple faith and she is now convalescing. The plague-
stricken who escape death (and they are few in number) remain extremely
weak and emaciated, with a deathlike pallor. Their ulcers are so large
and deep that without any exaggeration two fingers may be thrust into
them.
In finishing I wish to narrate another edifying incident in relation to a
young Christian named Paul, twelve years old. His mother had been
stricken by the plague, then his sister, next his sistsr-in-law, and finally
himself. Little Paul was prudent and, as the Father had recommended,
took no solid food, an essential condition to recovery. His mother, although
as old as the hills and as hard as a rock, nevertheless came to the point
of death. The boy was inflamed with apostolic zeal.
" Mother," he cried, " fear nothing. I will make you well. Baptism is
.an infallible remedy."
And seizing a dish filled with water he poured it out upon the head of the •
old woman, saying:
" Mother, I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Ghost"
When he told the Father of his heroic act his young zeal was necessarily
somewhat cooled for he learned that his mother had already been baptized.
Thank God, the scourge is now disappearing. Let us continue to pray
however.
To the joy with which I as bishop read these two letters, breathing
as they do an angelic simplicity, was mingled a feeling of sadness.
It has probably been remarked, that, owing to the deadly climate of
India, and the privations which the missionaries are forced to endure
in caring for the poor, the sick and the orphaned, their lives are fore-
shortened by many years. With what fervor do I not pray God from'
the bottom of my heart to inspire generous souls to send me a little
out of their abundance! Who will aid me to build a house and a
church which will be larger and less unworthy of the Ood of our
tabernacles? Who will give me something to relieve the poverty of
the unfortunate, to soften the lot of the little orphans, and to restock
the dispensary which at present is entirely without the medicines
needed for the care of the sick?
i\ \Vof>ii Seller.
MISSIONS IN AFRICA
VICARIATE APOSTOLIC OF SOUTH VICTORIA
NYANZA
The vicariate apostolic of South Victoria Nyanza comprises, broadly
speaking, the lands which He to the east« west and south of the southern
half of the great lake Victoria, an immense sheet of fresh water, situated
in Equatorial Africa. In this district are four Missions which, with their
churches and schools, are in charge of fourteen White Fathers under the
direction of Bishop Hirth. The following letter gives an interesting ac-
count of an attempt to prepare the way for the establishment of a new
mission in the Kiza country.
21
»» missions in africa
Extracts prom a Letter of Eev. Father Hurel, A1. M.
The establishment of a mission which
p .— TIP g^gjjQp ujp^ji iiajs long had in mind in one
'"" ^ * of .the most interesting parts of Southern Ny-
anza has been definitely undertaken. Father Eoussez and myself took
a long journey for the purpose of preparing a home for the future
missionaries of the new station. Upon the morning of our departure
a crowd of men, women and children accompanied us to the point of
embarkation. The king himself came to wish us a safe journey and
to see us off. It was eleven o'clock before our boats finally left the
river bank.
Our boats! Fancy two logs more than thirty feet long which
had been hollowed out and in the sides of which we fastened narrow
seats for the rowers and you will have an idea of our " ocean liner.^'
This is a style of craft which to my mind is much superior to the
frame barges of the Bagandas, as the latter are liable to spring leaks
and deposit rowers and passengers at the bottom of the lake. The
vigorous propulsion of the Braherevoe sent us along at the rapid pace
of five miles an hour. In two days we had reached the end of the
gulf of Speke and arrived at Guta, where we were to leave the water
and continue by land.
The Kiza country, our destination, is about two days' journey from
Guta toward the east. In order to reach it it is necessary to climb
the Sizaki, a long chain of moimtains which frowns upon the sur-
rounding plains. But let us hasten on. Our rowers, now become
porters, march blithely along behind the guide while Father Boussez
and I bring up the rear. We first traversed an immense plain which
had been devastated by fire and in consequence presented a dreary
appearance. Great numbers of wild beasts, antelopes, zebras, gazelles,
etc., were at play and at our approach fled in all directions. It was a
tempting opportunity to try a shot, but time pressed and prudence
forbade leaving the path. It took us five hours to cross this plain;
from the time occupied I will leave you to judge of its breadth.
Soon we entered Sizaki, properly speaking, and commenced to climb
the mountain. In two hours we had reached the summit. Here
dwelt Baterezya, king of this country, and here we pitched our tent.
A Boyal Audience.—- ^^^ ^^^^ ^^ old acquaintance and excel-
The "Milk" of the lent friend of Father Roussez, received us cor-
White People.— Lit- dially. Without saying a word he took us by
tie Makanga. q^q a.rin with every mark of friendship, and
then, leading us through the village, brought us finally to the top of a
SOUTH VIOTORIA NTANZA 23
large rock. Here he stood and looked at us attentively, still in
silence.
One of the most beautiful prospects in the world was spread before
us. Directly beneath our feet, at the bottom of a sheer precipice, ex-
tended, as far as the eye could see, a vast plain. We were standing
upon the highest point of the highest mountain of the Sizaki range;
the distance to the level land below would measure more than 36,000
feet. Kiterezya knew well that we would be surprised. He is an
old fox who knows the weak point of Europeans.
Speaking of weakness and frailty, I regret to state that they arc
only too commonly manifested by the royal race of this country. It
has a fondness for, nay, a passionate devotion to, brandy. His
Majesiy imbibes this baneful liquor with visible evidences of the
greatest delight.
"Will you not,'* he asked us, "join me in drinking this 'milk*
of the white people?'*
''No," we replied, "it would kill us.**
"What!** he exclaimed, in astonishment. "Why, I thought that
all Europeans were fed on it.**
Kiterezya is entirely ignorant of all our hygienic principles; yet
this does not prevent him from being our devoted friend. A long
time ago he consented to receive our catechists. We have had no
difficulty in establishing a missionary center in his village. His coun-
try is ours and his people are ours, as he himself delights to put it.
The language which his subjects speak is the same as that used in
Kiza and the two neighboring tribes are excellent friends. In spite
of his good-will toward us, Kiterezya is none the less a thorough
pagan, covered with amulets from head to foot. However, we hope
that in time God will enlighten him.
For the most part the villages under the jurisdiction of this king
are governed by his own sons; that is to say, by those who are also
our friends. Even little Makanga, the Benjamin of the reigning fam-
ily, manifested kindly feeling for us. With an audacity which had
already attained royal proportions, he reached up to his full height,
caught hold of my beard and stroked it with a patronizing air which
was highly amusing. The young lion will grow, and in time perhaps
become a fully developed one. Let us hope that he will not take to
drinking the brandy which he sees so often in his f ather*s glass.
*
Upon the following morning at an early hour we were already on
24
MISSIONS IN AFRICA
our way, as we were anxious to behold the famous Kiza country, the
goal of our journey and of our future hopes. Before we had trav-
eled far the country changed in character; numberless hills lay in
our path, each one of which had to be laboriously climbed to our infi-
nite weariness. We thought always that we had reached the last, but
there was another in front of us as soon as we stood on the summit
Our porters became almost exhausted and we ourselves were not much
King Masuka, Chief of Mwanga.
better. Finally from the top of a hill, the last, we beheld an immense
boma, laid out with the greatest regularity; that is, an enclosure con-
taining the royal dwellings. We had arrived. Our strength returned
and our spirits revived as if by magic. That was the spot upon
which God desired the missionary to pitch his tent and those were the
souls destined to hear the Divine Word.
King Matutu, attended by his suite.
King Matutu. -Our ^^^^^^ ^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^ p^^^^ ^ ^^^^^ ^j ^^
First Christians. dwelling. He is a man still young and dig-
ro n 1 en . nified in bearing, much different from the or-
dinary native. He affected a certain solemnity in greeting us. We
SOUTH VICTORIA NYANZA 25
refused to go inside the boma in spite of his reiterated requests. We
were in haste to erect 5ur tent npon that hill at the foot of which the
royal huts were bnilt and upon which were already standing the
bouses of our catechists and the shed which serves for a school.
Matutu accompanied us^ followed by the whole suite. At length
we came to the chosen spot and while our servants were putting up
the tent we conversed with the king. We must have formed a pictur-
esque group. The two white men on one side seated on folding chairs ;
the king and his court opposite. There was none of that freedom
from ceremony here which had characterized our relations with King
Kiterezya. We were now in the presence of a personage who sur-
rounded himself with dignity as with a shell, a pose rare in these
parts. Prom his conversation we learned that Matutu was our de-
voted friend. Our purpose in coming to his country, namely, to
build there and make it our dwelling-place for some months, far from
surprising him, seemed to give him great pleasure.
God was manifestly with us in our undertaking since He had
so favorably disposed towards us the heart of this king, who was the
master, in the true sense of that word, of the country. However,
friendship, no matter how warm it may be, in order to be kept, must
be cultivated. Therefore, Father Eoussez drew forth from his box a
complete suit of clothes and presented them to His Majesty as a gift.
The pleasure of the sovereign was childlike. His lips distended into
a broad smile and there before our eyes, for he could not restrain
bis impatience, he straggled into the vest, which was adorned with
large brass buttons, and drew on the wonderful trousers. Then,
proud as any emperor, he led the way to his boma. It was a comical
sight to behold His Majesty, clad in his new clothes. The trousers,
which had not been made to his measure, were a sad fit, indeed.
*^He will come to grief, ^' I remarked to Father Boussez as we
watched his departure, ^'especially if he attempts to leap over that
brook below.'^
My prediction was verified. His Majest/s personal appearance
suffered greatly from the mishap. Nevertheless, he continued on his
way imdaunted, his bearing as proud and self-satisfied as though
nothing had happened.
We devoted the next day to visiting the people of the neighborhood.
We were accompanied on this first apostolic journey by a native Chris-
tian, a village chief and the only baptized Catholic in the whole
26 MISSIONS IN AFBIOA
country. He had suffered exile years before for political reasons and
had gone to Ukerewe, where he had received instruction and baptism.
Wherever we went we were well received. The women and children
did not run away at our approach^ as generally happens in those places
where white people are seen for the first time. The comments we
heard were often interesting.
" Why, see what feet they have I *' was a common exclamation.
These good people suppose that our stockings and shoes are part of
our bodies. Thus they often wish to examine them closely and touch
them. They will pinch the stocking lightly, and ask :
''Did not that hurt?''
"No.''
" Ah ! '' Complete surprise.
We learned with joy while on this visit that the Bakiza were soon
to make a journey to us.
But let us not forget the purpose for which we undertook this long
trip. It was to build houses for the future missionaries. Our first
task was to choose a site for them. The king had forestalled us; he
had already selected one. He was to come in person to conduct us
to it.
At seven o'clock the next morning he is without with his inseparable
suite. The outfit with which he has draped his person is wonderful.
He has tried to dress like his friends, the officers of Ikoma. He has
on a pair of hunting breeches and gaiters; his feet are encased in
white shoes; upon his head is an old cork hat and in his hand, or
rather under his arm, a thirty-cent umbrella. We will see how he
will fare with such extraordinary clothes. The affair was conducted
thus: We climbed first one hill, then a second, then a third. The
sun climbed with us and in consequence the perspiration rolled from
the portly king in great drops. With a gesture anything but royal,
he energetically mopped his face with the umbrella, which he had
not opened. Moreover, his shoes, the traitors, threatened at each
step to throw him full-length upon the pebbles of the path. No, he
could stand them no longer. They were pitilessly drawn off and
foimd a prosaic resting place in the hands of a little slave. Freed
from danger. His Majesty thereafter stepped forth freely and we
soon reached our destination.
The spot selected was splendid. It is upon the slope of one of the
highest hills and commands a magnificent outlook. A large river
SOUTH VICTORIA NYANZA
2t
flows by a short distance away, winding about the foot of the hill.
This brings a copious water supply close to the mission house. In a
word, the place pleased us. Matutu was highly elated when he found
that his choice was ratified by the white men.
Organization.-The "^^^ evening Father Eoussez set out upon
Palace of Matutu.— ^^^ return to Ukerewe, where his presence was
The Maflsais: their necessary. I went to the king's house to dis-
History. cuss the question of building. The matter
was quickly arranged. Matutu dispatched word to all his village
Fishermen on the Shore of Lake Victoria Nyanza.
chiefs commanding them to collect large forces of men and to send
them into the jungle where they were to cut what wood was needed.
A great number of laborers were soon at work. There was every
reason to think that things were going well and in consequence I was
content. This feeling of satisfaction I did not conceal from the king.
He too was elated and in a burst of enthusiastic confidence invited me
to visit the innermost parts of his boma. It was a veritable fortress.
In the first place, there was an outer rampart, formed of a triple hedge
28 MISSIONS IN AFRICA
of ihoni; one dry, the second green and growing, the third again dry.
This measured, altogether, at the least, fifteen feet across. It was
impossible to set fire to it, for the flames oonld not pass the second
row, as the live plant is incombustible. It was a very ingenious ar-
rangement, bnt this was not all. Abont sixty feet further on another
fortification was erected, more formidable still. As in the first, here
also was a hedge of dry thorn; immediately behind this a row of
long stakes firmly placed in the ground and bound together by giant
creepers, and finally two more hedges, one green, the other dry. The
royal houses were built within this last enclosure. These fortifica-
tions surround the king's residence in two great circles, unbroken
save in one place, which is the point of entrance and egress, but which
may be blocked up at a moment's notice by large rocks, placed near by.
4-
What purpose do these ramparts serve? Does the king fear war
or the encroachments of robbers? Indeed he does; he is in mortal
dread of bandits of a ferocious type, the terrible Massais.
The people named the Massais consist of a number of independent
tribes — ^they elect no chief — who occupy the plateaus between Lake
Nyanza and the eastern coast of Africa. They do not till the soil, but
live entirely by pillage. They wander far from their own country in
pursuit of goats and cattle, suddenly swoop down upon some village,
disappear, and are next heard of where they are least expected. Their
method is very simple but always successful. Under cover of darkness
they approach a village, set fire to the houses, and slay without pity all
who resist them. Their depredations are frequent. Only last year
they appeared at the strait which separates our island of Ukerewe from
the mainland ; that is, at a place more than a month's march from their
own coimtry. In 1890 they crossed this strait, burned and pillaged
the villages which lay in their path and were not successfully opposed
until a party of fifty Bagandas in the king's service were sent out
against them. The royal soldiers won the first encounter, but were
imprudent enough to pursue the robbers across the strait. Not one
returned; they were all slain by the terrible lances of the Massais.
Up to the present time no one has been able to bar the way to these
bandits. Their audacity passes belief and their organization is perfect
The inhabitants of the countries exposed to their incursions protect
themselves by retiring to the top of a mountain or fortifying them-
selves upon the shores of a lake. At a momenf s notice they can hurry
out of harm's way.
SOtrTH VIOTOBXA KYAK2A 29
The Massais came to Eiza more than thirty years ago, but fear of
them remains still in the country. The character of this region is
such that it could be captured only with the greatest difficulty. The
numberless hills afford excellent places of retreat to the inhabitants;
they can intrench themselves upon the tops and defy the most daring
marauders. Each house thus becomes a fortress to be taken in turn,
and it is impossible to set fire to villages so well protected by hedges
of living thorn. There is no fear that the Massais will cast flaming
arrows after the manner of the Bahayas for the reason that they do
not carry bows and arrows. A lance and a long knife are their only
arms.
Strange as it may seem, the Massais, or rather the fear of them,
have helped to make us acceptable to the people; they have assisted in
establishing us in places where we might not have been looked upon
with favor. The saying, " When white men are with us, the Massais
will stay away/' explains what I mean. As a matter of fact these
brigands have always avoided places inhabited by Europeans.
Eindnefls of Matutu. ^ ^^ ^^* enter into a detailed account of
—The Natives of Eiza. ^^^ building operations, as I fear it would not
—Their History and be interesting. The houses which were erected
y^BjmeTB, 80 quickly are not palaces; they serve to keep
out the rain and the sun, which is all we desire. The natives re-
sponded to a man to the appeal of their king and five days after my
arrival foundation timbers were already laid.
Matutu was very kind. Twice a day he sent one of his ministers to
ask after my health and to inquire how the work was progressing.
Ond morning His Majesty came to my tent to pay me a personal visit
and to bring me some gifts as a token of his unbroken friendship.
One of these presents was a large gourd which contained a thick yel-
low liquid. At first I did not know what to do with it and naturally
looked inquiringly at the donor. Without saying a word he plunged
his hand into the vase and drew it forth covered with the liquid, which
he let fall from his fingers into his moutii with many evidences of
delight. His reply was short but clear. I followed the example set
me and in my turn ate the liquid, having first daubed my fingers
with it.
Every day I climbed some of the nearby hills and visited a large
part of the natives in their huts. These are my impressions of the
country and its inhabitants. It may be said that Kiza is Kabylie on
30 MISSIONS IN AFRICA
a small scale. There are no plains ; the mountains are lofty and com-
mand a splendid view. Prom the plateau upon which we have built
our house is spread before us a magnificent landscape^ upon one side
the interminable chain of the Sizaki mountains, upon tiie other the
serrated outline of the Lanaki range. The climate ought to be very
healthful.
Kiza is thickly populated. A traveler, hurriedly passing through
the country, would be led to believe the contrary, because tiie houses
for the most part are hidden behind their fortifications. Prom with-
out the inhabitants of the dwellings are not visible. It isof ten neces-
sary to go into a village to be convinced that people really are living
there. Courage, then, you who are to be the happy apostles of this
country. Your zeal should be rewarded by gratifying results, for
sheep abound and await only the invitation of the shepherds to enter
the fold.
The original masters of Kiza were the Bagwes. They have long
since gone and no trace of them remains. The present king, Matutu,
although he was for years in disgrace and exile, has not been Influ-
enced in any degree by his stay among strangers. The missionary in
this country labors among a people who are entirely free from the mis-
conceptions which are entertained by their neighbors in our regard.
The Bakizas clothe themselves after a fashion which is certainly
original. The men drape themselves (that is the only word to express
it) in a long wide piece of hide, fairly well tanned, which is rendered
soft by many applications of grease. Prom the lobe of the left ear
they hang a number of objects which sometimes reach dimensions well-
nigh beyond belief. Through curiosity I measured one of these and
found it over two inches in diameter. The right ear is generally with-
out ornament. The neck and arms are adorned with small beads,
white, yellow and blue in color. These trinkets are arranged accord-
ing to thf taste of the individual and men and women wear a greater
or less number in the degree that they are fond of admiration. Upon
days of merry-making the left ear is further burdened with a number
of small chains which fall to the shoulders and the hair is decorated
with an abundance of red and blue beads. The costume of the women
does not differ from that worn by the men; they also pierce the left
ear. About their ankles are clasped large ornaments either of iron
or copper which clash together when they walk and produce a sound
very like that of a chain when drawn over a floor. Some of these
SOUTH VICTORIA NYANZA
31
women carry upon each foot as many as six anklets which represent
a weight of some pounds. In consequence their manner of walking is
ungraceful and slow; they seem rather to drag themselves painfully
along than to walk. They also attach to their neck and ankles a num-
ber of little bells of native manufacture which tinkle when they move.
These people are like children^ as are most of the inhabitants of the
n^ro country, and their maimer of dressing appears to us foolish.
A Tribal Chief.
The time had now arrived to set about re-
turning. I was leaving behind me as the result
of my labors a large house of four rooms and
a quantity of timber for use in the future.
The king, with his usual kindness, sent porters
and three of his attendants to accompany me on my way. These men
were armed with large elephant guns and directly represented His
Majesty. They came with us more to protect the porters on their
return than to escort me. For though we had to cross dangerous ter-
ritory the negroes feared nothing on the outward journey. A white
The Return.— The
Goat of Eissiri.— The
Jovial Issaha.— Ar-
rival at Nakatende.
32 MISSIONS IN AFRICA
man was with them. But they would have hesitated long before com-
ing back were the king's attendants not present with their fire-arms.
It is eight o'clock; dl is ready for the departure. I give the signal
which sets the train in motion.
'' Be sure and return/' Matutu called after me as long as I can hear.
This was the form of his farewell.
At noon we reached the plain and found it on fire. The brush was
burning fiercely^ pillars of flame. Our path was barred twice^ and
each time we succeeded in diverting the course of tiie conflagration.
We were late in reaching our halting place; we did not get there till
sunset. Everybody was tired out, but the negro quickly forgets fatigue
when seated before a pot of steaming meat. We were encamped at the
foot of the mountain^ and what a mountain it was I To-morrow we
would have to toil up its side for the greater part of the day beneath
the rays of a broiling sun. Everyone was astir early; the tent was
folded and the porters in position to take up the inarch when we saw
a man coining towards us, leading a goat with one hand and waving a
paper in the other. Questions were hurled at him.
" Who are you ? What do you want ? What is that paper ? "
'*I am king of this region/' he replied in surprise. "Don't you
know me? I have come to give you a greeting and offer a present.
Indeed I am the king. Look at this paper; it will tell you so."
I read. ** Your name is Kissiri, then? " I said.
*' Why, yes/' he exclaimed. " But how did you know it? "
*' If you are the king/' I objected, " why do you come alone ? Kings
are usually accompanied by many attendants, but you have only a
goat."
There was no reply. I went on:
" I will accept your goat as a gift, but as you can see, my cases are
closed up and I have nothing to give you in retorn."
However, in spite of what I said, I presented him with a package
of needles worth about two cents. He opened it, looked at the con-
tents and was profuse in expressions of gratitude. It does not take a
great deal to satisfy their Majesties, especially such little Majesties
as Kissiri. He was the first king I met upon the return journey, but
he was not the last
We toiled up the mountain during the whole of the morning and
when we at last reached the summit the sun was very hot. We halted
for ft short time at the bouse of another king, the jovial Ikaka, to
SOUTH VICTORIA NYANZA
33
take a little refreshment. As it turned out Ikaka had been imbibing
freely from his gourd of pomhe. The maimer in which he welcomed
us was like a comic scene at the play. He skipped about, twisted him-
self into strange contortions, sang or rather bawled with the full
strength of his lungs and then suddenly threw himself upon his knees
at my feet.
" Bwana" he cried, " look and listen. Tlie white man is my friend ;
he is my breast, my head, my members.^^
Then he recommenced his leapings and his cries which soon passed
all bounds in his frenzy. Suddenly they ceased, he paused for a mo-
ment, then disappeared into his house to return immediately, dragging
'"^-t.-
Native Blacksmiths.
by the hand a woman who, like himself, was under the influence of
much pombe.
" Bwana/* he exclaimed, " this is my wife. I have brought her to
greet you.'^ Then turning to the woman, " Go and bow to the white
man.^'
The poor queen fell rather than knelt at my feet and muttered a few
unintelligible words. After more dances, the monarch addressed me
again.
" Bwana/' he said, " you please me much. Will you pass the night
here? To-morrow I will show you all the sights of my kingdom and
we shall visit together some men I know. They have excellent pombe;
you will be well entertained."
I was obliged to convince Ikaka that I must depart without delay.
34 MISSIONS IN AFRICA
I wish to add that, when sober, there is no better king in the whole
country and none who regards us more favorably. Father Roussez,
who passed here last year, had a good opportunity of observing him
when not under the influence of liquor and of judging his dispositions
in regard to missionaries.
-h
We marched along the crest of the mountain until three o'clock in
the afternoon, when we made a fresh halt at the gate of a third king.
He came out to greet me with his whole court. We conversed for
some minutes and then I continued on my way without further cere-
mony. When we come back to speak to these people of God and our
holy religion at least we will not be strangers to them. - They will
remember the white Father, his cross and his rosary, and I hope also
his conciliating manners.
At sunset we had arrived at the dwelling of a fourth king, a man
whose maimer was more solemn than that of the others. The Ger-
mans had attempted to place this little royalty at the head of the
whole country. He has not forgotten this and in consequence regards
the white people as his great friends. He furnished me with an ex-
cellent meal, goat's flesh, milk, flour — notliing was wanting. I had
scarcely finished eating when Musanza (this is His Majesty's name)
entered my tent.
"Bwana," he said, "I have summoned all my people, men and
women. They are here ; won't you come and watch them dance ? "
" No, I thank you," I replied. " I am deeply grateful for the atten-
tion, but I am wearied and would sleep."
He retired, but not without surprise. That evening there was no
** ball " at the court and I slept tranquilly. My refusal did not keep
the king from coming to wish me good morning.
•h
We were now drawing near the end of our journey. At ten o'clock
in the morning we arrived at Nakatende, the point at which we were
to abandon the land for the water. Nakatende possesses a little Chris-
tian settlement, some catechists and about twenty Catholics. The fol-
lowing day, which was Sunday, I had the consolation of seeing these
fervent neophytes kneeling before the altar. There was a general
communion and my cup of joy was full. That evening the boat
arrived which was to carry us to Our Lady of Hope. Finally upon
the twenty-eighth of July we reached Ukerewe.
God had protected me well. May He be forever blessed and glori-
fied.
MISSIONS IN OCEANICA
VICARIATE APOSTOLIC OF TAHITI
MISSION OF COOK ISLANDS
Mauke is a small island of coral formation about six miles square; it is
the most eastern of those which compose the Cook group. The details
which Father Castanie gives of the first results obtained by his zeal in this
far-away field which has only recently been opened to Catholic mission-
aries will be read with edification and interest. We ask the prayers of our
associates for this growing mission upon which the evangelical sun has
80 tardily risen.
Letter of Rev. Bernardin Castanie, S. H. Pic,
To Rev. Tldefonse Alazard, S. H. Pic.
§K i?Jn^ /^ ^"^ '^^PPy to 8ay that for the moment I am en-
S^y 'yM^ joyiiig here at Mauke, an island full of Protest-
<SS2^'I Ki&7> ants, a freedom from interference which is very
advantageous to my work. My new station, at
which I have been living for five months, is
about one hundred and eight miles distant from
Rarotonga. During the first two months of my
residence I was discouraged and often cast down, but, little by little,
the people have come to me until now fifty persons have embraced
our holy religion and others are preparing to imitate their example.
My labors have been well rewarded.
On Sunday my little chapel cannot contain all who come to assist
at Mass. It is true it only measures thirty-six feet by fifteen. It is
a bamboo structure covered with leaves; the floor is made of a thick
layer of dried grass. If baptisms continue it will have to be replaced
by a church made either of wood or beaten clay, a form of building
material much used in these islands. In the meantime I hope to
35
30
MISSIONS IN OCEANICA
enlarge the present chapel by some yards in order to accommodate
the increased congregations.
The rectory is no less primitive. Wind and rain have free entrance.
I was very cold the first nights, but I have now become used to the
climate and do not mind it in the least; besides, with the padding
of packing cases and pieces of old sacks I have stopped up the largest
holes. When I had repaired this evil in my habitation I found my-
self face to face with another and far worse. The dry grass of my
floor serves as the hiding-place for fleas. It is the eleventh plague of
Egypt and I can do notliing to overcome it. To complete my dis-
Thf. Ship " Countess of Ranfarly " at Anchor near
Rarotonga, Capital of the Cook Islands.
comfiture innumerable mosquitoes sing in my ear during the entire
night.
•!•
The population of our island is four himdred and fifty persons,
who are governed by three great chiefs; one of these, Samuels, re-
ceived me as his guest during the early months of my stay here. His
hospitality has brought its reward; he was the first to be baptized
with his son and a part of his household. He gave me the ground
upon which the chapel and rector}^ have been built, and his son, who
was brought up at our school at Rarotonga, is now assisting me to
form a class of the little Kanaks of the island. The natives are eager
COOK ISLANDS
37
to build a school-house in which I intend to give instruction to fifty
children, many of whom are Catholics.
I dedicated my poor little chapel upon the feast of the Ascension.
The three chiefs were in attendance with a considerable number of
natives. They were witnesses — and the ceremony produced a powerful
effect upon them — of the solemn baptism of eight of their neighbors,
A Native Family in the Island op Mauke.
whose reception into the Church I had purposely put off until this
great day. Since then conversions have been many.
May the Archangel Michael, patron of the infant mission, bring
the entire island within the fold! Unhappily we have to overcome
more than one obstacle; inebriety, produced by drinking fermented
orange juice, is not the least. Many of those who would otherwise
make good Catholics have not strength sufficient to give up the liquor
which intoxicates them. Let us hope that, with the grace of Gtod, they
will do so in time.
38 MISSIONS IN OCEANICA
Every morning a fair number of persons come to the chapel for
prayer in common and assistance at Mass. In the evening, at six
o'clock, they all return for prayers again; hymns are sung and chap-
ters of the catechism recited, after which I explain a point of our
faith. Up to the present the natives have been faithful in attending
these exercises; it is truly wonderful how quickly they learn our
prayers and especially our hymns.
Among the converts I ought to mention a Protestant deacon, an
old man nearly a hundred years of age, whose father, the king of Atin,
admitted into his island the first Protestant missionaries and thence
brought them to Mauke. In spite of his years the aged convert is
still hearty. His wife, younger than he by some twenty years, has also
been converted. She was the leader of the native female missionaries.
Another Protestant deacon has spoken also of becoming a Catholic;
he has been attracted to the faith by the example of two of his chil-
dren and his sister-in-law, whom I have baptized.
As our mission is still in its infancy and everj'^thing has yet to l>e
done, I will receive with gratitude any help which you will be able
to give me. Mauke is a very poor island. Nearly all the children
are naked, as their parents cannot afford to give them clothes. They
run about in the dust like little animals, which is a pity. Naturally
their morals suffer.
Assist us then if you can. God will not forget the charitable souls
who clothe Him in the person of my poor neophytes.
NEWS OF THE MISSIONS
EUROPE
Irish Missionaries Praised by the King of England
During their visit to Ireland King Edward VII. and Queen Alex-
andra stopped at the Seminary of Maynouth. They were received
by the Archbishops of Dublin, Cashel and Tuam, by a large number
of bishops and by the faculty and students of the institution. An
address was presented to them. In reply the king said, among other
things, that the college was justly celebrated as a great center of the
ecclesiastical life of Ireland ; that it was noted for forming a clergy
which exercised its ministry throughout the whole extent of the Em-
pire. He added that he was glad to see that his sentiments in regard
to the Irish people had been understood ; they had contributed greatly
to the honor of the Empire and had enriched the national life by the
many admirable gifts which characterized them as a nation. He went
on to say that he could not think without sadness of the death of the
venerable Pontiff, Leo XIII., whose memory was held in high esteem
not only within but also outside the Church of which he had been
the head; that he preserved a cherished remembrance of the inter-
view which he had had with His Holiness and of the affectionate in-
terest which he had shown in the welfare of the British Empire and
its peoples.
ASIA
Famine and Emigration in India
Father Chavanol, P. F. M., writes us from Tanil under date Sep-
tember 20, 1903 :
Bishop Laouenan, of revered memory, compiled the statistics of
births in India, and found that, proportionately, those of Christians
39
40 NEWS OF THE MISSIONS
were greater than those of pagans. In my district I find this asser-
tion true. The families of my neophytes have grown in a very con-
soling manner. But^ but — ^the sun cannot nourish the newcomers.
Himger is a poor counselor^ and when tempters paint the colonies
in glowing colors — easy travel, abimdant food, good wages, return to
the native country with money — ^many of the young people listen and,
without saying a word, run away in the night to test the truth of
these fine stories. Then the following morning their parents, often
old and infirm, learn of the disappearance of their sons and come to
me, weeping and lamenting, for comfort. The interviews which fol-
low are heart-rending. The youth are the hope of the new missions.
When they are dispersed to the four points of the compass the expec-
tation of a golden harvest vanishes and I am sorrowful like the laborer
whose waving com has been laid waste by hail. But this is not all.
Why is this mother weeping? Why are her children sobbing by her
side? Because there is a vacant place at the fireside. The father of
the family has worked hard to bring home food for the little ones.
The summer comes with its heavy rains. More labor for him to
feed the children. The unfortunate man nevertheless sees them die
before him. Desperation seizes him and he goes off, no one knows
where, to a distant place. Poor children! Poor mother I Where
will they go? To the house of the missionary. With tearful eyes
and supplicating hands they say to me:
" Father, we have no one but you in the world. You will not let
us die.^'
Oh, you who have children of your own, precious beings who are
all in all to you, you will understand what I suffer. To you I address
my appeal for some little assistance to keep my spiritual children
from leaving their country and from proving unfaithful to Gk)d.
Your deceased friends and relatives will be the object of my prayers.
Official Acknowledgment of a Missionary's Work
Father Grandmaire, P. P. M., missionary in Cochin-China, has
been honored by the following resolution :
"The Lieutenant-Governor of Cochin-China,
Be it resolved. That an oflBcial testimony of satisfaction be given to
Father Grandmaire, who was sent to Culaogieng just as the cholera was
breaking out, and who, not satisfied with caring for the sick in their
homes, transformed his own dwelling into a hospital and received
as many of the afiOicted as it would contain. '^
AFRICA 41
AFRICA
Statistics of the Vicariate Apostolic of Central Madagascar
Bishop Cazet has sent us the statistics of the mission and a state-
ment of its administration from June 30, 1902, to June 30, 1903 :
2 bishops, 76 priests, 75 brothers, 92 sisters, 1935 native school
teachers, 1368 posts, 1148 churches and chapels, 118,411 Catholics,
1358 schools, attended by 90,000 pupils.
Sacraments have been administered: 14,739 baptisms of children,
7409 baptisms of adults, 8909 confirmations; Extreme Unction has
been given to 614 persons, and 1074 marriages have been blessed.
There have been 223,661 confessions and 178,353 Communions.
Progress of the Mission of Lower Niger
Father Lejeune, C. S. Sp., prefect apostolic, writes from Old Cala-
bar, September 13:
To-day I left Old Calabar for Onitsha, after having passed three
months. in the capital of the colony. During my sojourn we built:
one church, which is now being painted and will be opened for services
in three weeks ; part of a rectory ; a kitchen and a shed. The schools
of this new mission have met with extraordinary success. There are
180 pupils in one and 70 in another. The total number registered
is 360.
The High Commissioner asked us some time ago to undertake the
foundation of an institute for the education of 150 boys, the sons of
native chiefs. I have consented to do so. After three or four years
in this institute, the boys will be sent to the government college, where
they will study law, medicine, etc. There is question also of establish-
ing a hospital for negroes which the Sisters will conduct; it is not
settled yet, however. The High Commissioner also wishes me to re-
establish an anti-slavery institution at Ibi, now that peace seems to
be established in that region. In accordance with his wishes I will
at once resume this work.
The Persecution at Kaffa and Harar
The mission at Kaffa is undergoing persecution ; the vicar-apostolic.
Bishop Jarrosseau, who is personally proscribed, has been obliged to
leave the country and let his missionaries carry on the work of God.
Affairs are becoming more alarming; each succeeding letter contains
sadder news. ,
42 NEWS OF THE MISSIONS
Father L^once, 0. M. Cap., writes from Chappa-Mariam (Kaffa) :
**Our situation at Kaflfa has become desperate. On the twenty-
eighth of June, during Mass our little church at Choppa was the
scene of a terrible sacrilege. A troop of armed soldiers entered the
•sacred building and set upon the two hundred Christians who were
assisting at the Holy Sacrifice. They hurled blows right and left,
' striking the \^orshipers with whips, clubs and the butts of their
muskets. One of them was even loading his gun, and God only knows
what might have occurred if Father Joachim had not ordered the
faithful to leave the church. He finally finished, behind closed doors,
the Mass which had been so rudely interrupted.
" But our sufferings are small in comparison with those of our Chris-
tians. They were carried away as prisoners to Andaratcha, where
they have been piled into jail one upon another. Three days were
allowed to pass before they were given a hearing. What is to be the
outcome of it all? It is easy to foretell. The property of the rich
will be confiscated. The poor and the slaves will not be condemned
to death; they will only be flogged, but the punishment will be so
terrible that scarcely strength sufficient to drag themselves home will
be left them, and then they will breathe out in the arms of their rela-
tions the life which hypocrisy forbade their slayers to take outright.
As for ourselves, we are expecting to be brutally driven out of the
country as soon as the local authorities receive fresh instructions from
their superiors. Alas ! these orders will not be slow in coming.'^
It is not alone at Kaffa that the situation of the missionaries is
critical. Father Leon, of Saint Mary, vicar general of Bishop Jar-
rosseau, writes from Harar :
" I have received during the past ten days an official order from the
Emperor to close all the schools at Harar, to withdraw all the mis-
sionaries and to command the priests to cease ministering at the hos-
pital for lepers. Yesterday the police invaded our house and placed
a guard at the doors to arrest any who attempted to enter therein.
The Emperor will shortly reach a decision with the local chiefs as to
whether we are to be protected or driven out."
OCEAN ICA
The Leper Colony at Molokai
Father Juliotte, S. H. Pic, writes from Kalawao :
" The edifying death of one of our lepers, a boy of fifteen, which
occurred recently, has been the means of giving us great consolation.
OCEAN ICA 43
The poor child was horribly disfigured; only a portion of one eye
remained and the nose, mouth and ears had entirely disappeared. The
flesh of his face was one great cancer. Two hours before his death,
at half past three in the morning, I was called and hurried immedi-
ately to his side. He was much agitated, but as soon as he received
the sacraments of Penance and Extreme Unction he became calm and
said to me :
*' * I am suffering a great deal, but it is nothing ; ah ! blessed day of
my death/
" * Why are you so glad to die ? ^ I asked.
" * Because I long for heaven. I want to see God who is beautiful
above all beautiful things. I am going to heaven in the name of the
Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Oh, blessed day ! '
'' A little while after, he cried :
" * Depart from me, Satan, wicked demon, impure and stained with
all crimes. I do not want you. I want Jesus. Do not forget, all
of you, that Jesus is the true God whom we have to serve if we would
go to heaven. The devil is not God. Serve God alone and He will
receive you into Paradise.'
" He responded distinctly to the prayers which were said at his bed-
side. Then he fell quietly into the sleep of the predestined, leaving
us all profoundly moved and consoled.
"Some time before Brother Louis and Brother Sylvain buried a
poor blind leper who had also died a most edifying death. For many
years he had been deprived of his eyes, which had been eaten away by
the terrible disease. You cannot imagine what a horrible sight the poor
body was; but on the other hand, if you had known him, you would
have aflSrmed that you had never met a more beautiful soul. He lived
in entire resignation to the will of God. The spectacle of these suffer-
ing souls is indeed touching. They are completely resigned and await
.with tranquillity the call of God. May our generous benefactors con-
tinue to help us with alms and prayers ! *'
Destruction by Fire of the Church at Mua-Tonga
Father Guitta,'S. M., writes us:
" With a breaking heart I write' to tell you of the terrible disaster
which has plunged my mission of Mua-Tonga into the profoundest
sorrow. We had at Mua a beautiful church, a monument of Tongian
architecture. It was admired by all who visited it. It was con-
structed in 1865 and enlarged twice according as the increase in the
44 NEWS OF THE MISSIONS
number of the faithful required. In 1883 I had a belfry built in
which were placed three fine bells which were brought from Lyons.
In a word, for thirty-three years it has been a pleasure and a duty
for me to beautify this dwelling of Our Lord as much as my feeble
resources would permit.
^' In one hour our church was completely demolished by the flames.
The wooden walls and thatched roof are reduced to ashes; the three
bells are melted, as are also the candlesticks, chalices and an osten-
sorium.
" It is impossible to describe the distress of my neophytes. Greater
than the loss of a meeting-place for the holy offices, greater than the
loss of bells to call to prayer, is the loss of nearly everything necessary
for the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice.
" But I must not lose confidence. I must not permit myself to be
discouraged, but must work with greater ardor than ever to bring
about the construction of our stone church. God will not abandon us."
DESTINATION OF MISSIONARIES
Reported Since the Xovember-December Annuls.
AMERICA
United States.
Rev. Fr. Allhelllg. C. S. Sp.
Rev. Fr. Allocro, R. F. M.
Rev. Fr. Cotta, R. F. M.
Rev. Fr. Cronenberger, C. S. Sp.
Rev. Fr. Eiscle, C. 8. Sp.
Rev. Fr. Hehlr, C. S. Sp.
Rev. Fr. LIchtenberger, C.S.Sp.
Rpv. Fr. Mayer, C- S. Sp.
Rev. Fr. Severo. Jl. F. M.
n*^v. Fr. Turkes. C. 8. Sp.
- West Indies.
Haiti.
Rev. Fr. lehl, C. S. Sp.
Rpv. Fr. Henry, C. S. Sp.
Rev. Fr. Lanore, C. S. Sp.
Rev, Fr. Thomas, C. 8. Sp.
Martinique.
Rev. Fr. Michel, C. S. Sp.
Uev. Fr. MoUoy, C. S. Sp.
Trinidad.
Rev. Fr. I>e Padellec. C. 8. Sp.
Rev. Fr. Neville, C. S. Sp.
AFRICA
NOBTBBBN AFBICA.
OimbaJHuia.
Rev. Fr. Bonel, C. 8. Sp.
Rev. Fr. Diquelou, C. S. Sp.
Rev. Fr. Fisher, C. S. Sp.
Rev. Fr. Grandjean, C. 8. Sp.
French Guinea.
Rev. Fr. Garin, C. 8. Sp.
Rev. Fr. Laplagne, C. S. Sp.
Rev. Fr. Quillaud, C. S. Sp.
Kev. Fr. Sutter. C. S. Sp.
Sierra Leone.
Rev. Fr. Scheer, C. S. Sp.
Equatorial Afbica.
Amazonia.
Rev. Fr. Berthon, C. 8. Sp.
Congo (Stanley Falls).
Rev. Fr. Aubert, M, 8. C.
Rev. Fr. Farshender, M. 8. C.
Rev. Fr. Martmann, M. 8. C.
Rev. Fr. RItner, M. S. C.
Rev. Fr. Wulfers. M. 8. C.
Rev. Fr. Wysen, M. S. C.
French Conffo.
Rev. Fr. Gamier, C. S. Sp.
Rev. Fr. Laurent, C. 8. Sp.
Portuguese Congo.
Rev. Fr. Kapp, C. S. Sp.
Qabon.
Rev. Fr. Leclere, C. 8. Sp.
Rev. Fr. Mace, C. 8. Sp.
Lounda.
Rev. Fr. do« Santos. C. 8. Sp.
Rev. Fr. Sardier. C. S. Sp.
Ubanijui.
Rt. Rev. P. Augouard. C. 8. Sp.
Rev. Fr Belzlc, C. S. Sp.
Rev. Fr. Eplnette. C. 8. Sp.
Zanzibar.
Rev. Fr. Burlce. C. 8. Sp.
Rev. Fr. Flick. C. S. Sp.
Rev. Fr. Krieger, C. 8. Sp.
Rev. Fr. LIntzler, C. S. Sp.
*Rev. Fr. Rohmer, C. S. Sp.
AraiCAN Islands.
Madagascar.
Rev. Fr. Fieret, S. J.
Rev. Fr. Vuillaume. 8. J.
MaurUfc Island.
Rev. Fr. Woegth, C. 8. Sp.
Reunion Island.
Eev. Ft. Meillorat, C. S. Sp.
ASIA
China.
S. E. Chili.
Rev. Fr. Eivat, S. J.
8. Shensi.
Rev. Fr. Checchi, R. F. M.
Rev. Fr. Naln, R. F. M.
45
SUPPLEMENT
TO THE
AMERICAN EDITION
OP THE
Annals of the Propagation of the Faith
Comments of the
Press on the Beport
of the Allocations
for 1903.
The report of the apportionment among the
missions of the world of the funds at the dis-
posal of the Society for the Propagation of the
Faith, as published in the last number of the
Annals, gave rise to many comments in the Catholic press. We quote
the following :
The Sacred Heart Review, of Boston : " We are particularly im-
pressed by the statement that ^ whereas the Society had for distribution
last year only $1,245,537.00, it received application for four million
dollars,^ and this latter amount doubtless represented the barest needs
of our missionary army.
" When we realize that Protestants throughout the world give $20,-
000,000 a year to foreign missions, and that in the United States
alone they contributed two millions more than the entire sum asked
for by our missionaries, we can not but long for the day when every
parish in every diocese of our country shall be in living touch with this
great work.
" There is no better way for the Church in the United States to
exemplify to the world the true Catholic spirit than by her ever-
growing support of that most Catholic of all societies, the Society
FOR THE Propagation of the Faith^ which reaches in its helpfulness
to the farthest ends of the earth, and shows its love not for a few
members only, but for the entire body of Christ. ..."
46
SUPPLEMENT TO THE AMERICAN EDITION OF THE ANNALS 47
•
The Ave Maria:
" The fact that the alms at the disposal of the Society for the Propa-
gation of the Faith are altogether inadequate to meet the demands
of the missions throughout the world which it helps to support, should
be an incentive to the charity of all Catholics. If only it were com-
mensurate with the self-sacrifice and zeal of our missionaries in for-
eign lands! Every Christian worthy of the name should feel it an
obligation to co-operate in the fulfilment of the divine c6inAiand to
* preach the Gospel to every creature/ . . . '^
The Record, of Ix)uisville, Ky., in the course of a lengthy review of
the report, remarked:
"... We commend this •truly apostolic Society to our readers
and to the faithful everywhere. We urge upon all to contribute to-
ward it and to become members of it. God's special blessing will fol-
low any alms sent to it. ... ''
The Et. Pev. L. C. Casartelli, formerly ed-
The Bishop of Sal- itor of the Illustrated Catholic Missions, the
^''L^pS'^^'' ^^ean of the Society for the Propagation of
Hiaaions. *^® Faith in England, and now Bishop of Sal-
ford has written a letter to the Catholic Fire-
side, in which he urges the Catholic press to assist the work of foreign
missions. We quote from his letter :
" As a former colleague in the fraternity of editors of Catholic, popu-
lar and illustrated periodicals, I very gladly send my blessing and best
wishes to yourselves and your readers. The work you are doing is a
most valuable one for the cause of the faith among English-speaking
Catholics. May God prosper it I If I may cdd a personal wish, I shall
be very glad if you will occasionally devote some of your space and your
illustrations to the glorious cause of our Foreign Missions. Would
that our young Catholics took as much interest in this apostolic work
as so many non-Catholics take ! ^'
48 MISSION NOTES AND NEWS
MISSION NOTES AND NEWS
AN AMERICAN IN KOREA: AN EXPLANATION OF THE
TRUE CAUSES OF RELIGIOUS DISTURBANCES
IN THE HERMIT KINGDOM
Although It is our purpose in the Mission Notes and News department of
the American Supplement of the Annals to publish only what concerns
American missions yet we have considered that the present article upon
Korea will not be out of place in as much as it was written by an Amer-
ican gentleman, Mr. W. F. Sands, who is now residing in the country of
which he writes.
The Immediate occasion for this letter was an attack directed against the
Catholic missionaries of Korea who were made the subject of cestain
unjust accusations. Besides giving a true account of the incidents which
served as a basis for these charges, Mr. Sands explains the actual condition
of affairs both political and religious in Korea; by this explanation the
reader Is enabled to understand fully the real causes of the frequent re-
ligious disturbances which occur in that country. ,
Letter of Mr. W. F. Sands
Beligious disturbances are of frequent occurrence in Korea, and
iheir cause can only be understood through a closer knowledge of the
oountry, the attitude of the natives toward Christianity, and the sys-
tem of proselytizing employed by foreign missions.
The Koreans, standing for many centuries in intimate intercourse
with China, and under the direct influence of Chinese thought, adopted
very early the Confucian teachings. Later, Buddhism was introduced,
and at one time was so very powerful at court as to lead to the forming
of two great factions, the military and the " ecclesiastical,'^ and to a
long struggle which ended not only in the banishment of the monks
from court and capital, but the downfall of Buddhism as a religion
in Korea. Since the beginning of this dynasty, which marks the
triumph of the military party, the monks and nuns have withdrawn
more and more to their mountain monasteries and temples. Their
following has fallen away, and to-day they recruit their novices among
the orphans and abandoned children, and are classed with the lowest
of social outcasts. It is rare that a monk knows more of his religion
than the prayer-formula which he recites before the Buddha's image.
MISSION NOTES AND NEWS 49
Buddhism continues to exist in Korea, but only among the nobility
and educated classes, as a vague philosophy of which the principle
seems to be that religious truth can only be discovered by the individ-
ual; no teaching or outside help is of any avail in saving the soul,
therefore all religions are useless, and can only be tolerated as a
mechanical means of holding in check the passions of the ignorant.
Extremists go so far as to reject the teachings of Buddha himself,
saying that what he says is not the truth, but merely an indication of
the means of discovering the truth. Christianity, they look upon as
a corruption of the vulgar Buddhist beliefs.
Thus the Buddhist " religion ^^ in Korea is a selfish contemplation
of the destiny of the individual soul, taking no outward form. One
may, from personal motives, practice any form of religion and still
be a Buddhist. In Korea, as in China, the nobility differs essentially
from that of Japan and Europe. In the first two named, the nobility
is of " office.** The noble is not he who supports his feudal lord with
armed force, but he who acquires his nobility by his clerkly accom-
plishments. As the clerk or scholar was despised in mediaeval Europe,
so is the man of arms only tolerated in China and Korea for his use-
fulness. He is a necessary evil. Every year, until a few years since,
a public examination was held under the direct supervision of the
King and his Ministers, in the Chinese classics, ethics, philosophies
and in statecraft, at which successful candidates received titles and
rank enabling them to hold official position, and from tliese wore
selected all officials of the Government. Thus the ethical system of
Confucius became a necessary part of the equipment of every official,
though no part of his teachings has passed into their daily lives but
the so-called " ancestor-worship,*' which has degenerated into a mass of
superstition. The lower classes, having nothing of either Buddhism
or Confucianism but their lowest superstitions, have surrounded them-
selves with demons and spirits and are enveloped in the grossest devil-
worship. Devil-exorcisers and witches, " physiognomists,** astrologei s,
geomancers and other fortune tellers use great influence, not only
among the ignorant, but even in the highest and best educated class(\*5,
through the women.
This, then, is the condition of mind which the missionary must
face: an irreligious population, composed of a contemptuously toler-
ant, indifferent or sometimes actively hostile nobility (which includes
all the ruling class), and an ignorant and superstitious people, equally
distrustful of foreigners and of their own Government.
50 MISSION NOTES AND NEWS
Although in former times there was some semblance of rule, since
the war between China and Japan, and the ensuing disorders into
which the country was thrown, having abolished most of the old, and
not yet adopted more advanced and modern customs and views, Korea
has become one of the most corrupt governments it is possible to
imagine. The most unscrupulous officials are at the head of affairs,
and the ruling idea is that of personal gain. Honest men withdraw
as far as possible from politics. Every official position has, unless
in time of great danger, its price, and from the governor of a province
or magistrate of a district to the lowest office clerk each one expects
to draw from his position the neatest possible profit in the shortest
time. The only limit to extortion is the patience of the people.
These, mild and }delding by nature, make no resistance to oppression
unless driven to despair. Their only safeguard against the exac-
tions of the nobility is in organization, so that the country is filled
with "benevolent^' societies and guilds, whose numbers, if they do
not permit their members entirely to escape, at least make possible a
less burdensome distribution of the assessment. Chief among these
guilds is the " Peddlars' Union,^' an association so powerful that the
highest prince in the land did not disdain to be their chief. Having
been used freely in the court intrigues which preceded the assassination
of the Queen of Korea by the Japanese in 1895, this society was abol-
ished, to be re-established later and used .in dispersing the "Inde-
pendence " Club, in 1898,' whose members, composed of progressive
men and largely supported by the American Methodist and Presby-
terian missions, had made themselves obnoxious to the Government
by their ultra-radical utterances. Since then, the " Peddlars," semi-
officially recognized, have, by a long series of intrigues, endeavored to
secure again their lost power. Their chief strength lies in their anti-
foreign and anti-Christian attitude, which secures for them patron-
age of all the old Conservative (Confucian) nobility.
The peculiar position of foreigners in Korea, standing as they do
entirely outside of the laws of the country by virtue of the right of
cxtra-territpriality, i. e., the right to be tried only by their own con-
sular officials, offers another means of escape from oppression. This
abnormal state of affairs gives to every Korean seeking protection
against his superiors a potent reason for becoming a member of some
foreign church, thus securing to himself the interest of the foreign
missionaries and teachers. This is true of the Catholic Church, and it
is equally true of those missions conducted by Americans. I might
MISSION NOTES AND NKWS 51
even say that it is more true of the latter, for, although our Govern-
ment not only does not claim the right of protection in religious mat-
ters for any save its own nationals, but strongly disapproves of inter-
ference between the people and their lawful superiors, still, to every
American the idea of oppression is abhorrent, and the interest and
sympathy which the missionaries necessarily have for their converts,
together with their- totally different ideas as to the respective rights
of the governing and the governed, are responfeible for many a clash
with the Korean authorities. While perhaps unavoidable from their
point of view, this does great hurt to their mission work, not only in
antagonizing the Government and educated classes, but principally
because it attracts to all foreign churches undesirable characters and
even evil-doers, who make their religion a cloak for their misdeeds,
and when justly punished by the local authorities, raise the cry of
religious persecution. In most large Christian communities, the posi-
tion of magistrate, even with the best of intentions, is one of exceed-
ing delicacy, and requires great tact, or a conflict is inevitable. The
missionaries, over-zealous to protect their flocks, see religious hatred
often where it does not exist, and the authorities, even where otherwise
tolerant of religion, arc often too ready to see political motives behind
this alienation of the people. Such mutual distrust more easily leads
to conflict if the missionary be young, an ardent defender of free in-
stitutions, and too recently arrived from home and college to Tinder-
stand the people whom he has come to convert.
Given, then, such conditions: two contradictory religions in a new
field, an undisciplined and occasionally lawless following, and a gov-
ernment antagonistic to both, and it is easy to understand how out of
a very small matter may arise a serious quarrel.
Such a case has recently occurred in the Whang-Hai province of
this coimtry. For two years the Catholic mission has carried on a
struggle with the " Peddlars " in Whang-Hai, who have sworn to force
all foreign religions to leave the country. They have not hesitated
to use violence, and twice the military authorities have been forced
to interfere to rescue the native priests from the hands of the mob.
The military officers, I may add, are almost without exception of the
progressive party, and have profited by the liberal and modern edu-
cation afforded them by the Military College. Whatever their private
opinion may be in regard to " foreigners and foreign religion,'' they
disapprove of lawlessness. In the early part of this year some trouble
broke out among native Christians in the absence of their prospective
52 MISSION NOTES AND NEWS
pastors, and there were, no doubt, many reprehensible acts committed
on both sides. Accusations were brought to the Presbyterian Mission
by their converts against the Catholic Mission. The Catholic priest
sent to the Presbyterian pastor to meet him and sift the matter, so
that they might punish jointly all those at fault. The Presbyterians
declined to discuss the matter with him, and laid the charges before
the provincial governor, a man who is well known in Seoul as a cordial
hater of missionaries and of everything foreign. This gentleman
seized the opportunity with alacrity, and instituted a system of whole-
sale arrests accompanied by the grossest disorders on the part of the
" Peddlars " employed. Grave charges having been brought against
the Catholic priest, Father Wilhelm, of torture, extortion, etc., the
French legatirn insisted on a fair investigation and a cessation of
the lawless acts which were forcing the Christians into open revolt
against the Government. Accordingly an official sent by the Govern-
ment from Seoul and attended by members of the Presbyterian Mis-
sion examined the charges against Father Wilhelm and they were
not only not proved, but counter charges were brought, and a suit
instituted for defamation of character which is now in progress.
This affair has been made the subject of a newspaper article in
which the public were supplied with misinformation in regard to it.
There is a strong rcnction in Korea at present against foreign influ-
ence in general, and against Christianity in particular ; therefore such
articles seem to me especially ill-advised at this time, the more so as
they convey an absolutely false impression.
I have, perhaps, at too great length, endeavored to explain both
the political and religious situation of the country in an' impartial
manner, in order that it may be understood how such troubles arise.
When the condition of affairs is correctly known one may be able
to draw one's own conclusions from the stories of " persecution " by
missionaries which come from Korea.
SPECIAL DONATIONS
Received since the Noyember-December Number.
Fos Missions in the United States.
Mr. and Mrs. Pohe (Diocese of iietrolt) $ 5.00
Fos Fathbb Lucchbssi, S. J., Alaska.
Rev. H. Tump (Diocese of Leavenworth) 2.00
Miss Emma Krampe (Diocese of St Loais) 2.00
Fob Bishop Paschal, O. M. I., Saskatchewan.
Rev. T. Goebel (Diocese of Columbas) R.OO
Miss Emma Krampe (Diocese of St Louis) ) 1.00
For Fathbb Codrbis, O. M. L, Saskatchewan.
A Priest (Diocese of St Cloud) ♦. 5.00
For Father Sobby^ Vancouveb, B. C.
Mr. Wm. Donegan (Diocese of Manchester) 25
Fob Fatheb Lecorre, O. M. I., Saskatchewan.
Rev. J. F. Donahue (Diocese of Baltimore) 5.00
For Father Corre's Leper Mission, Japan.
ReT. L. Verhaag (Diocese of Oregon City) 10.00
ReT. L. Riesen (Diocese of Alton) 10.00
Rev. J. M. Sklenar (Diocese of Wichita) 5.00
Rev. J. Pinnel (Diocese of San Antonio) 2.0e)
Rev. J. F. Scheefers (Diocese of Indianapolis) lAHi
Rev. Henry Tump (Diocese of Leavenworth) 2.00
Rev. J. O'Farrell (Diocese of Davenport) 5.00
Rev. C. B. Spechert O. M. Cap., (Diocese of Pittsburg) 5.00
Rev. F. VIdenz (Diocese of Brooklyn) 8.00
Rev. T. M. Smyth (Diocese of Cleveland) 1.00
Rev. T. S. O'Reilly (Diocese of Brooklyn) 10.00
Rev. A. J. Rlnke (Diocese of 8t Paul) 10 00
Rev. J. Eckerie (Diocese of Belleville) 10.00
Franciscan Fathers (Diocese of St. Joseph) 50
Rev. H. Koehne (Diocese of Fort Wayne) 1.00
Rev. B. Jacobsmeier (Diocese of Davenport) 1.24
Rev. J. F. Uyland (Diocese of Albany) 1.00
Rev. C. J. Judge, S. S. (Diocese of Baltimore) 3.00
Rev. F. P. Rossmann (Diocese of Wheeling) 50.00
Rev. A. Isoleri (Diocese of Philadelphia) 1.00
Rev. H. T. Henry (Diocese of Philadelphia) 20.00
Rev. H. A. Deckenbrock (Diocese of Erie) 25.00
Rev. T. Qoebei (Diocese of Columbus) 10.00
Rev. W. Payne (Diocese of Rochester) 20.00
Rev. L. A. Lambert (Diocese of Rochester) 1.00
Rev. I. A. Klein (Dtoeese of Milwaukee) 1.00
Rev. B. KeUy (Diocese of Burlington) 1.00
Rev. P. Greln, C. 88. R.. (Diocese of New York) lO.OO
V. Rev. J. H Fox (Diocese of Trenton) 2.oo
Hew. J. F. Nolan (Diocese of Baltimore) 2 oo
ReT. Bdw. Basse (Diocese of Brie) 2fi.0o
Rev. W. 8. Kress (Diocese of Cleveland) 4.50
Rev. D. L. Murray (Diocese of Winona) 2.00
A Priest (Diocese of St. Cloud) 5.0O
Rev. J. J. McGlynn (Diocese of St. Louis) 2.00
Rev. J. McKeman (Diocese of Trenton) 10.0(»
Rev. M. A. Ryan (Diocese of Baltimore) 5.00
Rev. F. Glrardey, C. 88. R. (Diocese of Kansas City) 5.00
Rev. L. Granger (Diocese of Dallas) 5.0o
Rev. W. O'B. Pardow, 8. J. (Diocese of New York) 25.00
Rev. 8. I^ufenberg, O. S. B. (Diocese of Mobile) 3.00
For Father Baylb, P. F. M., SorxH To so kino.
Rev. Thos. Finn (Diocese of Chicago) 2.00
Miss Emma Krampe (Diocese of St. Louis) 1.00
For Missions in Syria.
Miss B. O'Brien (Diocese of Boston) 5.00
For Father Gorju, A1. M., No. Victobia Nyanza.
Anonymous (Diocese of Boston) 20.00
Fob Father Dupin, P. F. M.
Anonymous (Diocese of Boston) 19.00
For Father Morin, O. M. I., Oranok, So. Africa.
Rev. A. Tyszka (Diocese of Pittsburg) 2.00
Anonymous (Diocese of Boston) 5.00
For Father Pellion, South Solosion Islands, Oceamcv.
Miss Emma Krampe (Diocese of St. Louis) 1 00
For the Most Nbeot Mission.
Mrs. A. M. Webb (Diocese of Cincinnati) 10.00
For the Redemptiott of Chinese CiiiumKN.
Mr. Paul Vogel (Diocese of Pittsburg) •''• 00
Total $415.40
The Society gladly receives sums of money intended by the donors for
any particular mission or missionary, and forwards the same at once to
its destination in any part of the world.
53
|f-rrr^ V
^
^^P
1
OBITUARY
The following, deceased persons are recommended to the charitable
prayers of our Associates:
Et. Eev. Denis M. Bradley, Diocese of Manchester; Et. Eev.
E. Banci, 0. F. M., Vicar Apostolic of No. W. Hu-peh; Et. Eev. J.
B. Anzer, Vicar Apostolic of So. Shan-tung; Et. Eev. Mgr. Quigley,
Diocese of Charleston; Et. Eev. Mgr. S. J. Euas de Ahren, Director
General of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith in Portugal;
Et. Eev. Mgr. H. Metzmacher, Diocese of Aix-la-Chapelle ; V. Eev.
George Deshon, C. S. P. ; V. Eev. Canon Battisti^ Diocese of Ajac-
cio; V. Eev. Canon Briffaut, Diocese of Langres; V. Eev. M. H.
Arnaud^ 0. P., Cienfuegos, Cuba; Sister Sign, Sister of Cliarity,
Jerusalem,
Mr. A. Pages, Member of the Central Ck>uncil of the Society for the Propa-
gation of the Faith at Paris; Mr. Richard Gahogen, Diocese of San Fran-
cisco; Mrs. Anna M. Cochems, Diocese of Green Bay; Elizabeth Brophy^
Patrick Brophy, Diocese of New York; Mary S. Lincoln, Diocese of Cin-
cinnati; James Connors, Patrick Tiemey, Diocese of Newark.
Of the Diocese of Boston, the following: James Farrell, Sarah Farrell,
Mrs. Margaret Carney, Mary O'Leary, Mrs. Isidore Doucette, Mrs. Abraham
Coderre, Mrs. Elizabeth F. Riley, Margate Mawn. Mrs. Ellen Higgins, Mrs.
BUen Sullivan, Mrs. Maiy Corcoran, Edward Eagan, .7ohn Crowley, Tim-
othy Crowley, Joanna Crowley, Mrs. Mary Kelley, Mrs. Cath. Daley, Mrs
Bridget Murphy, Mary Burns, Mrs. Flynn, Mary McCabe, Marjjaret McCar-
thy, Thos. Cogan, Jos. Purcell, Mrs. Anna Gore, Mary McGuire, Ellen
Whitten, John Cashman, Miss Mary Dempsey, James E. McGrath, Mary E.
McGrath, John B. O'Brien.
54
GOVERNMENT
POSITIONS
VS. 25,566
ApiwinlaealB
CQUZGB
re) m
MON NOOVEAU VIC
(MY NCW CURATE)
Ji>iiriul Bia»(ir1allt|it« A%tk vliiiuc Cure.
Rev* p. A. Shcdiaiu
A il»ct4»dtf f ri&Qti IrmtiilittdB of h *<trk
full of C«lUe wk^|»opuUr ftttottj; sll eUMct
of rtttdtr*.
Tilt Soeltty for thf Prtpif ttloe tf th« FiMfe,
BALTIMORE, HO.
CHURCH HISTORY
nil Tli TO 9(h VUtt OF tCROOU
By Rav, J. H. OECHTERINO,
wlUi 4c<«iiili briAilf Ijut vlvMly drmwo.
** Tha «itUior of tlio pnM^', Toltim» tuui hod loii«
«X1»«rtefio« m m. paftor una (o«cbor« ^d 1 1 In ooufh
dotlj Mi«^*«4 itiiit Ja pubUntimff thb work lie
i A t«<^uiJie iMrviae to our ■eltnoift.'^
«9 eta* wboEcaaU.
B. HERDER,
5t, Loytd, no.
We must beg the Indulgence of the readers of the
ANNALS for the delay In the appearance of the
present issue. A fire at the printer's, by destroy-
iner the types, has made it impossible to publish
this number earlier.
P1ea-»# morition ♦* Annals '* when writing to advertisers*
CONTENTS*
Missions in Asia.
CHINA.
Ck0'Miang.^'4M%r of Bishop Reynaud, C. M 65
Touching Details of the Martyrdom of Father Tml
SYRIA.
t/6aii.— Utttrof FatharDalortpSJ • • • . ei
Tbo Question of Schools.
Missions in Africa.
EQUATORIAL AFRICA.
^a6o/i.— Utter of Father BrIauK, C. S. Sp 65
Struggle of a Toung Christian Woman against Polygamy.
NORTHERN AFRICA.
^•ff/ji.— Utter of Mrs. Flora Uwls 78
Progress of the MisBlon.— Bishop Lang.— Saint Clayer HospltaL
Missions in America.
NORTHERN CANADA.
iiMa6asca.— Letter of Bishop Grouard,O.M.T 77
Touching Homage to Bishop Glut.— Burning of the Mission of Saint
Anthony.— Works of the Sturgeon Lake Mission.— Steamer Saint
Charles. — Conyersions.
Missions in Oceanica.
TAHITI.
Myaeaia. — Letter of Father Janeau, S. H. Pic. 84
Tuamotu Islands.— Wreck of an English VesseL— Derotion of
NaUves.
News of thie Missions.
EUROPE.
A sister Honored by the French Academy -s . • • 89
ASIA.
A Missionary Bishop Decorated by the Emperor of China. 89
AFRICA.
The Persecution In Kaffa. 90
The Sleeping Sickness. • 90
The Mission of Deklna 91
AMERICA.
An Address of the Bishops of the Province of Saint Bonlfaco. 92
OCEANICA.
Progress of the Mission of the Solomon Islands 98
DESTINATION OF MISSIONARIES 94
Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals*
EDITORIAL ...:.. 95
MISSION NOTES AND NEWS 96
Letter of the Rev. E. Bonald, 0. M. 1 96
A Samoan Incident 97
SPECIAL DONATIONS 99
OBITUARY 100
Entered at the Post Office, Baltimoxe, Md., as Second Olaes Matter.
^,,0 COLLEGE ,^^
'^" MAR 30 1904 ^
ANNALS
OF THE
Propagation of the Faith
Vol. LXVII, ISTo. 453. Maroh-Apkil, 1904.
MISSIONS IN ASIA
A MARTYR OF CHE-KIANG, CHINA
The following touching and dramatic account is a new page added to
the glorious martyrology of China. Che-Kiang has offered its first martyr
to Heaven. The shedding of the blood of Father Tsu will surely draw
down the most precious blessings upon this beautiful mission.
Letter of Bishop Keynaud, C. M. *
Permit me to tell you of the cruel, though heroic, death of a young
Chinese missionary. We shed tears over his loss, in admiration, as he
fell a victim to his devotion to Christians.
4-
For about a year Father Andr6 Tsu labored to rebuild the ruins
in the sub^prefecture of Ning Hai, about sixty miles from Ning Po.
The revolution of 1900 had left nothing standing. With indomitable
energy, he set to work. New centers were opened and more than 1500
catechumens knelt by the side of Christians in the newly-built chapels.
Father Tsu urged me to bless and crown his work by a pastoral visit,
but he himself was to consecrate his own labors by his blood.
As the Jews rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem amid suffering, so he
was obliged to keep a constant watch upon an ever ominous horizon,
foiling the plans of a prowling enemy.
4-
This enemy was none other than the scholar Ouang-si-ton, the
principal author of Qur losses in 1900, who had become more auda-
cious since he remained unpunished, though condemned. He had
believed our work annihilated and when he saw it rising, even with
55
56
MISSIONS IN ASIA
promise of greater prosperity from its ruins, his hatred was enkindled
afresh. Calling his accomplices together, he gathered a large num-
ber of brigands animated with the hope of booty, distributed arms
and ammunition among them and gave them flags bearing the in-
scription : " Death to Christians ! "
M^4^.
.■* '■'■'■' '^''\-X^^
■m
W
■'■■■''IM^' 4
Pl
.T^
Fatheb Andrew Tsu.
Father Tsu was at Ning Po when Ouang-si-ton set out on his
expedition. He had come to spend the 27th of September with us
and take part in a festival which all, pagans. Christians, and even
the mandarins, were celebrating with great enthusiasm. In the
midst of general rejoicing, the funeral knell was heard. Ouang-si-
ton had struck his first blow and a cry of anguish had broken forth
from his first victims. Three neophytes, his neighbors and own
relatives, had been strangled; he could not forgive them for having
introduced religion into his village and family.
From that time, each day brought fresh tales of sadness. The
Christians, tracked and hunted down, sought safety in flight. Every-
where fire followed upon pillage and the fury of the bandits received
no check.
Our young brother priest lost his appetite and could not sleep.
Night and day he seemed to hear the cries of his flock, and he was
anxious to go to their help, to save them, if possible, or at least to
encourage them in tribulation and console them in death.
I advised the general and the governor of Ning Po of the situation.
They promised to spare no effort in suppressing outrages and arrest-
ing the guilty. Both were sincere, but their orders were not obeyed.
Colonel Tsiou, appointed to re-establish order, came to see me before
taking command. He assured me that if Father Tsu incurred any
danger, he himself would die in defending him.
These words relieved my fears; moreover, the situation was not
hopeless. The insurrection, it is true, was violent but only local,
and incited by a few hundred bandits that fifty soldiers could easily
have dispersed.
Spiritual precautions were not neglected. Prayers were offered
by all, and, as* it was the vigil of the month of October, special peti-
tions were addressed to Our Lady of the Eosary.
All indications were, therefore, reassuring.
Father Tsu left, full of hope and happy in the thought that he
was able to save his poor Christians. Alas! he was going to death
with them. I did not know why the tears started to my eyes when I
gave him my last benediction.
Our beloved brother priest arrived in Ning Hai on October 1.
What sad news reached him there ! What a sad sight met his eyes !
His poor Chrifitianfl were fleeing without the hope of finding shelter.
The bandits were in the city pillaging, burning and killing and no
measures were taken to stem their murderous course.
The second of October was spent in making applications and pre-
senting desperate petitions to solicit the mandarin's intervention.
The least manifestation of their power would have dispersed the
bandits, but nothing was done.
After consulting together, the sub-prefect and colonel said they
would take the Father back to Ning Po. This proposition, they well
knew, meant certain death, for all the roads were in the hands of the
murderers. The perfidious offer was, therefore, refused.
58
MISSIONS IN ASIA
Moreover, the mandarins were generally accused of complicity.
Christians that sought a refuge in their courts were brutally re-
pulsed. The sub-prefect himself, upon three different occasions,
refused to allow the missionary to enter his oflSce.
When all hope was lost, Father Tsu applied himself to placing
the sacred vessels and valuable papers in a place of safety. At the
same time, he saw that the homeless Christian women were sheltered
Che-Kiano. — Chubch of Saint Vincent de Paul.
in pagan families upon which he could depend. All the personnel
of the residence bade one another farewell. Father- Tsu said to the
last catechist, unwilling to leave:
" The general good demands that you go, otherwise we might risk
dying together. Separated, one of us may escape death and be able
to warn the bishop. Since the colonel is responsible for my life
and has promised to protect me, it is best that I go to him.''
The catechist was taken prisoner the next day and retained as a
hostage to be delivered to Ouang-si-ton, who had placed a price upon
bis head. Several days afterwards he was released upon the pay-
OH^KIAKO 69
ment of $500.00. A letter written by Father Tsu a few hours before
his death was seized. As it contained his farewells and last mes-
sages, I am doubly sorry not to have received it.
The priest kept one acolyte with him, a boy fifteen years of age.
Accompanied by him, he went the same evening to the colonel's
headquarters in the principal pagoda a short distance from the resi-
dence, where, sick of a raging fever, he spent a night of agony in prayer
and tears.
4-
On the morning of October 3, the brigands directed their steps
to\*ard the city. At Fong-tau tliey halted to bum our church. At
some distance from Nang-hai, they met Colonel Tsiou, who dis-
mounted and demanded to see their leader, not for the purpose of
putting a stop to their outrages, but simply to interview him.
When he retraced his way to the city, the mob followed close after
him, sure of meeting no resistance.
The gates of the courts, so carefully closed when the Christians
sought refuge there, were opened at the second appeal from the band
of murderers. The guard received orders to allow them to pass.
A few minutes afterwards our buildings, wet with coal oil, were
a mass of flames. From the pagoda Father Tsu could see the fire,
distinguish the banners of the brigands and hear tlieir savage yells.
When the waving of their standards sliowed that the robbers were
coming in their direction. Father Tsu said to his young attendant:
"Leave quickly; you are not known; you can still flee; for me,
flight is* impossible."
While the boy made his escape, tlie brigands bombarded the great
door of the pagoda, the soldiers looking quietly on, as they had re-
ceived orders not to interfere.
From the floor on which he had sought refuge, Father Tsu heard
Ouang-si-ton demand his head. The priest had thought that the
mandarins, for their own interests, would not dare give up a mis-
sionary for whose life they were responsible. This last illusion was
quickly dispelled.
The bandits were already ransacking the pagoda when Father Tsu
escaped by the roof, and succeeded in gaining a neighboring store.
Alasl his flight was discovered and cut off from all sides. Seized
and violently dragged through the streets, he was soon covered with
wounds; two cuts from a dagger split his skull and made a deep
60 MISSIONS IN ASIA
gash in his neck. Their victim half dead, his executioners wanted
to finish their work on the spot; objections, however, were raised
and he was dragged back to the pagoda by his hair and feet, leaving
a bloody track on the stones. He was about to be sacrificed before
the idols when the sub-prefect made a sign to take him further on.
So he was dragged to the field beyond the southern gate. There,
after death had undoubtedly already come, he was decapitated. With
savage brutality his executioners cut open his body in the form of
a cross, because, these monsters in human form said to one another,
" he so loved the cross.^^
One bandit, more savage even than the others, tore out his heart
to devour it. The fact is proved and this fiendish act is not uncom-
mon in this coimtry; brigands pretend to discover thereby the secret
to greater cruelty.
4-
Two days afterwards, what could be collected of the scattered re-
mains of our beloved martyr were placed in a coffin.
Since then, justice has begun to prosecute the guilty. The manda-
rins who were so cowardly as to betray their victim have been de-
posed and are awaiting a severer sentence in prison. Some of the
executioners have been arrested and several decapitated. Ouang-si-
ton is being pursued and can not evade capture much longer.
But who can bring back the one we have lost? Sentiments of
pious pride mingle with our sorrow and our regrets are softened by
the conviction that we have one protector in Heaven.
GvLM Valij:v.
LIBAN
One of the Jesuit Missionaries, who together with the Lazarists and Fran-
ciscans are exercising the apostolic ministry among, the pagan and non-
Catholic population of the celebrated mountains of Syria, sends the
following interesting letter fiom Ghazir (Liban).
Letter of Eev. Father Delore, S. J.
As everybody knows, in the East all progress, whether religious or
political, is effected by schools. As the conquest of certain countries
advances slowly by small forts and small detachments, so all mis-
sions here make headway by schools. Schools are the small forts,
the centers of live forces, vital points about which other works are
grouped.
61
62
MISSIONS IN ASIA
Each one of the many national influences in Syria is endeavoring
to claim a village, a valley, or a region, by schools ; sometimes a single
village presents the phenomenon of three or four rival institutions,
Catholic, Greek schismatic, Eussian and Protestant.
Alas! we must acknowledge that, principally since the law of
1901, the Catholic religion has lost ground. Poor missionaries, for
lack of resources, are obliged to look upon the triumphs of their
opponents and, with hope dead in their hearts, are forced to close
their schools.
LiBAN. — Church of Nahb-el-Dahab.
They may be pardoned for not ceasing to ask for help.
Assisted by Father Claude Chevrey, I laid claim to a district of
Liban, above Ghazir, called Pothoud.
Here the solid mass of rocks is cut by precipices and valleys; the
region is picturesque and, though barren and poor, aboimds in
savage splendor; on the north it is bounded by the famous Adonis
river, which has seen the Bacchanalian sports of Adonis and Astarte
and has been crossed by pilgrims from all parts of the East, and even
by those from the West.
LIBAN
63
In each of the valleys between these sterile mountains lie one or
more Maronite villages, the inhabitants of which live from hand to
mouth and are very ignorant.
At least once a week we climb the high plateau at daybreak
and push our conquest forward. Each valley will be conquered by
a school; in view of this fact, we feel within ourselves the soul of
an Alexander the Great. . . .
By force of prayers and strictest economy I have been able for
some years to play the part of a petty teacher king over several val-
LlBAN. — A GOAT-HSBD MUSICIAN.
leys; if, like David, a thought of vanity should move me to number
my kingdom, I may say that I possess ten villages: Ghineh, Joura,
Ayn Jouay, Ayn lea, Ghobaileh, Hayata, Hitchet, Yahchouch, Chah-
toul and Nahr-el-Dahab.
Of these ten, only five have schools, each numbering about forty
children; a teacher, rod in hand, unites his pupils under an oak, as
Saint Louis did of old.
I have said that I possess, but that word anticipates too much. I
possess nothing. Wherever I sow a little seed of catechism, I say
that I can do nothing, having no money. My poor mountain people
are perceptibly at a loss; they part with their last mite to help mat-
ters along, begging me to come to their assistance. I always give
my promise, nearly always. Now and then, I arrange processions
64 MISSIONS IN ASIA
to quiet them, in imitation of a certain government that once directed
that music should be played to calm famished strikers.
+
You see how considerable my means for action are. Now my
forces are laying siege to a little village and you can judge of future
conquests by my first announcements of victory.
At the base of steep and barren rocks, a few huts have been
erected in a valley misnamed " The Valley of Gold ^^ (Nahr-el-
Dahab), the inhabitants having no idea whatever of the precious
metals, never having seen either gold or silver, I verily believe, but in
the rays of the sun and the mirror of their river.
If they were ignorant of the science of money alone, I should leave
them undisturbed; but, alas! to them the science of God is also
unknown. The catechism has not been taught throughout this val-
ley, settled as it is by goat-herds which try to draw their daily sus-
tenance from the barren rocks. Their church is a small hut, a little
bell is poised on two rocks and extends its rope, as if in despair, to
the hands of the passers-by. A priest visits this locality on Sundays
and says Mass for these poor people.
One day I passed through this district and spoke to two young
herdsmen who were from fourteen to sixteen years of age. They could
not even say the " our Father.^' My eyes were opened.
I said to myself, " Here is a field for conquest," and going down to
the church I rang the bell. Children at once responded from all
sides, and what children! Before me gathered a motley throng,
unkempt, ragged, miserable. Half of them hardly knew how to
make the sign of the cross.
Poor little bodies! poor little souls! I thought of the words of
St. John Chrysostom, "Nothing, not even the whole world, can be
compared to the soul of a child." They all opened wide their eyes
and begged me to teach them something about God. A school
is undoubtedly needed; unfortunately, however, a school must have
its teacher, and, more unfortunately still, a teacher must be paid.
To make demands upon the small means of the people would be both
cruel and useless.
I turned my pockets inside out, but there was no jingling sound, •
they contained not even a penny. With an ardent prayer of confi-
dence in God, I set to work tr^dng to solve the knotty problem of
founding a school without money.
My efforts have been so far unsuccessful ; perhaps the hearts of my
readers may find a solution.
MISSIONS IN AFRICA
VICARIATE APOSTOLIC OF GABON (EQUATORIAL
AFRICA)
Heroic Fight of A Young Christian Woman Against
Polygamy
The following touching and interesting account gives us a true idea
of the sad conditions of pagan tribes in French Congo, and makes clear
to us what difficulties missionaries encounter in their work of laying the
foundation to Christian family life in savage countries.
One of the great benefits of the nineteenth century is the abolition of
slavery. The blacks of the Antilles and the Indian Ocean have been
freed, and Europe has forbidden the sale of slaves in different parts of
Africa.
But there Is another kind of slavery that la not prohibited, polygamy,
which is Just as hideous.
In the eyes of pagans, woman is not the companion of man, she is his
slave, his beast of burden. A man possesses as many women as he can
buy, two, four, ten or a hundred. They are given up to him, not only
without being consulted, but even against their will, and often when they
are still very young. In defiance of the honor and liberty of woman,
polygamy obtains throughout Africa, where Mohammedanism favors it,
under the indifferent eyes of European governments.
Will the twentieth century effect the abolition of this immorality, and
may a change be prophesied from the position of woman in the new and
the old world? All haste should be made, for the wound from which the
people suffer is a mortal one.
In Gabon, two tribes have disappeared in fifty years. Only about 1200
adults and 200 children remain of the intelligent Pougones that once dwelt
along the coast. The large families of the Pahouins, a strong and warlike
tribe of the interior are showing unmistakable signs of dissolution.
The following example is taken from Donghila, a post not far from
Libreville, the first mission among the Pahoulns.
65
66
MISSIONS IN AFRICA
Letter of Eev. Father Briault, C. S. Sp.
When the Sisters of the Immaculate
Conception of Castres came to open our
girls' school in 1894, their first pupil was
a little Pahouine about twelve years old,
who came from the village of'Foula, near
by. Her father was dead, and so, according to the prevailing custom,
she belonged to her uncle, Esong Ayong, an obstinate pagan. He
Little Flavia
Promised or rather
Sold in Marriage.
Gabon. — Chapel of the Mission of Donghila.
followed the custom so closely to the letter that for several years he
had already promised her, for value received, to a man named Nzong.
Under the name of Medard, Nzong had been brought up and bap-
tized at the Mission, but he had practically been an apostate for a
number of years.
The little girl lived with the sisters and was very docile and pious.
When she was baptized under the name of Flavia, the Mother Supe-
rioress stood sponsor for her.
GABON 67
As she grew up, her uncle demanded an exorbitant payment for her
in consideration of the instruction and care which she had received
from ns. Medard, from time to time, brought him the required
goods, guns, sacks of salt, bars of soap, pots, etc., always avoiding a
payment in full, in true Pahouin fashion.
In the meantime, Flavia continued liv-
Stni««le of Flavia fbr jj^g ^ith the Sisters; when, at the end of
S^S^^' ^^ ^^ y®*' ^^^"^^ *® understood how she was
to be disposed of, she suffered cruelly from
the injury done to her liberty and Christian feelings. After Medard's
first visit to her, she told the sisters that she could never marry such
a man. Her firm resolution gave rise to much trouble.
The Mission decided to stand by her and give her every moral
assistance to protect her rights. The enemies in line were her guar-
dian,, whose pride was wounded that a woman, worth no more than a
goat among the PahouiuB, should dare to resist him; Flavians mother,
the old Ntzama ; tha repulsed suitor, who made costly fetiches to gain
his purpose; and finally, the loud-mouthed crowd of old pagans in
the neighborhood. In this locality personal matters are public affairs
and the council of the village met every day to decide upon them.
For weeks and weeks the young girl suffered annoyances from the
people, insults and threats from her uncle, curses from her mother and
temptations of all kinds. She persisted in her course, positive in
her resolution that she would never leave the sisters but for a Chris-
tian husband.
In the meantime, Charles Efayong, a
A Christiaii Suitor * J^^^S Christian who had withstood re-
Accepted by Flavia peated temptations against his faith, came
and Her Family. to the village. Having heard of Flavia,
he asked her hand in marriage. They met
and were mutually pleased. Knowing Charles to be rich and the
son of a chief, Esong Ayong, Flavians mother and the members of
the council agreed that he should marry her. Nothing remained to
be done but for him to deliver the merchandise equal in value to what
had been given by Medard, who was to be repaid by Esong Ayong.
This arrangement was too simple to be final. While Charles was
making his first payments, Medard, far from being discouraged by
the roguery of his once prospective father-in-law, renewed his charge,
outbidding his rival. After new gifts of all kinds of wares, the
uncle's heart wavered lamentably. Without retracting his word to
68
MISSIONS IN AFRICA
Charles, he renewed his promise to Medard and used every means to
break Flavians will.
The unfortunate experience of the young girl may well be imag-
ined ; at all times she was obliged to receive her family's hated visits,
to suffer the threats of her uncle, the curses of her mother and th^
inhuman annoyances of the pagans who took part against her.
Little Flavia.
At other times she was called to the village, filial obedience requir-
ing that she should spend her afternoon leisure with her relatives.
She often ran* home across the banana fields to escape her perse-
cutors and intrenched herself within the Mission until their next
attack.
Flavia spent her time between work and prayer, begging her com-
panions to join their petitions to hers, that Heaven might grant her
prayer. Hers, in fine, was a nature firm as a rock in well-doing
and rich in strength, refreshed by persecution.
On October 30, 1900, the administrator
•u- J ^ m • X of the district came to the Mission for the
Medard Tries to . ,
Carry Flavia off. He ^^^^ ^^ ^^^ Saints. Medard had suc-
is Arrested and Taken ceeded in accompanying him as interpre-
to the Post Manacled, ter. Lacking all sense of shame, he com-
plained to the Superior of the shabby treat-
ment which he had received and of the unjust accusations of his
fiancee.
The Father accordingly arranged another interview between him
and her before himself, the Sisters and the inevitable family. Flavia
denied his assertions successively, disclosed his lies and repeated that
she never wanted to see him again. Esong Ayong, enraged, threatened
to shoot her at the first opportunity. " Go," said she to him, " get
your gun and cease tormenting me."
The interview had taken place at noon. In the evening, about seven
o^clock, while the Fathers were making their visit to the Blessed Sac-
rament, steps were heard in the Sisters' yard. Some one had been
seen prying about the dormitories and the poor children were crying
for fear, Medard had gained access to the yard and was meditating
seduction. That was his ruin.
The misdemeanor of trespassing is punishable by law; so the Mis-
sion entered complaint and Medard returned to Ningue-Ningue
with manacles on his wrists to spend two months in the prison of
Libreville.
The city council of Foula presented a
Flavia is Taken f^m sight of complete disorder. Their first act
the Sisters by Her ^^s one of angry folly. Esong Ayong
Firm^ss ^^ played his last trump by taking Flavia
away from the Sisters.
The poor girl was forced to live in the village, where she was
compelled to work with the other women, though she dared not eat
with them for fear of poison. She succeeded in returning to the
Sisters every night to sleep. So much did she suffer during this
time that she said to one of her friends : " If I were a pagan, I would
drown myself."
However, the family were not so angry but that they might become
a prey to avarice; and, as Medard's cause seemed to be sufficiently
hopeless, they bethought themselves of Charles.
+
iN'egotiations were opened with him. He left the Mission one
evening during November, while the Fathers were absent, and car-
70
MISSIONS IN AFRICA
ried new offerings to Esong Ayong, who was always ready to receive
more. No one was advised of the issue of his errand and the next
morning nothing was seen of Charles^ his boat^ or Flavia.
Great consternation prevailed at the Mission. Only one thing was
known positively. Before leavings Flavia had sent a message to the
Sisters by one of her friends saying that " she felt herself obliged to
flee from her village, where there was no security for her and where
Gabon. — The Mission of Donohila.
she could not save her purity and be assured of making a Christian
marriage,"
Having left his bride-elect with his old
father Esone at Mekonangha on the other
side of the river, Charles returned to the
Mission. This he had a perfect right to
do; but no sooner was his presence known
than we were besieged by a furious mob,
ready to kill and. devour him. One old, white-bearded pagan per-
sisted in exciting the others to lay hold of their guns, which they
had concealed in our own banana fields.
The rage of the
people of FoiQa
baffles description.—
Anger of the Pagans
against Charles and
Flavia.
GABON
71
" Do not do that," said the Father Superior to them ; " Charles
is our guest and the muskets of the Mission speak more potently than
the blunderbusses of Esong Ayong." At these words the crowd dis-
persed with threats of death.
Charles retired to rest in the children's school-room; about ten
o^clock in the evening the Father Superior, accompanied by a Brother,
went with him to his boat, never leaving the shore until he was out
of sight; the pagans had been prowling about and might have seized
him had he not been imder our protection.
Gabon. — A Pahouin Dwelling.
Suffering greater and greater humiliation, the wrath of Esong
Ayong was not appeased. In December, 1900, he crossed the river to
regain possession of his adopted daughter. The missionary was not
a witness to any of the ensuing scenes, but he imderstood that
Flavia was subjected to new trials. She continued to hold fast to
her resolution that she did not want a marriage which would inter-
fere with her religion, and otherwise maintained a rigid silence. At
the end of several days' heated discussion, her uncle left with anger
in his heart.
Flavia was as good a child as her mother
was a wicked parent, and when she saw her
relative's boat pulling from the shore she ran a short distance to a
"New Threats.
73 MISSIONS IN AFRICA
bend in the river, so as to bid her mother a last farewell. Seeing
that she was alone on a jutting rock, Esong Ayong and his men made
an attempt to seize her. Screaming at the top of her voice, she
resisted them until the men of Mekonangha came to her aid. One
instant more and she would have been gagged and in the hands of
her enemies.
Esone, the chief of the district, took her by the hand as a sign
of his protection, and the boat with her relatives disappeared amid
demonstrations of diabolical hatred. Undoubtedly there were final
quarrels and stormy scenes; but Medard behind the bars could do
nothing, and Charles was prepared to lay down the required sum
for his wife. As usual, interest silenced hatred.
On December 27, the Father Superior
Happy Issue.— ^nd myself went to Mekonangha; John
chosen judge to control the question of
payment, and accompanied us. Ntzama also went with us; she was
still a little sulky, but quite a different creature from the vixen that
two days before had been swearing before our doors to get possession
of her daughter.
On December 28, we celebrated Mass in the hut of Felix, the cate-
chist of the post. The birds of the neighboring forests furnished
the music. Charles and Flavia received their Christmas Communion
and a few moments afterwards the nuptial benediction. They are
now living good Christian lives. By her desire for a Christian union
Flavia proved herself to be a woman of strong principles.
As for the people of Foula, Esong Ayong and the rest are now
rejoicing; Medard, who was to have been Flavians husband, has been
stricken with a severe illness. When Charles paid her a visit at
Easter, Ntzama was so happy to see him that she cooked him a fine
dinner.
_ , . I have related a true story. It has a
Conclusion. , ,. i x i ii ' i
happy ending, but how many others have
concluded differently. Many, many women bear the burden of years
of servitude.
We missionaries fight single-handed against this horrible pagan
crime. The government has as yet no thought of instituting a re-
form, for others besides the blacks support the custom.
Nevertheless, Jesus has said : " From the beginning it was not so.^*
Upon His word we hope to re-establish the normal union between
man and woman, giving to the latter her liberty and true position.
>:m^
St. Pkti u Ci.avku s
K^..-. ^^I*lLv^A^.K AT Lacios*
VICARIATE APOSTOLIC OF BENIN
(NORTHERN AFRICA)
The letter of Mrs. Flora Lewis shows that Christian charity and noble
sentiments thrive in all climes.
Bishop Pellet was at the head of the vicariate apostolic of Benin for
seven years when obedience called him from the militant life of the
apostolate to take an active part in the government of the Society of
African Missions of Lyons. The filial affection which his flock felt for
him has been transferred to his successor, Bishop Joseph Lang, who has
been in charge of the Mission of Benin for nearly two years. The vicariate
apostolic numbers 27 European missionaries, 37 religious, 12 churches or
cliapels, 24 schools, 10 orphanages and several hospitals.
73
74 missions in africa
Letter of Mrs. Flora Lewis,
Directress of the Hospital of Saint Peter Claver in Lagos,
To THE Et. Eev. Mgr. Pellet,
Former Vicar Apostolic of Benin.
I do not know what you think of my very long silence. Nothing
good, I am sure, but yon mnst not attribute it to forgetfulness or
ingratitude. "*
Lagos.
I cannot tell you how happy we are that Bishop Lang is our bishop.
He loves us so much that he wanted to be consecrated at Lagos, in
our very midst, thus making the sacrifice of not having his family
with him on that glorious day. By that act of mortification he
showed that he is entirely ours. Apart from color he is all African.
Now we look upon you as our grandfather; and as grandfathers
usually spoil their grandchildren, we expect you to send us a quan-
tiy of spiritual sweetmeats. When you come back, as we all hope
you will, I love to believe that God may grant you the favor of find-
ing your Christian community improved as to numbers and quality.
BENIN
75
I hope also that you may find a number of catechists and even a
few aspirants to the priesthood. Why not? There is no impossi-
bihty in hope. God has his chosen servants everywhere. There
are already native priests in Senegal^ Congo and Gabon ; and Gk)d has
bestowed such graces upon us that we feel emboldened to ask Him
this favor.
I am convinced that the establishment of the Confraternity of the
Haousbab Street in Laoos.
Blessed Sacrament has opened a fountain of graces from which
numerous and precious blessings will flow. We cannot thank God
enough that our new bishop has not only supported and encouraged
the Confraternity, but has allowed the Blessed Sacrament to be ex-
posed the first Sunday of every month from nine o'clock in the morn-
ing till seven o'clock in the evening. This great favor is highly ap-
preciated. The attendance during the day is always good. During
the week those who have promised to spend an hour before the
Tabernacle are very prompt and regular in relieving one another.
+
76 MISSIONS IN AFRICA
My letter would not be complete if I said nothing of Sdnt Claver's
Hospital, the crowning work of your apostolic labors among us. We
have now eleven patients, nearly all emancipated slaves from Brazil.
I am sure that you will be happy to learn that they are well and
content. They do not require as much care now as when they came.
Some of them can do light work for which they receive a few pen-
nies; they are very happy. Others, of course, are either too old
or too sick to do any work. We need help for them; at present we
have no means. The foundation of this asylum at a time when
cupidity is dominant is a proof that the work is inspired of God.
Most of the old men when they arrive in Lagos are met by shame-
less rogues who claiming to be relatives take them to their home and
help to sell whatever they may have brought along, tobacco, dried meat,
etc. The poor creatures receive about one-third of their dues and when
the acclimation fever obliges them to go to bed, their pretended rela-
tives take the worst patients to the hospital and leave the others
neglected in some damp corner. Death is often the result. The
good relatives then divide the small inheritance. Sometimes they
simply take all the money their aged victim has and even sell his
clothes; if he recovers, they tell him that everything was spent in
taking care of him and that his clothes were burned to prevent the
spread of contagion. As he has nothing left, they bid him begone;
so we often find old men in the streets, deprived of all their belongings
and at a perfect loss to know whither to go. Such are guests for
Saint Claver's Home.
+
We have an old pagan woman who is learning her catechism that
she may be baptized. Poor woman ! hers is not an easy task and it
is edifying to see how hard she tries to make the lessons enter her
head. A person advanced in years, who has never had an idea of
the supernatural, finds the greatest diflBculty in learning even the
very little that is required for admission to the sacraments.
I hope that we shall be able to collect some alms for our hospital,
as our resources are at an end. The rainy season is about to begin
and will bring with it rheumatism, disease, etc.
I can write no more; in conclusion, I ask your paternal benedic-
tion for myself, my children and Saint Claver's Home. We pray
for you every day, and especially in these times of trouble when faith
is so greatly tried.
MISSIONS IN AMERICA
VICARIATE APOSTOLIC OF ATHABASCA
The following Interesting letter was written from the extreme north
of Canada. For four years the immense vicariate apostolic of Athabasca-
Mackenzie, which extends to the Arctic Ocean, has been divided. Bishop
Grouard is in charge of the district of Athabasca. The district of the
Mackenzie forms a district vicariate apostolic under Bishop Breynat.
Letter of Right Rev. E. Grouard, 0. M. I.
The death of Mgr. Chit, Bishop of Arindele, has been known to you
for some time. Although he was called to his eternal reward on July
9, 1 was advised of his death only recently. The news reached Europe
much more quickly than the interior of my vicariate, where I was on a
visit at the time. There is relatively easy and frequent communi-
cation betw'een Little Slave Lake and Edmonton, and Edmonton is
in telegraphic connection with the civilized world. But when
you penetrate into the interior of Athabasca, you turn your back on
all the benefits of modem invention — railroads, telegraphs, tele-
phones and postoffices — and find yourself in the midst of the same
conditions as prehistoric man. You will therefore understand that,
though Bishop Glut died in my vicariate, I did not know of his death
until I heard of that of Leo XIII., who passed away fifteen days
later. The same courier brought me the news of the election of
Pius X. The Te Deum followed close upon the De Profundis,
It would not be an easy task to recount
all the apostolic labors of Bishop Glut.
Bom in 1832 in the diocese of Valence,
ordained priest by Bishop Tache at Saint
Boniface in 1857, and consecrated Bishop
of Arindele in 1867 by Bishop Faraud, whose assistant he was, he
contributed greatly to the extension of the kingdom of God in Atha-
77
Bishop Glut.— An
Apostolic Life.—
Burning of the
Chapel of Saint
Anthony.
78
MISSIONS IN AMERICA
basca. How many long and perilous voyages he made during the
summer in a frail bark canoe! How many journeys in snow shoes
leading the dogs attached to his sled ! He preached the Gospel to all
the tribes scattered over the vast territory of Northern Canada. Hav-
ing spent his forces and ruined his health, when great journeys be-
came impossible to him, he devoted the rest of his life to the develop-
ment of the Saint Bernard Mission on Little Slave Lake. He
brought the Sisters of Providence from Montreal, clearing the ground
Saint Bebnabd's School.
for the Convent, the Church and the Mission with his own hands.
His character was that of the race of ancient monk apostles and
civilizers who, after having evangelized barbarous nations, taught
them to till the soil and cultivate all kinds of fruits. Man forgets
the service rendered by the religious, but God is faithful and gives
them their eternal reward.
We have sustained other losses besides the death of Bishop Glut.
Fire has destroyed the chapel of the Mission of Saint Anthony.
Last winter the missionary was obliged to be away and camped
several miles from the Mission. During the night, the flames burst
through the roof of the church. Fortunately, they were discovered
ATHABASCA
79
by some Indians. Having neither pump nor water, they could
not fight the fire, but they managed to save what was valuable in
the building. The tabernacle they reverently carried into the priest's
house*.
When the missionary returned the next morning he could not
repress his tears at the sight of the smoking ruins. The chapel, it
is true, was built of wood, but, nevertheless, it was an elegant struc-
ture and represented considerable labor. Besides, the terrible ques-
tion confronted him, How was the loss to be repaired? $400.00
Canada. — Saint Bebnabd's Mission.
would not suffice to rebuild what the fire had destroyed. How could
this sum be raised ? I tried to console him by promising that Catho-
lic charity would help him in his misfortune, and I trust that I am
not presumptuous in my hopes.
Sturgeon Lake.-Our Two very important enterprises are
Labors.— Our draining our resources. One of these is
Steamer. the building of the Mission of Saint Francis
Xavier on Sturgeon Lake. Last winter we began to transpori; the
materials necessary for the construction of a residence and a chapel.
For this purpose it was necessary to cut a road through the forest, as
there was only a path broad enough for one horse to pass with. a flat
sled. It was necessary to widen this enough not only for two horses
80 MISSIONS IN AMERIOA
abreast, but that two vehicles could pass without interfering with
each other's movements. That is to say, a road twelve feet broad and
about one hundred miles long had to be dug. The missionary could
not undertake such a piece of work alone, so, as the fur traders had an
interest in the opening of the road. Father Desmarais proposed that
they should contribute toward defraying the expenses. He himself
opened the subscription with $200; all promised an equal amount
and the work was begun.
The Father left with his laborers, directed the enterprise, and
never returned until the road was finished. Boards, joists, shingles,
doors, windows, nails, kitchen utensils, stoves, etc., were hauled to
the new station, where Father Girard will have a convenient residence
and chapel; once completed, the buildings will be the admiration of
the poor native Christians.
The other enterprise under .consideration for a long time was the
construction of a steamboat for Peace River. If it were only neces-
sary to descend the stream, we should not have been obliged to have
recourse to modern invention^ and make so great an outlay. But we
are called upon to go up the river, and when the water is high, as it
is in summer, the current is very strong. The boatmen are often
obliged to give up and turn back. Missionaries have been impeded in
their work by difficulties of all kinds. Last spring, however, our pur-
pose was realized, and, thanks be to God, the Saint Charles has been
launched. The vessel measures 60 x 12 feet; it is a screw steamer and
has a 30-horscpower boiler. The trial trip was made to the fort
of St. John and we made an easy passage past the places where the
current is strongest. Father Hesse, who is in charge of the St. John
Mission, was surprised at the ease with which he reached his post.
Satisfied with the trial trip, we descended the river to Saint Augus-
tine, where we loaded the vessel with material for a new mission;
returning to Saint John, we left our cargo there. The Indians, who
had heard of a fire canoe, but had never seen one, were rather scep-
tical. Their astonishment knew no bounds, and when the whistle blew
they ran away as fast as their legs could carry them. Only the bravest
commanded their fear.
The Peace river would be a magnificent stream but for one unsur-
mountable obstacle to navigation. About 300 miles above Lake Atha-
basca calcareous rocks from a falls, beautiful to look at but impossible
ATHABASCA
81
to cross without making a portage of about two miles. Fi'om this
cascade to the Rocky Mountains, a distance of about 190 miles, the
river is navigable for vessels like the Saint Charles, which does not
draw more than four or five feet of water. We have four missions
within this circuit : Saint Henry, at Fort Vermilion ; Saint Augustine,
at the confluence of the Boucaire river ; Saint Charles, at Fort Dun-
vogau, and Saint John, at Fort St. John.
The St£ameb of Saint Bernard's Mission.
Thanks to our steamboat, these missions have the inestimable advan-
tage of being connected. Our little steamer, the Saint Joseph, of
Lake Athabasca, can descend as far as the cascade, and, consequently,
can easily co-operate with the Saint Charles; great service can thus
be rendered to the entire vicariate. This summer I made the whole
trip, descending the Peace river, crossing the lake, and continuing the
route as far as the Eocky Mountains. Much game is to be found in
these parts, bears and elks abound. I counted eleven bears on the
river banks in one day; we killed four that tried to cross the stream,
but only one elk succumbed to our shots.
82
MISSIONS IN AMEHIOA
The valley of Peace river is attracting
universal attention. Wild animals are dis-
appearing before the settlers. We are doing
our pari; toward the material progress of the
country, but what concerns us most is the
extension of the kingdom of God and the conversion of the natives to
the true faith. There has also been a great forward movement in this
direction. Father Joussard, of Fori; Vermilion, has informed me of
an expedition which he undertook among the savage natives on the
Civilization is
Promoted by the
Apostolate.— The
Triumph of Grace
over a Great Chief.
New Chubch of Saint Bebnabd's Mission.
shores of the Hay Eiver. A number of families have been converted ;
seventy pagan adults have been baptized, and I have been requested
to send them books and rosaries. As these poor people live a week^s
journey from the mission of Saint Henry, it was absolutely necessary
to build a chapel for them and a small dwelling for the priest.
Father Dupin, who is in charge of the Cris tribe, writes of the
triumph of grace over a hardened polygamist chief called Kakinosi,
i. e., great man. TJnequaled in hunting and trapping, he was almost
the sole support of three wives and their numerous progeny, though
some of his children were a gi:eat assistance to him. He became a
well-known figure among the traders, whom he furnished with beau-
tiful furs. The Protestant minister found no objection to his life
ATHABASOA 83
and told him that his " patriarchal ^' ways would form no obstacle to
his becoming a church member. The priest was the only one who
admonished him to change his life. Up to that time he had enjoyed
unclouded prosperity; but God wished to make him feel that he had
been created for a more noble destiny than the enjoyment of natural
pleasures. He told his faihily of his intention to embrace the faith
and expressed a desire that all should imitate his example. Coming
to the priest for instruction^ he was told that learning his catechism
and prayers would not be sufficient for admission into the churchy but
that he must conform his conduct, to his belief and decide to keep
only one wife.
" I well understand that," he replied ; but he was very undecided as
to his choice. The three poor women cried, and each tried to touch
his heart. They, too, wished to be Christians, and understood that
all could not live with him. Their happiness was at stake and nature
rebelled against the sacrifice. The chief seemed to know the good and
bad qualities of each.
" I should keep the oldest," he said, " but she has a bad temper and
tongue."
" That is true," she answered, " but heretofore I have never believed
in God or the devil. You will see how I shall change; you will not
be able to find a more submissive wife."
The good old man appeared convinced, but his two other wives
began to sob anew, deploring their future fate. Alas I what would be-
come of them?
A fine young man, the son of one of them, then stepped up to his
mother and said to her :
" Be consoled, mother; my father is leaving you in obedience to the
law of God. I am able to take care of you and my sisters and brothers,
and I will do it. Besides, God will help us."
Is it not beautiful to see grace triumphing over savage natures?
The oldest of the three was chosen for his legitimate wife and Kakinosi
was baptized together with the sixteen members of his family. When
the father became a Christian it was agreed that he woifld remain
faithful to his duties toward his children and continue to provide for
their wants.
The movement of colonization has touched the Great Prairie, and
Father Letreste has sounded the cry of alarm. How shall we meet
the demands of changing conditions? If Protestants flock to these
parts must we not multiply the number of missionaries, chapels and
schools ? May God come to our assistance !
Til A >f IJTi: T HE V 1 LLAOE
OF Fakarava.
MISSIONS IN OCEANICA
VICARIATE APOSTOLIC OF TAHITI, POLYNESIA
Mission of the Gambier and Tuamotu Islands
The Gaftibier or Mangareva Mission comprises the twenty-four most
eastern islands of the vast Tuamotu archipelago. Tatakota, the farthest
distant, is about 500 miles from Rikitea, the chief post of the mission.
Missionaries are obliged to make long voyages to carry on their sacred
ministry among these lost islands. Travel is as painful as it is dangerous.
The only means of traffic are small vessels manned by a pilot and two
sailors. The most difficult piece of work, however, is not to guide the
boat in a high sea, but to avoid the numerous reefs that skirt the shores
of the islands.
84
TAHITI 85
Tlie following letter gives an account of the wrecking of an English
vessel near the island of Reao.
Letter of Father Vincent Ferrier Janeau, S. H. Pio.
The Tuamotu Islands, "islands of extent/' "far-off islands/' or
"islands of sadness/' they might be called, as the sea keeps up an
incessant wail along their borders, are raised scarcely twelve feet
above the water. They are formed of a straight band of earth which
describes a more or less regular oval enclosing a portion of the sea
called lagoon. Fish, the main article of food of the inhabitants,
mother-of-pearl and the coprah (dried cocoanut) are the only articles
of commerce.
The Tuamotu Islands number 80, and are scattered over an area of
about 200,000,000 acres, with a maximum length of about 1100 miles
and a maximum breadth of about 500 miles.
On June 23 I left for Mangareva, arriving there on August 2.
During those forty days I visited the islands of Tureia, Tahoto, Vahi-
tahi, Nukutavake, Pukaruha and Reao; they contain 1000 inhabitants,
all natives. Owing to the pearl fisheries or the taste for travel of the
islanders, I saw only 954 persoijs.
The result of my expedition was 23 infant baptisms, 649 confessions,
489 Communions, 18 marriages, 33 new members of the Confraternity
of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel (and there would have been more, had
there been enough scapulars), 62 First Communions, and, finally, the
return of one old man to the true Faith. There are now only three
non-Catholics in the eastern islands.
The most important event to relate — thanks be to God ! such occur-
rences are rare in these districts — is the shipwreck of the iron, three-
masted English vessel Savernake, off the coast of Reao. It carried a
cargo of barley and wheat; the crew numbered seventeen men, sixteen
of them at least of English origin.
On November 14, the islanders sighted the large and beautiful
vessel, which was approaching too near to shore. In less than a half
hour they saw the sailors trying to gain the open sea in the life-
boats. Then alone did they understand what had happened. With
loud cries they signaled to the wrecked crew to approach their island,
but half naked men, carrying on like wild beasts, were no reassuring
sight, and the boats kept on to sea. During this time the large vessel
split and slowly sank. Not knowing what to do, the natives ran to
their village and hoisted the French flag. At the sight of the red,
86 MISSIONS IN OCBANIOA
white and blue the wrecked sailors halted, steered for the island and
landed amid the greatest demonstrations of joy on the part of the
natives, who, however, could not make themselves understood.
An interpreter of English is not an easy thing to find in Beao.
Finally a certain Joanne Ipu was discovered. More than one tale is
told of him. Being on the island of Pukarua, he contributed largely
to the rescue of the young Atanasio, a native of Mangarevo, mentioned
in the Annals of the Propagation of the Faith for 1896. Brought
up as a curiosity on board the vessels that travel between Tahiti, the
Marquesas and the Gambier Islands, far from his native island com-
panions, whose chief delighted in the meat of his own children, Joanne
became somewhat civilized from his contact with Europeans; at all
events, he remembered a few English words. Seeing that no one could
make himself understood to the newcomers, he planted himself before
them armed with a stick six feet long. To the great astonishment of
the natives and the greater satisfaction of the strangers, he began
talking a jargon that formed the means of communication between
them for an entire month.
Shortly after their arrival, a sailor ventured out as far as the vessel
to look for some of his belongings, tarried away by the waves, he
came very near being killed.
Soon afterwards, two of the bravest sailors and the captain, as
worthy as he was courageous, tired of the monotony of their food, set
out for the Gambier Islands, taking with them four logs to serve
as ballast. After a perilous voyage, they landed at the end of a
few days. Others of the crew also wished to leave and were imprudent
enough to risk the trip without a native guide. One of the sailors
was severely woimded and they were obliged to return. Despite the
warning of the islanders, they set out again in three days, and, after
passing the island of Hao, they fortunately met the Maurice, whose
captain received them on board and took them to Tahiti. They carried
a letter from the chief of Eeao in which he announced the loss of the
Savemake and requested that the remainder of the shipwrecked crew
on his island be called for as soon as possible. The Z616e, bound for
Papeete at once set out for Eeao, arriving on the 15th of January,
passing the Gambier Islands to take on the captain and his two com-
panions; all were safely landed at Tahiti.
Our neophytes showed great devotion in caring for the strangers
and dressing their wounds. Their families, as a rule, are large; but
TAHITI
87
they did not hesitate to sacrifice all their fish and even the little
children took pleasure in giving. "We will know how to manage/'
they said. What a consolation their conduct was to mel How can
any one help being touched at seeing these poor natives^ half naked^
teaching their children to relinquish the whole product of their labor
in favor of the afficted. As beautiful as the act may be for any Chris-
tians, with the selfish, coarse and gluttonous Kanaks it becomes sub-
lime. Their deed was the result of the preaching of the (Jospel.
The natives assured me that not the least disorder was occasioned
by the shipwrecked crew on the island. These assured the Bishop
Abchifel Toamotu. — Marakau Island.
of Megare, Tahiti, that the conduct of all the inhabitants of Eeao,
especially that of the women, was irreproachable. I can confirm their
testimony after the closest investigation.
During their stay in Eeao, the crew lodged in my dwelling, and
they left me unequivocable tokens of sincere gratitude. Diflferent re-
pairs were very well done. My poor statue of Saint Joseph was most
appropriately repainted ; if a Protestant hand held the brush, it was
certainly guided by an appreciative and pious soul. It is possible that
some of the crew may have been Catholic. The ship's carpenter made
a beautiful cross and coffin for the burial of one of our most fervent
neophytes, Jonas, the son of the Indian who saved Father Eoussel
I
88 , MISSIONS IN OOEANIOA
from starvation. The sailors were present at the burial and deeply
edified the natives by their deportment in the church and at the
cemetery. The conduct of other adventurers had not been so com-
mendable. Our good people imagined they had made their visitors
so happy on their barren rocks that some would come back from Eng-
land to make their homes in Reao.
+
I have heard that the mail boat from Tahiti has likewise foundered
on the reefs of Apatai island (Tuamotu). These low islands have
been justly named the dangerous archipelago; they are surrounded by
nothing but danger. Alas ! there are many accidents. May the Star
of the Sea watch over her children I
Some time after, the same missionary wrote:
Since you were so pleased with the generous conduct of the inhabi-
tants of Seao^ I am glad to tell you that they have been rewarded by
the French Government. Governor Petit, touched by the beautiful
sentiments manifested by a people just emerged from barbarism, pre-
sented a petition that five salvage medals be given to them. He him-
self delivered them, four of silver and one of gold, on the Durance.
It is a great satisfaction to see these islanders helping the afflicted,
whilst other natives rob those who are wrecked on their coasts. Like
the Bretons, they have abandoned robbery to devote themselves to sav-
ing life. How the Holy Gospel has softened their manners! Not
thirty years ago the petty king of this island, Mahiti, killed and ate
his own children.
I often joke with one of his daughters; when I meet her now I
say, "You are no good; your father did not even think you fit to eaf
For fifteen years I have been laboring on the perilous coasts of the
islands of Eeao, Puharuha, Takoto, Va'itahi, Nukutavak6 and Turfiia;
Seao is, beyond a doubt, the least dangerous. My neophytes are a
great pleasure to me. I am reaping what other priests have sown.
Whatever may happen, rest assured that your children are not dis-
couraged. Without a complaint, our eyes fixed upon a crucified God,
we shall continue to the end in the way of the cross which He has laid
out for xus.
NEWS OF THE MISSIONS
EUROPE
Missionary Sister Receives the Great Monty on Prize
The French Academy has bestowed the Montyon^prize of $600.00
upon Sister Saint Charles^ nearly seventy years of age, who left
for Gabon in 186Q.
When very yonng, she decided to devote her life to the negroes in
Africa, and for this purpose she entered the community of the Sisters
of the Immaculate Conception of CastreSv In 1859, she was sent to
Gabon. The foreign hospital service in which she spent several years,
painful as it is in the African climate, did not satisfy her generous
ambitions. She soon found the opporinmity of consecrating herself
entirely to the blacks and made her choice from among the most
miserable and neglected, especially the aged, sick and infirm, or, in the
words of an eye-witness, from among those whom no one else wanted.
Though deprived of all personal resources, she succeeded in building
a kind of hospital to which she first joined a dispensary, then she added
a leper house, reserving for her own work the dressing of the wounds
and the washing of the linen. So much devotion made her very popu-
lar among the natives, and her reputation extended beyond the field
of her work. Sister Charles is sixty-eight years of age and has lived
in Gabon forty-three years. She has been away but once, to repair
her health shattered by the climate, and hopes to continue her work of
devotion till her death.
ASIA
A Missionary Bishop Decorated by the Emperor of China
Bishop Lavest, prefect apostolic of Kouang-si, has been advised by
imperial decree that the Emperor of China has accorded him the man-
darinal globule of the second degree for his devotion during the famine
89
90 NEWS OF THE MISSIONS
and the recent troubles in Kouang-si. It was upon the suggestion of
the viceroy of the province that this high distinction was granted to
Bishop Lavest
AFRICA
The Persecution in Kaffa
Father L6on de Sainte Marie^ vicar-general of Bishop Jarosseau,
writes the following harrowing news from Harar to Father Moyse of
Orleans, procurator-general of the Capuchins :
"Our situation is most deplorable; all priests, whether native or
foreign missionaries, have been driven from Kaffa.
"The following proclamation was published after the priests^ de*
parture:
" ' This is my order :
"/ All those w]^o have been baptized by the banished strangers must
swear allegiance to the Amarah faith.
" * They shall be obliged to present themselves at our churches, be
rebaptized and kiss and salute the cross of our priests. If any of their
number prefer to return to the infidelity of their ancestors, they shall
be obliged to bring me, in person, their religious insignia, crosses,
medals and rosaries, as my order is absolute. All those who continue
to carry any emblems of Christianity, without belonging to the Ama-
rah religion, shall be brought before me. An ofl&cer of the law may
bring forward any accusation, but the right of punishment shall be
reserved to myself.*
"This means a regular persecution. Catholics may expect the
worst acts of-violence. They are threatened by the direst misery and
the most barbarous mutilations.
" A new page of history for the Galla Mission will be written in
tears and blood. May God have mercy on us ! ''
The Sleeping Sickness
A White Father of Southern Nyanza writes from Kamoga:
" The sleeping sickness has made cruel ravages on the shores of the
Victoria Nyanza for the past two years. The epidemic is supposed to
have come from Senegal; passing by Gabon and Congo, it spread
through Central Africa and reached the eastern shore of the conti-
nent, being known in Mombasa. The vicariate of Southern Nyanza
has greatly suffered from the disease, which has claimed thousands of
victims in Boukedi, Kiagoue, S6s6 Archipelago, and the whole district
from Kag6ra to Bouddou. Some villages have lost half their popula-
AFRICA 91
tion; others have been completely depopulated. Prom SAs^ to Nt6W
several islands have been deserted.
" It is certain that the disease of sleep is contagious. It may be
contracted by contact or even by sleeping in a bed that has been occu-
pied by one of its victims. The natives isolate those afflicted most
rigorously and even refuse to use a pipe that has been smoked by one
of them. The sick die as often of hunger and neglect as of the dis-
ease. UntQ now, the scourge has been confined to the blacks, but
physicians say there is no reason why the whites may not contract it.
No cure has yet been effected. Death results at the end of a few
months or after one or two years.
*' There are different phases of this te^ri^^le malady. The first sjrmp-
toms are slightly inflamed eyelids that refuse to open wide, making a
patient look as though he had spent a bad night and needed sleep. Dur-
ing the course of the day he succumbs easily to several attacks of a
heavy sleep. A short time afterwards the glands of the neck begin to
swell and sometimes the groin. This symptom is not general.
" During the first stages a patient suffers from loss of appetite, then
he wakes up ravenously hungry; the intervals of awakening become
rarer and emaciation follows. The patient then complains that his
legs refuse to carry him or that he is too weak to get up. Headache,
vertigo, sometimes severe cramps set in, followed by restlessness and
even fever, until a sleep comes on from which there is no awakening.
"Alarmed at the increasing ravages of the epidemic. Bishop
Streicher, vicar-apostolic of Northern Nyanza, has ordered a triduum
of prayers to be held in all the missions of Uganda.*^
The Mission of Dekina
The prefecture apostoUc of the Lower Niger is making fine progress.
The English authorities see the devotion of Catholic priests and second
their efforts, realizing the beneficial results of their labors for the good
of the country.
Father Lejeune, prefect apostolic, announces the formation of a new
mission to Bishop Le Boy.
" Upon our arrival in Dekina, Mr. Linley extended a most cordial
welcome to us.
" 'A mission,' said he to me, ' is just what I want in my province.'
" He sent for the chiefs, and explained to them the purpose of our
coming. All seemed satisfied.
" My request for about 600 acres of land was at once granted. The
92 NEWS OF THE MISSIONS
residence of Dekina is located 900 feet above Beiiu6. Our mission
will be laid out in the very fertile plain at the base of the moxmtam.
It is bounded on one side by a chain of mountains, on the two others
by two beautiful streams and on the remaining side by the confluence
of these two bodies of water. It might be called a meadow; only
instead of pasture land there are fields of yams, com, rice, cotton and
tobacco, all under cultivation. The yams are much cheaper than in
Onitcha; what can be bought for one dime in Dekina, would cost
fifty or sixt^ cents in Lokodja or Onitcha.
" Chickens can be had for thirty cents ; all meats, excepting beef
and mutton, are just as cheap.
^^ Dekina is on the confines of four tribes : the Igaras, the Bassas,
the Bassas-Komos and the Kpotos. The last mentioned seem to be
the mildest and are the best workmen. Dekina is a center, but,
imf ortunately, has been already infested by the Mohammedans.
" I staid there only five days. Father Joseph is in charge and is
making all the necessary^ preparations to receive our fellow-laborers
whom you have sent. On my return, I stopped in Lokodja.
"I had scarcely set foot upon its soil, when the superintendent of
the prison came to me proposing a most painful duty. Five murderers
had been condemned at the last court, and he asked me whether I
would go to prepare their souls for death. The prison was open to me.
I went at once to the unfortunate creatures, who were all pagans
and had never heard of God. Two accepted all the truths of our holy
religion; the three others would not listen to mo. So I prayed and
offered to God all that I had suffered in Lokodja, all the tears that
I had shed. I invoked our Blessed Mother, and then returned to
preach.
" Six o'clock struck. All the doors of the cells are closed at that
hour, and it was only then that my poor three stubborn pupils said to
me, * I believe.' I poured the regenerating waters of baptism on the
heads of the condemned, giving them the names of Peter Claver,
John of the Cross, Paul, James and Simon.
" They are now no more; the execution took place October 18. The
first five to be baptized in our new missions of the Niger were five
thieves. Is it a happy sign? I think so.''
AMERICA
An Address of the Bishops of the Ecclesiastical Province
of Saint Boniface
Bishop Pascal, 0. M. I., vicar apostolic of Saskatchewan, writes
from Prince Albert to the directors of the Propagation of the Faith :
OCEANIOA 93
" In September, 1903, the Most Hev. A. Langevin, Archbishop of
Saint Boniface, held a reunion of the bishops of the ecclesiastical pro-
vince in his archiepiscopal residence. The purpose of the meeting was
to consider the means for promoting the interests of the church
throughout the vast region of Northwest Canada. The immigrants
who cross the ocean and demand the hospitality of Manitoba and the
Northwest Territory greatly increase the cares of missionary Bishops.
How are churches, priests and schools to be provided for people speak-
ing every language?
^^ Before separating the bishops expressed their gratitude to the
members of the Society for the Propagation of tiie Faith. The
following communication was sent in the names of Most Bev. A. Lange-
vin, Archbishop of Saint Boniface; Bight Bev. E. Legal, Bishop of
Saint Albert; Bight Bev. E. Grouard, Vicar- Apostolic of Athabasca,
and Bight Bev. A. Pascal, Yicar-Apostolic of Saskatchewan :
" ' We are deeply grateful for the providential help which we receive
from your Society. What would we do without it? We unite our
hearts and voices to-day to express to yourselves and all the mem-
bers of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith our sincerest
gratitude, to which we add our blessings and prayers.* *'
OCEANICA
Progress of the Mission of the Solomon Islands
Father Bertreux, S. M., prefect apostolic, writes from Bua Sura :
*' To-day has been a day of great joy in the College of Bua Sura.
Two of our pupils have left to be catechists in two large villages on
the western coast of Guadalcanar, about 125 miles distant, and the
day was celebrated by a distribution of tobacco. The imgrateful and
sterile soil of the Solomon Islands has produced its first two blossoms,
or rather its first two fruits. Thanks be to God 1
" Andrew and Xavier are the children of cannibals. A few years
ago, they were playing on the seashore, with no other clothing than
the mud which covered them, when the missionary's boat cast anchor
near their village. They accepted the invitation to go to Bua Sura,
were well received and grew up there. Increasing in knowledge and
wisdom, they were baptized, made a fervent First Communion and felt
sujBScient zeal to go and live among pagans in order to convert them.
" They understand that there is danger, but they do not hesitate
to confront it, that the name of our blessed Lord may be known.
Yesterday they were pagans; to-day they are apostles; to-morrow,
perhaps, they will be confessors, or nearly so. What a joy for us
that our Divine Master has thus blessed our labors.'^
DESTINATION OF MISSIONARIES
Beported since the January-February Annals.
AMERICA
United States.
Rev. Fr. Olfen, C. S. Sp.
Rev. Pr. Wilhelm, C. S. Sp.
West Indies.
Martinique.
Rey. Fr. Burgsthaler, C. S. Sp.
AFRICA
Senegal.
Rev. Fr. Renault C. S. Sp.
Zanguebar.
Rev. Fr. Muller. C. S. Sp.
SenegamMa.
Rev. Ft. Brottler, C. S. Sp.
Lower Niger.
Rev. Fr. Brey, C. S. Sp.
Rev. Fr. Ltoa, C. S. Sp.
Mauritius Island.
Rev. Fr. Bonjean, C. S. Sp.
Gabon.
Rev. Fr. Duron, C. S. Sp.
Rev. Fr. Le Hir, C. S. Sp.
Rev. Fr. Boutin, C. S. Sp.
Ubangi.
Rev. Fr. Le Gallols, C. S. Sp.
Oimbebaeia.
Rev. Fr. Kelllng, C. S. Sp.
Rev. Fr. Kleffer, C. S. Sp.
DaTiomep.
Rev. Fr. Aupials, L. A. M.
The Ivory Coast.
Rev. Fr. Moury, L. A. M.
Rey. Fr. Gulnard, L. A. M.
North Madagascar.
Rey. Fr. VelUet, C. S. Sp.
Beyohelles Islands.
Rey. Fr. Gumy, O. Cap.
Rey. Fr. Imhof, O. Cap.
ASIA
Chinese Empibb.
Rey. Fr.
Rey. Fr.
Rey. Fr.
Rey. Fr.
Rev. Fr.
Rey. Fr.
Rey. Fr.
Rev. Fr.
Rey. Fr.
Rey. Fr.
Rey. Fr.
Rev. Fr.
Kiang-Nan.
Haouls^, S. J.
Hermand, S. J.
Barbotln, S. J.
Beauc6, S. J.
Aucel, S. J.
Lamoreux, S. J.
Vanara, S. J.
Onclerc, S. J.
Glbert. S. J.
Chanteple, S. J.
Bsutslhashl, S. J.
deVlbray, S. J.
Kouang-Tong.
Rey. Fr. Favre, P. F. M.
Rev. Fr. Leaut6, P. F. M.
Kouang-si.
Rev. Fr. Albony, P. F. M.
Rev. Fr. Maurice, P. F. M.
N. Tongking.
Rev. Fr. Malgret, P. F. M.
8. Tongking.
Rev. Fr. Laygue, P. F. M.
8se-0Jiuan.
Rey. Fr. Dangy, P. F. M.
Cambodia.
Rev. Fr. Dalle, P. F. M.
Rev. Fr. Chaumartln. P.F.M.
India.
Pondioherry.
Rev. Fr. Gaston, P. F. Bf.
Kumbhakonam.
Rey. Fr. Mercler, P. F. M.
Mayssour.
Rey. Fr. Nassoy, P. F. M.
Lahore.
Rev. Fr. Emmanuel, O. M. Cap.
Rey. Fr. Ubald, O. M. Cap.
Rey., Fr. Macalre, O. M. Cap.
Rev. Fr. Alban, O. M. Cap.
Rev. Fr. Florlbert, O. M. Cap.
Rev. Fr. Gaetan, O. M. Cap.
Rev. Fr. Felix, O. M. Cap.
94
SUPPLEMENT
TO THE
AMERICAN EDITION
Annals of the Propagation of the Faitli
When this issue of the Annals reaches its readers the removal
of the central oflSce of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith
in the United States from Baltimore to New York will have become
an accomplished fact. For some time past it was felt by the Directors
of the Society that for the better development of the work it would
be advisable to choose a more central location for its oflSce. His
Eminence Cardinal Gibbons was consulted and the permission of
Archbishop Farley obtained. By this removal nothing is changed
in the aim, methods and administration of the Society; all will go
on as in the past, but with renewed fervor.
From the date of its establishment in this country until the present,
the Society has slowly but steadily developed. The Eeport of our
work in 1903, which will be published in the next number of the
Annals, is by far the most gratifying the American Branch has
ever issued. It is hardly necessary, however, to remark that in the
future we hope and permit ourselves to expect that it will advance
more rapidly still. Indeed it is essential that it should, if the mis-
sionary work of the Church is to be successfully pursued. At the
present time, the Church in France, which has for many years been
the mainstay of the missions, is seriously crippled imder persecution,
and niany of our missions will be actually threatened with ruin unless
other Catholic people will supply the deficiency. Let us hope that we,
who through the sacrifices of others are now fully enjoying the bless-
ings of the Christian faith, shall imderstand our duty of gratitude and
charily in that noblest of all undertakings, to make the name of our
Lord known to and loved by our infidel brethren and help them to
share the fruits of His Eedemption.
95
96 MISSION NOTES AND NEWS
MISSION NOTES AND NEWS
Letter of Eev. E. Bonald, 0. M. I.
To THE Most Bev. P. L. Langbvin^ 0. M. I.
Archbishop of St. Boniface
I desire to call attention to the moral state of the Keewatin district,
the remotest of the vast diocese of St. Boniface. On the large slope
of this district, which is situated to the northwest of the Hudson Bay
and to the. south of the Nelson Biver, dwell large numbers of Cree
and Saulteux Indians, belonging, at least in name, to two Protestant
sects, the Anglican and the Metiiodist. The ministers of the former
have established themselves in two places, those of the latter in six
or seven. But from every settlement in which these ministers are
to be found have come appeals to our zeal sent by the Indian inhabi-
tants. The Indians have urged us strongly also to come and settle in
those places to which the Protestant ministers have not as yet pene-
trated. Unfortunately, we have arrived here only a very short time
ago, and our numbers are too few. " Parvuli petierunt panem et nan
erat qui frangeret eis; " these words of our Holy Scriptures are well
suited to those poor souls who are craving after the truth. Error does
not satisfy them; Protestant teachings leave an emptiness in their
hearts which our Catholic religion alone can fill. The hour of con-
version has come for this people who have lived for so long a time
outside the true Church. We ought to have in the vast districts of
Keewatin missionaries able to preach in Cree and Saulteux.
I have just returned from this region; I saw some of its inhabitants;
I heard their appeals, and I fully understand their wishes. Therefore,
I ask your pardon if I take the liberty to urge your Grace to look
with pity on those poor Indians who expect from you the means by
which they may attain salvation. It is true we are already two Oblate
missionaries at Cross Lake, and I may say that we have done some
good work and that the "penny'* of the Propagation of the Faith
has helped us a great deal in our success; but we require a greater
number of missionaries and more money. Helpl therefore, help!
for these poor " Children of the Woods '* who are so well disposed to
receive the true Grospel.
MISSION N0TB8 AND NBWB 97
For too long a time have the ministers of error profited by their
simplicity to tell them and make them believe untruths.
Let the Catholic religion be preached and the greater number of
them will enter our Divine Lord's fold. Since unbelievers in some
other parts of your diocese, who have been visited for a long time by
missionaries, remain stone-deaf to their entreaties, why not shake
oflf the dust of their villages from our shoes and go to those who are
longing for our coming. " Vent, adjuva nos." It is only for love
of their souls that on the eve of my return to my dear mission 1 send
this request to your Grace in behalf of those poor Indians to whom
God wishes me to devote my life.
A SAMOAN INCIDENT
It may not prove uninteresting to Americans to detail an incident
which happened some time ago in the Samoan Islands, in that part
of the archipelago which is imder the control of the United States.
It occurred in the Island of Toutouila, and is related in a letter by
the Bev. Father Bellwald, S. M. Fifty years ago the South Sea
Islanders were all heathens, many of them cannibals. Since that
time, owing to the activity of Protestant missionaries, who early
chose the islands of the Pacific as the field of their labors, conversions
to Protestantism have been very numerous; so much is this the case
that whole villages and even some of the smaller islands may be
reckoned Protestant. The Marist Pathers^have charge of the Catholic
missions in these islands, and, considering the difl5culties they have
been forced to contend with — the native dislike to a religion of sacri-
fice and the opposition of Protestant ministers — they have met with
a satisfactory degree of success.
In the Island of Toutouila is a village called Malaeloa, whose inhab-
itants are Protestant and fanatical. They objected so strongly to
Catholics that they refused to permit a catechist to dwell among them.
In spite of this opposition, the Marist Fathers, by dint of brave
perseverance, succeeded in converting a few persons of the village —
a little band who lived in daily fear of being hunted out of their
native town. The only chief who was a Catholic was without influ-
ence, and his neighbors left him in peace upon condition that he
would demand no favors and make no attempt at proseljrtism. In the
course of time this Catholic chief felt the burden of advancing years
and found the journey which he had to make to reach a Catholic
church and attend divine service too great, so he asked for a catechist
98 MISSION NOTES AND NEWS
for himself and those of his neighbors who shared with him the same
faith. The request was readily granted. At this the Protestants
rose in their wrath. A cotmcil was called and the old chief notified
that he must immediately leave the village. He did as he was com-
manded. When the Marist Fathers heard of this they hastened to
reassure him and advised him to return to his home. He did so,
and neither threats nor requests could make him move again.
The Protestants straigh^ay employed other means. They sent
a delegation to their minister, explained the situation to him and
asked him to interview the Catholic missionary on the matter. This
the Bev. Mr. Hawker refused to do, but he suggested the idea of
having recourse to/ the Government, and gave the committee a letter
of introduction to the Grovemor.
This oflScial received the delegation, heard their request and prom-
ised an answer later. It was not long in coming, and was far, indeed,
from what had been confidently expected. As the outcome of this
agitation, a law was promulgated, some days afterwards, proclaiming
absolute liberty for all religions according to the Constitution of the
United States. It is prohibited henceforth to annoy any one on
account of his religious opinions. It is forbidden to drive any one
from his village upon the pretext that he does not practice the same
religion as the majority of the inhabitants.
This law was an agreeable surprise to Catholics, as they had often
been subjected to annoyance at the hands of Protestants. They are
free now to exercise their religion and to carry on their holy ministry.
A number of heretics, who had remained in error through fear, have
become Catholics. Already a catechist is well established at Malaeloa,
and there is good reason to hope that the principal chiefs of this
village will soon be converted.
SPECIAL DONATIONS
Received since the January-February Number.
Fob Bishop Chatbon, P. F. M., Osaka, Japan.
Per Rev. J. A. Walsh (Diocese of Boston) $ 51.25
Fob Bishop Pelckmaks, O. M. Cap., Lahobs, India.
Rev. T. Finn (Diocese of Chicago) 10.00
Fob Bishop Cbouzet, C. M., Madaoascab.
A Friend (Diocese of Boston) 1.00
Fob Fathsb Cobbe's Lepkb Mission, Japan.
Rev. D. J. McMahon (Diocese of New York) 2.00
Rev. A. Mattingley, O. & B. (Diocese of Sioux Falls) 1.00
St. Joseph's College (Diocese of Cincinnati) 2.00
Rev. H. H. Hamakers (Diocese of St Louis) 2.00
A Priest (Diocese of Altoona) 100.00
Rev. M. Heitz (Diocese of Concordia) 2.00
Rev. H. Eggenstein (Diocese of Alton) 5.00
Miss M. Weber (Diocese of Alton) 5.00
Rev. M. Schmitt S. J. (Diocese of Lead) 1.00
Rev. A. Matousek (Diocese of Winona) 1.00
Rev. C. Gasparik (Diocese of Pittsburg) 20.00
Rev. J. A. (k>nser (Diocese of Chicago) 3.50
Rev. H. B. Degenhardt (Diocese of Alton) 5.00
Miss H. Castleton (Diocese of Trenton) 10.00
A Friend (Diocese of Boston) 5.00
Fob Fatheb Dupin, P. F. M.
Per Rev. J. A. Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 3.00
Fob Fatheb Batle, P. F. M., South Tongkino.
Per Rev. J. A. Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 5.00
Miss E. cyToole (Diocese of Newark) 3.00
Miss Margaret Bulman (Diocese of Albany) 6.00
A Friend (Diocese of Boston) 1.00
Fob Fatheb Guebin, O. M. I., Pbince Albebt.
A Friend (Diocese of Boston) 5.00
Fob Fatheb Febband, P. F. M., Japan.
St. Joseph's Seminary, Tonkers, N. T. (Diocese of New York) .... 60.00
FOB Fatheb Bhxabd, India.
Rev. K. T. WIthopf (Diocese of Concordia) 15.00
Fob Fatheb Gttitta, S. M., Centbal Oceanica.
A Friend (Diocese of Baltimore) 20.00
Fob Fatheb 0>ubbis, O. M. I., Saskatchewan.
Rev. J. B. Fitzgerald (Diocese of Omaha) 13.00
Fob Fatheb Theyenet, M. S. F. S., Naopobe.
A Friend (Diocese of Boston) 1.00
Fob Fatheb Mobin, O. M. I., Obanoe (Colony.
A Friend (Diocese of Boston) 1.00
Fob Fatheb Juliotte, S. H. Pic, Molokai.
Per Rev. J. A. Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 6.00
Fob Fatheb Chayanol, P. F. M., India.
Per Rev. J. A. Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 5.00
Fob Amebican Indian Missions.
Per Mr. J. E. Dougherty (Diocese of New York) 100.00
A Friend (Diocese of Boston) 1.00
Fob Chinese Missions.
A Friend (Diocese of Detroit) 10.00
Fob Most Needy Missions.
Per Rev. J. A. Walsh ( Diocese of Boston) 1.00
Rev. H. Tump (Diocese of Leavenworth) 2.00
Total .1482.75
The Society gladly receives sums of money intended by the donors for any
particular mission or missionary, and forwards the same at once to its
destination in any part of the world.
99
OBITUARY
The following deceased persons are recommended to the charitable
prayers of our Associates :
Eight Kev. A. Dubier, Bishop of Natchitoches, La.; Right Bev.
Mgr. Pee, P. P. M., Bishop of Malacca; Right Rev. Mgr. Albert,
L. A. M., Vicar Apostolic of the Oold Coast; Rev. Canon Zenklusbn,
Director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith in the Diocese
of 8ion; Rev. J. L. O^Neil, 0. P., Diocese of San Francisco; Rev.
Pr. Glbason, Diocese of St. Louis.
Sister Antoinette Slattery, Sister Celestia Prendigast,
Sister Emiliana Cameron, Sister Edmund McKenna, Diocese of
St. Louis. .
Mr. Scipion Debanne, Member of the Central Council of the Pro-
pagation of the Faith at Lyons; The Marquis db Gabriao, Member
of the Central Council of the Propagation of the Faith at Paris.
Mr. Augustine Slavin, Diocese of Nesqually, Wash.; Mr. Henry T.
Coleman, Diocese of Philadelphia, Pa.; Mrs. Margaret O'Hara, Diocese of
Boston; Miss Mary J. Kelley, Diocese of Syracuse, N. T.; Mrs. Jennie
Kelley, Diocese of Syracuse, N. Y.; Mrs. Rachel L. Reily, Diocese of Har-
risburg, Pa.; Mrs. Isidore Morrin, Diocese of Detroit, Mich.; Miss Ellen
M. Murphy, Diocese of Boston, Mass.; Mrs. Anna Stay, Diocese of Nes-
qually; Mr. Robert McKenna; Miss Anna McKenna; Miss Elizabeth Ryan.
The following from the Diocese of St Louis: Mr. Patrick Staed, Mr.
• Michael O'Rourke, Miss Marcella Fitzgerald, Mrs. M. Mahoney, Mrs. O. P.
Hedger, Mrs. Bridget Murphy, Mrs. Bridget O'Neil, Miss Julia Walsh,
Mr. James Heade, Mrs. Alicia Lonergan, Mrs. Eliza Lightholder, Mrs. Mary
Dwyer, Mrs. Mary Geeke, Mrs. Elizabeth Foy, Mrs. Eliza Gugerty, Mr.
John O'Connor, Miss Kate Mahon, Mrs. Norah Kehoe.
The following from the Archdiocese of Boston: Miss Hannah Dwyer,
Mrs. Thomas Murphy, Miss Mary Murphy, Mrs. Margaret Walsh, Miss
Margaret Raible, Miss Elizabeth Blaine, Miss Mary Gannan, Miss Margaret
Niles, Mr. Matthew Rogers, Mr. Michael Kenney, Mr. James Hartnett,
Mr. Frederick Dandley, Mrs. Ellen Merry.
(We shall be glad to recommend the names of all deceased associates whose
names are sent us to the prayers of our readers.)
100
Ppur/tlor^ers:
) '^'^ \ Is U^.
Eafth
{ cry nation it is the ^*^* ,
Stapd^ard TVp^writetM}
• Reiningrtbn
Typewriter Company
327 Broadway
^: New York
The Society for the Propagation of the Faith
begs leave to inform its members that the
headquarters of the Society has been trans-
ferred from Baltimore to New York. The office
of the General Director, the Rev. Joseph Frerl,
is now located at 627 Lexington Ave., New
York City, where henceforth all communica-
tions concerning the work should be addressed.
Please mention "Annals" when writing to advertisers.
ANNALS
OF THE PROPAGATION
OF THE FAITH
CONTENTS.
TAam
Missions in Asia
JAPAN
The City of Osaka (a tkttch) by the Rev. Father Watttr, M. B 101
Description of Osaka. — Its Importance. — ^Material Deyelop-
ment. — Summary of the Civil and Religious History of
Japan. — ^Evolution of Ideas and Social Transformation. —
Education. — The Church at Osaka. — ^Progress of the Faith.
Missions in Africa
EQUATORIAL AFRICA
(/p/?er^/7e.-LetkorofSlttorli. Marcolla, 0. 8. F 119
A Christmas Celebration in Uganda.
Letter of Mother Mary Paul, 0. 8. F 134
Nubian Practices. — ^The Sleeping Sickness.
Missions in America
UNITED 8TATE8
Oregon.-\M»f of Blthop O'Reilly, of Baker City 188
Difficulties of the Ministry. — ^Need of Priests «nd Means. —
Consoling Results.
rejrae.-Utter of Father Malmartel, 0. M. I ISl
A Texas Missionary Trip. — ^Visit to Port Davis, Alamo, San
Jose and Indio.— The Mexican Character and Hospitality. —
The Ages of Faitli.— A Saintly Death.
Souih Dakota.— \M9r of the Rev. H. I. Westropp, 8. J 189
The Jesuit Mission Among the Sioux.— Difficult Beginnings.—
Opposition from the Indians.— The Conversion of Two
Kettle Camp.
NORTHERN CANADA
Athaba8ca.-'lB\\9r of the Rev. J. M. Dupe, 0. M. 1 1^8
A Painful Journey. — Indian Sorcerers. — A Horrible Sacri-
fice.—The Foundation of St. Martin's Missions.— Our
Schools.
Supplement to the American Edition of the AnnaK
EDiT0RIAL8 1*''
The May-June Number of the Annate 1^7
Letters from American Mlsslonariet Abroad and at Home 1^8
The Society for the Propagation of the Faith at the Wathlngton Mleeionary
Conference 1^^
The 8oclety for the Propagation of the FaHh In Mexico 1*9
Our Mite Boxee. l^^'
8PECIAL D0NATION8 1*1
OBITUARY 1«^8
Entered at the Post Office, Baltimore, Md., as Seoond Claat Matter.
ANNALf "
Propagation of the Faith
OP THE
Vol. LXVII, No. 454. May-June, 1904.
MISSIONS IN ASIA
THE CITY OF OSAKA, JAPAN.
(A SKETCH]
By The Rev. Father Walteb, of the Little Bbothebs of Mabt.
The following remarkable article is due to the pen of an American Mis-
sionary, Father Walter, who for several years has been chaplain of the
" Meisei gakko " school kept by the Little Brothers of Mary at Osaka. It
contains not merely a sketch of that interesting city but much valuable
information on Japan and its intelligent inhabitants, who are now attract-
ing the attention of the world.
Several of our readers will remember that the Bishop of Osaka, Mgr.
Chatron, visited this country last year in the interest of his Mission, and
gave to all who approached him the impression of being a most truly
apostolic man. The study we publish to-day was communicated by him
to our Society.
Importance of the City of Osaka. —The Todogawa river. - The streets
of Osaka. —Modes of conveyance.— Business and business
men.— Bailroads and factories.— Temples.
At the eastern extremity of the inland sea of Japan between two
chains of barren mountains is a rich and fertile plain which extends
in a northeasterly direction to the picturesque banks of Lake Biwa.
This is classic land, the Attica of Japan. Here have occurred from
the earliest tinies the principal events in the history of the country.
Two of the largest cities of Japan are situated at each extremity of
the plain; to the north-east, Kioto, the intellectual center, the foun-
tain-head of literature, the stronghold of religion and, for many years,
the political capital ; to the south-west, Osaka, the city of industry and
commerce. Osaka is built in the midst of the plain about 8 miles
101
102 MISSIONS IN ASIA
from the mountains, upon both banks of the river Yodogawa and not
far from its mouth. The city now occupies an extent of territory
measuring 22 miles square and is growing steadily every year; it
contains within its borders already a million inhabitants and has an
annual increase of seventy thousand. It is the second fou of Japan.
In this country there are three large fou, that is to say, three cities
having an administration independent from the provinces in which
they are situated. They are Tokio, Osaka and Kioto.
At the head of the Osakafou is a prefect, elected by the people and
confirmed by the emperor. For convenience in administration, the
city is divided into four Kou or quarters, north, south, east and west.
Each of these has its mayor and municipal council.
The plain upon which Osaka is built is an immense rice plantation
which extends from the sea to the foot of the mountains. In winter
its appearance is that of a vast and gloomy marsh ; in summer it looks
like a sea of verdure. The Yodogawa which takes its rise in Lake
Biwa crosses the northern part of the city flowing from east to west.
After having formed the Islands of Nakanoshinna and Dojima it
empties itself into the gulf of Osaka.
That quarter of the city called Kawagachi — ^a word which means
mouth — is at the present time a full three miles from the mouth of
the river though two hundred years ago it was built upon the sea.
The sand which the river carries down has formed a great bar : near-
by are dangerous whirlpools. An American admiral about thirty
years ago attempted to pass them and enter the river. He paid
dearly for his temerity: the boat with its crew of twenty men disap-
peared in the boiling mass of water and all on board were lost.
The Yodogawa feeds about twenty large canals and a multitude of
small ones which flow through all parts of the city. These canals
extend in straight lines to all points of the compass, intersecting at
right angles. They are especially numerous in the western section
of the city, the portion devoted to business. They greatly facilitate
the transportation of merchandise in a country which is so poorly
supplied with beasts of burden. It is impossible to count the craft
of all kinds which ply upon the canals and the Yodogawa ; in seeming
great confusion vessels, large and small, are moored to both banks, a
small channel only being left for passage. On account of these canals
Osaka bears some resemblance to the cities of Holland. It has even
been compared to Venice; however, the contrast between the small
OSAKA 103
houses of the Japanese city and the marble palaces of the city by the
Adriatic is too great to permit the comparison. The banks of tlie
river and canals are fortified by a succession of stone piers; at inter-
vals pairs of stairs facilitate communication between the water and
the land above, and an almost incredible number of bridges of all
sizes span the waterways of Osaka. Persons whose word may be im-
plicitly relied upon, have aflBrmed that they have counted four thous-
and of them. Many of these bridges are not at all inferior to the
best ones of our American cities. The Temmabashi and the Tenjin-
bashi are six hundred feet long. The two new railway bridges which
are being built for the Kobe and Kioto lines have twenty-four arches
and are two thousand four hundred feet in length. The pieces of
iron used in their construction were brought all the way from the
United States. The lack of blast furnaces has prevented the Japanese
from utilizing up to the present time the iron ore which is to be found
in their country. The first furnace was built last year near Moji in
the Kyushu.
4-
The streets of Osaka are long, straight and regular but in general
are narrow and without sidewalks. They run in a direction parallel
to the canals and like the latter intersect at right angles. They are
not paved, but this does not greatly matter for the carriages are small
and are drawn by men. In this commercial metropolis of the extreme
East the almost total absence of four-footed beasts of burden is a
fact to be remarked. Donkeys are as rare as the phenix. As to
horses only the artillery of the imperial garrison can afford the luxury
of possessing them and then they are small and weak compared to
the western animals of the same kind. Their head, it is true, has
a certain grace of contour but their gait is everything which is most
awkward; this is due to the fact that in the country their feet are
shod with straw. It is with great difficulty that the military authori-
ties can find blacksmiths able to make iron horse-shoes.
It is useless to look for cabs, omnibuses or street cars in Osaka.
The streets are as a rule too narrow to permit the use of such means
of conveyance. However, narrow as they are, they are obstructed by
telegraph poles and wires like the streets of our own cities.
Bicycles are very numerous. They whirl by day and night, now
traversing quiet back streets, or again, speeding harmlessly through
crowded narrow thoroughfares. Soldiers, manufacturers, students,
bank clerks, professional men, everybody, in a word, rides save the
104 MISSIONS IN ASIA
Little Brothers of Mary who, as good religious, still cling to the car-
riage of St. Francis.
Are you hurried or fatigued and do you wish to ride to your desti-
nation? With a word or a gesture you may hail a Kurumaya (man-
horse or horse-man). He runs up with his miniature chariot, makes
a bow and lowers his shafts, then you climb to the one small seat,
just large enough to receive a guest of ordinary size, draw a robe
about your knees, name the place you desire to reach and off goes
your "horse," striking into a little trot. Winter and summer, rain
or shine, they are all one to him, or rather, I mistake; rainy weather
is the most favorable to his particular business, for then everybody
takes a huruma and the day's receipts are increased in consequence.
When forty years old a Kurumaya is worn out, and yet many of
these unhappy creatures love the kind of life they lead, for they
might often, if they so wished, change their occupation to one perhaps
more lucrative and certainly easier and more healthful ; however they
like too much the freedom from all restraint which they enjoy to give
it up.
The first time a foreigner sees these men yoked to a cart like
beastSi puflfing and sweating from their exertions, he is apt to exper-
ience a feeling of disgust and to refuse out of respect for the human
species to permit himself to be drawn in their carriages. This feeling
passes away in time, however, as he becomes familiar with a mode
of transit which is fairly rapid and very economical. In the end he
rides through compassion for these poor wretches in order that he
may give them a few pennies.
At present on account of the advent of railroads the Kurumaya
has lost much of his importance : formerly, however, he furnished the
ordinary mode of transportation from one part of the empire to
another. The same man will drag his carriage with its occupant all
day, keeping up a steady trot. At noon and again at the fall of even-
ing he will pause and hastily swallow a bowl of rice seasoned with
rotten apples. Upon the following morning at daybreak he takes
up his course again and so on as long as the journey lasts. This is
heroic endurance to be rewarded at the rate of forty cents a day.
Some years ago Mgr. Osouf, archbishop of Tokio, traveled in this
manner throughout the north of Japan while making a pastoral
visitation. The journey lasted fifteen days and during that time he
was drawn by no one else but the porter of the archbishop's residence
OSAKA 105
who refused to share with another the honor of being His Grace's
Kurumaya.
Merchandise is transported upon small two-wheeled carts drawn
by men, two of whom go before and two behind. Nothing is so
strange as the plaintive cries uttered in an unvarying monotone which
come from these men as they perform their work. One would fancy
that they were about to die, that each breath as it passes from their
body was the last. On the contrary, however, they are cries of en-
couragement
The streets of Osaka are always crowded with a busy throng. At
certain periods of the day the hustle is so great that the police are
obliged as a measure of prudence, to prohibit the Kurumaya from
plying his trade.
The houses are built mainly of wood with movable windows and
doors which slide backward and forward in grooves and are so ar-
ranged that when all are open the interior of a dwelling is entirely
exposed to the outer air. American and Bussian petroleum, gas and
electricity are used for lighting purposes. To obtain heat the Japa-
nese employ small braziers which contain half a dozen coals. The
houses of Osaka are very low and gloomy. This is the effect of an
old superstition: Tukugami, the god of wealth, it is said, is best
pleased when worshipped in an obscure place. The land upon which
the city is built is low, hence it will be readily understood that the
public health leaves much to be desired: Osaka is peculiarly sus-
ceptible to epidemics of cholera and other malignant diseases. For-
tunately the evil bears with it its own remedy. The police at stated
intervals give the streets a thorough cleansing and at the same time
superintend the cleansing of the dwellings in all parts of the city.
Mats are beaten and the dust which is obtained is gathered up and
taken away while debris of every kind is burned.
The houses which have been recently built are higher and better
in every way than those of older date; one may now see veritable
palaces of stone which would add beauty to the finest cities of the
United States.
Fires are of infrequent occurrence at Osaka; when they do break
out, the rapidity with which they are subdued is extraordinary. This
is due to the fact that the city possesses an efficient pumping station
which is situated at the highest point of the old castle. It draws
water from the river and by reason of its altitude secures a high pres-
sure at the hydrants.
IDG MISSIONS IN ASIA
The stores arc very numerous and line both sides of many streets
in an uninterruptod succession. The front part of these shops opens
directly upon the street, being without a wall, doors or windows.
Throughout the whole year the commercial district presents an aspect
of feverish activity; cases of merchandise come and go by the hun-
dreds. Osaka is the market place for the entire central and western
portions of Japan.
Merchants group themselves according to the business in which
they are engaged. One street for example is given up entirely to
shops dealing in drugs, where all kinds of pharmaceutical supplies
may be obtained; another is devoted to porcelains, another to dry
goods, to workers in bronze, etc. Upon the bank of the river near
Kawagaehi is the fish market. Every morning from six to eight
o'clock is here displayed for sale every variety of fish. Our seas are
wonderfully rich.
4*
The city is also divided into sections according to the occupations
of the inhabitants. To the northeast near the castle are the military
schools and a garrison of twenty thousand men. Upon the heights
to tlie east and southeast are situated a number of Buddhist temples;
this section is called Teramachi (city of temples). Upon all sides,
to the right and to the left, before and behind, one sees as one looks,
nothing but temples, many of them of great size, and all surrounded
by flowers and trees. The largest of these is called Tcnnoji (temple
of the king of heaven). It dates back to the time of Prince Shotoku,
the Constantine of Japanese Buddhism (about 600 A. D.). For a
saint, the prince had a singular character. The Emperor Sujun
was a firm adherent of the religion already established in his kingdom
for he feared the resentment of the KamU; Shotoku wished him to
favor 'the new cult which had been introduced from China by way of
Korea. But the Emperor would not, so the young prince, an ardent
disciple of Buddha, discovered that his sovereign had been guilty
during his past life of murders and other crimes. As a punishment,
he assassinated him and then placed upon the throne a princess who
was willing to second Shotoku in anything he might wish to do; in
this manner the triumph of Buddhism was brought about in Japan.
Tn the court of the temple a pagoda is built which is 200 feet high.
The top of this building is the most elevated point in Osaka. One
looking forth from this position sees the city as an immense field of
low-lying roofs out of which rises a forest of tall chimneys belonging
OSAKA 107
to modern factories. These and cotton mills have multiplied in an
extraordinary manner during the past ten years. Cotton-spinning is
the principal industry of Osaka. The city is also celebrated for the
manufacture of muslins, paper, musical instruments, and articles in
brass; it has besides an arsenal in which cannon and all the instru-
ments of war are made.
A belt line of railroad connects the extremities of the city and
facilitates communication between them. Besides this road there
are many large ones which make Osaka their terminus. There are
no less than fourteen stations in different parts of the city; that M
the North called Umeda, is the largest and finest in the extreme E»i. t.
In the first fever of trade, the people of Osaka, who are so practical
in many things, forgot to make provision for the ornamentation of
their city : there are no public places and no parks, except the gardens
of Teromochi, and the only monuments are the telegraph poles. When
it is too late the citizens will want to repair the effects of their thought-
lessness, but then no space will be left within the limits of the city
large enough to be used for purposes of civic adornment. One must
go into the country-af one wishes to find parks: to the south of the
city are the gardens of the great temple Sumiyoski while to the north
lies the picturesque valley of Mino.
The Church at Osaka.— Progress of the faith.— A summary of
the civil and religious history of Japan.
Osaka has always been known as a city of pleasure. The rich and
populous section named Dotonibori, is almost exclusively given to
theatres. Here plays and representations succeed each other without
pause day after day, going on continually from morning to evening
and from evening to morning. It is not to be wondered at that the
Gospel had made so little progress among a people given up to a great
extent to sensuality. The diocese of Osaka is made up of four thou-
sand three hundred Catholics, while the total population within its
limits is thirteen millions of souls; there are in the city of Osaka
three parishes with only a thousand of the faithful.
There are other obstacles to the progress of the true faith. Japan
is just now passing through a period of transition; the old order
has disappeared and the new is fashioned entirely according to West-
em ideas. Public attention is centered upon political and social
reorganization ; no one has time to bother about his soul. It should be
mentioned also that for the past fifteen years a reactionary spirit
against everything foreign has been visible in different parts of the
108 MISSIONS IN ASIA
country. It has not been powerful enough to check political and
civil evolution but it has very effectually arrested any general move-
ment towards the Church. In addition, the part which Prance took
in the expulsion of the Japanese from Manchuria after the Japanese
war has resulted in bringing Catholic missionaries into disfavor.
Nevertheless the progress of the faith is constant and real; the grain
of mustard seed will become in time the great tree of which the
Gospel speaks; for the Japanese are still the intelligent people that
St. Francis Xavier found in the XVI Century in these islands, and
the good dispositions which were shown then will be shown anew at
the time designed by divine Providence.
4-
The castle of Osaka is the marvel of Japan. To do justice to this
structure it will be necessary to have recourse to history, for what is
seen to-day is only the shadow of the former grandeur of this building.
And since we are going to consult history let us begin at the begin-
ning. Long, long ago, before the golden age, the bronze age, the iron
age, even before the age of stone, in a word, in the time of the gods,
Amaterasu Amikami, the great goddess who illumines the world gave
birth in the high vault of heaven to Amatsuhiko hoho minigi no
smikoto, that is to say, to His Majesty, son of the sun, high prince,
golden abundance of ears of rice. She sent him to govern the vast
expanse of earth which stretches beneath the firmament.
" I make you ruler *' said she " over the plains clothed with luxu-
riant reed, over the country rich in fresh ears of rice. You and the
emperors, your descendants, shall rule in the land, and the prosperity
of your throne shall be eternal as the duration of heaven and earth
is eternal."
She spoke and the celestial emperor, accompanied by a glittering
court, descended from heaven and touched earth upon the summit of
Kirishimayama, a mountain to the south of Kuishu, where the
people to this day show to pious pilgrims the imprint which was made
in the rock when His Heavenly Majesty's foot first smote the land
of Japan. His son espoused Toyotama him, princess of the sea, who
was none other than a crocodile according to the Kojiki, the oldest
Japanese book, which was written in the year 712 B. C. On the
other hand Nihonghi, written in 720 claims that she was a dragon.
Between two such respectable but contradictory authorities the critic
dares not attempt to decide.
Jimmon Tenno (celestial sovereign of divine valor), grandson of
OSAKA 109
the princess mentioned above^ and founder of the Japanese empire,
became dissatisfied with Kuishu — it was too small for his swelling
ambitions — ^so he gathered his faithful followers about him, crossed
the seas, disembarked at the mouth of the Yodogawa and raised a
temple upon the summit of the neighboring hill, where was to be
built later the castle of Hideyoski. Thus was Osaka cradled. Soon
the emperor set out upon the conquest of central Japan and the city
was left for a long time in obscurity and neglect. During the fourth
century of the Christian era the emperor Nintokon established his
residence there and thenceforth for many generations it was the capi-
tal. For centuries the city was engaged in a struggle of supremacy
with Sakai, a seaport with a more favorable situation. During the
civil wars of the fifteenth century the latter city fell into the power
of a bonze who built a citadel upon one of its hills and terrorized
the country for miles around. The influence of Sakai steadily waned
afterward.
During the fifteenth centur}' the power of the bonzes was at its
highest. Their monasteries became fortresses fortified by high stone
ramparts and surrounded by deep moats. Their arsenals were filled
with arms. Safe within their protecting walls they chanted hymns
before sumptuously ornamented altars, drank sake, gorged themselves
with good food, plotted treason and incited civil wars, when it was to
their own interest, and escaped all the consequences of their actions by
the reverence which the people entertained for their sacred characters.
The chief stronghold of these priests was situated at Hiyeizan upon
Lake Biwa. As many as three thousand temples were built here with
a great number of other monuments.
The bonzes were finally conquered by Nobunaga, the powerful chief
of Owari (1534-1582), by whom Japan was pacified and unified. He
made himself master of the central part of Hondo and extended his
protection to Catholic missionaries. His projects were opposed by
the bonzes who did not wish the restoration of good order. Nobunaga
resolved to wipe them out and marched against Hiyeizan. Then he
laid siege to Osaka. The citadel was formed of ?iwe enclosures, each
fortified by a stockade. For two months the struggle had continued,
the besiegers advancing little by little until only two of the inner
fortifications remained uncaptured. Twenty thousand bonzes had
perished. The survivors in order to escape the fate of their compan-
ions surrendered and their lives were spared. But they never after-
110 MISSIONS IN ASIA
wards recovered from the blow which they had received ; their power
was broken. The bonzes have ever since regarded their conqueror as
a demon incarnate who was sent to earth to destroy their faith.
Nobunaga was assassinated in 1582. Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the first
of his generals, succeeded him and took the now famous name of
Taikosama. He continued the work of pacification which had been
inaugurated by Nobunaga, his great ambition being to surpass his
former master in all things. As the latter had built a castle upon the
shores of Lake Biwa more magnificent than any ever before seen in
Japan^ Hideyoshi resolved to raise a grander one. He determined
to make Osaka the site of the structure he contemplated, for this city
was the key to the whole country.
Previously Osaka had occupied the right bank of the Yodogawa.
Hideyoshi chose the left as the place upon which to rear his fortress.
The very spot upon which Jimmon Tenna had built his temple was
made the center of the castle. This was rectangular in shape and
covered an area of nearly eight miles. It contained three interior
fortifications, each of which was surrounded by a ravine one hundred
feet deep and three hundred feet wide and further protected by a
massive rampart 75 feet high ; over all rose a series of towers some of
which attained great height. At the very center Hideyoshi built a
palace for himself. Close by was placed a lofty tower from which the
emperor could command a view of the surrounding city. To hasten
these works he brought laborers from all parts of the country; as
many as sixty thousand were present at one time. Within two years
all his designs were finished. Everything succeeded with Hideyoshi.
He had arrived at the summit of his greatness. Never had. a monarch
held such undisputed sway in Japan as he. The empire which he
had conquered enjoyed peace within and respect without. China was
vanquished in battle and its ambassadors came to sue for peace, some-
thing never before heard of. The emperor was not ignorant of the
truths of our faith. Pride and passion, however, choked his better
impulses. " One thing alone ^^ he said to missionaries, " prevents me
from becoming a Christian. Permit me to keep as many wives as I
choose and I will be baptized tomorrow.^^
His passions and the desire which he cherished of being ranked as
a god made of him a persecutor of the religion which he admired.
It is he who crucified the twenty-six martyrs of Nagasaki who have
been canonized by the church.
A day of adversity at length dawned for Hideyoshi. As he was
OSAKA 111
contemplating with pride the magnificence of the works he had
planned and executed, suddenly the earth trembled beneath his feet,
the crashing of thunder was heard and strange moanings came forth
as from the bowels of the earth. Osaka and Kioto were left a mass
of ruins by the earthquake. Within the short space of a half hour the
palace of the prince was laid low, a shapeless heap of masonry. The
haughty emperor fled for his life carrying his eon in his arms ; seven
hundred of his concubines were buried beneath the fallen stones. The
number who perished throughout Japan in this catastrophe was
enormous. It is said, however, that not a single Christian was killed.
" It is certain," remarks Charlevoix, ^' that while all the other houses
upon one side of a street in Sakai were destroyed, that of a Christian
in which the faithful were accustomed to gather for prayer, alone re-
mained standing and received no damage.''
Hideyoshi, who was obliged to live in a tent for many days, cried
out, it is said, that God had justly punished him for daring to attempt
what was beyond mortal power to accomplish. But his remorse car-
ried him no further. His heart was hardened as that of Pharoah.
When the earth became tranquil and the sea returned within its
accustomed bounds he rebuilt his palace.
Hideyoshi had only one son, named also Hideyoshi, six years of
age. To secure the succession the father appointed a council of re-
gency and at its head placed Dyeyasu, a powerful chief of Yedo, to
whom he had already given the hand of his daughter. Hardly had
the old emperor closed his eyes in death (1598) when Dyeyasu with-
drew from his colleagues and announced that he would reign alone in
Japan. The bloody battle of Sekigahara established his ascendency
over the country : he was. lord of it all, save only Osaka which remained
faithful to Hideyoshi.
Fourteen years passed. The eaglet of Osaka longed to try his new-
grown wings and sent word to all who were discontented with tlic
new regime — and they were many — to rally round his standards. The
Christians had little to hope for from the young prince who was
superstitious and an ardent devotee of idol worship, but they had less
to fear from him than Dyeyasu. They therefore supported Hideyoshi.
The usurper appeared suddenly before Osaka at the head of two hun-
dred thousand men ; so rapid had his movements been that the inhabi-
tants of the city scarcely had time to lay in a stock of provisions and
prepare for a siege (24 December, IGll). The besiegers made many
112 * MISSIONS IN ASIA
attacks but were always repulsed; the fighting was so violent that in
less than seven weeks thirty thousand men had perished. A truce was
made and Dyeyasu withdrew, intending, however, to renew the contest
whenever an opportunity favorable to him presented itself. When the
Christians saw the man they dreaded in retreat they supposed that he
was completely conquered and permitted joy which such belief engen-
dered to become evident. This was sufficient to cause the promul-
gation of fresh edicts, pitiless in their severity, which condemned to
torture and death all followers of Christ without distinction of con-
dition, age or sex. (February, 1615.) The persecution continued
unabated until there were no more of the faithful to be martyred.
In the meanwhile Dyeyasu levied fresh troops in all parts of the
country; Hideyoshi, also, made preparations for a final battle. On
the third of June, 1615, the greatest military engagement in the his-
tory of Japan took place beneath the walls of Osaka. Fortune at
first favored Hideyoshi and his battalions were successful in beating
back the front ranks of the enemy. Victory seemed within his grasp
when suddenly the city in his rear was enveloped in flames. Dyeyasu
had caused these fires to be kindled by placing spies among the gar-
rison of Osaka. Hideyoshi, alarmed at the turn events had taken,
hastened to carry his family and treasures to a place of safety. Part
of his troops followed him ; the remainder became panic-stricken and
fled in utter confusion. The conqueror ended the day by ordering a
general massacre of the routed soldiers. The carnage was fearful;
a himdred thousand bodies lay scattered upon the plain when even-
ing at length put a stop to the butchery.
Hideyoshi succeeded in escaping with a few faithful Samurai and
took refuge at Kyushu where we will leave him. It is said that one
of his children, a boy of seven, was captured and taken before Dyeyasu.
Far from appearing disconcerted in the presence of his father^s con-
queror, the lad accused him of usurpation and reproached him bitterly,
then, before it could be prevented, stabbed himself to death. As he
fell to the floor, Dyeyasu, looking down upon him, said sneeringly:
" Hideyoshi was devoted to the gods. What good has it done him ?
I have never expended a penny in the worship of any divinity and yet
I am master of the Empire."
Nobunaga, Hideyoshi and Dyeyasu are the three greatest names in
Japanese history. The two first paved the way for the third. They
unified and pacified the country which had been distracted by the
jealousies of three centuries of feudalism. Dyeyasu received their
OSAKA 113
heritage and transmitted it to his descendants, who held it in their
possession for two hundred and sixty-eight years.
Nobunaga, endowed with clear vision, understood the true interests
of Japan and wished to enter into the concert of European nations.
He would probably have done so and given to his country the advan-
tage of Christian religion and civilization had not' the hand of an
assasmn brought his career to a sudden close. Dyeyasu was undoubt-
edly a successful soldier, but his administration of affairs was detest-
able. He inaugurated the retrograde movement whereby Japan cut
herself off from all other nations and retired within herself, so to
speak, as an oyster within its shell. He is to be blamed for the fact
that in progress the country was until recently three centuries behind
the west.
The castle of Osaka escaped the great conflagration of 1615. It
was destroyed later however by the troops of Shogan at the beginning
of the War of the Bestoration (1860). Only the third enclosure re-
mains at the present day. Upon the spot where the lofty central
tower used to stand is now placed the pumping-station, and nearby
is the cannon which is daily discharged exactly at noon.
Eyolution of ideas.— Social transfonnation.
During the many years of peace which followed the siege of Osaka,
the genius of the nation was paralyzed. The vital forces of the coun-
try dwindled in enforced idleness. The people of Osaka alone showed
a little initiative. They became merchants and developed a utilitar-
ian spirit absolutely opposed to that which the Samurai cherished.
The Samurai! What remembrances are called up by this word so
dear to the Japanese heart ! The Samurai was the chivalrous knight
to whom honor was all in all, who regarded as sacred his given word,
who opened his heart to none but the most generous sentiments, who
despised mon^ and held death in absolute disdain. His was. the na-
ture of fine potentialities, but uncultivated and almost savage; the
Samurai needed only to be influenced by divine grace to have become,
like the Christian knight of European chivalry, the soldier of God,
the apostle armed in defense of truth and virtue. Such was the heart
of the Samurai; such the neophytes of St. Francis Xavier.
The time has passed and the spirit of Oriental knighthood lives no
longer in Japan. The revolution of 1868 has changed the face of the
country. The customs of only forty years ago are now antiquated.
114 MISSIONS IN ASIA
Old men have become strangers in their own native country. The
transformation of manners and the change of sentiment have occurred
with extraordinary rapidity ; everything is different from what it used
to be, ideas, principles, laws, even language. The Japanese have be-
come eminently practical. Other times, other manners. They have
developed a wonderful facility in imitation and adaptation. When
the progress which has been made in forty years is considered it is
impossible to withhold admiration for the genius of a people capable of
accomplishing so much. When the new ideas have been thoroughly
assimilated Japan ought to take high rank in the intellectual world
and contribute to the discoveries and inventions of the future. Un-
fortunately, however, the Japanese have not learned to make haste
slowly. They wish to do everything in a day. But lately an intelli-
gent young man said that he found the German language difficult to
acquire because after the first lesson he could not read and write it
readily. The Japanese of to-day may be said to resemble overgrown
children in whom are all sorts of qualities, both good and bad, none of
which however are well developed. This is of course the character of
every epoch of transition. It was the instability of the Japanese peo-
ple which brought forth from Bishop Cousin, the oldest missionary
in the country, the following remark:
" Here things are never so bad or so good as they appear to be.
Hence it is quite useless to be over-an^fious about the former or rely
too much on the latter."
Material development.— Hopes for the future.— Education.—A few
statistics.
The city of Osaka appeared to be very little affected by the move-
ment which is agitating the rest of the country. In reality it had no
transformation to undergo. It has always been given to trade and
now has only to continue in the accustomed way. Up to the present
it has led a separate existence, so to speak, but now that the Empire of
the Sun has turned with avidity to commerce and industry Osaka by
force of circumstances takes the lead in the new movement. In order
to succeed this city will undergo any expense. In March, 1903, a
great national industrial exposition was opened in which the whole
world was invited to take part. Manufacturers of all nations were
requested to exhibit machines and other objects which might be used
in the development of Japan. By means of this exposition Osaka
hopes to double its business, which is already great; last year it
OSAKA 115
amounted to 500 millions of yen ($250,000,000). The commerce of
the city will be greatly increased by the vast improvements which are
being made in the harbor. The docks have not always been as they are
at present, nearly three miles from the city. Three hundred years ago
nearly all the houses were built about the castle of Hideyoshi; but as
the sea receded Osaka followed. In a few years the Yodogawa will
empty into the ocean through a new outlet.
Three things have prevented Osaka from becoming a great seaport;
the unprotected condition of its harbor which is open to the ocean, the
want of ruggedness in the surrounding coast, and the lack of depth of
water due to sand continually washed down by the Yodogawa. To
overcome these difficulties an immense breakwater nearly 10 miles in
length is to be constructed ; it will enclose space enough to contain the
fleets of the world. Then the harbor is to be dredged until a depth of
about 30 feet is obtained. Finally a new channel is to be dug for the
Yodogawa, that it may flow into the sea at a point upon the coast
which will prevent it from carrying debris into the reconstructed port.
The works which were commenced about four years ago are already
well advanced. The new river-bed is finished and is already spanned
by two magnificent iron bridges.
The great breakwater advances steadily every day towards comple-
tion. In four years it will be finished and the port open to the world's
shipping. The cost will amount to over twelve million dollars. But
the city hopes to be more than reimbursed for this outlay, as it will
now attract to itself imports which formerly entered Japan by way of
Kobe.
Will these projects be as successful as is expected? If Osaka must
rely upon the assistance and sympathy of the rest of the country they
will not. Eightly or wrongly the people of this city bear a poor repu-
tation. They are said to be avaricious, to be given to speculation and
to be no better than thieves. A thoroughly honest employee is not
wanted; when his honesty is detected he is liable to be promptly dis-
charged, because when everyone is untrustworthy there is no danger of
betrayal. They are accused of lacking patriotism. It is true that
they have little liking for military service. They detest war, and do
not attempt to conceal the fact that the tranquility of peace is much
more to their taste. These reproaches arise perhaps from jealousy
engendered by the wealth of the city, but it cannot be denied that
some of the accusations are just.
116 MISSIONS IN ASIA
In regard to education the citizens of Osaka have made little ad-
vance. Their primary schools, it is true, are good and well attended.
Secondary or grammar schools are fair. A school for commercial
training was f oimded last year. But this is all that can be said. The
study of law and medicine cannot be pursued within the bounds of the
city: of a university in the proper sense of the term the people have
never even dreamed. For a rich and enterprising community, made
up of a million individuals, this is not sufficient.
A word as to the instruction which is given in these schools. In
those of the primary grade reading, writing and a little arithmetic
are taught together with the geography of Japan. This is all the
citizens demand : it was good enough for our fathers and for us, they
say, let it suffice for bur children. A great difficulty to be met in
Japanese education is the employment of Chinese characters ; it is one
which the student finds hard to overcome. It takes ten years of study
with four or five hours of work a day to learn the characters which are
in common use in daily life. This fact places the Japanese student
far behind the young college man of the West.
A university course in Japan can scarcely be completed before the
age of thirty. It is useless to give way to these regrets, however.
Owing to Buddhism, Chinese characters have become an integral part
of the Japanese literary language. And indeed they render a certain
service which may explain the fondness of the nation for them. They
have given to the language a precision which those of Europe lack.
As years are devoted to committing them to memory this faculty is
developed to a marvelous degree. The study of them constitutes an
excellent mental gymnastic for the finding of different ways to express
the same idea; it is a good training for oratory, and in this depart-
ment the Japanese show themselves the equal of the peoples of the
West. If they do not excel in depth of thought, they are more pro-
ficient in the use of words.
Finally the Chinese characters have contributed not a little to give
the Japanese that finesse in little things which they possess, that
quickness in grasping all sides of a question as soon as presented,
keenness in detecting the slightest flaw in an argument as well as their
marvelous ability to observe the smallest details of an object, an abil-
ity which has enabled them to put forth masterpieces of miniature art.
However, let it be understood, it is not necessary to know the
Chinese characters in order to live in Japan. They are written only,
and not spoken. The spoken language, the language of the people, is
OSAKA 117
easily learned, very sonoroua and harmonious. In fact, after a year's
residence, missionaries speak, preach and hear confessions in Japanese.
In brief, education in Japan has not reached a high level ; its schools
are far below those of Europe or the United States; nevertheless the
prospectus of any one of those of secondary grade reads like the cata-
logue of a university.
Infitruction is given in many branches, but the treatment is not
thorough. The Japanese aim at the curious, the eccentric, and pay
little attention to the serious. They attach an exaggerated importance
to the natural sciences, especially mathematics. History with them is
only a collection of falsehoods which have been directed by Protestants
against the Catholic Church. These defects which are common to the
whole of Japan are more noticeable in Osaka than elsewhere. While
students flock in crowds to Tokio, Kioto and even to the little village
of Yamaguchi which is hidden away in the mountains and is without
communication with the rest of the country, few come to Osaka in
spite of the fact that many lines of railroad lead there.
However, Osaka shows signs of an awakening in the future. The
sympathetic welcome which the Little Brothers of Mary have been
given by the people and officials of the city proves that they appreciate
the benefits of science and education.
The personnel of the Catholic mission of Osaka is as follows : One
bishop, tweniy-five European missionaries, two native priests, four
Brothers of Mary (of the College of St. Stanislaus of Paris), four
seminarians, forty native catechists, sixteen Sisters of the Holy Infant
Jesus, three novices and three postulants. The diocese comprises
thirty-four parishes, eight churches or chapels and twenty-four orator-
ies in Japanese houses ; four schools, of which one is for boys and three
are for girls ; the number of pupils in these is four hundred and nine-
teen. The Brothers have one high school with one hundred students,
five orphanages with two hundred and twenty-eight inmates, one
hundred and forty-nine children in the workshops, and thirty-two
nurses in the hospital.
Here are the results of last yearns labors :
Baptisms of adults 193
Conversions from heresy 2
Baptisms of children bom of Pagan parents 258
Baptisms of children born of Christian parents 100
118 MISSIONS IN ASIA
Confirmations 164
Easter Confessions 1574
Easter Communions 1397
Holy Viaticum 34
Extreme Unction 55
Marriages 40
Deaths and Emigrations 779
Twelve months of hard labor have brought these results which, it
must be confessed, are not brilliant. However the missionaries are
content to work on without losing courage, and their zeal is commen-
surate with the great task which the church has confided to them.
They do their duty and do not reckon the cost.
4-
It is unfortunate that the good which they so earnestly desire to do
cannot be accomplished on account of their poverty. Everything has
doubled and even quadrupled in price. The money which the Society
for the Propagation of the Faith is enabled to apportion to us is not
sufficient for our needs. It is impossible to imdertake new enterprises
and we may even be forced to abandon those which have been for some
time under way.
In view of these facts we are emboldened to appeal to the Catholic
world for assistance to enable us to carry on effectually the work of
preaching the Gospel to the Japanese people.
MISSIONS IN AFRICA
VICARIATE APOSTOLIC OF THE UPPER NILE
The two letters which follow will have a peculiar interest for our readers
because both were'written by two American nuns, who at present are doing
heroic work among the natives of Uganda in Equatorial Africa. The sis-
ter of one of these devoted souls is a woman of prominence in New York,
to whom the letters were addressed, and in communicating them to us
she adds the earnest wish that they may help American Catholics to real-
ize the part that some American priests and nuns are taking in our
glorious apostolate and the help consequently that should be extended to
them.
Letter op Sister M. Marcella, 0. S. F.,
To A Friend in New York.
NsAMBYA, Uganda, East Africa, Deoombor 31, 1903.
Deu8 del nobis suam pacem!
My dear friend: — Rev. Mother has just asked rae to write and
tell you something about our Christmas here in Uganda, as she has
such a lot of letters to write, and wants you to know about our Mid-
night Mass, which has been so different from those of other years.
For months beforehand, we had heard of the terrible crowd that
would come to attend the Christmas services, and we had also heard of
the savage characteristics of this crowd. Two of our elder children
talking together were heard to say " Terese can't go to Mass at Mid-
night, she is still a young child.^' "Ah," said the other, " she can go,
because she can pinch very well, ako she can bite.*' With these neces-
sary qualifications, the two settled that Terese could go. Overhearing
many such conversations, we began to think that Midnight Mass was
to be a very war-like proceeding. The people told us that very likely
we would have some of the black policemen all round us to save us
from being trampled to death. When one morning, about two days
before Christmas, we saw two new doors being cut in the walls of the
church near us, we began to think the various terrifying predictions
119
120
MISSIONS IN AFRICA
must indeed be true. We noticed hundreds and hundreds of strange
faces each day increasing, as the natives came from their far-oflE vil-
lages to spend the Christmas here in Nsambya.
On the eve of the feast, Rev. Mother gave us all our presents at
supper time, and then we put her to bed. She slept, much to our
surprise, for the screeching, yelling and shouting were worthy of sav-
ages. Nevertheless, she slept, and at 11.30 we called her to get
Learning to write.
ready for the Midnight Mass. It was a real African night. The moon
was shining, and the sky was one mass of bright stars, yet for all that,
it was very dark. We took our lantern, and stepped out into the road.
There were chiefs coming along with their servants doing the yelling
for them, and carrying torches made of a bundle of reeds tied together.
As we passed into the church yard, the noise of our boots made many
black faces peer up from their barkcloth on the ground, to have a look
at us. All around the church were himdreds of men, women and chil-
dren lying down sleeping on the ground till the hour of midnight
drew nigh. It was a very queer sight, they looked like bundles and
UPPER NILE 121
bundles of corpses, until we saw their bright eyes and shining teeth.
We walked around to one of the new doors, the one on the women's
side of the church, and there was a whole line of some of the best
catechists waiting for us. These men stood round our seat all the
time, so that we were not a bit crushed.
About 11.45 the drums began to beat and the organ to play.
The candles did not give a very brilliant light, but just made it seem
all the more beautiful. Once inside, the Bagandas (4,000 of them, in-
side and out) were very quiet and pious. There was a grand High
Mass, and the people simply roared the various vocal parts, the Kyrie
especially, as they all knew the words. Pour priests gave Holy
Communion, and as soon as each Baganda had received, he was hus-
tled out of the door near the Communion rails, thus making room for
others to enter at the bottom of the church and preventing a collision.
You see, there was not sufficient room for all to be inside for the Mass,
so hundreds were sitting outside till the time for Holy Communion.
Everything was, however, managed beautifully, and fBW order inside
was perfect. The people outside did try not to make a fearful noise,
and they succeeded pretty well, for only three times during the Mass
had a Father to go out to them.
4-
We returned to our Convent about 1.30 A. M., very much to our
surprise, for we thought we should be in till nearly breakfast time next
morning. Then we went to bed after a slight refreshment, and didn't
get up until it was nearly time for the High Mass of Christmas Day.
I forgot to tell you that as we came from the Midnight Mass, all the
people ran round us shouting " Kulika Noeli," which means " Thank
you for getting safely over Christmas." Hundreds and himdreds
slept in our compound that night, so as to be able to hear Mass the
next morning. At the morning Mass, the church was again filled,
they know the number who entered by the fact that every one must put
one cowrie shell in a bag which the watchmen have at the door.
After the Mass, we came home, besieged by the crowds for their pres-
ents, which they most certainly expected, and they looked as if they
meant to stay till they got them. The Eev. Mother had a lot of soap cut
into small pieces, and made the afternoon school women pass before her
window, while she gave each one a piece of soap, a crucifix and a safety
pin. Sr. Solaiio was posted outside the window to prevent them from re-
turning and receiving three or four times, which they would do if they
could, but the crush became so terrible that Rev. Mother had to pull
122
MISSIONS IN AFRICA
Sr. Solano in by the head at the window. Mother Abbess had sent
us a box of little toys, etc., as well as plum puddings, cakes, and these
(the toys) we all started giving away, much to the Bagandas' delight.
One little tiny boy got a spy-glass, one of these little things which
cost a penny or one-half each, and in which by turning round
neat patterns can be formed from pieces of colored glass con-
tained inside. Well, the baby's father, our head man, Dandi,
caught sight of this curiosity, snatched it out of the child's hand
A Reading Class.
and i)layed with it himself for the rest of the day, only letting a
few of his favored friends have a look now and then. The child
was consoled by a little tin engine, which I am afraid tempted the
mother, as we have never seen the child with it since. The joy over
these rubbishy little things would do your heart good to see. Eev.
Mother gave all the king's women a Luganda prayer book, rosary, and
piece of soap. They never dreamt of so magnificent a present and
simply shouted for joy, one of them, old Maritina, when she saw her
present, made a sign to the others to be quiet for a minute, then she
blessed herself and said a prayer, she was so full of joy. They said
they would sing so well in church now that they had the words of the
UPPER NILE 123
hymns, and have quite fulfilled their promise, for as they squat at the
back of us in churchy Sisters Kevin and Solano mentioned the other
day that they are quite deaf. The reason is obvious.
The king's women are very good, but sometimes are very funny. The
three eldest are Maritina, Anna and Angelina. The other day in school,
Sister wanted to teach Anna to read, so she said : '^ Now, Anna, oome
along, you may sit next to Angelina and read Mariko^' (St. Mark).
Anna answered in quite a tragic tone, " Little child, I have just suffi-
cient strength to come here to learn to read kaie, then I'll begin."
"Angelina *' is a very naughty little child of about eighty-five, who talks
and plays when the Sister is not looking, and very often has to be put
in the comer. When Rev. Mother goes down to the school, poor An-
gelina trembles visibly when her slate is being examined and awaits
her sentence of "good or bad" with anxiety that Rev. Mother finds
hard to resist. They are such nice people, these Bagandas. Rev.
Mother goes about now to their little huts and asks them what work
they have done, etc., etc., and never comes home without one or two
presents such as native gourds, pumpkins or beans. The natives were
terrified of her at first, but now you will see her trotting along with
a lot of people after her, sometimes little children with the famous
dress of a string of beads round their neck, waist and ankles. It is
marvelous, though, how quickly they learn that they fnust try and
cover themselves when a sister comes along. The other Monday, Rev.
Mother sent Sr. Solano and me to Rubaga to the French Sisters, and
as we passed by the king's kissJcati (fence surrounding liis huts and
grounds) the space outside was filled with chiefs and their servants
waiting to get in to the lukiho (coimcil). There were hundreds, and
there were lines and lines of servants with presents for the king of
mubissi (wine), bananas, cattle and other things. There was one old
chief, who must have belonged to former King Mtesa, he seemed so
old^ he was dressed in white flowing robes and had nice sandals on,
which he very carefully left at the gate; he had fifteen slaves walk-
ing behind him. (I mustn't call them slaves, because slavery is for-
bidden now).
We are looking forward with great anxiety to see the box dear Mrs.
is sending us and we were so delighted with her cards,
please will you thank her over and over again for us and give our
love to her. With very much love to yourself, I remain
Your sincere friend,
S. M. Marcella, 0. S. F.
124 MISSIONS IN AFRICA
Letter of Mother Mart Paul, 0. S. F.,
To Her Sister in New York.
NsAMBYA, Uganda, East Africa, February 25, 1904.
^^ Deu8 det nobis svam paceml''
My dear sister : — To-day the mail came but there was nothing for
the Convent. This made me realize what you felt like, waiting for
news of me. At the same time, I am certain it does not mean that
you have not written, but rather that the mails are at fault. Lately
they have been very irregular coming in, and I presume the same is
true of the outgoing mails.
When we were out walking last Thursday, we went a little farther
than usual and happened to get on the road where the single telegraph
wire is fastened to trees and posts. I asked Pia, a little girl who was
with me, what it was, and she said in Luganda, " That is the voice : it
speaks from afar to the white men in the fort, and it speaks from them
to the men in distant lands : it is simply a voice ! " And as I looked
at the slender connection ^twixt us and the outer world — which could
be so easily severed by one of these savages — it brought home the fact
that we are indeed foreign missionaries.
We got into a Nubian settlement that day^ and in their desire to
see us the Nubian women and children came running from the fields
at such speed that ever so many of them fell sprawling before us, for
they were looking at us so intently, they didn't look at the ground to
see where they were going. We didn't like them at all. They have
a custom which makes them hideous. They slash the cheeks of their
children and into the cuts they rub a dye of some kind to prevent them
from healing. When they grow up these cuts or scars on the cheek
have a shiny look and always remind me of a Vienna loaf. Don't
you know how the baker cuts the top of it? The women of Bunyoro
have many cuts on their foreheads: these are made from the scalp to
the eyebrows and look like a fringe.
4-
Our people sometimes bleed themselves in this way if they are sick.
A little boy was brought to us a week ago with his hand frightfully
swollen. A snake had bitten him on the tip of the finger and already
the poison was doing its deadly work. Sister Kevin is infirmarian
and Sister Andrea was her assistant that week. The sight of the
hand and the fact that it had instantly to be cut made Sister Kevin
shake so that she couldn't do it. As I took the lancet she ran away.
Sister Andrea watched me cut it and put permanganate of potash in
UPPBR NILE
125
the cuts, and she even mixed the 8tr}'chnine for the boy to drink. It
was time for me to go to school, so I said : " Sister, keep the blood
flowing as long as you can, won't you ?" 1 left her, but on my way into
the Convent missed my spectacles. I went right on, and to the win-
dow looking out into the dispensary (an open space outside, but under
the roof of the Convent) and what did I see? The dear little black
boy looking in amazement at Sister Andrea, who was lying full length
on the ground in a dead faint ! I thought I would never got around to
Deab Lord, Bless Mother Paul and heb Children!
her, though I ran as fast as possible calling Sister Kevin as I ran.
She was of course much whiter than anyone those natives had ever seen
before; and as there were several men outside our fence waiting for
the little boy, they saw her. They also saw Sister Kevin and me giv-
ing her brandy and chafing her hands and finally saw her get up and
walk into the Convent. Consequently, the news was spread that Sis-
ter Andrea had died, but that we brought her to life again. They
believe that we can do anything ! The little boy is quite well, and was
the bravest of us all.
4-
126 MISSIONS IN AFRICA
The sleeping sickness you hear of is not prevalent near us, as it
confines itself to the lake shore and the islands. Whatever cases are
about here are the sick who have come from the shore. Bishop Han-
Ion has missions on the islands and where they had flourishing stations
three years ago not a single soul is left of the hundreds who lived
there. They visit the villages where formerly there dwelt a catechist
and where, perhaps, three hundred would be instructed by him and
ready for Baptism when the Priest went there. And now they (the
Distributing medicine and tending the sores in the morning.
Priests) go to these places and look at the fallen Catechumanate and
the huts, and they call and listen in vain for a sound of the human
voice ; it is as though no one had ever lived there — except for the bones,
and the ruined huts and a few little household things they used.
The specialists, who have come from Europe, have found the germ
of the disease, but as yet no cure for it. The brain becomes quite
hardened and the victim is sometimes found in unusual postures. The
Bishop told us of one man who was found sitting on the roadside hold-
ing an umbrella open over him. Many passed him thinking he was
only resting. At last some, who noticed tliat he had not moved for
UPPER NILE 127
several hours went to him and found him stiff and cold — quite dead.
The man we saw dead on the roadside had evidently been kneeling
and had nodded till his forehead touched the ground and then he
died — his nose and face were not on the ground but only his knees and
forehead — and his hands hanging limp and lifeless. It is a very
strange sickness, isn't it? Deo gratias, we keep quite well here.
We had a lovely retreat from February 6th to the 15th. Every bit
of work was left to our girls, who surpassed all expectations. You
can scarcely realize what it mean^ for them to cook, set the table, wash
and mangle clothes, clean and dust, trim, fill and clean lamps and
ring our breakfast, dinner and supper bell exactly on time, because
you won't be likely to remember that until we came with our " bintu "
(things) ; they had never seen a piece of furniture like ours; had no
idea what a spoon, fork, cup or plate were, or what they were used for.
When first we came, we let them take our clothes to the river and there
wash them in their own way till, to our horror, we learned that upon
these occasions great crowds assembled to look at the wonderful gar-
ments of the " Babikira " (Virgins)^ and they were passed round from
hand to hand ! ! Now, they fetch the water and we have them do the
washing inside our own fence.
It will be long before you get such a lengthy epistle from me again,
for the work increases daily. Pray that we may do it well, and believe
me. Ever your devoted sister,
M. Mary Paul, 0. S. F.
mtgrns^m
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MISSIONS IN AMERICA
THE MISSIONS OF OREGON
It is not for the first time tliat news from tlie Oregon Missions have been
found in the " Annals." As early as 1856 this magazine published a letter
of Father D'Herbomez, O. M. I., then Missionary in Oregon and later first
Vicar Apostolic of British Columbia. The consoling hopes he then had
have been realized in part; still there remains a great deal to be done to
establish the Church on a solid basis in that part of the country, as may
be seen from the letter of the first Bishop of Baker City, Oregon. We pub-
lish it with great pleasure, and any offering intended for Bishop O'Reilly's
missions will be gratefully received by us and forwarded to its destination.
LirrTiiiR OF THE Eight Uev. C. J. O'Keilly, D. D.,
Bishop of Baker City, Ore.,
To THE Eev. J. Freri, D. C. L.,
Director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith.
Baker City, Ore., March 28, 1904.
Eev. and Dear Father : — The great kindness and Christ-like en-
couragement received from the perusal of your letters prompt me to
set before your zealous co-operators the needs and hopes of this new
and extensive diocese.
Last June, when the announcement came that the Holy See had
divided the vast Archdiocese of Oregon City, establishing the See of
Baker City, some thought the division premature and expressed doubts
as to the possibility of maintaining a bishop in so sparsely settled a
country. Events, however, have already proved the wisdom of mak-
ing this division, as the very extent of territory embraced in the dio-
cese, comprising 65,683 square miles, necessitated the presence of a
missionary bishop who would visit the scattered missions and provide
priests for the spiritual needs of our Catholic people.
128
OBEQON 129
The diflSculty is not to maintain the bishop, whose wants are few,
but to support the priests who must travel far and wide to administer
the Sacraments, to catechise the children, and to preach the word of
God through the mining districts and the vast cattle ranges of Eastern
Oregon. In this extensive territory there are as yet but eight priests,
all of them doing heroic work. They are obliged to travel almost
constantly, and their expenses often amount to more than their
income. The only railroad in this country runs through the centre of
the state, so that our priests must make most of their missionary
jouraeys in the stage. What this means, especially in the inclement
season may be judged by the experience of a priest who, in going to
a mission recently, passed three days in a stage, being obliged, on
account of the fearful condition of the roads, to spend one entire
night striving to cover a distance of only fouri«en miles. Another
priest has just returned from a sick-call of two hundred and ten miles
over the mountains, on almost impassable roads and in a biting snow
storm. He had the consolation, however, of reaching a dying man
just in time; as he entered the house, the grateful soul exclaiming:
" Thank God, I can now die happy, as I have the priest of God to pre-
pare me.^^ Many other edifying incidents might be related of a sim-
ilar character.
But more priests are needed, men of apostolic spirit, who will not
flinch at difficulties. The Catholic families are often very widely scat-
tered, and the priest has sometimes to spend a few days at each place.
The great need of this Diocese is, therefore, funds to allow priests to
visit those families, who because they cannot see the priest occasion-
ally are in great danger of losing their faith. There is an absolute
need of several priests, but in our present condition, I am entirely
unable to provide means for their support. No help can be obtained
for this purpose from the Diocese, which is burdened with the erec-
tion of churches in many places, while the zealous and hard-working
priests receive an income barely sufficient for their support.
Your kind interest in our needs has emboldened me to make this
statement in the hope that some charitably disposed Christians might
come to our assistance. I wish also to express my heartfelt gratitude
to His Eminence Cardinal Gibbons for the strong letter which he for-
warded in our behalf to the Central Council of the Society for the
Propagation of the Faith in Paris. Donations would be gratefully
received for the support of the priests, and also to provide two priests
for the Indians at Warm Springs and Klamath Reservations. Years
ago the apostolic Archbishop Blanchet instructed and baptized a
IJO MISSIONS IN AMERICA
iiuinber of Indians there, but they have no opportunity to keep up
the practice of the Catholic faith as I have no priests to visit them.
In several places priests are trying to erect small churches for the
few Catholics in their missions, and vestments and sacred vessels arc
greatly needed. We hope to have at least one priest and one church
in each county of the Diocese as centres of Catholicity.
Yesterday I preached two sermons, one hour each, in a Methodist
church to a large number of Protestants and a few Catholics. Before
Mass an aged Frenchman, who had come many miles, presented him-
self for confession and cried for joy when I addressed him in the beau-
tiful language of " La belle France " which I had learned at Montreal.
In sight of the entire congregation I heard his Confession, and he
had the happiness of receiving Holy Communion. Oh ! if we could
only support some zealous priests to work among our scattered Cath-
olics and at the same time to preach the saving Gospel to our separ-
ated brethren, who are so anxious to hear us.
When railroads and settlers come, conditions will be greatly im-
proved, but at present it is a serious struggle to keep our people from
losing the priceless gift of faith, and some will inevitably fall away
unless Catholics, who are in more favorable circumstances elsewhere
come to our assistance.
Thanking you, dear Father Freri, for your great kindness to this
Diocese, and assuring you of our prayers for yourself and all other
benefactors, I remain
Yours sincerely in Christ,
4.C. J. O'Reilly,
Bishop of Baker City.
THE MISSIONS OF TEXAS
A Texas Missionary Trip
We are prone to think that all hard missionary work is being done
thousands of miles away from our own dear land. But do we ever stop
to think of the truly apostolic men and women who are laboring in season
and out of season for the salvation of souls here in the United States? We
read and marvel at the sufferings and privations of priests and nuns in
savage, pagan lands, but the same missionary work with its attendants
heroic sacrifices is being carried on here in America almost at our very
doors. Father Malmartel, O. M. I., in his letter gives us some idea of the
conditions that a priest must face in Texas to bring the glad tidings to
the peoples scattered throughout that State.
Letter of Father Malmartel, 0. M. I.,
To THE Society for the Propagation of the Faith.
Through the Desert Let me take you in spirit to a district not
~A Hearty Welcome far away, and let me at the same time tell
—Consoling Minis- you of the wonders accomplished among the
^" poor scattered flock of South Western Texas;
wonders which it pleased our merciful Father to accomplish through
our ministry.
On the 9th of August Father Repiso and myself left Eagle Pass on
a long missionar}' trip to the peoples scattered thro' the wild desert
district. Desert is the word that alone can describe this territory thro'
which we traveled. Not a tree, no vegetation whatever, not a living
being, not even the cry of a bird to break the silence of this solitude.
Nothing but rocks, immense boulders which towf^rol into mountains
of majestic height. For about fifty miles we followed the winding
course of the Rio Grande, frequently at snail's pace because of the
frightful precipices that yawned around us on every side. After a
131
132 MISSIONS IN AMERIOA
journey of twenty hours we finally alighted at one of the small fron-
tier stations, whence we were to start on our real missionary trat^^ls.
A primitive and rickety old stage-coach carried us over the fiftjr-five
miles that we were to cover before making our first stop. Have you any
idea what this means? A noted traveler has said that a first stage-
coach experience is never forgotten, and I firmly believe it. For after
weary, uninteresting interminable hours we arrived at our destination ;
our fatigue however was amply repaid by the hearty welcome given us
by the entire population of the place. Word had preceded us that the
Fathers were coming and they had prepared, as far as their limited
means would allow, to show their love and respect for us. Our first
steps were directed to the rude little chapel, which was soon filled,
not, however, without great attending excitement. For even the count-
less dogs of the country around seemed to have gotten wind of our
arrival and hastened to join in the celebration and take part even in
the religious exercises. And oh, such a racket — between the cries of
the men and the yelps of the dogs as they were ignominiously cast out,
one felt indeed as if pandemonium had broken loose.
We remained there nine days and the marvels of grace worked
among this uncultured people must have rejoiced exceedingly the
heart of our dear Lord. From early morning until the late hours
of night, they came confessing their sins and doing penance, and
showing a fervor of spirit and a living faith that could come only
from hearts attuned to the love of God. We had the great happiness
of helping them all and making them again the friends of the Master,
but they were almost unbearable in their efforts to show their grati-
tude. Had we the means of taking away their gifts with us, we would
have had more than enough to stock a first-class farm. They gave no
money because they had none to give, but they brought us all they
had — eggs, chickens, vegetables, fruits of various kinds, and even
a young heifer which amid great solemnity was presented to "the
Fathers."
Who says that the ages of faith have passed ?
At Indio^The Ages Qn one of the last days that we were there,
HoflDitalitv ^ ^^ called to attend a man who met with an
accident and was almost killed in falling from
a cart. Father Repiso hurriedly went for the Blessed Sacrament
while I was anointing the poor unfortunate man. The streets thro'
which our Blessed Lord was to pass were quickly swept and in
TEXAS 133
some cases an attempt was made at decorating the walls of the huts
that line the roadside. The entire crowd of men, women and chil-
dren formed a procession to accompany ''His Divine Majesty/' as
they themselves put it A strikingly beautiful picture it was, and
one which will linger with me for many a day. The lighted candles,
the intense devotion written on the face of all, young and old, and the
murmured prayers, the sweetly tinkling bell of the little acolyte, all
made up a scene that mig^t have been drawn from the early ages
when faith was strong and love was active.
4-
The time came for us to leave and it was then hard to feel the
truth of the poet's words "parting is such sweet sorrow," J really
think that we felt as sorry to go as our poor people were to lose us.
You would scarcely believe it unless you had seen the evidence with
your own eyes, how they grieved and in some cases wept bitterly when
the time came for our leave-taking. It was an almost universal cry :
"What will become of us now? We are sheep without a shepherd;
what are we to do when death approaches? Who will prepare us to
meet our God when you are gone ? '' It was truly heart-breaking but
we had to go, for new fields awaited us.
We left that night for Indio, six cowboys on their wild ungovern-
able mustangs forming an escort for us. On our arrival the owner of
the ranch where we were to stop came with hie entire household to
meet us and to offer the hospitality of his home. We spent a very
pleasant hour, before retiring, with the family of our host and learned
again the gracious and deeply religious spirit that rules the homes of
these Mexicans. After prayers had been devoutly said in common, we
were conducted to our room which was to serve us as our sleeping
quarters by night and our chapel by day.
The rooms on one of these ranches are indeed odd and to the
stranger's eyes a bit grotesque. Ours must have measured fully
thirty feet in length, with two small windows thro' which the interior
was lighted. A small portable altar decorated with fresh cut flowers
stood in, the back ground, the walls were himg with gaudy prints so
common amoung this people, and in striking contrast to this a number
of mirrors were placed at regular intervals around the room. No
carpet, in fact no flooring to cover the bare earth. Each night two
mattresses were spread on the ground and on these improvised beds
we tried to take a much needed rest. Throughout our trip we had no
better conveniences, but, taking them all in all, they were not so bad.
134 MISSIONS IN AMERICA
Is'nt it etrange how old ghosts will arise and walk at the most unsea-
sonable hours? Frequently during my stay my sleep was broken by
strange uncanny noises which brought to my fevered imagination all
sorts of phantoms. From a long familiar association the rats of the
country have become bold beyond belief, and many a time I felt as
if the room were filled with them or with scorpions, or other un-
welcome visitors which seem to thrive in this distressed country. It
is indeed a blessing if a man can forget such unpleasant subjects, but
my mind and my poor body for that matter, seem to retain very
vividly early impressions and made the "witching hour of night*'
hideous for me.
In the ranch where we stopped was an old woman about a hundred
and twenty years of age, at least that is the conservative estimate of
the oldest residents. She was absolutely deaf and to add to her mis-
fortune was totally blind. I was anxious to have her receive Holy
Communion but though I tried in every way known to me, I could
not make her understand nor could I get from her any sign that she
knew the meaning of the august mystery. It was hard, but I had to
be satisfied with giving her conditional absolution.
4-
The excellent Catholic who had given us hospitality at Indio accom-
panied us to Fort Davis, our next stopping place. The respect that
those people have for a priest is almost beyond belief. To act as our
guide meant many days travel away from home but the honor of
being with the Padres compensated him for the trouble and incon-
venience. After a hard tiresome ride across the plain we came to the
mountains across which there is no direct path, naturally we had to
take a round-about course.
What a truly picturesque country it is. Mountains on all sides rose
to immense heights ; to the right and left they stretched with a beauty
and majesty which would require the pencil of an artist to depict.
Around us rose stately trees which stood like so many sentinels in the
unbroken silence. Behind us was the simple rolling woodland, above,
thousands of fleecy white clouds floated around the summits in the
glory of the sunshine. It was our memorable privilege to see a
thunderstorm raging on one of the mountain sides. A monstrous wall
like a huge gray veil came traveling towards us and we could watch
the lightning repeatedly striking miles away to the accompaniment of
multiplied peals of thunder. Occasionally through an opening in the
clouds the sun would suddenly light up the summit of the mountain
or flash a path of gold along its side. I have been in all parts of
TEXAS 135
Texas during my twenty-five yeara but never have my eyes rested on
such a picture.
+
On the following day we rode into Port
Visit to Fort Davis.— Davis, but no sooner had I swung out of the
A Saintly Death. saddle than I was accosted by a young man
who wished me to go to his dying mother. I went immediately and
found the poor creature in a critical condition. Weak to an extreme
though she was, however, the great joy she felt at my coming seemed
to give her fresh life : " How good God is to me,'* she repeated over
and over again. Her one wish was to die with all the consolations
of her Faith, and her wish I was to fulfill, namely to be for her a
''Holy Christ of this earth," a name commonly given to priests by
the Mexicans. Often in her dreams the priest had come to her bear-
ing upon his breast the image of the " Santo Christo of heaven/' she
said; and when she recognized in my mission cross the object of her
dreams, pressing it to her lips while the tears coursed down her
cheeks she cried " 0 Father why does the good God leave us orphans,
how hard it is to die alone and forsaken without a priest ! '^
Let me mention that this woman knew neither how to read nor
write but a special inspiration of God certainly cleared her mind and
gave her a perfect understanding of Eternal truths. Her confession
was carefully made and her happiness on receiving our Blessed Lord
transfigured her whole countenance. Some time before our arrival,
she had been attended by a Jesuit Father and an Oblate both of
whom had passed that way in their journey, and I can testify that
from that time the poor soul had led not only a blameless but a mor-
tified life. One of her neighbors told me that when her sufferings
were keenest not even a whisper of impatience escaped her; her
ejaculation " all for the love of God " was an index to every word she
uttered and every pain she suffered. It was my great happiness to be
with her when she died, for towards the end of the mission God
claimed her as His own. The work of a priest in the waste places of
the world is indeed hard, but is he not amply recompensed by experi-
ences like this?
4-
At Alamo and San Excelsior, up and onward, no delay, we must
Jose.— A Terrible be about our Father's business and though we
Kight,— The Mezi- would have liked to tarry longer in each place,
can Cnaraoter. ^^ Master beckoned us on to new fields. We
bad heard much of a neighboring village called Alamo, and thither
136 MISSIONS IN AMERICA
we bent our steps. Two travelers whom we accidentally met kindly
offered to show us the way and it was providential that they did so,
otherwise I am sure that we would never have found the place. Across
a trackless waste we went and though the weather was mild and
agreeable we all felt the fatigue of the rough roads. It was bright and
clear when we started, with just enough cold to make travel pleasant.
Along towards noon, however, it began to darken, and the wind
which had been a gentle breeze began to blow with great violence. A
fine cold rain began to fall and soon we were chilled to the marrow
of our bones. We halted for dinner and with great difficulty suc-
ceeded in starting a fire with which our food was cooked and our
clothing dried. We had figured on reaching the village before night
fall, but owing to the nature of the country through which we were
passing we soon found this impracticable. We made the best of the
situation therefore and settled down to spend the night, but what a
night it was! Without any shelter, with winds raging violently
around us and in the midst of the unceasing downpour, the blankets,
our only covering were soon soaked through and through and gave us
but sorry protection. Father Repiso, an old soldier of the Carlist
wars assured us that though he had spent many a night in the open,
he had never met with such a trying experience. In such conditions
one has great need of remembering the value of immortal souls and
the sufferings and labors which our Blessed Lord paid for them.
4-
At daybreak we commenced again our journey to Alamo which we
lost no time in reaching. That night an old man came to us for
confession and before leaving he asked this favor : '* Father, said he,
for the love of God please spend to-morrow with us and say Mass at my
house.'* We could not refuse him. On the way our guide pointed
out to us the peak of San Jacinto. At the time a dazzling cloud
hid the head of the mountain from view, but after a few minutes'
walk as we turned a comer in the road, the cloud had disappeared
and there, outlined against the clear blue of the* sky, was the head
of a monk of colossal proportions. A freak of nature certainly, but
so exquisitely wrought in the rock that it seemed the perfect work of
some gigantic sculptor. In good time we arrived at the top of the
hill where we discovered in the distance a ranch set amid most en-
chanting surroundings.
Our companion seemed overjoyed at the sight, for taking his som-
brero in hand he waved it violently to some one whom we could not
TBXA8 137
see. His practised eye however seemed to read everything, for turn-
ing, he infoTmed ns that his son would soon meet us. And sure
enough a few minutes afterwards he arrived. It turned out that he
was the head of a family but did not forget his dut^ as a son. His
first thought was of the old man, his father, who had been absent for
eight days. One question followed another and if he expected a
reply he did not wait for one. Stooping he respectfully kissed his
father^s hand and taking him gentiy by the arm he led the way to
his home. We offered the Holy Sacrifice for this truly patriarchal
family on the following morning and had the happiness of giving
Holy Conmiunion to eighteen.
To understand and appreciate the Mexican character one must
live with them. I forgot to mention that on our way to San Jose we
saw at a distance from the road the magnificent flowers which might
indeed be called bouquets so beautifully has nature arranged them.
They are called the American Yucca. To give you an idea of their
size let me say that each stem held not less than five hundred fiowers
and more than three thousand petals of an extremely delicate cream
white color. The same thought was in the mind of both of us ; 0 for
some of those fiowers for the altar where we were to say Mass on
the following day. The two big-hearted fellows divined our wish
and it was a great pleasure to see how anxious they were as to who
would be the first to gather them for us.
4-
At San Jose the people gave us a right royal welcome, taking us
for men endowed with wonderful miraculous powers. One woman in
fact came to meet us crawling on her knees, to show the respect she
had for us and her confidence in our prayers. Her husband was sick
and her petition was for us to make him well in soul and body.
Who could withstand such faitii? One of our first visits was to the
unfortunate invalid and after attending him what was my surprise
when he pressed into my hand a dollar.
" Whaf s this for ? " I said to him. *' Do you not know that God's
blessings are not sold ? '*
" I do not want to buy them,** he said, " for have I not already re-
ceived them without any restrictions? If this will satisfy you kindly
listen. We set some eggs under one of our hens after marking one for
the priest, the egg was hatched and gave us a fine chicken which in
turn has given us eggs in abundance and the dollar which I offer you
now is simply the earnings of the first egg.''
138
MISSIONS IN AMERICA
Do you realize what a productive plant we have. The wonder will
be where our fortune will end, with a capital of eggs and chickens we
will have a continually growing interest.
On our way home the journey was somewhat brightened by the
thousands of little prairie dogs that we met with at almost every
step. They appeared and disappeared into their burrows; yelping
and jumping, sitting and nibbling; I was at a loss to know whether
they were holding high carnival or making sport of us. We finally
reached Eagle Pass tired out indeed but, 0, so happy to have labored
among those many neglected souls and with such gratifying results.
INDIAN MISSIONS IN SOUTH DAKOTA
The Society for the Propagation of the Faith has alwajrs taken a keen
interest in the Indian Missions of this country, and, although there is
now a Society especially intended to look after their welfare, we have
continued to contribute to the support of several of them. Those contri-
butions being sent by us directly to the Missions do not figure in the re-
port issued by the Bureau of the Catholic Indian Missions, but may be
reckoned from our own report published every year in the November num-
ber of the Annals.
Several accounts of the Sioux nation appeared in the Annals years ago,
and a visit paid to them by Father De Smet in 1848 was described at
length. We are very glad to acquaint our readers with the great results
obtained by the Jesuit Fathers since they took charge of that Mission in
1886.
Letter of the Eev. H. I. Westhopp, S. J.,
TO the Rev. Joseph Freri, D. C. L.,
Director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith.
St. Francis Mission, Rosebud, S. D., March 15, 1903.
An account of the Jesuit Mission among the Sioux has never ap-
peared in the American edition of the Annals. Neither have we
so far partaken much of the bounty of the Society for the Propagation
of the Faith. This gives me the courage to hope that an account of
our successes, reverses and missionary wants may bring us a little
much-needed aid.
The great Sioux nation is divided into seven tribes, numbering
perhaps 25,000 souls ; it is, therefore one of the most numerous Indian
nations in the United States. Yet the Indians were almost completely
neglected by Catholic missionaries until comparatively late years, the
southern and. larger portion of the tribes falling into the hands of
Protestant missionaries long before any Catholic missionary ever
settled in these parts.
Father de Smet passed through here once or twice in the forties,
baptized a few and that was all they got of the faith for many years.
139
140 MISSIONS IN AMERICA
A few years before we came, a couple of secular priests had been work-
ing off and on among them. They had even managed to erect a mission
and thus when in ^86 Father Jutz, S. J., and Father Perrig, S. J., ar-
rived, they found the way broken by worthy pioneers and a real mission
begun. I am speaking now of the Brul6 Sioux of Eosebud, for the
Benedictine Fathers had long before established missions among the
Yankton in the East and the Hunkpapa of Standing Bock. Of
course, the two Jesuit Fathers realized that our hopes must be centred
in the rising generation, immediately started a school, inviting the
Franciscan Sisters out as teachers.
The old Sioux or Lakotas, as they call themselves, still ran about
almost naked, even in the depth of winter. They celebrated their
heathen feasts and dances. To drive away their diseases they made
use of the medicine-man with all his foolish rattles, cries and libations,
all of which customs are now to a great extent, extinct. The little
feathery redskins found school a rather dull place; a good part of
their time was spent in trying to steal away and in being brought
back by the missionary or by the child*s parents. I wonH attempt
to narrate the " Sorrow ^' of the first year's ministry. Ideas of clean-
liness were very primitive and vices abounded. Punishment, espe-
cially with a whip, was a dangerous medicine to administer, as the
parents are fond of their children to the greatest excess. Even in
later years the Fathers have been struck, had their beards torn
out, and been threatened by the infuriated parents for daring to
give children much-needed chastisement. An old and feeble father
came once and offered to take his son's punishment.
When help came in the persons of Fathers Digmann, Bosch and
Lindebuer, it was decided to start a mission among the Ogalalla
Sioux, farther west. The year following, through the generosity of
the then Miss Catherine Drexel, the Eosary Mission was founded not
far from Pine Eidge Agency. For a while all went well at both
missions. The Fathers journeyed on horseback or in a wagon, doing
their best to bring as many of the Sioux into the true fold as pos-
sible. Still they received hard words and much ingratitude. For you
must know the Indian code of honor differed considerably from ours.
If they could succeed m playing a mean trick, striking in the back,
as it were, when one was not looking, even in cowardly attacking a
single person with a numerous troop, they boasted of it and received
the compliments of their fellow warriors. This was a real difficulty
SOUTH DAKOTA ' 141
in the beginning. Then there were the dangers of traveling. The-
priests often met with accidents in the open prairies, horses running
away, smash-ups, etc. In winter with the thermometer at times
forty degrees below zero they were called out to see a sick person.
Sometimes they would be caught in a Dakota blizzard, perhaps lose
their way and arrive at some house all but frozen to death. The
treacherous ice of the rivers broke more than once placing their live»
in peril.
Opposition came at times from the Indians themselves, who would
refuse to allow dying babies to be baptized, and yet chariiy com-
manded the missionary to see that the child was regenerated by the
saving waters. Here an artifice had to be used. The most refractory
cases were visited by the sisters, who had or were supposed to have
some knowledge of medicine. These then privately baptized the
dying children. When this plan was not feasible the missionary
himself would at times rub a little peppermint water on the forehead
of the child to cool the fever and then baptize the child. Father
Bosch had a method of his own. '^ If the child gets worse,'' he said
to the mother, "Will you baptize it, provided I show you how?*'
The woman assented, perhaps to get rid of him, and when he showed
her how, he took care to perform a real baptism. By and by the old
people began to take more interest in our holy faith and each year
added notable converts to the fold. The great chief " Spotted Tail "
had always favored our religion, but was unfortunately killed before
he could be baptized. His grandson died a pious death here at the
mission. Among the chiefs baptized are Bed Cloud and Two Strike.
4-
One of the most gratifjdng conversions was that of Two Kettle
camp, whose chief was Tall Mandan, the grandfather of the Indian
Chief who appeared as delegate at the Catholic Federation last year.
This camp had always leaned towards Episcopalianism, if it did not
belong to it. After holding a great " pow-wow,'' in which there was
much intelligent discussion, they all decided to join the Black Robe's
prayer. To these facts I may add that there are many influential
Canadian half-breeds on the reservation, who are mostly Catholics.
I do not hesitate to assert that if we had a little more of the " sinews
of war " and another priest or two the greatest part of the reservation
would be Catholic. At present, I learn that the mission school is in
danger. Uncle Sam had invited us to begin, had promised his sup-
142 MISSIONS IN AMERICA
port and now after the plant has been erected and all is going on
most satisfactorily, he faithlessly withdraws his hands and throws
us on charity. The school had always been successful. As soon as
we had room we took in 250 children. Even now while the servants
of Uncle Sam are out in the lanes and by-ways forcing the ever halt
and the lame into the public boarding school, we have so many chil-
dren that we have to turn them away by the score. Wq have made
the schools attractive and entertaining and have taught ordinary
trades to the boys, while we have trained the girls as cooks and house-
keepers with a good knowledge of dress and lace-making. Everyone,
including bigots, has praised our work, but the Catholics were having
too much success. Were our children at home or in other schools
they would be entitled to rations. The day they enter the door of our
school sees the end of rations.* For the past few years we have tried
to push along with what the Ca,tholic Indian Bureau gave us and the
alms we managed to beg. Of late these have grown less. We live
actually from hand to mouth and any failure of regular alms brings
us face to face with the danger we have so long tried to avert — ^the
reduction of the number of pupils, or even the suspension of the mis-
sion. Instead of 250 we ought to have twice that number of pupils.
Our accominodations are cramped. Some of the children had even for
a while to sleep on the floor. Buildings are necessary. But how can
we think of this when we have to look even for our daily food. How
much is going to waste in the houses of the people in the East that
would be relished out here. Every little piece of clothing, every
penny we receive is considered a gain and counts so much.
Hoping this appeal will be heard by some charitable souls, I am.
Yours in Christ,
Henry I. Westropp, S. J.
* We are glad to state that since this letter was written, an act of Con-
gress (March 28, 1904) has restored those rations, and it is now impossible
for the Indian Department to discriminate against Indian children attend-
ing Mission schools in the distribution of rations.
VICARIATE APOSTOLIC OF ATHABASCA
As may be judged from a perusal of the letters published In the " An-
nals" all apostolic works are difficult, but the Missions of Northwestern
Canada may certainly be counted among the hardest on account of the
long journeys in search of tribes scattered throughout immense frozen
regions and the incessant struggle for life, which the missionaries are
obliged to sustain. The following letter will certainly excite the sympathy
of our readers.
Letter of the Rev. J. M. DupE; 0. M. I.,
To THE Rev. Joseph Freri, D. C. L.,
Director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith.
Saint Martin Mission,
Wabuskaw Lake, N. W. Canada, January 27, 1904.
Reverend Sir : — Permit one unknown to you to extend a greeting to
yourself and the admirable Society for the Propagation of the Faith,
the object of your zealous charity, as its director in the United States.
Whatever affects the interests of the Catholic religion, its vitality and
its expansion, should awaken the most heartfelt sympathy in every truly
Catholic heart. Called by vocation to spread the light of the Gospel
among the savages of northern America, I feel myself naturally in-
debted to those Christians who enable us to sow and cultivate the
good seed. I would grant them all blessings imaginable, were it in
my power to reward them according to their merits. With Bishop
de Mazenod, our founder and first pastor, I can say, as he said of the
Church: " My heart is running over with Catholic faith."
4-
For twelve years, I have been a missionary
APainfulJoumey.- jj^ north-western Canada, among the Indians
Lost in the Snow. j n* xt_ j * t i ttt i. i
dwelling on the edge of Lake Wabuskaw, a
name given by them to the body of water connecting two lakes whose
shores are covered with high grass. The Mission is under the patron-
143
144 MISSIONS IN AMERICA
age of Si Martin and is situated about three hundred miles irom Ed-
monton, the eastern post of civilization in these parts.
This Mission is of recent foundation. Before its permanent estab-
lishment six years ago, it was attended by the missionaries from
Saint Bernard's Mission on Little Slave Lake. In 1896, I arrived
with our much beloved vi^ar apostolic, Mgr. Gronard, after a most
painful voyage. We left Little Slave Lake in the beginning of Janu-
ary. The cold was intense. Twice our guides lost their way and we
nearly perished on a large lake from the bitterest cold that I have
ever felt. A frightful north wind benumbed our limbs, blinded our
sight and obliterated our road. The snow, whirled like dust in a gale,
cut like a knife and choked our speech. There was no more road to
be distinguished; none of us knew our bearings; we only walked
ahead. All we knew was that we were on the ice; the shore was no
longer to be seen; we could not even trace the outline of the tallest
trees ; for us, there was no horizon. How long the day seemed ! Never
in my life, shall I forget it.
Finally, without knowing how, we arrived at a clump of willows;
it mattered little that we knew nothing of our surroundings; we de-
cided to make a halt. Our suffering continued and night came on.
Still our camping ground was not altogether without comfort. Some
green willows there were, but not a piece of dry wood, not a fir branch
to furnish us a bed. Facing the situation and with stout hearts, we
commenced to dig out our resting place in the deep bed of snow and,
fortunately, unearthed a few pieces of dry wood by means of which
we were enabled to brew a cup of tea. All things come from God.
Providence sent us the cold, but at the same time, the means of
protection against it. Most unexpectedly, we discovered a lone little
fir tree isolated among some willows. Its branches served to make
the fioor of our bed chamber. After a light supper and a fervent night
prayer, we lay down to rest, facing the dying embers and the still
darker problem of our situation.
The day was slow in breakiug. Alas! its light did not reveal our
lost road. God, however, was watching over us. In a little while,
we saw an Indian approaching; he had known of our departure and
felt anxious about our safety after the storm. The smoke of our little
fire had guided and brought him to us. Known to his tribe by the
name of '^ Thunder," this poor unbelieving savage was to us an angel
of charity. Could we only make a return to him by converting him
to the Christian faith ! Once again on the right road, we continued
our trip without further incidents of note.
4-
ATHABASCA 145
Tndian Sorcerera.— The night we spent under such tr3ring con-
A Horrible Sacrifice, ^^^^^^j^ ^^^ indeed, a harrowing and eventful
one. About eighty miles above us, at Trout Lake, the Evil One had
impelled the Indians to sacrifice a poor unfortunate savage, who
had become what they call a Wittikoro. To their minds one afflicted
with this strange disease, cannot resist the diabolical desire of eating
human flesh. The Indian's belief on this subject is odd and sense-
less, but the natives hold this doctrine as precious almost as life
itself, and those who hold the contrary are looked upon as lacking in
ordinary good sense. In matters of this kind, the poor Indians will
not listen to reason; nothing can stay them in their sinister designs.
As soon as found, a Wittikoro must be suppressed before he has had
an occasion to satisfy his horrible passion.
When we reached Trout Lake, the fatal blow had been struck. The
skull of the poor Wittikoro had been split by his maternal uncle; and,
for greater surety, the head had been severed from the body and cast
aside. Alas! however. All these measures were far from reassuring;
everybody was maddened and terror stricken by fear. The sorcerers
were present and excited the credulity of the crowd. With the beating
of his drum, one of them announced that the evil spirit had not de-
parted far. According to this expounder of metempsychosis, the Wit-
tikoro spirit had passed into another man or into another animal to
wreak his vengeance. The wise men assembled in council and it was
decided that tiie body of the victim should be buried and weighted
down with a large number of tall and heavy trees.
This measure was in progress when the Bishop arrived; the all
prevailing terror, at once, gave way to a sudden calm. The savages
came like little children to tell the events of the mournful drama
enacted. " It was the evil spirit,^' they said, " who has deceived us
and spurred us on to such horrors.** The Bishop answered that
their deeds were, in truth, the work of the devil, homicide from the
beginning. He spoke vehemently against their barbarous practices
and ridiculous ravings and could not repress his tears at the sight of
80 much misery and ignorance.
4-
The Foundation of ^^ these circumstances influenced the
St. Martin's MiBSion. Bishop to decide upon founding a permanent
—Our Schools. mission at Lake Wabuskaw. This district has
the largest population and Trout Lake and other neighboring lakes
can be most easily reached from here. Of course, there is much work
in an entirely new mission where everything remains to be done and
146 MISSIONS IN AMERICA
the priest must multiply himself to respond to the necessities of his
ministry. Thanks be to God! we have a fairly large number of
Catholics which we hope to increase by the aid of the prayers and
alms of yourself and the Society which you represent.
Our school is conducted by the Sisters of Providence from Mon-
treal. Forty little savages are receiving instruction; for fear of
never seeing them, however, we are compelled to give them food and
clothing. The burden is a heavy one for so poor a mission which has
no other resource than that of charity. It is the charity of the
Catholic world which enables us to receive and educate children that
others would take from us. Unfortunately for us, material resources
are not wanting to them; they have an abundant supply. It is against
terrible odds that we must struggle to defend the souls of our children.
"Res sacra puer" says the Latin poet. The child is sacred in the
eyes of the church, so she spares no eflEort in the education of chil-
dren, her hope and her glory.
Besides our work among the children, we care for a few destitute,
old and afBicted women. Even if they are old and infirm they man-
age to use their tongues to good advantage. Had I the time, I could
tell you many an instructive and amusing incident concerning their
use of words.
There are still some unbelievers near the Mission of Saint Martin
of Tours, especially in the counties around Trout Lake, Devil Lake,
Lake Moutaymeis and Lake Castos. We commend these unfortimate
creatures to your prayers that they may find the way of truth and of
life. I am sure this is the desire of your heart as it is of ours : " That
they may know Thee, the only one true God, and Jesus Christ, whom
Thou hast sent.''
Permit me in conclusion, to give you an idea of our poverty. The
church is not finished and can boast only of its four bare walls. The
altar is without ornament, without a flower or a cloth. We should
like to have a few cassocks for the altar boys, but who is to give us
thus much desired gift ? A processional cross would be most welcome
and of the greatest service. The missions would also be most grateful
for clothing for the school children, boys and girls. It need not be
new, we can make use of any. I shall not lengthen my list, but it is
by no means complete.
Accept my best wishes for yourself and the members of the Society
for the Propagation of the Faith, and believe me.
Very sincerely yours in
Jesus and Mary Immaculate,
J. M. Dupe, 0. M. I
SUPPLEMENT
TO THE
AMERICAN EDITION
Annals of the Propagation of the Faith
THE MAY-JUNE NUMBER OF THE ANNALS
The letters from missionaries received by the Society for the Pro-
pagation of the Faith are gathered at the general headquarters of the
Society in France. There a selection is made and those which are to
be published in the Annals are forwarded every other month to all
countries where an edition of the magazine is published so that the
fifteen editions of the Annals are exactly uniform. Last month the
parcel containing those letters failed to reach us; it had been lost
through the mails and, in spite of our investigations, could not be
found. '
It would have caused a long delay to wait for another manuscript
to be forwarded from Europe, so we have made up the present number
from letters which some friends of the Society had the kindness to
communicate to us, or which had been received at this ofTice directly
from the missionary field. This will explain why the May-June num-
ber of the American Annals is entirely different from the other
editions in French, German, Spanish, etc. The report of the receipts
of the Society in 1903, which ought to have been published in this
number, will appear in the next one.
147
148 SUPPLEMENT TO THE AMERICAN EDITION OF THE ANNALS
LETTERS FROM AMERICAN MISSIONARIES ABROAD
AND AT HOME
A remarkable feature of this number of the Annals is that it is
entirely made up of letters written by American missionaries at home
and abroad. Perhaps it will be a surprise to many of our readers
to hear that there are American nuns in the heart of Africa doing
missionary work among the poor blacks of Uganda, and with what
consoling results may be judged from their letters. Let us hope that
the noble example given by those heroic women will awaken in the
hearts of some a desire to walk in their footsteps and in the hearts of
all American Catholics a generous purpose to extend some help to
them. *
The letters from missionaries in our own country, will probably
reveal to some a condition of affairs entirely unsuspected. While
we are quietly enjoying the blessings of our Holy Religion, perhaps
without sufficient appreciation and gratitude, we forget that there
are many souls longing for those same blessings and unable to obtain
them, except at rare intervals. Let this example also be an incentive
to fervor and charity.
THE WASHINGTON MISSIONARY CONFERENCE
On April 6-13 a Missionary Conference was held at Washington
on the occasion of the dedication of the Apostolic Mission House just
erected on the grounds of the Catholic University, which is intended
to be an institution for the preparation of priests for non-Catholic
missions. The Paulist Fathers, who have taken the lead in this
movement, invited quite a number of secular and regular priests
already engaged in that Apostolate to come and discuss ways and
means for the Propagation of the Christian Faith among the infidels
and non-Catholics of our country.
The Society for the Propagation of the Faith, which has taken and
is still taking such a deep interest in the evangelization of our country,
was naturally invited to attend the meeting. It was represented there
by Father Freri, National Director, and Father Walsh, Diocesan Di-
rector of the work in Boston.
Father Freri read a paper on the origin, aim, methods, organization
of the Society and its thoroughly Catholic character. He gave an
SUPPLEMENT TO THE AMERICAN EDITION OF THE ANNALS 149
account of the results obtained by Protestant societies of the same
nature, and the quoting of certain figures left no room for boasting of
our generosity in the matter. The so often repeated assertions that
Protestant missions are a mere sham was examined, and, upon the
testimony of our own missionaries, it was demonstrated that they
raise a new and every day more powerful obstacle to the planting of
the Christian Faith.
Father Walsh's paper was on " The Foreign Mission Field.** He
called attention to a fact too much overlooked by us, that at the be-
ginning of the Twentieth Century, there are still hundreds of mil-
lions of human beings who do not share in the fruits of the Christian
Redemption, who, perhaps, have never heard of it. He gave a sum-
mary of the various misionary societies engaged in the sublime and
noble work of bringing them light and life. His vivid description of
the sacrifices of thousands of Catholic missionary men and women as
well as the heroic constancy of their converts in the midst of perse-
cution elicited much applause. Admiration, however, should be
practical, because the unanimous cry from the mission fields to-day is :
" Help us with your prayers and alms.**
The aim of both papers, which will soon be published, was the
same, an appeal to American Catholics to take the rank they ought
to occupy in the evangelization of the world. How much could be
done if we would only make a little sacrifice, which at the same time
would prove a source of blessings to our own country, for as a great
social worker once remarked : ** For every dollar you give away to
convert the heathen abroad, God gives you ten dollars worth of pur-
pose to deal with our heathen at home ! **
THE PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH IN MEXICO
We read in El Pais, of Mexico : " Father Devoucoux, delegate of the
Society for the Propagation of the Faith in the republic of Mexico, has
just arrived at the capital to pay his respects to Mgr. Domingo Serafini,
Apostolic Delegate. His Excellency was very much gratified to hear
of the hearty welcome given to this truly Apostolic work by the Mexi-
can Catholics. The Bishops have always had an active practical inter-
est in this world-wide apostolate and imder their direction the Society
is being established in all the parish churches. ^Igr. Serafino ex-
pressed himself as highly pleased at the action of our prelates, who, in
150 SUPPLEMENT TO THE AMERICAN EDITION OF THE ANNALS
thus taking part in the work, have but followed the earnest recommen-
dation of Popes Pius IX and Leo XIII. Many times did both
Sovereign Pontiffs earnestl}^ urge the faithful of the whole Catholic
world to be enrolled in its ranks/^
OUR MITE BOXES
We have just made Mite Boxes for the purpose of collecting offer-
ings for the Catholic missions. These boxes may be placed in class,
societies or Sunday-school rooms, there to receive an occasional small
offering. They may be used even in families to act as the silent
promoter of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. At the end
of the year the box is broken open and its contents forwarded to some
director of the Society or directly to us.
This method of gathering alms for the missions is widely used by
our separated brethren and quite successfully. Through it the Episco-
palians collected last year for that purpose over $73,000 in their
Sunday schools alone.
We shall be pleased to forward any number of these boxes to any
institution or person who will have the charity to dispose of them
among their pupils or friends.
SPECIAL DONATIONS
Received since the March-April Xumber.
For Bishop Pelckmans, 0. M. Cap., Lahore, India.
Mr. F. Harper (Diocese of Brookl}Ti) $ 5.25
For Father Guitta, S. M., Central Oceanica.
A Friend (Diocese of Boston) 20.00
For Father Corre's Leper Mission, Japan.
Rt. Rev. 6. H. Doane (Diocese of Newark) 5.00
Rt. Rev. P. Engel, 0. S. B. (Diocese of St. Cloud) 12.00
Rev. D. McShane (Diocese of Louisville) 3.00
Rev. W. Mulheron (Diocese of Rochester) 40.00
Rev. V. Sovilla (Diocese of Columbus) 1.00
Rev. A. Tyszka (Diocese of Pittsburg) 2.00
A Priest (Diocese of Trenton) 50.00
Mrs. Margaret Rooney (Diocese of Omaha) 10.00
For the Redemption of a Chinese Child to be Baptized Under
THE Name of Robert.
A Friend (Diocese of Tucson) 25.00
For the Passage of Two Missionaries from Cork to
Africa.
Per Rev. James A. Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 400.00
For Chinese Lepers' Mission. *
Rev. J. X. Lasance (Diocese of Cincinnati) 1.00
For Father Delore^ S. J., Liban.
Mr. Paschal Ferrara (Diocese of Buffalo) 2.00
Mr. 6. G. DoUiver (Diocese of Boston) 5.00
Total $581.25
The Society gladly receives sums of money intended by the donors
for any particular mission or missionary and forwards the same at
once to its destination in any part of the world.
151
OBITUARY
The following deceased persons are recommended to the charitable
prayers of our Associates:
Eight Bev. L. M. Fink, Bishop of Leavenworth; Very Bev. A.
Andries, Diocese of Natchitoches; Bev. James Cleary, Diocese of
Philadelphia; Bev. J. J. Elcock, Diocese of Philadelphia; Bev. B. A.
Sidley, Diocese of Cleveland; Bev. Prank O'Borke, Diocese of Detroit;
Bev. Wm. H. Sidley, Diocese of Cincinnati ; Bev. M. T. SchiflEmacher,
Diocese of Davenport.
Sister Eupl^rasia, Diocese of Tuscon.
Mrs. Annie E. Boyle, Archdiocese of New York.
The following from the archdiocese of Boston: Mrs. Mary Colgan,
Miss Kate Ryan, Mrs. Thomas Vachon, Mrs. Anna Sullivan, Mr. Peter J.
Kelley, Miss Margaret Harrington, Mrs. Callaghan, Miss Catherine Mcln-
tyr.e, Mr. Timothy Flynn, Mr. Bowen, Mr. Samuel Coulson, Miss Catherine
Coulson, Mr. Martin Boland, Mr. James Keating, Miss Mary Keating, Mr.
Frank King, Mr. John McManus, Miss Mary Mahoney, Miss Margaret Hal-
ligan, Mr. Frank J. Quinlan, Miss Annie Cullen, Miss Catherine Rowan,
Mr. Jeremiah McSweeney, Miss Johanna McSweeney, Miss Julia Mc-
Sweeney, Miss Mary McSweeney, Mr. John McSweeney, Mr. Jeremiah Mc-
Sweeney, Miss Cynthia P. Richards, Mr. Charles Carter, Mr. Brennan,
Mrs. Margaret McNamee, Miss Ellen Ward, Miss Nora Cole, Miss Elizabeth
M. Sharon, Miss Bridget Mahoney, Miss Annie Devine, Miss Ellen Murphy,
Miss Catherine Bulger, Mrs. Julia Callahan, Mr. Daniel McGrath, Mrs.
Mary Hegarty, Miss Bridget McManus, Mr. Patrick McManus, Miss Mary
McManus, Mr. Alex. Schaller, Mrs. James Walsh, Mr. Thomas Abbott, Mrs.
May Strain, Mr. Michael Kelley, Mr. Roger Kelley, Mr. Edward Tracy,
Mr. John Gaffney, Miss Ann Jones Gaifney, Miss Rebecca J. Woods, Mr.
John H. Woods, Mr. Henry L. Richards.
R. I. P.
(We shall be glad to recommend the names of all deceased asso-
ciates whose names are sent to ns, to the prayers of our readers.)
152
ADVEBTIBEMCNT8
MON NOUVEAU VICAIRE,
(MY NEW CURATE)
JoumAl Humoristlque d*iui vieuz CarA.
Rev. P. A. Sheehan.
Paper. tfO pages. Postage prepaid* $\jOO,
ADDRESS
THE SKIEn FOB THE PROPUATIOI OF TIE fUTI,
627 LEXINGTON AVE., NEW YORK CITY.
CHURCH HISTORY
roi m TO Mn YiM or ociiool.
By Rev. J. H. OBCHTBRINO.
A Bhoft HIstorj Citenhism In stfong outllBaiL
with details teiefly Imt Thrldlj drawn.
** Tha aotlior of tha pxessBlToluma has had lontf
azpartonoeasa pastor and teacher, and It Is oonft-
dentlj heUered that In publishing this woi^ he
I afenulne senioe to oar schools."
Viwth BdlttoB. Ctoth. ijl pagw,
so cts. wholesale.
B. HERDER,
St. LoaU, rio.
For love of the Sacred Heart, help us to send priests
to the poor heathen.
" Make a little chest for alms at home, near the place
where you pray, and as often as you go to pray, first
deposit an alms and then send up your prayer."
—St. John Chrysostom.
If the Society for the Propagation of the Faith is not
established in your parish, send a postal card for
A MITE BOX
wherewith to collect your offerings for the Catholic
Missions to
The REV^ J. FRERI,
627 Lexii^^ton Avenue^ New York Qtjr^
He will gladiy send it by mail, free of any charge.
Please mention "Annals" when writing to advertisers.
."^
ANNALS
OF THE PROPAGATION
OF THE FAITH
GO YE INTO THE WHOLE WORLD A«D
PREACH THE GOSPEL TO EVERY CREATURE
'WV^
BALTmORE, Kb.
ACJ
[UMiys:]
BALTinORfi. Mfik
jimnnnT mhajaku^
CONTENTS.
PAO>
BRIEF OF HIS HOLINESS POPE PIUS X 158
REPORT FOR 1903 IW
Raetlpit from all Dlocmt Contributing to tho Work In 1903 .... 158
THE SOCIETIES OF CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES. . . ; 167
THE MISSIONS OF THE FATHERS OF THE HOLY GHOST By Bltbop Lo Roy,
Suporior Gonoral 167
Missions in Asia.
INDIA.
Ay(/e/ti6a(/.~Journal of Fatbor CIvatti, M. F. M 180
Need of a Refuge for Aged Pagans.— Discussion with an Intelli-
gent Hindu.— Truth Proved by Charity.— Logical Conclusion.
INDO-CHINA.
Southern Tongk'mg.'-XMibT of Fatbor Bollovlllo, P. F. M 190
Three Blossoms of the Ha-Tinh Mission.— Peter Thuy.— The
Khoi Family —Peter Hoan.
News of the Missions.
EUROPE.
Tho SIttort of Charity In Donmark. . . . , 197
A SUtuo to Falhor do Dokon 197
ASIA,
Roport of tho Socloty for Forolgn Missions of Paris 198
A Missionary on bis Travols .198
AFRICA.
An Abyssinian Cblof Favorablo to tbo Catholic Roilglon 900
A Lsamsd Missionary 901
DosUnatlon of MIsslonarios. 202
Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals*
EDITORIALS 203
Popo Plus X and tbo Socloty for tbs Propagation of tho Faltb 208
Tho Roport for 1903 204
MISSION NOTES AND NEWS 205
Lottsr of tho Right Rov. J. A. O'Gorman, C. S. Sp 205
Rsiigious StattsUcs of tho Worid 207
SPECIAL DONATIONS : 209
OBITUARY. . : ; ; 210
Entered at the Post Office, Baltimore, McU, as Beoond ClaM Matter.
A BRIEF
OF
OUR HOLY FATHER
POPE PIUS X
BY WHICH
THE SOCIETY FOR THE
PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH
IS ENCOURAGED AND COMMENDED
AND BY WHICH THE FEAST OF
ST. FRANCIS XAVIER
PATRON OF THE SOCIETY
IS RAISED TO THE RITE OF A DOUBLE MAJOR
FOR THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH
153
PIUS X POPE
For a perpetual remembrance.
Raised to the Apostolic Office and plac<il Hy a- act c>f ti t J •, *e
Clemency at the very head of the Christian Pn* nho ti, \\ • 1^, ; c • s< ::
upon Ourselves a Guardianship which goes f..^ h-.^onvl tru iii:. :s . r '>i:r
Church of Rome. For, when He was about to leave A\\> e::rti', (1.: -t
commanded the Apostles and among them a!. e:p'«.;:J'\ P ,t ' - v hoin
He wished to be more illustrious than the others i )i o\\\\ l\v n in<>:i -^f
his dignity but by his zeal for the heavenly glors — i xiw^h ..'1 n;. i »r > r.i .
to carry the salutary preaching of the Gosin*' to r-u- nuosr rcm)rc a :
uncivilized parts of the world. Obeying," tlxic irr. tlie Divine C n.-
mands and following the glorious examples of ^J \i t Jv(cs^ .r>, « • u .
that it is most consistent with Our office thar C Mr * M»r anl Oi.r c •.
good will should be given to every means corAlu*. ;vc to t lo sprc ;' i. ,.1
the light of the Gospel and to the widening of the limits of the Church.
In the very first rank, both by its usefulness and its works, stand?
the Society called The Propagation of the Faith, worthy of the
highest praise. This work among men seems to have been born of a wholly
Divine inspiration, for it is certainly in the Providence of God that the
people of the Church who did not receive the commission to .preach the
doctrine of Christ should aid, nevertheless, by their alms and their
prayers the preachers of the Gospel. In this way, therefore, the love of
Christ the Redeemer stirring the hearts of some excellent men inspired
them to unite in a Society the faithful of all peoples and all nations, who
would contribute from their resources to the sending of missionaries, who
would come to the aid of these dispensers of holy things by uniting in
prayers for them and thus obtain the object of their desires, namely: the
progress of the Kingdom of God on earth. It is evident to all that such
an association has deserved the highest praise in the wide spreading of
the Christian faith. If the messengers of the Catholic doctrine are
able to reach out to the most distant lands and the most barbarous
peoples, it is to the generosity of this noble Society that credit must
154
be given. Through it, salvation began for numberless peoples ; through
it, souls were prepared for those excellent fruits whose price he alone can
appreciate who knows the value of the blood shed by Christ. Through
it, contrary to what might have been expected from the disunited efforts
of men, was marvelously carried out the command to make known the
Gospel. Deeply conscious of the merits of this illustrious Society, We
have always been greatly interested in it and have always helped it as far
as Our humble resources would permit, always most anxious to do even
more if, with the grace of God, it were within Our power.
Now since the bounty of the omnipotent God has conferred upon
Us the power of dispensing from the Chair of Peter spiritual favors. We are
unwilling to allow this occasion to pass without paying to the association
which We command a special mark of Our good will. Wherefore, in
virtue of Our apostolic authority and by these letters, We absolve and
declare absolved from all excommunication, suspension and interdict and
all ecclesiastical penalties, if they have incurred any, all and each in whose
favor these Our letters are given. And in order that to the external
helps given to the Society there may be added also protection and grace
from on high, We have chosen St. Francis Xavier as the heavenly
Patron of the same and We wish that to him be given all the honors paid
to heavenly Patrons. Moreover, that the veneration paid to him may
be further increased and that additional honors offered by the liturgy
may enhance his glory still more among men. We raise his feast to the
rite of a double major, conformable to the rubrics, for the Universal
CJiurch.
There is, indeed, between this Saint and the SOCIETY FOR THE PRO-
PAGATION OF THE Faith a peculiar and personal relationship. For Francis
labored during his life so zealously and with such great success to fill the
hearts of people with Christian truths as to appear to have been a chosen
instrument of Divine Providence as were the Apostles themselves.
Wherefore, We are filled with the firm hope that this most noble
association will grow in strength day by day under the intercession of
Francis and that before long by the abundance of its fruits, the number of
its associates, the liberality and the zeal of those who contribute their
alms, it will prove to be true this sublime and striking fact, that, as Christ
established His Church, in which there is salvation for all who believe, so
God in His own designs brought forth the Society for the Propagation
I5r)
OF THE Faith to make the Gospel light shine before those who do not yet
believe.
Doubtless the generous efforts of individual Catholics will cootribute
a great deal to this result even though they act independently. No more
profitable m^ans can be used, however, than the formation of bands of
ten associates among Catholics according to the very wise methods
already in vogue in the Society. For the less we unite our efforts, the
less result there will be ; on the contrary, when we combine and organize
our forces our strength is most powerful. To act as individuals, We say,
is good, but to act united with others is to act as we ought to do. May
Christ, who has saved and regenerated the human race, protect this His
Society by His grace and help, since it is its aim to spread His Most Holy
Name. Yes, we are redeemed not with silver or gold, but with the
precious blood of the Son of God, and it is our first duty to secure His
help by our unceasing prayers.
This We order and command, and We decree that these present let-
ters be binding, valid and effective, and that they acquire and obtain their
full and entire effect and in all points be fully available to those to whom
it belongs or shall in future belong, and that judgments and definitions
be given according to these aforesaid by every judge holding ordinary or
delegated powers ; and We declare null and of no effect any attempt to
the contrary, by whomsoever, with what authority soever, knowingly or
in ignorance, it be made, all constitutions, apostolic ordinances, or any
other notwithstanding. Also it is Our wish that to copies of these present
letters, printed or otherwise, subscribed by the hand of a pubh'c notary
and bearing the seal of some person constituted a dignitary in the Church,
the same credence be given as would be accorded to these present letters
if they were produced and shown.
Given at Rome, at St. Peter's, under the Fisherman's ring, the
25th* day of March, 1904, in the First Year of Our Pontificate.
[seal] Aloysius Cardinal Macchi.
156
ANNALS
OF THE
Propagation of the Faith
Vol. LXVII, No. 455. July-August, 1904.
ACCOUNT OF THE WORK OF THE SOCIETY
FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH
IN 1903
Tlie receipts of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith in
1902 were $1,319,608.93. in 1903 tliey are only $1,247,421.00.
Hence there is a decrease of $72,187.93, which would have been les-
sened somewhat by a sum of $11,800 received after the closing of
accounts for 1903; it will be credited to the present year's.
In comparing the reports of 1902 and 1903, we find that the de-
crease is due to the returns from France. The bands of Associates
have been maintained in the parishes and those contributions are
nearly equal to those of former years, but large special donations have
failed to come: hence the decrease. Shall we be surprised at this,
considering the religious condition of France at present? What
is surprising is that, crippled as she is, she has given to the work
$701,671.00.
Whatever may be its cause, a decrease is always for us a matter of
regret, and the loss of $70,000 to our missions is a very considerable
one. It may be remembered that the sum total of the various appli-
cations for help made last year to the Society for the Propagation
of the Faith from all parts of the world was more than three times
the amount collected, and as these appeals were then for the relief
of immediate necessities, the present condition of some of our mis-
sions must be serious, and the progress of the Church in many dis-
tricts surely threatened.
We sincerely hope that the appeal of Our Holy Father in behalf
of the work of our Society will be generously answered by all good
Catholics and the next year's report will show a considerable increase
over the receipts of 1903.
157
158
REPORT FOR 1903
RECEIPTS FROM ALL DIOCESES CONTRIBUT-
ING TO THE WORK IN 1903
EUROPE
France
Aix 13,339.37
Ajaccio 1,483.10
Digne 1,338.26
Frejus 3,158.63
Gap 1,845.07
Marseilles 10,318.10
Nice 3,198.98
Albi 6,260.04
Cahors 4,802.93
Mende 3,581.36
Perpignan 1,229.25
Rodez 17,629.79
Auch 7,075.33
Aire 7,225.92
Bayonne 13,093.99
Tarbes 2,390.49
Avignon 3,908.34
Montpellier 5,953.91
Nimes 2,673.70
Valence 4,288.49
Viviers 10,653.56
Besancon 8,400.88
Belley 11,786.34
Nancy 7,818.47
Saint-Die 8,258.09
Verdun 6,153.00
Bordeaux 9,591.10
Agen 2,658.43
Angouieme 2,057.32
LuQon 7,590.55
Perigneux 2,606.48
Poitiers 4,603.47
La Rochelle 1,455.80
BouKGES 3.438.24
Clermont-Ferrand 10,704.85
Limoges 4,143.74
Puy 13,391.50
Saint-Flour 4,896.25
Tulle 1,512.15
Cambrai 34,688.85
Arras 10,709.44
Chambeby 2,347.33
Annecy 6,702.57
Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne . $1,480.70
Tarentaise 1,710.25
Lyon 77,939.30
Autun 11,074.67
Dijon 3,226.74
Grenoble 14,962.60
Langres 3.446.10
Saint-Claude 3,839.99
Paris 31,863.81
Blois 1,565.20
Chartres 1,630.03
Meaux 1,044.49
Orleans 4,197.00
Versailles 6,090.16
Reims 9,122.71
Amiens . . .* 5,712.94
Beauvais 1,712.90
Chaldns 2,140.10
Soissons 6,298.54
Rennes 23,307.17
Quimper 29,648.93
Saint-Brieuc 35,102.23
Vannes 5,617.60
Rouen 8,677.49
Bayeux 8,129.20
Coutances 11,987.34
Evreux 2,134.56
S6ez 7,367.65
Sens 2,732.92
Moulins 5,077.68
Nevers 3,904.64
Troyes 2,601.07
Toulouse 11,332.38
Carcassonne 3,914.65
Montauban 2,600.80
Pamiers 1,883.00
Tours 3,360.44
Angers 11,608.68
Laval 9,122.39
Mans 4,661.50
Nantes 36,873.56
Total $701,671.70
Monaco
Monaco
$400.00
Alsace-Lorraine
Metz $42,567.42
Strasbourg 32,733.72
Total $75,301.14
BRITISH ISLES
159
Germany
Cologne $20,144.58
Munster 7,898.67
Paderborn 6,150.06
Treves 11,268.17
POSEN AND GXESEN 4,116.5^
Culm 95.05
Breslau 2,761.64
Hildesheim 21.00
Osnabruck 285.00
Wannle I 680.00
Fbibouro 5,743.14
Fulda 295.96
Limbourg 60.00
Mayence 315.51
Rottembourg 10,140.74
Munich 2.45
Saxony 350.00
Total $70,328.52
Switzerland
Basle $5,277.98 Lausanne $ 4,370.74
Chur 2,571.93 Sion 4.000.28
St. Gall 3,381.40
Total $19,602.33
Austria
Laibach $ .46
Trieste and Istria 35.00
Lbopol 207.20
Przemysl 174.40
Tarnow 250.00
Olmutz 120.01
Prague 1,902.00
Salzbouso 1,127.56
Brixen 1,416.85
Gurk $8.83
Seckau 107.74
Trent 278.97
Vienna 1,353.14
San Polten 358.65
Linz 414.69
Cracow 830.02
Total $8,585.53
Hungary
Various dioceses $142.76 Grand-Varadin $ 969.60
Gran
Raab
1.14
6.60
Total $1,120.10
Belgium
Malines $14,175.96 Namur $ 7,303.75
Bruges 13,114.27 Tournay 12,162.97
Gand 11,124.32
Liege 10,190.63 Total $68,071.90
Holland
Utrecht $628.00 Haarlem $ 1,402.15
Bois-le-Duc 5,720.72 Ruremonde 5,357.99
Breda 587.44 •
Total $13,696.32
Duchy of Luxembourg
Luxembourg $1,159.69
British Isles
IRELAND
Armagh $1,687.87
Clogher 5.41
Derry 155.41
Down and Connor 62.50
Dromore 5.41
Kllmore 10.41
Meath 281.52
Raphoe 10.00
Cashel 500.42
Cloyne 1,000.00
Cork 1,457.55
Kerry and Agadoe 70.95
Klllaloe $ 9.75
Limerick 1,661.09
Ross 5,487.51
Waterford and Lls.-nore. 392.51
Dublin 7,640.62
Ferns .
Kildare
Ossory .
TUAM .
Elphin
Galway
and Leighlin..
47.91
151.35
144.75
919.69
11.45
25.25
Total $21,738.33
160
REPORT FOR 1903
British Isles— Cont.
ENGLAND
Westminster | 1,056.96
Birmingham 364.12
Clifton 287.60
Hexham and Newcastle. 355.22
Leeds 103.62
Liverpool 1,153.93
Menevia 127.91
Middlesborough 98.87
Newport . . . ; 200.00
Northampton | 17.41
Nottingham
Plymouth . .
Portsmouth
Salford
Shrewsbury
210.50
106.08
634.64
73.75
345.06
Southwark 1,238.79
Total $6,374.46
SCOTLAND
Aberdeen $440.76 Glasgow $527.06
25.00
Dunkeld
Galloway
355.62
Total $1,348.44
British Isles $29,461.23
Spain
BUROOS $600.00
Calahorra
Leon
Osma ....
Palencia .
Santander
108.47
174.06
140.00
836.57
679.94
Vitoria 6,343.64
COMPOSTELLA 439.70
Lugo 554.96
Mondonedo 310.'53
Orensa 777.10
Oviedo 686.44
Tuy 295.94
Granada 243.14
Almeria 252.20
Carthagena 277.39
Guadix 80.00
Jaen 220.00
Malaga 211.32
Saragossa 530.00
Barbastro 23.78
Huesca 101.00
Jaca 28.94
Pampeluna 865.82
Tarazona 187.81
Teruel 163.00
Seville 1,120.30
Badajoz 363.52
Cadiz 553.29
Cordova 303.44
The Canaries $110.50
Tarragona 206.36
Barcelona 2,512.14
Gerona 73.60
Lerida 122.98
Tortosa 131.36
Urgel 108.00
Vich 230.00
Toledo 466.62
Coria 54.73
Cuenca 79.22
Madrid 4,285.90
Plasencia 291.04
Siguenza 260.60
"Valencia 675.90
Majorca 286.60
Minorca 243.09
Orihuela 92.00
Segorbe 272.11
Valladolid 188.60
Astorga 136.60
Avila 205.63
Ciu. Rodrigo 387.00
Salamanca 589.63
San Cristoval of i-.aguna 377.16
Segovia 118.52
Zamora 135.60
Ciudad Real 40.00
Gibraltar 10.00
Total $30,160.79
Portugal
Braoa $2,108.43
Braganza
Coimbra
Lamega .
Oporto
VIzeu . . .
EVORA . .
202.45
287.66
41.40
597.80
53.38
50.00
Beja . . .
Lisbon
Angra .
Funchal
Guarda
$ 4.55
520.99
421.92
111.92
878.24
Total $5,278.79
ITALY
161
Rome ^2,587.56
Albano 35.00
Frascati 34.12
Camerino 53.39
Febrara 220.00
Perugia 121.00
Spolete 5.90
Acquapendente 67.28
Amelia 15.00
Aaagni 12.41
Ancona and Umana 38.05
Ascoli 150.00
Assisi 34.87
Bagnorea 18.00
.Citta di Castello 46.00
Civita Castellana 20.00
Cometo and Ciyita
Vecchia 6.28
Fabriano and Matelica. . 45.00
Fano 40.00
Faligno 12.00
Gubbio 61.00
lesi 100.00
Montefiascone 35.40
Nocera 17.57
Norcla 12.00
Orvieto 8.00
Osimo and Cingoli 19.23
Poggio Mirteto 3.00
Recanati and Loretto.. 1,131.28
Rieti 23.20
Segni 6.00
Terni 67.00
Terracino and Plperno. 15.98
Tivoli 23.78
Viterbo and Toscanella. 28.38
Bologna 408.77
Faenza 22.00
Imola 112.04
Febmo 64.00
Macerata and Tolentino 1,581.94
Montalto 41.66
Ripatransone 20.00
San Severlno 17.10
Ravenna 52.00
Bertinoro 20.46%
Cervia 6.00
Cesena 37.06
Forli 90.00
Rimini 6G.00
Sarsina 20.0G
Urbino 35J)0
Cagli and Pergola. . . , . . 28.60
Fossombrone 18.85
Montefeltro 45.50
Pesaro 70.00
Senlgaglia 93.20
Sarzanne and Brugnato 38.00
Genoa 3,410,18
Albenga 304.00
Italy
Bobblo I 68.00
Chlavarl 220.00
Savona and Noli 220.00
Tortona 697.39
Vintimello 239.50
Sassari 47.00
Turin 12,613.42
Acqui 111.20
Albe 202.00
Aosta 543.85
Astl 1,068.40
Coni 488.60
Fossano 391.00
Ivree 1,400.00
Mondovi 1,278.82
Pignerol 478.20
Saluces 577.33
Susa 170.00
Vebceil 2,100.53
Alexandria 138.40
Bielle 1,440.00
Casale 662.80
Novare 1,116.31
Vigevano 430.40
Udine 210.27
Borgo San Domino 6.72
Milan 7,749.05
Bergamo 584.00
Brescia 900.84
Como 267.69
Creme 37.90
Cremona 458.62
Lodi 459.50
Mantua 19.60
Pavia 259.00
Venice 441.74
Adria 46.90
Belluna 118.05
Ceneda 27.96
Chioggia 38.10
Concordia 29.24
Feltre 9.12
Padua 199.74
Trevise 24.40
Verona 183.96
Vicence 200.00
Lucca 490.00
Arezzo 179.12
Cortona 60.40
Montalcino 4.68
Parma 99.07
Piaisance 154.53
Florence 688.49
Borgo San Sepolcio 8.20
Colle 48.40
Fiesole 22.56
San Miniato 96.80
Modigliana 42.90
Plstoii and Prato 169.53
Pisa 127.65
1G2
REPORT FOR 1903
Italy— Cont.
Llyurna
Pescia
Pontremoll
Voltena
Sienna »
Chiusi-Pienza
Grosseto
Modena
Carpi
Guastalla
Massa di Carrara
Reggio
Catana
Gaeta
Aci Reale
Aquino Sora and Ponte-
corvo
Ayersa
Cava and Sarno
Marsi
Molfetta Terlizzi and
Giovenazzo
Trivento
Valva and Sulmona
ACEBENZA AND MATERA. .
Venosa
Avellino
Bojano
Larino
Capua
Cajazzo
Calvi and Teano
Caserte
Chietti
$130.93
106.48
32.60
61.96
120.80
53.82
11.61
896.77
68.83
24.02
58.40
299.25
846.69
44.60
188.80
13.20
130.00
3,887.60
7.70
16.00
47.00
3.38
12.22
5.00
200.00
30.60
21.55
28.00
20.00
46.32
13.00
2.00
82.00
$1.00
49.41
8.53
74.96
107.72
58.97
Naples 2,625.17
Lanciano .
Messina . . .
Patti
Monbeale . .
Caltanisetta
Girgenti
23.94
15.62
15.00
60.00
155.43
127.02
138.34
30.00
3.80
5.13
90.00
9.40
17.20
3.20
1.20
Sorbento 1,573.05
Ischla
Pouzzoles
Otranto
Leccee
Palermo
Mazzara
Trapani
Regoio
Nicastro
Oppido
Salerno
Diano
Nocera dei Pagani.
Nusco
Policastro
Cast^Ilamare
Syracuse
Noto
Tabentum
Castellaneta
Tbani
Andria
Bisceglia
Abbey Monte Cassino.
Abbey Montevergine .
16.60
21.46
28.13
22.51
32.21
31.35
180.00
16.00
7.74
24.00
Total $65,865.85
The Levant
Malta $ 9,284.30 Gozzo
Naxie $
Syra
GREECE
13.94 Tine ,
36.00 CoBFU
TURKEY IN EUROPE
Constantinople $ 1,108.60 Candie $
SCUTABI 46.00
144.25
44.00
20.00
40.00
Jassy
ROUMANIA
$7.40
Total $10,744.49
Russia and Poland
Russia $582.61
Wabsaw 48.00
Total $630.51
Various Northern Countries . . $130.64
UNITBD STATES
163
ASIA
Smyrna
Syria
Jerusalem . .
Mangalore . .
Colombo
pondichxbbt
262.70
140.68
311.08
75.32
122.74
148.66
Malssour I 1.22
W. Tongklng 23.00
S. Burma 60.27
Kouang-Tong 50.00
Total I 1.195.67
AFRICA
Aloikbs I 1,309.61
Constantine 1,072.80
Oran 1.332.62
Cabthage
Egypt
Delta Egyptian .
Gallas
W. Cape Colony.
346.00
5.20
20.50
4.00
417.90
Gabon I 25.34
Benin 27.75
Dahomey 70.08
Senegal 303.22
St. Denis 453.29
Port Louis 200.00
Madagascar .60
Total I 5.580.82
NORTH AMERICA
Canada
Halifax | 1.24
Antigonish 1,460.92
Peterborough 1.02
MONTBEAL 124.42
Quebec 310.35
Saint-Pierre and Miquelon
Rimouski . . .
St. Boniface
.1 5.20
367.68
Total I 2.270.83
$55.59
United States*
Baltimore^ I 6.400.17
Charleston
Richmond . . .
Savannah
St Augustine
Wheeling
Wilmington . .
N. Carolina . .
Boston *
Burlington
44.77
453.75
148.84
86.14
568.29
42.45
15.00
25,326.63
285.00
Hartford* I
Manchester *
Portland
Providence »
Springfield •
Chicago *
Alton*
Belleville
Peoria
Cincinnati •
2.770.78
2.233.52
729.40
3,311.93
1.537.08
3,373.40
993.66
374.00
200.35
1,149.60
^ Special mention is made of single donations of |40.00 or over.
* The total offerings from the Diocese of Baltimore amounted to 12672.65,
which includes a legacy of $777.47 and 3 perpetual memberships, $130.00.
As the general office of the Society was then located in Baltimore, we
have added to the contribution of that diocese the returns from sale of
pamphlets and other literature, the interest on bank deposits during the
year, the returns from advertisements in the Annals and some donations
sent to us from outside the United States.
'Including a legacy of $103.00; 18 perpetual memberships $730.00.
' Including a donation of $600.00.
« Including a donation of $1000.00.
* Including a legacy of $500.00.
* Including a perpetual membership, $40.00.
^ Including a legacy of $125.00 and a perpetual membership $50.00.
" Including a donation of $476.55.
* Including a donation of $100.00 and two perpetual memberships, $100.00.
J 64
REPORT FOR 1903
United States— Cont
Cleveland $ 2,323.
Columbus 194
Covington 269
Detroit 523.
Fort Wayne 627.
. Grand Rapids 671.
Indianapolis 773.
Louisville" 1,175.
Nashville 39.
Dubuque 1,520.
Cheyenne 5.
Davenport 755.
Lincoln 5.
Omaha" 537.
Sioux City 502.
Milwaukee " 2,447.
Green Bay 1,046.
La Crosse 611.
Marquette *. 281,
New Orleans 923.
Dallas" 182.
Galveston 328.
Little Rock 166.
Mobile 393.
Natchez 179.
Natchitoches 62.
San Antonio" 267.
Brownsville 98.
Indian Territory 166.
New Yoek 2,870.
Albany 776.
Brooklyn 622.
Buffalo " 1,224.
Newark" 2,566.
Ogdensburg 271.
Rochester 784,
80
65
11
55
55
29
00
55
00
,97
00
01
,00
62
00
31
,00
91
.79
,75
00
,55
,00
,60
20
,80
40
18
,37
,01
,05
99
56
69
.00
.80
Mexico
Syracuse" $ 929.00
Trenton 657.82
Oregon City 46.00
Alaska 12.50
Boise 228.80
Helena 125.85
Nesqually 378.20
Vancouver 100.00
Philadelphia 339.86
Altoona " 1,135.22
Erie
Harrisburg
Pittsb'gh and Allegheny*
Scranton
636.60
11.00
2,351.23
523.00
St. Louis 1,448.74
Concordia 296.22
Kansas City 363.12
Leavenworth 662.25
St. Joseph 195.00
Wichita 141.35
bT. Paul 1,748.75
6.00
6.00
40.93
432.00
150.00
791.26
San Francisco 1,421.00
Duluth
Fargo
Lead
St. Cloud".
Sioux Falls
Winona
Monterey-Los Angeles
Sacramento
Salt Lake
Santa Fe
Denver
Tucson
35.40
335.00
5.00
205.66
230.50
276.40
Total $92,503.48
Angelopoli I 126.30
Antequera 251.99
Yucatan 107.00
DURANGO 209.99
Guadalajara 3,968.20
Aguas Calientes 110.20
Tepic 1,943.40
Zacatecas 904.0D
Linares $ 23.70
San Luis J4.40
Michoacan 254.70
Leon 59.40
Queretaro ', 2,593.54
Mexico 564.12
Vera Cruz 270.38
Total $11,421.32
" Including one perpetual membership, $40.00.
" Including two perpetual memberships, $80.00.
" Including a legacy of $200.00.
" Including a perpetual membership, $40.00.
" Including two perpetual memberships, $80.00.
" Including a perpetual membership, $40.00.
»• Including a donation of $100.00.
" Including a perpetual membership, $50.00.
" Including a donation of $200.00.
^* Including a perpetual membership, $40.00.
=° Including a perpetual membership, $40.00.
OCEANICA 165
Central America and West Indies
San Jose (Costa Rica) .$ .64 Roseau % 46.08
San Salvador 5.00 Guadeloupe 240.00
POBT AU Pbince 63.00 Martinique 40.00
Hayti 120.00
PoBT OP Spain 196.38 Total % 711.10
SOUTH AMERICA
U. S. of Columbia
Cabtiiagena ^29.86
Panama
Panama % 111.70
Venezuela
Caracas ^547.10
Ecuador
Hoja S4.00
Riobamba 2.79
Total $6.79
Peru
Lima -. $936.84
Bolivia
La Paz $18.70
Brazil
Bahia $ 67.71 Rio Grande $ 17.78
Olinda 20.00
Rio DE Janeiro 202.22 Total $ 307.71
Chili
Santiago $83.50
Argentine Republic
Buenos Ayres $ 9,272.15 San Juan $ 138.45
Cordova 3,595.78 Santa Fe 3,263.33
La Plata 2,017.04 Tucuman 2,142.91
Parana 1,830.15
Salta 734.36 Total $22,994.20
Paraguay
Assumption $297.43
Uruguay
Montevideo $25.20
OCEANICA
Adelaide $ 69.73 Gilbert Islancs $ 5.20
Melbourne 14.00 Marquises Islands 40.00
Christchurch 145.83 Tahiti 360.00
New Caledonia 216.46
Total $ 851.22
Grand Total for all countries, 1 903, $ 1 ,247,42 1 .OO
The Right Rev. G. Bonfioli, O.F.M.
Late Vicar Apostolic of Egypt.
IGG
THE SOCIETIES OF CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES
It has seemed advisable to us to introduce an innovation into the
Annals which, we are sure, will receive the approval of our readers.
Each number contains letters written by missionaries from every
corner of the world. They carry their readers in spirit to every place
where the name of Jesus Christ is preached. We have no intention
of setting aside this custom; but in future, each number of the
Annals will commence with a general review of the work done by
one of the numerous societies consecrated to evangelization. Our
readers will thus receive a more general idea of what has been under-
taken and the results obtained.
Our first letter is from the superior general of the Fathers of the
Holy Ghost, Bishop Le Roy, who warmly favors our proposed plan,
and has graciously responded to our request. We shall, successively
publish letters from the superiors of the different congregations and
so our readers shall become acquainted with the united efforts of
those who are laboring in far off lands under the same standard
and for the same purpose.
THE MISSIONS OF THE FATHERS OF THE HOLY
GHOST
By Bishop Le Eoy, Superior General.
The Congregation of the Holy Ghost owes its origin to a young,
brilliant saint, too little known, a scholar of the XVIII century,
Claude Poulart des Places.
On Pentecost day, 1703, he founded in Paris a small society, the
aim of which was to aid " poor students," who, after being ordained
to the priesthood would consecrate their lives to the ministry of the
most neglected souls among the faithful and unbelievers.
167 •
168
THE SOCIETIES OF CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES
The society was soon organized and approved by eccleciastical
and civil authority, and before the end of the century it had sent its
members throughout France and her colonies to Acadia, Newfound-
land, Guiana, Senegal, India, even Indo-China and China.
Attacked, ruined and dispersed during the French Revolution, it
became reduced to a single member, combining the merits of many.
Father Bertout. Destined for the missions in Guiana, he sailed from
Rocliefort, was shipwrecked off the coast of Sahara, taken prisoner
by the Moors, sold in Saint Louis, Senegal, then in possession
of the English, succeeded in escaping from his enemies, and rendered
valuable service in the return of this colony to France. When peace
The Venerable Libermann o.\ His Deathbed.
was restored to the Church, he reorganized his congregation; again
obtained oflScial approval, and recommenced the work of furnishing
priests to distant colonies.
In spite of his own efforts and those of his successor, however,
the little society was unable to provide a sufficient number of priests
for the countries under its charge.
In 1842, Father Libermann, together with two of his friends from
the Seminary of St. Sulpice, Father Ijc Vavasseur of Bourbon
Island and Father Tisserand, of San Domingo, had founded the
Society of " Missionaries of tKe Sacred Heart of Mary/' devoted
especially to the evangelization of the black race. Both societies
soon met on the same fields of apostolic work, and in 1848, the last
THE MISSIONS OF THE FATHERS OF THE HOLY GHOST 169
mentioned was identified with the congregation of the Holy Ghost.
Father Libermann was made superior general and became subse-
quently reorganizer.
One of his first efforts was to provide colonies with religious service
under definite and permanent conditions. Through his inspiration
and by his help, with the concurrence of the Holy See and the civil
government, bishoprics were established in Reunion, Martinique and
Guadeloupe, and prefectures organized or maintained in Guiana,
St. Pierre and Pondicherry. The Seminary of the Holy Ghost be-
came the Seminary for the French colonies, where secular priests are
prepared for parochial duties ; they form the colonial clergy of France.
There remained the hew settlements with no organized diocese or
parishes — only a few Catholics and no source of income — those be-
came the lot of the Fathers of the Holy Ghost.
Since then the divine breath which gave them birth for an apostolic
lif(i has wafted their bark to many shores where they have planted
tlie cross on barren and unknown soils, amid peoples that whether
liostile or friendly, in every instance, regarded them with astonished
eyes. Africa, however, has always been their chief field of labor; the
blacks, from whom the weight of secular prejudice seems never to be
lifted, their family of a'doption.
From 1842 to 1845 these missionaries were placed at their posts,
Father Laval, on Mauritius Island; Father Vavasseur, in Reunion;
Father Monnet in Sainte Marie, Madagascar; Father Tisserand,
first in Hayti, then in Gorie; Father Bessieux, first at Pal mas Cape then
in Gabon; with the help of the grace of God, the years following find
them in larger numbers, better organized, and always with undi-
minished zeal. Dakar, now an important city and first-class port,
the residence of the governor of western French Africa may be said
to have been foimded by the mission in 1847. In 18()2, Father
Horner went from Bourbon to Zanzibar; here he found a public
slave market where 60,000 men, women and children were sold every
year. From there, he traveled to Bagamoyo, where he opened a door
on the immense continent which has never been closed since. Sierra
Tjcone, at that time called the " white man's grave," was occupied in
1864. Later on. Father Aubry-Duparquet, at the cost of voyages,
negotiations and obstacles without number, succoodod in re-estab-
lishing in Portuguese Congo_ and Angola the flourishing missions
which the policy of Pombal had ruined in the XVIII century.
170 THE SOCIETIES OF CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES
In the meantime, Europe, which, in times past, seemed to turn its
attention to Africa only to tear away its children in shipfuls to carry
them across the Atlantic, whilst the Turks and Arabs conducted a
like industry on the shores of the Mediterranean, Red Sea, and
Indian Ocean — Europe began to recognize that this large continent
Scenery Neab Landana, Congo.
which missionaries and explorers were beginning to make known,
offered other resources.
-h
We have witnessed in part the extraordinary march of events which
recall the Spanish and Portuguese conquests of the XVI century.
Alvarez, Cabral, Orellana, Cortez and Pizarro are no longer quasi-
legendary characters for us. Have we not become acquainted with
THE MISSIONS OP THE FATHERS OF THE HOLY GHOST 171
Livingston, Stanley, Brazza and many others? Obscure missionaries
though we are, have not we ourselves been discoverers and, at times,
conquerors? Have not we made treaties, modified boundary lines,
founded villages ^hat may grow to be cities of note, consolidated mon-
archies and instituted a few republics?
Certain it is, that in so far as the means of travel at hand have
permitted, we have gone before, accompanied or followed the pioneer
conquerors of the XIX century. On the Senegal, at the sources of the
Niger, on the river banks of the South, in upper Ogui, in the Congo
and the TJbangi, on Lake Tchad above and below Kunene as well as on
the superb flanks of Bilima Ndjaro, on the fertile plateaux of Kikou-
you and at the foot of Mt. Kenia prosperous Christian centers are
found established by us.
Let us enumerate the missions at present in charge of the congre-
gation of the Holy Ghost:
I. French Missions. — Senegal and Casamance — vicariate apostolic.
French Guinea and Sudan — prefecture.
Gabon, vicariate.
French Congo or Loango — vicariate.
French Upper Congo and Ubangi — vicariate.
Northern Madagascar — vicariate.
Comores Islands — prefecture.
Keunion, Guadeloupe and Martinique — missions.*
II. English Missions, — Gambia (of the vicariate apostolic of Sene-
gambia) .
Sierra Leone — vicariate apostolic.
Nigeria (Lower Niger) — prefecture.
Zanzibar — vicariate.
Mauritius and Eodriguez Islands — mission.
Trinidad — mission.
III. Portuguese Missions. — Portuguese Congo — prefecture.
Angola: Loanda — ^mission; Cimbebasia — prefecture and mission;
Kunene — ^mission.
IV. Spanish Mission. — Bata (Rio del Muni) — mission.
V. Oerman Mission. — East Africa — vicariate apostolic.
^ The term " missions " is here used in contrast to vicariate and pre-
fecture apostolic, to designate works entrusted to the missionaries of
the Holy Ghost in dioceses where they serve as auxiliaries.
172
THE SOCIETIES OF CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES
^y^
To this list, we must add three other countries across the Atlantic :
republics of unequal importance and different aspects, where, how-
ever, having found what we have sought elsewhere — men with skins
other than white — we have also established missions:
Hayti; The United States of America; The Amazon District
(Brazil).
In all: 7 vicariates apostolic, 4 perfectures, 11 missions, making a
total of 144 stations, each in charge of 2, 3, 4 or or more missionaries.
On January 1, 1904, the number of
Fathers amounted to ()9G, assisted in tlieir
work by 667 auxiliary Brothers; in all
1363 religious.
In the missions under our charge other
apostolic laborers sometimes work with us.
In Madagascar, Premonstratensians
Fathers are devoting their zeal to Sainte
Marie and Vohemar; in English Zanzibar,
the missionaries of Notre Dame de la
Consolata of Turin already number five
stations. In the last mentioned vicari-
ates, at Ousambara, the Trappists of N^atal
have established two of tlieir holy and
laborious missions.
In Senegal, the Ploermol Brothers Irnvo
flourishing Schools, and prosperous schools
in Gabon are conducted by the Brothers
of Saint Gabriel.
The Sisters of Saint Joseph of Cluny,
true daughters of the heroic Mother Ja-
vouhey are laboring in Senegal, Gambia,
Guinea, Onitcha, Old Calabar, Sierra
Leone, Brazzaville, Loanda, Caconda,
Huilla Diego-Suarez, Majunga, Nossi-B6
and Mayotte.
The Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of Castres are estab-
lished in Dakar, Bata and three posts in Gabon. One of their number.
Sister Saint Charles has been working for forty-three years in Libre-
ville among the miserable by the wayside. The French Academy
recently conferred upon her its highest honor.
In Zanzibar the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Cluny, the Trappis-
Newly Wedded Bride
OF Zanzibab.
TUB MISSIONS OF THE FATHERS OF THE HOLY GHOST 173
tines of Natal, the Sisters of Loretto and of St. Dominie have suc-
cessively joined the Daughters of Mary from Reunion, who have
borne the burden of the work from the very beginning.
To organize and conduct a campaign the first requisite is what
strategists call the " sinews of war." The apostolate is a campaign ;
there must be resources.
Curious fact! the most cultivated minds often show the least
penetration into our financial conditions. They are so apt to believe
that everything pertaining to the missions of a congregation, houses,
churches, hospitals, schools, dispensaries, fields, plantations, furniture,
real estate, wagons, steamers, sail boats, canoes, beasts and people are
the property of the congregation, and they say, what a fortune !
If there be a fortune, the congregation sees no trace of it. Each
mission is as independent as each diocese in the United States or
England. All that falls to the lot of the congregation, after it has
received the commission from the Propaganda to evangelize a pagan
country, is to send out the necessary missionaries for establishing and
maintaining a mission.
Where does the money come from? Excepting the prefecture ol
Senegal officially recognized together with the provinces of Saint
Louis, Gorie, Dakar and Eufisque, which receive appropriations from
the government, our missions in French, English, German and Span-
ish Africa do not receive one cent from the civil authorities. Poi-
tugal gives sums of money annually to the missions of Angola. In
the English colonies, the schools receive appropriations in proportion
to their success and the number of their pupils. It is well known that
all grants from the government have been suppressed in the French
colonies.
Who furnishes the money?
Well, it comes from the humble class of Catliolics throughout the
world; rarely, very rarely from wealthy proprietors, landliolders or
capitalists. The Society for the Propagation of the Faith is
the main support of our apostolate and its bands of associates often
consist chiefly of modest working men and women, servant girls and
school children. Its two central councils, one in Lyons, the other in
Paris, distribute the money collected throughout the Catholic world to
the heads of each mission according to their needs presented. The
budget prepared is too often like that of many a republic, showing a
pitiful disproportion between supplies and necessities.
174 THE SOCIETIES OP CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES
Besides the Propagation of the Faith, there is the Association of
the Holy Childhood, without which likewise our missions could not
exist.
The Apostolic Work of the Holy Women of the Oospel also send
us necessaries for divine worship and do all that they can to help us.
Prom different parts, we receive special donations sent by relatives,
friends and benefactors known and unknown.
Finally, we make every effort to be self-supporting by cultivating
the soil, industrial labor, teaching, knitting and fishing.
Following the sailor's maxim, which is also that of the missionary,
each man tries to get along the best he can.
I came very near forgetting to mention our first and last resource.
When earthly means fail, we stop and wait with eyes uplifted to
heaven. And from heaven, the God of the missionary nearly always
sends what is wanting ! These are our means of support.
The people, religions, laws, customs, conditions of life, as well as
the countries themselves, with which we become acquainted present
the greatest possible variations. Not to be taken unawares, the mis-
sionary engraves the words of Saint Paul on his heart: Omnibus
omnia foetus sum — I became all things to all men.
Whereas in the TJnited States, the West Indies and old ^European
colonies like Mauritius, Eeunion, Trinidad, etc., we come in contact
with the most advanced modem civilization, in many African coun-
tries we see man in the most primitive state. Still in all parts,
whether he be traveling on foot, alone or in caravans, by railroad,
tramway, carriage, steamer, sailboat, canoe, gipsy cart, riding an ox,
a donkey, a camel or a hore, seeking to reclaim lost souls, living upon
what he finds and clothed with what heaven sends, the missionary
finds in each individual, whatever be his education, social rank, intel-
lectual culture, occupation, habit and color, the same preoccupa-
tions, the same struggles, the same weaknesses, the same aspirations
and the same falls. He returns from his wanderings over the world,
his soul bearing the impression of a daily, more profound compassion :
omnis caro foenum, . . . omne cor moerens! "All flesh is grass
. . . The whole heart is sad.''
With sentiments like these made up of faith, love, pity and hope
missions are founded.
4-
We shall at present confine ourselves to Africa.
When we again undertook the work of evangelization on the coast
and in the interior, foreigners were few. Sometimes years passed
THE MISSIONS OP THE FATHERS OF THE HOLY GHOST
175
without our seeing one and the natives knew the whites only from
missionaries and the few explorers who visited their country. Since
then Europe has increased her activities, spread her influence, mani-
fested her power, and dispersed her products in trying her best to
explore the continent and find out what
it has to offer of minerals, plants, beasts
and people. Africa, however, is on the
defensive and is trying, in her turn, to
leam something of the element that is
forcing its way over her ground. In this
struggle, not always conducted on friendly
terms, but inevitable in the historic evolu-
tion of the human race, the Catholic
missionary lends a helping hand, endeavor-
ing, on his part, to spread around him the
ideas of eternal Truth, Justice and Charity
of which he disposes.
In general, his relations with foreign
Functionaries, soldier, sailor, merchant,
colonist and traveler are friendly; oc-
casionally they may be somewhat strained.
In the countries of the blacks, the Cau-
casian race feel one to another more like
brothers; and, if the material and moral
atmosphere which they breathe sometimes
makes them forget what they are, as
children of a superior race, they must be
judged not too strictly; they are so far
away from the eyes of their mother.
A Zanzibar Girl.
In the north, on the eastern coast and at some points in the interior,
we come in contact with the Moslem element. Mohammedanism
never loses its identity. It is a religion, but a religion that constitutes
a distinct society, a particular civilization, a veritable state with dog-
ma, morality, worship, laws, customs, dress, occupations, aspirations
and a special mentality — all organized in a simple way, adapted to
its surroundings, attractive for the mind and heart of man; the best
constituted to unite in a common faith the most widely different ele-
ments and to win over and subjugate the " infidel." It is said and
believed that Catholic missionaries and Mohammedans are two irrec-
176 THE SOCIETIES OF CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES
oncilable enemies and that the presence of the former among the latter
menaces trouble. That belief is an absolute error. A missionary who
is careful not to insult a Mohammedan and his faith— rand why
should he insult them? — at once lays claim to a Mohammedan^s love
and i^espect. Why ? Because a missionary knows God, prays to Him,
fasts, follows God's law, devotes his life to Him. A Mohammedan
understands all that and admires it.
What he does not understand, however, what he despises and
judges altogether to be beneath him is the foreigner whom he never
sees pray, who drinks, blasphemes, and makes profession of not know-
ing God. He is the dog and the son of a dog, to whom the " faithful '^
will soon be compelled to submit, because he is in power. Respect
he will never gain.
There is no need of saying that the foreigner has riches and power,
commands steam and electricity, has invented the telephone and dis-
covered radium. "All those," answers the Mohammedan, " are play-
things. The infidel understands small material machinery, but God
has refused him light."
It is a very curious phenomenon. The more foreign atheists, or
simply skeptics are despised by the Mohammedans, the more they
favor, attract and benefit them. These enjoy that attitude, it is a
victory of faith over impunity and they make the most of it. We see
cases only too often, when European functionaries, ashamed at heart,
for not being Christians, smile upon Mohammedanism and think they
deserve the credit of being liberal; they are only candid: it is their
excuse.
Others have a theory in their opinion, the black fetichist must
arrive at civilization by the way of Mohammedanism. That is also
an error. Mohammedanism may be a way, but one in which the black
will remain in perpetual ambuscade against Europeans unless they be
converted to the Moslem faith.
Others favor Mohammedanism because, they say, it promotes in-
dustry and commerce; from it the custom house derives benefit. A
fresh error. Mussulmen carry on trade, it is true, but only with the
labor of others. Colonization thus promoted would mean that one-
half of the African fetichist and slave population would be in the
service of Moslem Africa. That is perhaps too clear a statement to
be sanctioned by public authorities.
Though loved and respected by them, missionaries liave no serious
influence over Mohammedans, excepting isolated instances, which
nevertheless, are more frequent than generally believed. It is there-
THE MISSIONS OP THE FATHERS OF THE HOLY GHOST 177
fore of much greater importance to make a determined effort on behalf
of the great mass of fetich worshippers which number millions of
human beings in Africa.
4-
They are the true field of the missionary, where he finds interesting
peoples, each with its own district of habitation, language, govern-
ment, laws and religion. Most of them live by easy work in the
fields; others follow a pastoral life; others know little other occupa-
tion than gathering fruits, knitting and fishing. Among all, family
life is more or less organized. All have, likewise, some form of gov-
ernment. Sometimes a father or grandfather rules over a village,
the population of which is composed of his own children and other
relatives; sometimes, a chief, in many cases, a tyrant, governs a whole
tribe; sometimes, the greatest license is allowed to communities and
individuals under a council of elders.
What is then the cause of unhappiness?
They are ignorant of Christianity. Upon close study, one can not
fail to notice the abyss of moral misery into which these pagan com-
munities are plunged. First of all, no pity is shown to the weak,
no mercy to the vanquished.
Alas, such is the law prevalent. in almost all parts of the world;
still nowhere is it carried out with more brutal force than in Africa.
The abandonment of the sick and aged, the legal murder of crippled
or infirm children, the seduction of women, polygamy, slavery, can-
nibalism, the blind tyranny of fetich practices; all these, not to
speak of thefts, lawsuits, wars, inveterate hatred, vengeance, poison-
ing, treason and injustice leave the impression that some evil spirit
must be claiming , Africa as his special kingdom and exerting his
intellect to devise means to lead the poor people astray.
The missionary arrives. . . . Ah, in surroundings like these, he
feels as though manifest to the touch, what a deliverer Christian
truth is! Amid such scenes we realize what a deplorable fall it is
for a Christian people to return to paganism as so many false prophets
are inciting Europe to do.
Hating fixed the site of his mission where he thinks best or circum-
stances force him, the head of a mission in Africa, turns his attention
to strengthen it with all the essentials upon which he bases his action :
a residence for several missionaries, a church, schools, liospitals, dis-
pensaries, workshops, etc. He then studies the country in his charge,
and, if personnel and resources permit, he establishes a missionary
178 THE SOCIETIES OP CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES
post, with two or three Fathers and Brothers, in what he deems the
most promising centres.
The new station springs into existence. Building is begun, land
is cleared and an attempt made to become acquainted with the in-
habitants. The missionaries having gained confidence and friendship
by kindness, they come to visit them. The calls are returned, wants are
provided for, advice is given, services are rendered, schools are opened
and, little by little, the grace of God falling in gentle showers upon
it, a small Christian harvest is gathered in a country given up to
paganism, barbarism and anthropophagy for centuries.
As soon as possible, natives are associated with the good work.
Catechists are selected from the best and most liberal minded families
and are thoroughly instructed. Children, young men- and women
well trained and well behaved are like so many " vicars " of the
mission, disseminated in the villages of a district. They complete
and extend the priest^s religious influence and open the way of
salvation for other souls. The dogmatic truths — God, the origin of
the world, the fall of man, the redemption of the human race, eternal
life, the sacraments — are generally received with astonishing facility.
The moral code is found to be excellent — for the whites; but to the
poor blacks it is hard and complicated. One 6f our missionaries said
recently that he thought he had discovered a good means for better
results — not to dwell upon delicate points till the end of the teaching,
when all the rest was taken for granted.
With certain generous natures the Christian life is conducive to a
religious one. We have native Brothers and Sisters in Senegambia,
Gabon, Congo and Angola.
And since the Catholic priesthood should be represented by all
nations, we also have native colored priests, who are laboring with
us. As yet, they are few in number: Seven in Senegambia, one in
Gabon, one in Congo and two in Angola.
We shall conclude this almost two general a review with a few
statistics.
Leaving out the missions in which we are only auxiliaries, Mauri-
tius, The Antilles, the United States, Brazil, etc., the -territory in
Africa entrusted to the Congregation of the Holy Ghost contains from
30 to 40 millions of pagans. Among them are: Catholics, 91,000;
Protestants about 60,000; Catechumens, 100,000; Primary schools,
314; Technical scliools, 93; Pupils, 23,034; churches and chapels,
246.
THE MISSIONS OP THE FATHERS OF THE HOLY GHOST
179
These results are small ; alas, very small. But when we think from
what an abyss of misery this supernatural harvest has been torn, in
face of what obstacles, what poverty, what uncertainty, what trials of
all kinds, our hearts swell with gratitude to God.
620 of our missionaries have died in Africa. Their dust will
sanctify that land of malediction, while their example and their
experience will be a guide to their successors.
In each of our missions we now have convenient buildings, works
in progress, and all necessary books, grammars, dictionaries, cate-
chisms, prayer books, etc., in every language.
To guard the territory gained and extend the frontiers of the
Catholic church and Christian civilization farther and farther, we
are awaiting new and courageous laborers with a reinforcement of
prayers and resources.
The providence of God will send them to us.
A Fanq VnxAOE.
Church of Bezwada, Hydebabad.
MISSIONS IN ASIA
DIOCESE OF HYDERABAD
The mission of Hyderabad was at first a part of the mission of Madras,
from which it was separated in 1851. It is bounded on the north by
the Godavery River, which divides it from the dioceses of Nagpore and
Vizigapatam; on the south by the Kistna and Tongabundra Rivers; on
the west by the diocese of Poona, and on the east by the Bay of Bengal.
Excepting a small part directly controlled by England, this diocese is
under the authority of the Nizam. Though the population numbers
twelve million souls, there are only 15,000 Catholics. Bishop Vigano,
an Italian, is in charge, assisted by missionaries of the Society of
Foreign Missions of Milan and 40 native catechists. One of the members
of that society, Father Civatti, has sent us the following touching account.
God grant that the generous project of the zealous missionary may be
realized!
A Refuge for Aged Pagans
[Journal of Father Civatti of the Society- of Foreig^i Missions of Milan]
Upon my arrival in Hyderabad, after a
few days of rest, Father Piatti accompanied
me to my destination. It was my first
apostolic journey.
Bezwada is about thirty miles from Tur-
lapadoo. The trip is very tedious, but to
a young missionary whose soul is filled with enthusiasm, everything
seems beautiful and poetic. The novelty of the places, the singular
180
Picturesque Voyage
and Night.— Sad Die
covery.— Abandoned
Old Man.
HYDERABAD 181
and primitive means of transport, the desire to arrive as soon as
possible to the Christian settlement assigned to me left me no leisure '
either to think of *my members put to sleep by the jolting of the
Indian cart or even to notice the rain that had begun to fall fine and
fast.
The oxen slackened their pace already slow, despite the blows of
the pagan guide who tried to help them by invoking the name of his
Gods: Rama! Naraina! The road became muddier and the wheels
sank into the ruts. All of a sudden the animals halted and our guide
was trembling from cold and dampness. In spite of our desire to
go on, we were obliged to stop.
4-
At the first hut of a village, Kancenurla, our conductor, requested
hospitality for himself and his beasts. What about the missionaries ?
They had to rest on the poor cart near the stable, curled in a semi-
circle, and covered by the mat which protected the vehicle.
We rested thus without sleeping, Father Piatti suffering from
one of his attacks of neuralgia, brought on by his mission work. In
such hours of loneliness, the missionary's only distraction is his
rosary.
4-
After some time, the rain ceased and the light of the moon broke
through the clouds. We were obliged to get down from the cart,
and like generals, we set out to study our position.
Before us was a stable exposed to the winds ; tied to the posts were
four ruminating oxen; two belonged to us, the two others to the
owner of the neighboring hut. Meanwhile, a moan different from
the strong breathing of the animals, came from a distant comer; it
was the groaning of some one suffering.
Impelled by curiosity, I listened attentively ; walking back of the
oxen, I beheld, by the light of a little Indian lamp (shell filled with
oil), a pallet formed of four poles joined by some twine. A living
skeleton was stretched upon it covered with rags, his dried up feet
and disfigured and bony face protruding from under them.
Shivering with horror, I returned to my companion.
*^ Who is that old man ? ^^ Father Piatti did not seem to be very
much surprised. I tried to interest him.
" He seems to be dying,'' I said ; " he has no clothes on, there is not
a relative, not a friend to help him. Why do they not take him into
the hut? He is abandoned on a pallet."
" I believe," answered the Father, " that he is the owner of the
183
MISSIONS IN ASIA
house, the former proprietor of this stable and all the surrounding
property. You have just arrived in India and are, as yet, unac-
quainted with the customs of the people. In these parts, a man has
no value so soon as he is incapacitated for work. So long as he is able
to work he represents capital bearing interest; his labors are appre-
ciated and his efforts rewarded. However, when disease or old age
deprive him of strength, he becomes a care to his family. If the
__Ci^.°:.~-:^^
Fathers Piatti and Civatti.
children are at all well-to-do, they may not refuse him a dish of rice
in some out of the way corner, just as a crust of bread is thrown to
an old dog. They have not the brutal courage to kill him, but they do
exercise the cruel pity of prolonging life for torture, fasts, humilia-
tions and neglect."
" If persons in easy circumstances act thus, what becomes of the
poor, the pariahs, considered, at best, the refuse of society ? "
" You will see later on/' my companion replied, " when you can
converse with them, visit their villages, enter their attics and learn
their customs. You will see how the poor and the aged suffer, espe-
HYDERABAD 183
cially in times of drought and famine Now, the sight of such
misery touches and grieves you ; but, in a little while, after you have
become acquainted and Indianized, you will become accustomed to
seeing the practice of the old Somans applied. You remember how
they left those incapacitated for army duty to perish on neglected
ground. Here the people still follow the hard-hearted counsel of
Seneca : ^ It is a just and prudent measure to get useless persons out
of the way.' ''
The question at once rose to my lips: "And what are we doing
for these unfortunates ? " However, I held my peace. Upon second
thought, it occurred to me, that my words might be interpreted as
the counsel of a novice to a zealous and experienced superior.
II.
Ten years have passed. The study of
Ten Yean Later.— The the Indian language, travel among Christ-
Same Sights of Horror ian settlements, the avocations of a mis-
and Despair. -An sionary life and spells of illness have en-
Appeal to Charity. grossed my attention; still, I have never
' been able to forget that one man dying,
and I have often repeated the question to myself that rushed from
my heart to my lips at the sight of him :
" Can we do nothing to relieve the misery of such afflicted ones. Can
we not rescue them from their abandonment?"
The difficult problem has been ever kept before my mind by re-
peated sad instances.
How often have I seen living skeletons with faces withered and
drawn, old men crouched before the doors of their homes, fatalists
even in suffering, imploring death to bring them relief; poor old
women in their dotage, summoning their decaying forces to gather
herbs and dried wood to pay their own children for a meagre meal,
old men and old women, tottering, groping their way, leaning upon
a staff, their only support, without a regret for the past, without a
hope for the future, victims of the destiny that condemns them to
live on.
Sometimes, after the missionary has come in contact with such as
these and spoken to them of the Christian religion, paradise and the
means to obtain it, they have given up idolatry, recoivod instructions
and been baptized.
Some have said : " But we are old, every one has forsaken us, who
181
MISSIONS IN ASIA
will instruct us? who will have the patience to teach us our prayers?
It is impossible."
Others replied : " If we become Christians, our children will refuse
us a shelter in the stables and the small pittance of food which we
now receive. If we become Christians, who will bring us our mouth-
ful of millet in the evening? It is impossible."
An Indian Cabt.
0 Christian charity ! stretch out thy arms as a mother, to embrace,
help and instruct these old pagans. 0 Christian charity! thou dost
shelter the poor children abandoned by their idolatrous parents; why
turn thy gaze from the aged, deserving of respect despite the abjec-
tion of their souls?
1 pray and most ardently long for the hour when the love of
Jesus Clirist, the only virtue that can touch the hearts of these un-
fortunate creatures, will surround them with its blessings and triumph
over their obstinacy. The chains of superstition will then be broken,
the weight of fatalism destroyed, and heads bent and sunken will be
HYDERABAD 185
raised to heaven, whilst the waters of baptism and the redeeming
blood will be shed upon their white hairs. Faith consoling will pre-
pare them for a happy death : Christian hope ameliorate their suffer-
ings, and Charity imbued with power divine to effect their conversion
will give them eternal happiness.
III.
Some time afterwards I engaged in con-
Bisciifision with an versation with a Hindu. Our discussion
Intelligent Hindu.— was unlike that with Brahmin priests or
Truth Proved by other wandering ministers ; with these one
Charity.— Logical can not argue seriously; they affect the use
Conclusion. of obscure terms,. true enigmas, which they
themselves do not understand. This pagan
had good intentions; he made serious objections, proposed doubts,
manifested a sincere desire for instruction, but, like all Hindus, he
slipped from one idea to another without any connection. Oh! for
the logic which we learned from our good professors of philosophy.
We spoke of everything, the Hindu epics (Mahabharata and Ramay-
ana), the fabulous accounts of Prince Bobbily, the incarnations of
Kistna and the proverbs in verse of Vemana.
The conversation was drawn out without my being able to convince
him or even hold his attention to one subject. When I referred to
the Sacred Scriptures, the holy Gospel, he quoted the Vedas ; when I
tried to persuade him, he clung to Hindu tradition. His conclusion
was ever the same, " Our forefathers have always done as we are
doing,*' a statement that decides all controversy. I had exhausted all
my resources, when a sudden thought flashed upon my mind. " Do
you not see that your religion has no humanity, no compassion ? The
castes into which you are divided presuppose souls different in their
nature and in their destinies. If you see a pariah fall at your feet,
struck down by an enemy, you do not deign to assist or comfort him.
Your social position forbids. If you were to see him drowning in a
lake or a river, you would do nothing to help him, but look coldly
upon the death of one of your own kind. Is not your religion some-
what cruel and inhuman even with regard to family life in its teach-
ings respecting the aged and the incapacitated ? "
The subject interested him greatly and he paid the closest atten-
tion. I continued : " I have read several of your holy books ; the
rituals, the Practical Life of the Svdras and the Nirnaia Siftcdia (sea
18G
MISSIONS IX ASIA
of practice), the Kalamuroimam (nectar of time), and in them I
discovered not a single allusion to the duties which we owe to the
aged. The Niimkarma (the action of truth), whicli is the great
ritual of the Brahmins, mentions in detail all that priests must do,
even defining rules for their most ordinary actions, but contains not a
word about old age, expresses not one sentiment of pity for unfor-
tunates who survive their physical strength. The Dharmasastra, in
The Cathedral of Hyderabad.
which the science of almsgiving teaclies the rich in what manner they
are to dispense their treasures by building temples and making offer-
ings to the Brahmins, has not a single reference to the incompetent
aged or neglected widows.
The Hindu seemed to be convinced. Encouraged by his attention,
I kept on :
"What are the customs of your country? Is an old man dpng?
He is thrown out of the house, that it might not be profaned. If the
Brahman priest has announced the day of liis death and the poor
IIYDEKABAD 187
man continues to live, your priests say, * There is still an attachment
between him and another.' And you force the person loved to give
a draught that hastens death.*'
Suddenly he replied, " And what do the whites do for their aged?"
" What do we do ? Ah ! in our countries charity, the fruit of
Christianity, prevails. When a child is left alone, without father
or mother, it is taken to a large home where it is educated as it
should be. When a poor person is taken sick, he is taken to a hos-
pital where he is tenderly cared for by the rich. When old men or
women can no longer work, they are provided with food and clothing
and served as though they were with relatives.''
" That is not just,'^ said he. " Old folks are a nuisance. There
is a proverb, * Do you want to perform a useless task, make a new
garment and give it to an old man.' Proverbs are wisdom itself."
Could I tell this poor, ignorant Hindu that we see Jesus Christ
in the neglected? Could I speak to him of "venerable old age,"
quoting from the Sacred Scriptures, or of " the great dignify of the
aged in the Church," referring to the words of Bossuet ? I could not
even repeat to him the words that came to my mind from Victor
Hugo in his "Art of Being a (Trandfather.'' So I contenterl myself
with a short exposition of the religious l)enerits among peoples en-
lightened by the faith. 1 spoke of the poor and aged sick whom
virgins nursed with filial tenderness, leaving family ties and riches
in order to minister unto them.
'* Do the like work," he exclaimed. " If you care for the aged,
we shall see by your actions what your religion is and many will come
over to your faith. Repeat tlie wonders here of the country of your
father and mother, and we will learn your prayers and become
Christians."
Therefore, we must act. De^vls are more powerful than words.
The conversion of this people re(piires an exam])le of charity gen-
erous even unto heroism. In vain the aged stretclied on their pallets,
or dying by the way, hold out their hands to Hindu fatalism or
paganism; he must find Christian cliarity.
Seeing persons, not bound to them l)y rank or friendship, even
those whom they do not know, sacrificing time, health and life with-
out expecting so much as a " Thank you " in return, seeing the
renunciation and humility of a sister who calls them brotlier, him
188 MISSIONS IN ASIA
the refuse of the world, he will embrace the Christian religion and
bless the hand that dries his last tear.
In a word, we must do in India what has been done in other lands.
IV.
Bishop Vigano, of Hyderabad, has solved
The Problem Solved.— the problem in his fatherly heart. He
Appeal to Christians. wishes to open a home of refuge for the
aged of his Mission. This Home will
spread the spark that is to enlighten the twelve millions of unbe-
lievers entrusted to his apostolic zeal. He is thinking not only of
the 15,000 Christian souls in his diocese, but he desires to draw
down the benediction of Heaven upon all the pagans of this large
peninsula. For this end he has written to a religious order of sisters
concluding his request with these words:
" This work of charity will touch the hearts of the unbelieving
and do -sweet violence to the heart of Jesus, gaining many choice
graces for my Mission.^'
The Sisters will soon arrive in Hyderabad. They are coming, but
what shall they find? Xo preparation has yet been made. We need
a home to shelter the aged and their devoted servants; we need an
altar, a tabernacle for Jesus our Lord, the inspiration and support
of all charity. Everything is wanting excepting the host of old men
dying in miserv and, what is worse, in idolatry.
Scarcely had the project of a home become known when a crowd
of old people presented themselves for admittance: they are the first
fruits of a work which God will make prosper by the generosity of
the rich, the widow's mite and the prayers of all.
A GliLAT Ma > DARIN
OF TOSGKIXC*
VICARIATE APOSTOLIC OF SOUTHERN TONGKING
The mission of Southern Tongking comprises the provinces of Nghy-An
and Ha-Tinh. It numbers 125,000 Catholics, among a total population of
two millions. 395 churches and chapels have been built in the most
important Christian centers. A bishop, 37 foreign and 70 native priests,
assisted by 275 catechists, are laboring with most ardent zeal for the
conversion of pagans and the instruction of neophytes.
189
]JM) MISSIONS IN ASIA
Three Blossoms of Ha-Tinh
Lf:tteu of Father Francis Belleville,
Of the Foreign Missions of Paris,
Peter Thuy.
Young Peter Thuy, of the village of Horn Nha, could boast of no
physical beauty; he was short, thick-set and disfigured by small-
pox marks. Xevertheless, it was he who was chosen by the young
people of the village to conduct t^ie preparation for the Easter ex-
amination.
This was five years ago. My residence was then near the village.
A collection had been made to buy oil for night study. For long
weeks, nay, months, fresh young voices were lifted in song during
the silence of the night. Peter Thuy and his comrades were repeat-
ing their catechism. I used to fall asleep with the touching melody
ringing in my ears. When I awoke during the night it had not
ceased.
4-
The great days of examination arrived, Maundy Thursday and
Good Friday. The young candidates from every village of the parish
had already passed a trial examination. Those who are successful on
these occasions are usually the selected champions to maintain the
honor of their respective villages at the general assembly.
The priest presides, assisted by the catechists ; the prominent mem-
bers of the village form a circle about him, anxious and expectant, as
the armies of Rome and Alba at the contest between the Horatii and
the Curatii.
The meeting is opened. The candidates now i)resent themselves
in groups; formerly they were called in turn. The young women
and men of each village successively approach the center and either
kneel or sit upon a mat on the ground ; the young girls timidly hide
their faces behind their fans. Each group must reply to three ques-
tions in the catchism and give an oral explanation.
As soon as one of the (questions is drawn, so as to avoid the least
suspicion of favoritism, it is solemnly read by the catch ist. The
group on the rostrum repeat it in a low voice, whisper one to another,
turn over the answer in their minds several times and, finally, chant
the answer in chorus with imposing slowness.
If the answer is perfect, without the least iota of a variation, their
success is announced by the beating of drums; the young men show
SOUTHERN TONGKIXG 191
signs of increased modesty and the young girls make an effort to
hide themselves entirely behind their fans.
On the contrar}% if they make a mistake, ever so slight, perhaps
in the application of only a single word, the clicking of castagnettes
calls attention to it and the assembly is informed of the error as
well as that '* to err is human." A light blush rises to the usually
pale cheeks of the candidates.
If a group has answered all the questions proposed without any
sound from castagnettes, there is a prolonged beating of drums whilst
they return to their places; if they fail in the very least detail, and
such is oftener the case, they resume their seats in silence.
+
The parish of An-whien presented that year a brilliant spectacle
at the general examination. Several villages stood the required test,
provoking a continuous beating of drums. The final victory, how-
ever, rested beyond all dispute with Peter Thuy and his comrades of
the village of Hom-Wha.
On the evening of Easter day tliQ solemn distribution of prizes took
place. The names of the victorious contestants were intoned in the
noble official language of China. Each village received a reward
according to its merits; pictures, crucifixes and beads, more or less
beautiful, and scapulars.
The final ceremony followed. As many processions formed as
there were victorious hamlets. The prizes of each village were attached
to a board covered with red cloth and shaded by a large parasol. Amid
the beating of drums, the clashing of cymbals and the waving of
banners, followel by the people on foot, the prizes were solemnly
borne home.
The group of Peter Thuy walked with a more measured step, its
music bore a special character, pnd the youth of the village, accom-
panied by the whole population, sang the Resurrection hymn with a
more emphatic accent of victory.
+
A few months afterwards the rice began to get ripe. The sun
darted its fiery rays from tlie zenith to earth. The water wae draw-
ing off from the fields, but had not entirely disappeared. The people
of Annam began to gather the harvest; with heads exposed to the
heat, and feet in water and mud, their situation invited disease.
Moreover, some of them had endured a long enforced fast and greed-
ily seized the first grains of rice not thorouglily ripened. All those
192 MIJSSIOXS IX ASIA
causes brought on dysentery, usually prevalent at this season, typhoid
fever and, in many instances, cholera.
One day I was called upon to attend a sick man. It was Peter
Thuy. He was lying on his bamboo bed in a poor little hut of two
compartments; several sheaves of rice in a state of fermentation
made the air heavier, hotter and more unwholesome. My patient
had typhoid fever.
" Father,^^ said he, " I have already made my confession, but the
priest who came to me did not seem to be strict enough with me. I
should like to confess my sins again.^'
I gave him all the comforts of religion, including the plenary in-
dulgence at the hour of death, my penitent manifesting the most
lively sentiments of piety.
A few days afterwards another procession formed, but not one of
triumph. Peter Thuy was. again the hero, but borne upon a bier;
the young men and women of his village again accompanied him
with voices uplifted, the Resurrection hymn giving place to the
chants for the dead and the recitation of prayers for the departed.
His family was too poor to give him any other than the poorest
burial. I read the solemn service for the dead and, during the cere-
monies, it seemed to me as though I saw his soul, bright and beauti-
ful, surrounded by the aureole of the blessed; the elect of greater
glory for having made known the truth to others.
The Khoi Family.
We shall confine ourselves to the district of Ha-Tinh. To the north
lies the village of Yen Mi, in the parisli of Trai Le, lost in a depres-
sion in the side of a small mountain. From a religious point of
view this village comprises three classes of inhabitants: Christians,
few in number, but zealous and influential, apostates and pagans.
I ministered to their needs, exhorting the faithful to exert their best
efforts to lead their separated brethren back to God. Ten years be-
fore a brave and earnest missionary. Father Klingler, had visited the
village. He is still remembered, and thanks to the ef!ect Of his
ardent zeal, hearts were more pliable and wills more flexible, and
they returned once more to the law of Christ.
4-
Among the converts is a family with four generations living, but
how wavering and hard of heart. The oldest member, bent with age,
a centenarian, is the great-grandmother, who has remarried a Catho-
SOUTHERN TONGKINO
193
lie. As far as prayers are concerned, she remembers only the " Our
Father," hers being particularly unique. When she gets near the
end, she begins all over again, so that, as many as she says, the prayer
is never finished. mi. xi_- j ^ • i. j u
The third degree is represented by
a grandson, still strong and ereot.
But alas! his soul is bowed down
under the yoke of apostasy. He
abandoned his faith and is the cause
of his family's defection.
The second generation is repre-
sented by a daughter-in-law, the
daughter of a mandarin, cup-bearer
to King Tu Due. She is a widow
and had never renounced paganism.
Her two sons are the fourth gene-
ration. They are about twenty
years old and have been baptized.
The elder married a pagan, the
younger is still single. All this
family has been converted, each has
received the grace of the sacraments
and their sight has pierced the dark
veil which keeps pagans in blindness.
" Why have you given up your
religion ?" I asked the grandmother.
" Well, you see. Father," she re-
plied, " I had a boy who died at
the age of seven years. Some time
after his death he appeared to
me, saying, * ^lother, why do you
let me go hungry? Why do you
not offer me rice and meat ? ' Then I said to myself, * Why, my son
was baptized; how can he have need of such things? So he is not
in h^aven.^ I therefore gave up my religion so as to be able to offer
food in sacrifice for my son, who stands in need of it."
The poor mother did not recognize a prince of darkness in the
supposed vision of her son. How many stratagems the devil uses
in a pagan land !
Besides the apostates, several of the pagans have embraced the
tnith. Paul Khoi, the father of the family, has become the head of
A ToNGKiNO Catechist.
194 MltiSIONS IX ASIA
the Christian settlement. Thanks to the constant efforts of several
missionaries and native priests, other pagan villages have entered the
true sheep fold; with the five small, older Christian hamlets for a
nucleus they form a new parish, situated in the very heart of a pagan
land. And who can determine in these results the power of the
never-ending " Our Father*' from the lips of the great-grandmother?
Peter Hoan.
In the same parish of Trai Le, to the west, lies the village of
Phuong ;Mi, lost among the mountains about a half day's journey
distant. The " mountain country '' is here sjTionymous with the
" tiger country/' and Phuong Mi has its share of the feline specimen.
During his visit the priest lives in a small house close by the church.
One day, or rather one night, good Father Hien was seated in the con-
fessional, a simple bamboo structure, placed at the door, with a curtain
to shield the priests' and penitents' faces. A tiger entered. Taking
him for a penitent, the kind priest inclined his head to hear the sub-
dued tone of a confession, when he was greeted with a movement of
tongue and lips that he could not understand. Raising his eyes, he
realized his position. We can easily imagine his feelings. He himself
told me this exciting story, bursting into a loud laugh when he tried
to imitate the roar of the animal.
Despite the natural temptation to color a story which I prefer to
repeat as it happened, I must say that no tiger presented itself at
my confessional during my missionary visit, but it was in the yard
nearly every night. Then a young man, Peter Hoan, as delicately
formed as a girl, would go out alone and without a light to drive the
animal away. Hoan had fought against the rebels with the same
spirit and, notwithstanding his youth, was made lieutenant. He
made a name for himself among his Christian friends and was a
terror to his enemies.
When peace was re-established, Peter Hoan turned his arms
against the devil. In Pliuong Mi there were still some pagans liv-
ing among the Christians. He took their conversion to heart.
Every year he succeeded in converting some, instructing them him-
self; the priest was called upon only to pour the regenerating waters
upon the converted head.
It was a beautiful sight to see this young man at the head of the
small flock which he had led to the feet of Christ. Agreeable to
SOUTHERN TONGKING
195
God and hated by the devil, he could not escape temptation. He was
tried in many ways. Was he always victorious? I cannot say, but
his death was his last triumph.
TONOKiNO. — A Parish Obchestba.
A few years afterwards we found him poor and alone in the prison
of Ha-Tinh, his neck in the pillory. He had been confined for several
months, but hoped to be released from day to day, when he expected
to rejoin his wife and children. However, he possessed his soul in
peace. For some time before his arrest he had led the life of a
196 MISSIONS IN ASIA
religious, meditating, fasting, visiting the sick, receiving Holy Com-
munion frequently, reciting the rosary and increasing in zeal for
the conversion of infidels. Before going to prison, he had fulfilled'
all his religious duties and nourished himself once more with the
Bread of the Strong; providential precaution.
One day the doors of his prison were opened to admit a deputy
from the mandarin. Surely the paper he held was his certificate of
freedom. Alas! it was his sentence of death by decapitation, to be
carried out immediately.
^•
Peter Hoan had neither the power nor the time to call a priest, so,
surrounded by the customary escort of soldiers, he 'rose to proceed
to the place of sacrifice, letting the beads of his rosary slip one by one
through his fingers. On his way he met some Christians who begged
him for his beads as a souvenir.
" I cannot let you have them," he said. " I wish to recite my
rosary to the end. For myself, I am resigned; do you, my breth-
ren, live in peace.'^ Continuing on his way to death, he kept on
repeating, " Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now
and at the hour of our death."
Arriving at the place of execution, he fell on his knees and con-
tinued his prayer. Commanded to sit on the ground, his hands were
tied to a stake behind him; at the given signal, his head fell on the
grass. The rose empurpled had yielded its perfume.* The justice
of man had accomplished its work; the justice of God will accom-
plish its own during eternity.
^•
Had Peter Hoan then committed a great crime? Yes, it was
said that, in converting the Buddhists, he attacked their liberty of
conscience. He was to learn that in our days all liberty is sacred
except the liberty in doing good.
NEWS OF THE MISSIONS
EUROPE
The Sisters of Charity in Denmark
The Sisters of Charity have begun their work in Denmark.
Leaving Paris at the end of February, they arrived in Copen-
hagen after 36 hours^ travel and were received by Bishop Von Euch
with his usual cordiality. The end of their destination was Else-
neur, a city of 14,000 inhabitants.
The arrival of the Sisters has been the subject of much favorable
comment on the part of the public and the press. The papers have
published their appreciation of the sacrifice made in leaving homo to
minister unto others in a foreign country, and have extended a sin-
cere welcome.
The Sisters have already begun to take care of the poor, and chil-
dren are coming unto them. A little workroom has been opened and
others will succeed. A small house has been converted into a chapel
which will accommodate forty persons. Elseneur is situated in the
extreme north of Seeland, separated from Sweden by a very narrow
strait. The boat between Elseneur and Helsingborg makes as many
as eight trips a day.
A Statue to Father de Del<en
The monument erected in Wilryck, near Antwerp, to the memory
of Father de Deken, the illustrious missionary who accompanied
Prince Henri d'Orieans and Mr. Bonvalot on their explorations
through Thibet, will be unveiled in August. This expedition, so
well described in his book, "Across Asia," was not his only trip. He
also traveled in Africa, returning with Baron Dhanis after a stay
of two years.
Father de Deken returned to Belgian Congo in 1895, and never
saw his native land again. He died at Boma in March of the same
year.
197
198 NEWS OF THE MISSIONS
Jean Herain, the sculptor of his memorial, represents the brave
missionary baptizing a native. He thus renders a pious homage to
a religious hero, the man of science as well as the large-hearted man
of God.
ASIA
Report of the Society for the Foreign Missions of Paris
We are in receipt of the comprehensive and interesting report
which the Society for the Foreign Missions of Paris publishes annu-
ally. It gives an account of the apostolic work accomplished in the
32 missions under its charge.
We make a few extracts from this interesting publication:
^' With hearts filled with gratitude to God, we record the consoling
results of our work for 1903. The latest statistics are: 38,321 adult
baptisms; 490 conversions from heresy; 131,736 baptisms of pagan
children.
"The number of adult baptisms and conversions from heresy is
much larger than that of last year; baptisms of pagan children are
fewer.
"Notwithstanding this slight decrease in number, we can most
truthfully say that the laborers in our 32 missions have succeeded
well this year. Their assistants, native priests, religious men and
women and catechists, empowered to baptize, have done their best to
extend the kingdom of Jesus Christ and to procure the salvation
of souls.
" The aim of the Society for the Foreign Missions is not the con-
version of infidels only. Its rule defines that its members must, first
of all, devote their energy to the formation of native clergy; next in
order, care for Christians, and only lastly, labor for the conversion
of infidels.
" Instruction is now given to 2118 students in our 38 seminaries,
and we are providing for the spiritual necessities of 1,323,947 Chris-
tians dispersed over an immense territory in which we have 5095
stations. It is not surprising that the work of evangelization does
not progress as quickly as we desire. To our great regret, the lack
of resources and an insufiicient personnel prevent our making a more
rapid development."
A Missionary on His Travels
We extract the following details from an interesting letter sent
from Kan-Su, China, by Father Steyaert, of the Missionaries of
AFRICA 199
Scheut-lez-Bruxelles, to his superior general, the Very Rev. Van
Hecke:
" I am traveling, I have traveled, I am going to travel ; my duties
compel me to conjugate the verb travel without ceasing. Leaving
my residence in December, 1902, for instance, I did not return until
June, 1903, after having visited the most distant Christian settle-
ments under my charge.
" Travel means living in hostelries. In China an inn is a general
rendezvous. From morning till night, from the opening of the
doors till the closing of the same, anybody who will may enter. As
soon as a stranger arrives, especially a foreigner, a large and curi^
crowd gathers. All social ranks are represented. The lowest order
usually leads the procession, merchants and even mandarins follow,
mixing with the common people, leisurely to contemplate a stranger
fallen from they know not where. The most naive remarks are
made. A beard occasions the greatest delight; a long nose seems
to be a startling phenomenon. As soon as they find out that the
person on exhibition can speak the language of the Flowery King-
dom, they are stupefied, and heap question upon question.
"How many days' walk separate Europe from China? Is Europe
as large as China? Does it pay duty to the Emperor? Where does
Europe begin and where does it end? Do the people sow the five
cereals and the hundred wheats? Do they also have beggars? Do
they too see the sun and the moon ? '^
" From among th«se inquisitive minds, some educated, others vul-
gar, such is on^ of the types :
"A young man enters; he is about twenty-five years old, broad-
shouldered, of vulgar carriage, with a coarse voice and scornful ex-
pression of countenance.
"'What is my future?' he asks, holding out his hand wide open,
in a bold manner.
" * Pardon me, sir, I trade neither in necromancy nor fortune-
telling.^
"'What! I have been told that all foreigners are versed in the
occult sciences and predict the future. Be that as it may, you can, at
least, sound my lungs, tell me whether I have a strong constitution
and can count upon a long life.'
" * You must excuse me again ; I am neither a doctor nor a sooth-
sayer.'
"'Why, is not everybody in Europe a doctor?'
200 NEWS OF THE MISSIONS
" ^ There is a distinction between doctors. I am not a doctor for
the body, but I am a doctor for the soul/
"The man, astounded and nonplussed, turned toward the door,
nodded and said:
" ^ I do not understand what you mean by doctor of the soul ;
but, if I had the time, I would ask you for an explanation. Au
revoir/
He disappeared muttering to himself, ' A doctor of the soul ; what
can that be ? ^
" In China, if you speak of money, horses and grains, you will be
understood. If you speak of morality, the people will affect to un-
derstand. If you speak of the soul, every one is at a loss. In this
country matter is everything; material interests absorb all things else.^'
AFRICA
An Abyssinian Chief Favorable to the Catholic Religion
Father Charles Gruson, C. M., writes from Gouala, near Alitiena:
"Although a persecution is raging in the south of Abyssinia, we
are enjoying the greatest peace. The oldest inhabitants say that
for sixty years the Catholic religion has not enjoyed so much favor
or rest.
" The chief of Agamia takes pleasure in paying us frequent visits.
Recently he came to see me, escorted by three hundred soldiers.
After having thanked him for his kindness, I said : ^ We may become
dangerous to you.^ •
"As he seemed surprised at my remark, I continued, smiling:
^This week representatives from the Convent of Gounde-Gound^
called upon me; perhaps they are going to be Catholics.^
" The convent of Gounde-Gounde is schismatic unto fanaticism ;
its former abbot was the cause of the persecution in 1900. At .pres-
ent there is a complete revolution of feeling among the monks; their
efforts to enter upon friendly relations with us is most evident.
"The clergy are getting to be more and more favorable, to say
nothing of the number inclined to come over to the truth; several
deacons have already been converted.
" The chief of Agamia is well informed of the situation ; whether
because of his affection for us, or that he believes that the Catholic
religion will save his country and revive its former religious splen-
dor, he allows us the greatest liberty.
" Despite the recent trials and even despite future persecutions
AFRICA 201
liable to occur, the hope for prosperity in Abyssinia is well founded.
The people themselves feel that the weak remnants of a worship
purely exterior cannot make religion; they understand that the
schismatic clergy possess neither science nor virtue and so do not
heed them. The flock is without a shepherdt
" Our ministry is producing good effects, but we must enlarge our
sphere of influence; charity must pave the way for us. Works be-
gun, seminaries and schools, must be maintained. The catechists who
instruct the people and visit the villages, lost among the mountains,
in order to prepare for conversions, marriages and baptisms, must be
supported. All these necessities require resources which are not at
hand. We place our hope in God and the charity of our brethren.^'
A Learned Missionary
In the Officidl J&umal of Madagascar and Its Dependencies we
read:
"Father Colin, who so ably directs the observatory of Ambohid-
empim, has just received a high distinction from the Academy of
Sciences in Paris. The honor conferred is the prize of five hundred
dollars offered to astronomers, geographers and explorers. The work
submitted is entitled Geographical Positions in Madagascar, and
contains the complete series of astronomical observations made in
Madagascar from 1889-1902.
" This is the fourth time that the Academy has manifested its
high esteem for the work of Father Colin. In 1890 he received the
Jerome Ponti prize; in 1898, the Valz prize for astronomy; in 1899,
he was elected corresponding member of the Institute, receiving 46
out of 50 votes.''
DESTINATION OF MISSIONARIES.
Eeported since May-June Annals.
NORTH AMERICA
United States
Rev. J. Schultz, C.S.Sp.
" C. Leroux, C.S.Sp.
*' J. Lestrohan, C.S.Sp.
" J. Baptiste Deacouus,
C.S.Sp.
West Indies
Hayti
Rev. G. Touquet, C.S.Sp.
" L. Cremmel, C.S.Sp.
Cuba
Rev. C. Bernard, O.P.
Trinidad
Rev. P. Acton, C.S.Sp.
SOUTH AMERICA
Chili
Rev. A. Jamet. S.H.Pic.
'* F. Patlsaou, S.H.Pic.
** M. Joseph Moreno,
S.H.Pic.
Amazon District
Rev. A. Kermabon, C.S.Sp.
AFRICA
'Northern Zanzibar
Rev. R. Bertagna.
** J. Giacosa.
" M. Ardse.
" S. Scarzello.
** J.Cattaneo.
" F. Cagrliero.
" D. Dijrnoli.
** G. Barlassina.
Mauritiws Island
Rev. A. Noly, C.S.Sp.
*' C. Portler, C.S.Sp.
Reunion Mand
Rev. A. Bourbon nais, C.S.Sp.
Senegamhia
Rev. J. Baptiste Barbier, C.S.Sp.
Oahon
Rev. I. Sahin, C.S.Sp.
" A. Reeb, C.S.Sp.
'* A. Rouxel, C.S.Sp.
Sierra Leone
Right Rev. J. O'Gorman, C.S.Sp.
Rev. J. Fleck, C.S.Sp.
Lower Niger
Rev. C Vogler, C. S. Sp.
Congo
Rev. A. Vanuyten, O.Prem.
French Congo
Rev. C. Murard, C. S.Sp.
Portuguese Congo
Rev. L. Andr6, C.S.Sp.
Belgian Congo
Mgr. Van Ronsle, B.F.M.
Rev. Fr. Baten, B.F.M.
" " Gosman, B.F.M.
Kuftcnc
Rev. A. de Merange, C.S.Sp.
Northern Madagascar
Rev. L. Dissard, C.S.Sp.
ASIA
China
Kiang-nan
Rev. L. Lamoureux, S.J.
'• R. Barbotin, S.J.
" L. Hermand, S.J.
" A. Haouisec, S.J.
*' C. Vanara, S.J.
" E. Beauc6, S.J.
" P. Ancel, SJ.
INDIA
Ma>dura
Rev. Fr. Lief mans, S.J.
" " Spelten, S. J.
Wt»tcrn Bengal,
Rev. Fr. Bressers, S. J.
*' ** Walrave, S.J.
Ceylon
Rev. Fr. Van Antwer^>en, S.J.
'* •* Limbourg, S.J.
OCEANICA
TahUi
Rev. G. Jos. Eich, S.H.Pic.
** J. Chesneau, S.H.Pic.
" L. Robin, S.H.Pic.
Sandwich Inlands
Rev. C. Beissel, S.H.Pic.
" E. Schats, S.H.Pic.
" R. Windels, S.H.Pic.
'• T. Van Schayk, S.H.Pic.
202
SUPPLEMENT
TO THE
AMERICAN EDITION
OF THE
Annals of the Propagation of the Faith
POPE PIUS X AND THE SOCIETY FOR THE PROPA-
GATION OF THE FAITH
We earnestly entreat our readers to peruse the brief of the Holy
Father which we publish in this number. The Society for the
Propagation of the Faith is the first charitable association thus hon-
ored by the present Pontiff, and quite rightly, for as Pius X himself
says, " It stands in the very first rank, both by its useftdness and its
works, and has deserved the highest praise in the wide spreading of
the Christian faith."
The letter reveals the highest appreciation of this "divinely in-
spired Societ}'," as the Pope refers to it, asserting that "if means
have been supplied permitting the messengers of Catholic doctrine
to hasten to distant and barbarous countries, bringing the advan-
tages of our religion and civilization, it should be attributed to
the generosity of this noble association."
Pius X calls for united effort and sanctions with his high authority
the mode of organization of the Society, stating that nothing could
be more profitable in every way than the enrolment of promoters
and the formation of bands of ten associates. " Individual action
is good, but united action is what is required."
203
204
MISSION NOTES AND NEWS
St. Francis Xavier, the great missionary of the sixteenth century,
the apostle of India and Japan, was chosen as patron of the Society
the very year of its foundation, in 1822. Pope Pius X confirms that
choice, and in order that the veneration paid to that Saint be further
increased, raises his feast to the rite of a double major for the Uni-
versal Church, expressing the hope that by the intercession of Fran-
cis the Society for the Propagation of the Faith will daily spread
among Catholics.
•J*
The letter of His Holiness has been printed in leaflet form, and
we shall be glad to furnish with copies all associates who will have
the charity to distribute them among their friends.
THE REPORT FOR 1 903
Whilfit we sincerely regret the decrease shovm in the general report
of the work of the Society in 1903, we must not fail to note
that the 'Catholics of the United States have not contributed to it —
on the contrary they have increased their contributions during the
past year more than $7000, having given to the world-wide cause the
sum of $92,503, the largest contribution ever received in one single
year.
We offer our heartfelt thanks to God for this success and express
our gratitude to the hierarchy of this country, whose good will toward
our work is well known to us. Let our Diocesan and Parochial Di-
rectors, as well as our dear Promoters, accept also our sincere thanks
for their most valuable co-operation. May our Lord, for Whose
sake they work, reward them with abundant blessings!
MISSION NOTES AND NEWS 205
MISSION NOTES AND NEWS
VICARIATE APOSTOLIC OF SIERRA LEONE.
The mission of the Holy Ghost Fathers in Sierra Leone was estab-
lished in 1858. It is located in that section of Africa known as the
" White Man's Grave," because of the large number of missionaries who
have succumbed to the ravages of the climate. There are at present
fifteen priests, and a number of Brothers and Sisters. Out of a total
population of over a million and a half, there are nearly 3000 Catholics.
The present vicar apostolic. Bishop O'Gorman, is well known to many
of our readers, having spent several years as professor of Theology in
the House of Studies of the Fathers of the Holy Ghost at Corn wells. Pa.
He received the Episcopal confirmation in Philadelphia from Archbishop
Ryan last October, Bishop Donahue of Wheeling preaching the sermon.
Letter of the Right Rev. John A. O'Gorman, C. S. Sp.,
To The Reverend James A. Walsh,
Diocesan Director of the Society for the Propagation of the FaiHh
in Boston,
Sierra Leone, Freetown, April 4, 1904.
Bev. and Dear Sir — Just one word to-day to thank you for your
kind letter and to assure }^u that I shall be very happy indeed to
comply with your wishes as to Mission news and photographs. I
was in the hospital when your letter reached me, but have since left
it. A bilious fever within my first two months seems to show that
I am beginning to be ac<5limated. I'm not anxious to take the next
step any sooner than I must, however.
Since my arrival I have been able to see nearly all our stations,
in fact all but one, and to form some idea of the state of the Mission.
Our work is extremely hard, harder, I think, than almost any mis-
sion in Africa. Such, too, seems to be the opinion of the Fathers
from other missions, who frequently call at Freetown, as nearly all
the boats stop here. The climate is very treacherous, the language
of the interior diflBcult and changing within small areas, means of
travel very expensive, resources limited. Add to this that the colony
proper (population of about 100,000) is nominally Protestant, in
reality, as far as morals go, worse than the pagans of the interior.
The Protectorate, according to those best informed, contains a popu-
206
MISSION NOTES AND NEWS
lation of two and a half to three millions, a much higher figure than
is usually given, but one based on the returns from the hut-tax and con-
sequently trustworthy enough. This" population is pagan for the
most part, very degraded and not very responsive to the efforts of
the missionaries.
Still, thank God, we certainly are succeeding beyond all expecta-
tions. Our Christians are to be found everywhere along the coast
and up the rivers, and we have a Catholic population numbering
Bishop O'Gokman, Mission abies and Native Chbistians.
about 3000. This number would be twice, possibly three times as
large, were it not that the Sierra Leonean is such an inveterate trader
and traveller.
We have two Protestant American missionary societies here, the
United Brethren, who have a number of missions in the Protecto-
rate (they are here since 1857), and the African Methodist Episco-
pal Society. I wish we were half as well supplied with funds as
either; we could then have three times the number of children we
have.
I am sending you this time two photographs taken recently dur-
ing my visit to St. Joseph's, Mobay Island. I am afraid the cos-
MISSION NOTES AND NEWS
207
tumes of the school children are rather too sumptuous. I don't
know where Father Shields, the father in charge of the station, got
so many shirts; I certainly shouldn't have expected to see so many
after my experience there.
While in Sherbro I visited the tomb of a namesake of vours. Father
A School House in Sierra Leone.
John Walsh, a Pittsburg boy and an old pupil of mine, who died
three years ago within three months of his arrival in the colony.
Believe me. Reverend and Dear Father,
Very sincerely yours in Christ,
+ John A. O'Gorman, C. S. Sp.
RELIGIOUS STATISTICS OF THE WORLD
The German edition of the weekly bulletin of the Society for the
Propagation of the Faith, die Katholischen Missionen, of Friebourg,
has recently published a sketch of a very interesting study by a
Jesuit priest. Father Krose, on the most important systems of re-
ligion at the close of the nineteenth centurj'.
According to this eminent religious, there are 550,000,000 of
Christians in the world and one thousand millions of non-Christians.
208 MISSION NOTES AND NEWS
Of the 550 millions of Christians, 374 are found in Europe, 134
in America, 29 in Asia, 8 in Africa and 4 in Oceanica.
Europe 177,657,261
America 71,330,879
Asia 11.513,276
Africa 3,004,563
Oceanica 979,943
ProtoiUnti
97,293,434
62,556.967
Orthodox Or««ka
97,059,645
OrlenUlH
220,394
1,926.108
1,663.341
3,187,259
12,034,149
53,479
2.726.053
3.608.466
166,627,109
109,147,272
6.554.913
Total 264,505,922
The term Protestants includes all the members of from 500 to 700
different denominations.
The non-Christian population is divided into:
Jews 11,037,000
Mohammedans 202,048,240
Brahmins or Hindus 210,100,000
Old Indian Cults 12,113,766
Buddhists 120,250,000
Disciples of Confucius and Huo Worshippers 253,000,000
Taoists 32,000,000
Shintoists 17,000,000
Fetichists and other pagans 144,700,000
Other religions 2,814,482
Of the total population of the globe, 1539 million souls, according
to Yuraschke, 35.7 per cent are Christians, 13.1 per cent Mohamme-
dans, 7-10 per cent Jews; 762,102,000 are monotheists; 776,000,000
polytlieists. Nearly half of the world's population believe in the
unity of God.
Comparing one religion with another, we find that the Catholic
Church, with 264,505,922 adherents, has the largest number of mem-
bers, and is the most widely extended. Nearly half the total num-
ber of Christians, i. e., 43.2 per cent, and more than one-sixth of the
world's population profess the Catholic religion. The Catholic re-
ligion is one, not split up into an infinity of sects, like Protestantism,
Mohammedanism and Buddhism. Despite all the attacks of its ene-
mies, the Catholic Church at the close of the nineteenth century is
spread all over the world and alone merits the name of catholic or
universal.
SPECIAL DONATIONS
Received since the May- June Number.
For Bishop O'Reilly, Baker City.
Mr. F. Harper (Diocese of Brooklyn) $10.00
For Bishop Chatron, P. F. M., Osaka.
Per Rev. J. A. Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 11.00
For the Education or an Ecclesiastical Student in the
Seminary of Canton, China (for one year).
Rev. P. Blake (Diocese of San Francisco) 125.00
For Father Corre's Leper Mission, Japan.
Rev. S. M. Lvons (Diocese of Trenton) 3.00
Rev. T. S. O'Reilly (Diocese of Brooklyn) 10.00
Rev. A. Tyszka (Diocese of Pittsburg) 2.00
Per Rev. E. L. Lemkes (Diocese of St. Louis) 10.00
Rev. 0. Derethal, 0. F. M. (Diocese of La Crosse) 3.25
Miss M. Anderson (Diocese of Louisville) 1.00
For Father Courbis, 0. M. L, Saskatchewan.
Per Rev. J. A. Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 10.00
For Father Bruck, 0. M. I., Saskatchewan.
Per Rev. E. L. Lemkes (Diocese of St. I^ouis) 5.00
For Father Delore, S. J. Liban.
Per Rev. J. A. Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 2.00
Per Rev. T. Finn (Diocese of Chicago) 5.00
For Father Dupe, 0. M. I., Athabaska.
Mr. F. Harper (Diocese of Brooklyn) 10.00
For Father Lecorre, 0. M. L, Saskatchewan.
Rev. H. Nelles, S. J. (Diocese of Cleveland) 3.10
For Father Luchesi, S. J., Alaska.
Per Rev. J. A. Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 10.00
For Father Walter, Japan.
Mr. F. Harper (Diocese of Brooklyn) 10.00
For Father Westropp, S. J., South Dakota.
Mr. F. Harper (Diocese of Brooklyn) 10.00
For Mother M. Paul, Uganda.
Per Rev. J. A. Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 1.00
Per. Rev. J. J. Dunn (Diocese of Xew York) 64.25
For the Redemption of Chinese Children.
* Per Rev. L. E. Lemkes (Diocese of St. Ijouis) 10.00
For Missions in Tongking.
Per Rev. J. A. Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 3.00
For Indian and Negro Missions.
Per Rev. J. A. Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 3.00
Total $321.G0
209
\rrvrr\
li
Wi
M
Wl{
OBITUARY
The following deceased persons are commended to the charitable
prayers of our Associates:
The Most Rev. Mgr. Emmanuelian, Armenian Patriarch; The
Eight Eev. Mgr. Fee, Bishop of Malacca; The Right Rev. Gau-
DENZio BoNFiGLi, Vicar Apostolic of Egypt; The Right Rev. Mgr.
Philippe, Titular Bishop of Lari; The Rev. J. C. Pernot, Director
of the Seminary for Foreign Missions of Paris; The Rev. Peter P.
Mazuret, Diocese of Little Rock.
Miss Mary Fitzmaurice, Diocese of Hartford.
Mr. Aug. Peter Wittemann, Diocese of Detroit.
Mrs. Mary Wall, Diocese of Nesqually.
Mrs. N. Roberts, Diocese of Kansas City.
Mrs. Bridget O'Connor, Diocese of Milwaukee.
Mr. John Steinford, Diocese of Concordia.
Of the Archdiocese of Boston the following: Mr. Patrick Burns, Mr.
Maurice Hern, Mr. Edward Hern, Miss Cecilia Hern, Mr. Maurice Llhrof,
Mr. Benjamin. Proctor, Mr. Joseph Cunningham, Mr. William Colposrs,
Miss Ellen Kelley, Miss Mary McDonald, Mr. Matthew Rogers, Mr. Michael
Tierney, Mr. James Hartnett, Mr. Frederick Dandley, Mr. Patrick Reddy,
Miss Margaret Guider, Miss Mary Feeney, Mr. Patrick Feeney, Mr. Patrick
Gorman, Miss Catherine Gorman, Mr. Daniel Buckley, Mrs. Jane Scully,
Mrs. Alice Delaney, Miss Ellen Buckley, Mr. William Buckley, Mr. Patrick
Buckley, Mrs. Julia Fahey, Mrs. Bridget Horrigan, Mr. John Keough, Mr.
Patrick Reilly, Mr. James Slamin, Mrs. Hannah Grady, Mr. Thomas Fahey,
Mr. Thomas Sullivan, Mrs. Callahan, Miss Ann Norton, Mrs. Myers, Mrs.
Mary Mahoney, Mr. John C. Driscoll, Mr. Nicholas Mullen, Mr. Luke C.
Fardy, Miss Hannah L. Fardy, Mr. William Seegraeber, Mrs. Myers, Mrs.
Mary Buckley, Mrs. Ellen Mongeau, Miss Jeanette Duffy, Mr. Timothy
O'Brien, Miss Ann Norton, Mrs. Mary Mooney, Mrs. P. Kearney, Mr. Michael
Boland, Miss Julia Boland, Dr. Michael Hines, Mrs. Margaret Murphy, Mrs.
Joanna Harrigan, Mr. Henry Cunningham, Miss Mary Mooney, Mr. Francis
Lundergan, Mr. Patrick Lawless, Miss Catherine Lawless, Mr. Edward
Medley, Mrs. Margaret Sweeney, Miss Mary K. Ryan, Miss Margaret Lane,
Mr. Michael Lane, Mr. John P. Punch, Mr. William Mangan, Miss Mary
Daley, Mr. Hugh O'Brien, Miss Mary Nolan, Miss Amelia Le Blanc.
(We shall be glad to recommend the names of all deceased
Associates whose names are sent us to the prayers of our
readers.)
210
WANTED!!
MORE NEW PROMOTERS,
MORE NEW MEMBERS,
THE SOCIETY FOR THE PROPAGATION OP
THE FAITH.
We want a few Tromoters in every pari:ih iii Lh€
UPBTED ST ATESL
A Promoter is one who oideavof^ to eiilist at least nim new mctntKr^ ^^''T*-
-cribing aut kss limn five cents nionlhly.
We gladly supply Promoters with cards, certificales and copies of the
Ann A I ^^ 'MT TiiE Propagation of the Faith.
AMfts^i Sockty Im the Pfopagaticm of the Faiths
627 Lexington Avenue, NEW YORK CITY.
"Eteubtless ttic good-will of Catholics, even if separate
and singly they show themselves liberal fa gifts^ will con-
tribute much to make the light of the Gospel shine upon
those who do not as yet belfcve; but nothing will be of
greater profit than the organization among Catholics of
bands of ten according to the very wise mrthods of the
Society for the Propagation of the Faith/*
POPE PIUS X
55^
ANNALS
OF THE PROPAGATION
OF THE FAITH
GO YB INTO THE WHOLE WORLD AND
PR£ACH THE GOSPEL TO EVERY CHEATVIB
BALTIMORE, Mb.
»'^
-■<?■- -
CONTENTS. .
PAOa
THE SOCIETIES OF CATHOLIC iNISSIONS.--ll ArtleU 211
The Society of Foreign INIssions of Parle Sll
Missions in Asia.
Iao9.— Letter of Father Bourlet 920
Socialism in X^os.— Curious Details Concerning the Rights of
Property,
Missions in Africa.
Gabon. — Letter of Father Jeanroy 225
Abandoned Children.— Apprentices in Libreville.
Northern Myanza.—\M»T of Father Moullec 280
A Year's Record of the Mission of Mitaia Maria.
Missions in America.
Southern Patagonia.—XMw of Dom Borgateilo 280
A Trip into Magellan.
Letter of Dom del Turco 240
The Onas of Tierra del Fuego.
News of the Missions.
EUROPE.
Homage to Missionaries 248
The New Superior of the Seminary of Foreign Missions In Paris 248
ASIA.
The New Bishop of Colmbatore 244
The Christian Pariahs of Madras 244
A Typhoon In Cochin China 246
Flowers of Martyrdom in Mongolia 246
AFRICA.
Abyssinia.^ kn Appeal from Beyond the Tomb •. . . 247
The Persecution in Galias 248
Rebuilding of the Missions of Deldna 249
The Mission of Zagnandado (Dahomey) 249
The Mission of the Fails..... 250
The Mission of Rwanda 251
OCEANICA.
The Church of the Valley of the Colonies (New Caledonia) 251
Death of the Old Minister of King George of Tonga 252
Progress of the Catholic Faith In Cook Archipelago 268
DESTINATION OF MISSIONARIES 254
Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals*
EDITORIAL 255
France and the M lesions 25 5
Martyrdom of a Bishop 255
Feast of St. Francis Xavler 256
MISSION NOTES AND NEWS 267
Saskatchewan (Canada) .—-A New Mission at Saskatoon 257
Letter of Father Querin, I. M. 1 257
Letters from an Anglican Nun 260
SPECIAL DONATIONS 268
OBITUARY 264
Bntered at the Post Office, Baltimore, Md., as Second Class Matter.
/
l"^ SEP 26 1904 .'':
OFTHB
Propagation of the Faith
Vol. LXVII, No. 456. Septembek-Octobeb, 1904.
THE SOCIETY OF FOREIGN MISSIONS
OF PARIS
In our last number we announced that each future issue would contain
an account of the purpose, the territory of evangelization, and the labors
and trials of the different missionary societies. The article on the Fathers
of the Holy Ghost was published in July.
The Society of Foreign Missions, founded by Bishops Pallu and
Motte-Lambert in the years 1658-1663, dates back to the great reign
of Louis XIV.
Bishop Pallu was appointed by the Sovereign Pontiflf, Alexander
VII, vicar apostolic of Tonkin and administrator of the provinces of
Yun-nan, Kni-chau, Hou-kouang, Su-chnan and Kwang-si, in China,
as well as of Laos. Bishop de la Motte-Lambert, vicar apostolic of
Cochin China, received the administration of the Chinese provinces
of Sze-kiang, Pokien, Kuang-tung, and Kiang-si and the island of
Hainan.
A third bishop was placed in charge of the vicariate apostolic of
Nanking and administered the Chinese provinces of Pe-tche-li, Chan-si
and Shantung, besides Tartary and Korea.
Leaving France for their respective missions in 1660-1662, they
• traversed Persia and' India on foot.
The aim of the new society was to evangelize infidel countries, found-
ing churches by the formation of a native clergy governed either by
foreign or native bishops. As soon as its growth permitted, a house
was established in 1663 by the priests whom the vicars apostolic had
named their procurators.
From here, charitable offerings were sent to help on the work of
the bishops, and at the same time the institution served as a sem-
inary where young priests were educated for their apostolic calling.
211
212 THE SOCIETY OF FOKEIGN MISSIONS OF PARIS
The institution is, and has always been, situated in Paris, rue du Bac.
Known since its foundation as the Seminary of Foreign Missions, it
received the approval of Pope Alexander VII, and the legal recognition
by the French Government which it enjoys even at the present day.
•J-
The nature and the organization of the Society deserve special
mention.
The Society of Foreign Missions is neither a religious order nor a
congregation, but a society of secular priests united as members to a
body. They are not bound by vows but simply follow a rule, conform-
able to the aim of the Society, approved by the Holy See, the com-
munity and the Seminary of Foreign Missions, the central point of
the association and the common institution which unites its branches.
Upon entering the Society, the members promise to devote their
whole lives to the service of the missions, and are assured on the
part of the Society of the means of sanctification and perseverance
and all the necessary helps and assistance for their temporal support.
There is no superior general; the bishops, vicars apostolic, superi-
ors of the missions and the council of the directors of the seminary
are the superiors. The directors are chosen from among the mis-
sionaries and each group of missions is represented by one member.
The bishops and vicars apostolic are appointed by the Sovereign
Pontiff upon presentation by the directors of the seminary after elec-
tion by the missionaries; on their missions they are subject only to
the Propaganda and through it to the Sovereign Pontiff.
No one can be admitted to the seminary under the age of thirty-five
and no one is eligible to membership in the Society until he has spent
three years in missionary work. Some of the regulations have ob-
tained since the first years of the Society's existence; others have
been framed from time to time, as necessity demanded.
From the date of its origin the Society of Foreign Missions has had
for its general and exclusive aim the apdstolate in foreign missions;
for its special purpose, clearly defined, the formation of native clergy.
This double purpose has remained unchanged for two centuries and
a half. All applicants received in the Seminary of Foreign Missions
are wholly and exclusively devoted to the service of the missions
among infidel peoples. Following these rules, the Society has thrived
and developed the great outlines of its history.
This history is divided into three periods. The first, 1658-1700,
THE SOCIETY OP FOREIGN MISSIONS OP PARIS
213
corhprismg the origin and organization of the Society, extends a few
years beyond the life of the first vicars apostolic, whose influence was
felf by all the members.
The principal events of this epoch are the publication of the book.
Apostolic Institutions, containing, in embryo, the principles of mle;
the confirmation of the powers of vicars apostolic continually threat-
ened by the Portuguese; the increase of powers given to the same
Bishop Pallu.
Bishop De La Motte Lambebt.
vicars apostolic. These received jurisdiction over the kingdom of
Siam, whose geographical site and political and religious position
allowed the bishops a central point of action; the foundation of a
general seminary in Juthia, Siam; the evangelization of Tonkin,
Cochin China, Cambodia and Siam, where more than 40,000 souls were
baptized; the creation of a religious institution in Annam under the
title of Lovers of the Cross; the establishment of rules among cate-
chists; the ordination of thirty native priests; the consecration of
one native bishop ; the appointment of Bishops Pallu and de la Motte-
Lambert as general administrators of the missions; the discussion of
214 THE SOCIETY OF FOREIGN MISSIONS OF PARIS
rites; creation of new vicariates apostolic in Tonkin and China; and,
finally, the constitution (1700).
Besides these facts of a purely religious order, there are others of a
political nature. Brisker traffic was fostered between Indo-China,
India and Europe; more friendly relations established between Siam
and foreign powers; embassadors sent to different points and treaties
signed.
The most important work, however, of the vicars apostolic and the
Society of Foreign Missions is the successful application of the prin-
ciple to establish churches by means of native priests and bishops.
The apostolate in its progressive march has followed this plan in all
quarters of the globe with rigorous fidelity and increasing success.
The second period extends from the composition of the constitution,
in 1700, to the foundation of the Propagation of the Faith in 1822.
The first part of the eighteenth century was marked by no special
event. Siam, Cochin China and Tonkin were evangelized, and in
China the provinces of Sze-chuan, Yun-nan and Kui-chau. The So-
ciety took an active part in the agitation of the question of rites in
China and defended the order which Benedict XIV subsequently
declared should be followed. War broke out in Siam and several
persecutions raged in Indo-China and China, aggravating the diffi-
culties of a position already hard to deal with, because of the small
number of missionaries.
In the second half of the eighteenth century the Society was placed
in charge of the Jesuit missions in India. Two noted prelates, Bish-
ops Pettier and Dufresse, made their strong influence felt, particularly
in Sze-chuan. In Cochin China, Bishop Pigneau, of Behaine, ren-
dered an important service to the king of that coimtry by negotiating
a treaty with France.
The struggles of the Revolution prevented the recruiting of mission-
aries, but otherwise had no effect upon the missions. The Seminary
in France was sold and confiscated. Eebought by the directors, all its
rights were restored by Napoleon. Closed again in 1809, it was re-
opened with the authorization of the government of Louis XVIII.
•I-
The third periods begins in 1822. Since then until the present day,
that is to say, for eighty-two years, the situation of missions has be-
come more and more promising despite the disasters from which they
have suffered.
THB SOOIBTY OF FOBEIGN MISiSIONS OF PARIS 215
Churches are built, the ntunber of bishops is multiplied, and priests
abound, together with martyrs; prisons overflow with captives and
convents are filled with religious, seminaries with Levites; Christians
are proscribed and conversions swell in number; immense progress
and prodigious misfortunes, signal triumphs, unheard-of disasters, the
most unexpected events — all succeeded one another in quick succes-
sion, promoting the most brilliant and marvelous progress of the
missions.
Several causes contributed to this development. We shall not speak
of divine grace, the true and, in one sense, the only cause, but of the
human agencies that God has made use of and which the eye can see.
The first is the charity manifested by the Society for the Propaga-
tion of the Faith. Founded in 1822, this association has established
a permanent collection of voluntary alms in all Christian countries,
assuring the missionary of the " apostles^ mantle and the black bread
of the prophet,*^ preparing a shelter for him and giving him a tomb.
The second cause of progress is persecution. Excepting fifteen mis-
sionaries imprisoned or beheaded during the seventeenth, the eighteenth
and the beginning of the nineteenth century, all the martyrs of the
Society of Foreign Missions, and their number is great, nearly one
hundred, have suffered since 1822. We refer only to missionaries;
were we to count all the native priests, catechists and religious, in a
word, all who have borne testimony to Jesus Christ, we should have
the most bloody chronicle recorded in centuries.
4*
At the recital of the sufferings and triumphs of martyrs in Cochin
China, Tonkin, China and Korea, noble hearts have been filled with
enthusiasm and envy. They understood how beautiful and how good a
thing it is to shed the last drop of the heart's blood for Jesus Christ,
their King, their God, the Crucified on Calvary. Full of courage, they
succeeded one another to fall in turn under the executioner's blow;
others followed, proving the deep meaning of Tertullian's words,
" The blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians.'*
For 164 years, 1658-1822, the Society for Foreign Missions sent
out only 287 missionaries to the Far East; from 1822 to 1903, in-
clusive, it sent out 2330. Charity had furnished the resources; perse-
cution, the missionaries ; and science annihilated distance, facilitating
communications which commerce developed.
Politics gained the liberty which preachers of the Word required.
In the name of industry, commerce, national honor, humani^ and
216
THE SOOIBTY OF FOREIGN MISSIONS OF PABIS
Teligion, Europe took up arms against the Far East; China was over-
come, Annam conquered and Korea and Japan opened to foreigners.
..4 '^''^"\
<9
s
H
QQ
OB
(14
Priests and bishops of the Foreign Missions assisted in acquiring the
useful and glorious privilege of protecting the liberty of the apostolate.
Bishop Lefebvre exerted his efforts in Cochin China, Father Jeannin
THE SOCIETY Ot FOBEION MISSIONS OF PAEI8 217
labored in Cambodia, whilst Bishop Pngnier became celebrated for his
success in Tonkin.
These are the general causes of the progress of the Society and mis-
sions under its charge during the present century. The development
is effected in three ways: by the divisions of older and the creation
of newer missions and by the founding of numerous institutions.
The following comparative statistics for 1822, 1860 and 1904
speak for themselves.
1822 1860 1904
Missions 5 22 32
Bishops 6 21 35
Missionaries 27 230 1,280 •
Native Priests 135 300 639
Seminaries 9 11 38
Colleges . . 53
Schools . . 3,390
Hospitals . . 52
There is still an immense amount of work to do and yet the results
obtained are very consoling.
1800-1850 1850-1904.
Baptized Adults 250,000 984,616
Baptized Children 8,244,780 9,260,667
4-
The progress of the Society has necessitated institutions that were
not required in the past. A sanatarium for missionaries has been
built in Hong Kong; another in India on the Nilgiris mountains of
smiling aspect and strengthening atmosphere.
The needs of the soul have not been forgotten in the care of the
body. A house for spiritual retreat has been established in Hong
Eong where all priests of the Society can go to renew their fervor for
their sacerdotal and apostolic duties. A printing establishment has
been annexed which publishes the most beautiful books in the Par
East — dictionaries, grammars, works on theology, doctrine and peda-
gogics and books of piety.
Aspirants to the Seminary are more namerous than ever. In 1822,
there were only three or four; in 1850, thirty or forty; in 1904, more
than 250. The seminary in Paris has become too small for their
accommodation, so one has been established in Bievres (near Paris),
where students spend two years in studying philosophy.
4-
218 Tflfi SOCtfitT Of fORElGl^ MISSIONS OF 1»AR1S
This multiplication of institutions seems a rapid work in writing
of such details, but in point of fact, progress is slow for the want of
resources. The Seminary and the Society have no other resource than
the alms of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. The state-
ment seems odd, but can easily be proved. Its archbishops and
bishops are at the head of their missions often disturbed by persecu-
tions; its priests live in the large cities of China and the forests of
Laos, Siam, Tonkin, India, etc.; its directors at the Seminary are
occupied solely with the training of young Levites for the apostolate.
Understanding the state of the case, several persons have decided upon
furnishing an effective remedy as far as charity permits; a beneficial
society for the purpose has been founded with the approval of one of
the directors; it bears the title of Association of Departing Mission-
aries, the name by which young missionaries are known.
4-
To conclude this incomplete sketch, we shall mention the missions
in charge of the Society. Four are in French and English India:
Pondicherry, Mayssour, Coimbatour and Kumbakonam. In some
parts of these missions, conversions are numerous. The question of
education is everywhere to the front, and the large colleges with hun-
dreds and hundreds of pupils require a large personnel^ active and
intelligent.
In eastern Indo-China, the missions of Malacca and northern and
southern Burma, there are prosperous charitable institutions, particu-
larly the leper hospitals in Mandalay and Rangoon. The struggle not
only against paganism, but against Protestantism, is being carried on
with success.
In Siam and Laos, with their various tribes, conditions are much
more hopeful than could have been at first expected.
French Indo-China, together with Cochin China and Tonkin, so
long the classic lands of martyrs, and Cambodia, so long in stubborn
resistance against apostolic infiuence, possess the largest number of
native clergy of all the missions, a people easily governed, closely
settled Christian districts, flourishing under a regime of liberty,
which, alas ! unwise laws and prejudice are tending to restrict.
In China the Society is in charge of the vast and populous provinces
of Sze-chuan, Kui-chau, Kwang-tung, Kwang-si, Yun-nan and Man-
churia, the scene of such stirring events.
To the west of China, the mysterious region of Thibet in the iron
grip of its lamas occupies the attention of missionaries; in all proba-
THE SOCIETY OP FOREIGN MISSIONS OF PARIS
219
bility England will succeed in opening this country to foreign influ-
ence; to the north, Korea still resounds with the clanking of the
chains of its martyrs — bishops, priests and laity. Finally, the So-
ciety has succeeded in evangelizing four dioceses in Japan, the coun-
try which has thrown itself heart and soul into our material civiliza-
tion, making a study of German philosophy, French socialism and
American enterprise, manifesting to the astonished eyes of the old
worid what patriotism can do when it is keyed to a high pitch.
4*
Such is the field of action in which all talents may develop, all
manifestations of charity be displayed, all degrees of zeal gain the
victories which faith dreams of for the Church of God — the field in
which love of country acts hand in hand with love of God. If the
past be any guarantee of the future, the Society of Foreign Missions
may hope successfully to continue the work so clearly allotted to it
by Providence.
MISSIONS IN ASIA
VICARIATE APOSTOLIC OF LAOS
To respond to the desire of a number of our readers, we shall, whenever
possible, publish articles upon general subjects. We shall, of course, give
the most space to letters of a religious character, sweet nourishment for
pious souls. At the same time, we take great pleasure in publishing
studies like the following written for the Annals.
Socialism in Laos
By Father Bourlet,
Of the Society of Foreign Missions,
We do not wish to offend the ardent advocates of social evolution,
but the doctrine promises no progress for humanity; on tlie contrary,
any such movement is retrogressive. It would be a useful lesson
for any disciple of the doctrine to study it among the people where
its maxims obtain. Laos, at least the region of hua phan thang hok,
it seems to me is a fine country for such a study.
Laos, with forests of undergrowth and
Property in Laos.— towering trees, presents scenery similar to
Official Divisions. ^^ i. - t^ mi. xl i. t
that in Europe. There is a true chaos of
mountains, separated by narrow valleys at the bottom of which tor-
rents break into foamy cascades. Sometimes, when the torrent abates
and becomes a mere river, the valley spreads out into a small plain
turned into rice fields ; these are separated by ridges of earth to retain
the fertilizing waters. Close by, often on a hill side, the village is
built with houses of bamboo.
There is no landed proprietor; the whole country belongs to the
king and his subjects are only tenants. The ground is distributed
among those who, having saved a sufficient sum of money or rendered
880
LAOS 221
many signal seryices^ nnderstand how to make themaelves masters.
Each phanha^ or tenant, and chief of a proyince considers himself
a master, and distributes all unclaimed ground to the highest bidder.
The possessor takes the title of pho ban (father of the village) and
proceeds to build his village. He selects his council from among
his most intelligent friends of noble birth; these are the thao hou.
Gradually other families of humbler caste settle in the neighborhood;
they form the laboring class and thus the village is established.
Every year, during working time, the drum sounds in the evening
from the house of the pho ban; each inhabitant advances slowly,
torch in hand, and seats himself in silence at the hearth in the
center of the hut. Council is held for the distribution of the rice
fields in the plains, and each man has a voice; the most insignificant
has a right to express his opinion. Lots are usually distributed in
proportion to the size of families and the number of persons dependent
upon them. The portion reserved for the pho ban is a little larger
than that for the thao kou, which is again larger than that of the
people. Very often lots change hands, so each in turn receives good
and bad ground.
4*
The rice fields on the plains alone are subject to this division. The
mountain country is the great granary; any one has the right to
claim ground as he pleases. As soon as a site in the forest has been
selected, bamboo stakes mark oflE the place along the boundary line;
the upper stalks of the bamboo are split and the tops bent over and
fastened into the ground around the base. This implies the act of
possession and informs passers-by that the ground has an owner. The
proprietor clears his land of trees and brush, which he burns, and
plants in their stead rice, com or manioc.
The mountain farmers are usually poor men that do not own even
a buffalo. A hatchet and an axe, most primitive implements, costing
a few cents, are all they have to work with. Naturally their duties
are less onerous than those of the residents of the plain.
4-
The cares of a village are various: When
Village Customs.— a stranger of noble birth passes through, he is
n'ative Hospitality. furnished not only with water, fire and a
shelter for the night, but also with rice, a
chicken or a pig, according to his rank. For these offerings the whole
village is assessed.
222 MISSIOKS IK ASU
Hospitality is never refused, even to the most humble traveler.
He receives a warm welcome at any fireside and a place at the family
table is reserved for him at dinner. Like Ruth, he takes what is
his without saying a word. During the silence, almost religious,
which is observed at meals, he takes his fish with chopsticks and the
rice, served in a dish of bamboo, in his fingers. Some day, in his turn,
he himself will oflfer the same hospitality to any stranger who may
come to him.
Besides the statute labor and taxes imposed by the government,
' an additional demand is made by a chief when he begins to till his
fields or when he builds a new house. In a general council held at
the home of the pho ban, the work is divided among all the inhabi-
tants; a time of preparation is fixed, the materials are made ready
and when all is done and the day arrives for the rice to be harvested
or the new dwelling to be raised, the chief, in his turn, furnishes the
laborers with food. In proportion to the importance of the labor
performed, the repast consists of pigs or buffaloes, with copious
draughts of rice water. It sometimes happens that a neighbor is
unable to perform a long and painful piece of work ; in that case an ,
appeal to his '^ brethren,^' as the inhabitants call one another, is
made, but he himself must defray the costs of the dinner.
4*
Not only ground and public charges come under conmiunity rule;
natural produce is also divided. The hunter who has watched nearly
a whole night for a deer to leave the thicket to drink, leaves his game
on the spot where it was killed until morning, so that each one may take
his share. The village is represented by tMae member from each family.
The animal is hastily skinned and cut to pieces, the hunter receiving
one-half; the other half is divided in proportion to the number of
families.. The pho ban and his thao kous receive each a leg and a
steak; in the evening the successful hunter furnishes a common
repast to which his guests bring the rice.
Some unknown ancestor may, in times past, have planted an orange
or a fig tree. When the fruit is ripe, or nearly so, the chou koti, an
oflScial corresponding to a mayor, collects the fruit and divides it ac-
cording to the number of families.
The torrent itself, or rather those parts where fish abound, are also
divided; each fisherman within his own limits can contentedly ply
his industry without fear that either of his neighbors will dare to
interfere with him by thro /ing a line in his way.
LAOS 223
The chief has charge of all clothing and is obliged to impose a fine
upon any one who appropriates what another has received.
4-
It was night and Thiem was anxious to forget the cares of exist-
ence in a few draughts of opium; but there was no more grease to
feed his lamp. A small pot served as a pipe.
Thiem had stretched himself before his window, a hole made in
the wall, and noticed a small piece of round furniture under his
neighbor's house. It was the chicken coop. Ah ! if he only had a
few eggs, he could, by a process known to himself, easily extract from
them an inflammable liquid. Of course, it would be better, but when
no oil was to be obtained he could easily satisfy himself with this
substitute.
Slipping quietly down his ladder, he sneaked into his neighbor's
quarters and thrust a trembling hand into the nest when —
'* What are you doing there, thief ? "
There was no chance of escape; the proprietor had caught Thiem
in the act.
" Come, follow me ; the chief shall be judge."
Thiem obeyed without a murmur. The notables met and, whilst
smoking their pipes, slowly and gravely discussed the gravity of the
offense, reminding the culprit of their usages and customs. For this
time the court would be lenient. The price of pardon was fixed at
one pig and a jug of wine. The next day the feast was served to
the village, the wine was drunk and Thiem was restored to grace.
Theft is Useless.- Before the introduction of the use of
Interesting Features, opii^m, theft was almost unknown in Laos.
—Conclusion.— Cases are still rare. Why should any one
Encouragement to steal when anything is to be had for the ask-
Idleness. jj^g^ ^ ^.jj^ following incident proves:
A year is a long time and harvests ripen
slowly. The last gathering is but a memory and ingenuity must
devise means of subsistence. Wild roots and sago are food, of course,
but ....
One evening a young man who had visited a neighboring village
returned with a great piece of news. Kham had rice; he harvested
early. Surely there were reasons for asking him for some.
The next day the house of poor Kham was surrounded by his rela-
tives, his brethren ; he could not refuse them a few handf uls of rice.
When he would be without it, then would not everybody be ready to
come to his rcKef ?
224 MISSIONS IN ASIA
Kham yielded; such was the custom, and who can act contrary to
custom? The great news, however, spread, and, after relatives and
brethren had been satisfied, strangers came to buy rice. Could Kham
refuse to sell? But the buyers staid one day, two days, and hospi-
tality must be extended, so Kham continued to give.
A man, poorly clad, presented himself after the others had left
and timidly offered his mite for a measure of rice to satisfy his chil-
dren, crying for hunger. Alas ! they could not live on sago. Kham
was a man of generous heart and so he gave the poor, miserable man
a large quantity of rice for a little money, and he left in good cheer,
proclaiming the liberality of his benefactor.
"What! ^las.he given more to you than to us? Is your wine
better than ours ? No, we will not suffer such an injury ! ^' And so
all the others returned in a body, demanding restitution for having
paid too much for their rice. They deserved as much pity as any
one else. Poor E3iam continued to yield in virtue of Socialism.
The religious observance of these customs naturally suppresses all
forms of begging. For any one to ask a neighbor for corn or rice
when provisions are exhausted is not begging, but simply claiming a
common right. Moreover, those who ask always accompany their
petition with some present of other produce — ^tea leaves gathered the
night before, fish caught in the morning, etc. As small as a present
may be, it is always considered more precious than money.
Nevertheless, it is a proven fact that socialism, even in its milder
forms, engenders idleness. SuflScient rice for the year satisfies amf)i-
tion. Why should any one work hard? A few hours^ labor in the
morning during the summer; hewing a few trees for the winter if
the weather is not too severe; that is enough. It is so sweet to
lounge at home on a mat when the sun is scorching without; so
agreeable to smoke a pipe, watching the sparks fly from great logs of
wood whilst the wind roars without.
How long will this condition of affairs last? Who can prophesy
the end? Let us hope that we shall be able to make our Catholics
of Laos understand the usefulness of labor; that it will develop the
rich resources of their now almost fruitless country, and, above all,
that it is conformable to the law of God, healthy for body and soul
and instrximental in developing our best energies.
MISSIONS IN AFRICA
VICARIATE APOSTOLIC OF GABON
The Mission of Libreville
Among the numerous missions creatM during the nineteenth century on
the vast continent of Africa, the oldest is that of Gabon. It was founded in
1844' by an humble and zealous missionary of the Congregation of the
Holy Ghost, Bishop Jean Remi Bessieux, who became its first vicar apos-
tolic and died in the odor of sanctity after long and fruitful labors.
Under the name of the two Guineas, this mission comprises the largest
part of the western coast of Africa.
The immense territory is subdiyided into twenty-five distinct missions,
established, successively, as new missionaries arrived to give their life to
the great work of evangelizing the black race. The mission of Gabon
occupies a central location and is making steady progress, its twelve
principal stations are uniting numerous groups of Christians and cate-
chumens.
The following letter has been received from the very cradle of the
mission, Libreville, and discloses the devotion of missionaries and their
neophytes.
Letter of Father Jeanroy, C. S. Sp.
It was evening. We were quietly walk-
Abandoned Children,- ^^S along the shores of Libreville, speaking
A Mother's Death. of the joys and sorrows of the day, for joys
and sorrows there had been, when Father
Gautier suddenly stopped :
"What are we going to do with the twenty-five dollars that have
just been received irom home?''
Twenty-five dollars ! A fortune for a missionary I When such an
offering comes from home, a greater feeling of joy fills the heart and
a thousand memories rush to the lips.
" But what are we going to do with the money? If we give them
to Michael, do you think he will be able finally to pay his wife's
dowry? Shall we repair the glass of the chapel? Shall we provide
225
226 MISSIONS IN AFRICA - ^
a bed in the hospital for the poor old man whose leg must eventually
be cut off? Shall we take in three more children? Shall we station
a catechist in such or such a village? Shall we .... ^^ In the
meantime night came on, and we were obliged to go home.
" To-morrow, father, we shall decide how to put this immense for-
tune, these millions for the congregation, to some reasonable use.'^
Our angel of good counsel visited us during the night under the
guide of old Oroungou. These are his words :
" Minisse, I am a pagan, but they tell me that you all are men of
God, come to do good to the blacks. I have come from the other
country where the sun sinks into the sea. For two days my boat
wandered. Alas! the first day my wife, who acGompir.i'd nic. ^ave
birth to a child and then .... she is dead. I threw her body into
the sea and kept the child ! How can it live by sucking sugar cane ?
I do not know any one in Libreville ; I am a stranger, almost a slave
of the Mpongwes. Minisse, you are good, take my child; I do not
want it to die; take it; I give it to you."
How could I resist such a petition?
" I will take it," I replied.
One hour later Sister Saint Charlos numbered one patient more in
her hospital and old Oroungon went back to his boat drying his tears.
The first thought was given to tlio soul of the little one, and we bap-
tized it, saying: "Soon ^larie Leon will be chanting the praises of
God in Heaven."
We had made a mistake. A generous parishioner offered a scarce
gift in these lands, a nursing bottle, and the child of the old savage
instinctively used the instrument of civilization to the general satis-
faction of its attendants, and waxed strong.
In Congo they know only condensed milk from Europe. Marie
Leon insisted that she would need five dollars a month to get along;
Sister Saint Charles certified her account and sent us the bill. For
seven months there has been no change, and Father Gautier's fortune
has been spent and more besides. If any reader of the Annals cares
to adopt my charge, I shall willingly resign my paternal rights.
Marie Leon promises to be a worthy subject of the interest taken
in her.
I have told Marie Leon^s history; I might add that of many others;
for instance, little Jean Marie, whose mother of the Bondjo^s tribe
died in the same hospital.
GABON
227
For three years she had been the victim of cancer of the throat.
How it was that she arrived at the refuge I do not know. She was
instructed and baptized on the same day as her son. After her re-
generation she said to me : " Father, I am going to die, but I am
happy. Keep Jean Marie so that he cannot be carried off to Senegal
and go astray. He is yours ; I give him to you ; keep him."
I have kept him. Beloved brethren, help me to keep him and give
him other little companions, for alas! others there are. In return I
promise you at least , . . . their photographs.
Gabon. — A Mission Station
Bishop Adai% vicar apostolic, has added the following lines to Father
Jeanroy'8 letter:
" Poor little blacks, taken in like Marie Leon and Jean Marie, are
brought up by the Mission. They are baptized, instructed and raised
as good Christians. When they are grown, according to their apti-
tude, they become catechists or workmen living by the labor of their
hands, useful companions to their fellow-countrymen."
The following account proves how much these young Christians can
do, even those of the most savage tribe, the Pahouins, who are still
cannibals.
Brother TJbald and four young apprentice
Mission Apprentices.— ; blacksmiths at Lambarene went to Lake
A Timely Bescue. Zile to gather pieces of iron from a sunken
vessel. At no great distance two Galoas
were working, the one digging a ditoh, the other apparently cutting
228
MISSIONS IN AFRICA
stakes. The unexpected arrival of the Brother and his companions
seemed to annoy them and they gave short answers with an air of
embarrassment to all questions. No attention was paid to them.
The apprentices set bravely to work, diving and re-diviag for the
bars of iron. Suddenly one of them came to the Brother, saying:
" It seems to me that I hear a slight noise in the forest. There must
be a deer or wild hog around." The Brother went to investigate but
^.r^
Qabon. — ^Village near Donohila.
could see nothing. Thinking the boys wanted to deceive him, he
said to them:
" Go to work. The iron is more valuable to us than a deer."
The blacks have very acute hearing, and in a short time one of the
boys again said :
" I tell you there is something in the brush," and he glided like a
serpent into the thicket. A minute later he came back very much
frightened.
"A man is there bound hand and foot, tied close to a tree.'-^
All at onoe hastened to the relief of the unfortunate creature and
GABON
asked him how he came to be in such distress. He could only respond
in a few unintelligible words. The boys spoke to him in Pongw6,
Pahouin, and resorted to a few broken idioms which they remembered
of other dialects. All their efforts proved useless.
Finally they had recourse to signs and understood that he drew
their attention to the two Galoas who were working near by. (Joing
in search of them, a terrible struggle soon ensued. One of the guilty
was thrown to the ground and bound, the other escaped. He and
their unknown victim were placed in the boat and conducted to the
chief of the post
On their way the boys, moved by pity, begged that the cords of
the unfortimate man might be released. The Brother, however, ex-
plained to them that they were the evidence of the criminals' inten-
tions and would show the chief the state of affairs. Arrived at the
post, the oflBcials learned, upon interrogation, that the stranger was
an Apindji from Saint Martin on his way to Lambarene to sell
caoutchouc. The two Galoas had seized him, robbed him of all his
goods and were ready to kill him. They intended to throw his body
into the river to hide all traces of the crime. Having loosed his bonds,
the commander ordered the culprit to be thrown into prison until his
accomplice should be found.
''Brother,'^ said his young companions, "we are more content to
have saved the life of this man than to have eaten a whole deer."
For Pahouins, that is saying all.
"Very welV answered the Brother; "if any one in your village
ever wants to kill a man in order to eat him, do as you have done
to-day. You will then be happier still and God will prepare a beau-
tiful home for you in Heaven."
-f^- :^^
VlLLAOE OF NyAITZA.
VICARIATE APOSTOLIC OF NORTHERN NYANZA
The venerable superior general of the White Fathers, Bishop Lionihac,
has sent us the following letter, which contains an interesting account of
the efforts made to gain souls. The mission of Northern Nyanza numbers
40,000 neophsrtes, 160,000 catechumens, 30 churches and 40 missionaries.
Right Rev. Dr. Streicher is bishop.
A Year in the Mission of Mitala Maria
Letter of Father Moulleo,
Of the White Fathers.
The mission of Mitala Maria (our Lady of the Mountains) was
founded in November, 1899, and evangelizes three provinces of
Uganda, Mawokota, Butambala, Eatunzi, besides the small island of
Zinga, a dependency of the province of Busiro. Mawokota has 36,869 ;
Butambala, 7051; Eatimzi, 10,000, and the island of Zinga about
1000 inhabitants.
To provide for all these souls, we have stationed catechists in all
230
NOKTHEKN NYAK2A 231
of the most important centers. They are 95 in number and are the
official bearers of the Good Tidings. In reality, however, all Uganda
is apostolic, the people bum with the desire of converting their fellow-
countrymen, so that it may be said, even in the smallest village, the
Gospel is made known to every soul of good-will.
Wherever a catechist is stationed a house is
Catechists Work.— '^^^^^ which serves at the same time as
Thorough Organiza- school and oratory, and can accommodate from
tioii* 250 to 300 persons. The poverty of the people
does not permit them to ornament these
houses of prayer; nevertheless, they always contain a large table
which serves as an altar, a crucifix and several pictures to call to
mind the principal truths of our holy religion.
The catechist and his Christians assemble in these houses for
morning and evening prayers; on Sunday they meet twice — in the
morning to read 'the mass prayers in common in their own language,
and in the evening for the recitation of the Eosary.
The children assemble every day to learn their prayers, the Cate-
chism, the alphabet and hymns. All the catechists conduct a small
school — ^the very lowest primary grades, so that when children are
presented at the mission for baptism or to make their first Com-
munion they are able to read religious books.
Pull of zeal, catechists give instruction not only at their own sta-
•tions, but they visit all the villages within their district to attend the
sick and explain the truths of faith.
Six general inspectors are selected from among the most deserving
to watch over their colleagues, that they apply themselves to their
duties with zeal and perseverance.
+
The missionaries themselves fear not swamps, rivers or the torrid
heat to visit their Christian settlements in person. Each in turn
leaves for a week's stay; hurried as they are, these visits produce the
best fruits. Abuses are corrected, the sick consoled and prepared for
death, lukewarm soids encouraged and renewed with fervor.
The arrival of a missionary in any center whatsoever is the cause
of universal joy. As soon as his visit is announced, all manner of
preparation is made to receive the messenger of God. Some, the
chiefs at their head, to the sound of drums and flutes, travel a great
distance to meet the priest. That is his first ovation. Others stand
232
MISSIONS IN AFRIOA
in the middle of the road by which he travels to give him a second
ovation. The largest crowd, however, ranges itself in two ranks
before the doors of the chnrch, sending forth joyous cries, accom-
panied by clapping of hands. Finally, the children, under the leader-
ship of the catechist, are assembled in the church. As soon as the
missionary enters, they enthusiastically intone the anthem, *' I am a
Christian, that is my glory/' translated into the vernacular.
In thb Orphanaob.
Such a reception is well calculated to comfort a missionary and
make him forget the fatigues of the journey.
+
A mission should be a beacon of light. We have seen how its
rays shine abroad; let us see how it bums within.
At daybreak, five o^clock in the morning, all the missionaries rise,
make the sign of the cross, saying, ^^ Lord, I am thy servant.*' Prayer
is followed by meditation, after which they say Mass. Communion
id given daily, Mondays excepted, to 90 or 100 souls.
When we have spoken to God we are best disposed to speak to man.
Consequently, after Mass, the superior gives a half hour's instruction
NORTHERN NYANZA
233
to neophytes. There is usually a large attendance; about 500 assist
at Mass every day, and no one cares to leave without having heard the
instruction.
Other instructions are given during the morning, the first to adult
catechumens, the second to men and women so old that little memory
is left, the third to children preparing for first Communion.
After instructions, the catechists open school, attended by all cate-
^^r?--
'^^.
A Welcome Visit.
chumen children not over sixteen years of age. Three native teachers
conduct the classes and a missionary pays a visit daily from half-past
eleven till twelve o'clock. There is also a music class held in the
morning; about 150 children attend to learn the singing of the As-
perges, the Kyrie, the Gloria, the Credo, etc.
Toward nine o'clock in the evening, all the natives retire to their
homes and around their own hearths discuss what they learned in the
morning. Besides, many sick present themselves every morning at
the Mission and are cared for by a missionary.
234
MISSIONS IN AFRICA
There is no such thing as a respite from work; a missionary in
Uganda hopes for rest only in Heaven. Every morning children are
brought to be baptized. The sick at home must likewise be attended.
During a part of the morning the superior is besieged with : " Father,
Father, I have something to ask you." Twenty, thirty, forty individ-
uals storm his door, elbowing one another to gain admittance first.
A Voice fbom Civilization.
During these interviews very gradually Christian customs are intro-
duced among the people.
The sound of the drum calls the missionaries to church for exami-
nation of conscience. After the Angelus they assemble for their
frugal meal. Very often they assist at it, like St. Bernard, tamquam
ad tormentum, as though it were a torture. In this country one would
like to live on pure air. After an hour's rest, each one again devotes
himfielf to the care of souls. After an instruction to catechumens
NORTHERN NYANZA
235
about to be baptized, the fathers go to church, where they hear confes-
sions till half-past five in the evening.
4-
There are missionaries in Uganda who for ten, eleven and twelve
years have followed a daily order such as above described. Their life
will always be the same, even so full of apostolic joys, until God calls
them to their eternal reward.
Whilst the missionaries are laboring for the extension of God's
kingdom on earth, the Christians, under the direction of a Brother,
are building a church of sun-dried brick. Our brave people have
begun with 300,000 bricks.
At present 200 men, under the direction of 10 foremen, are carrying
water, making mortar and waiting upon the builders. All the work
is done to the music of drums and flutes. The sight is as edifying as
it is amusing. After the church is finished, we shall build a brick
house for catechumens, another for a school, another for the children
preparing for their first Communion, etc., provided God grants us life,
strength and a little money.
A Native Patagonian.
MISSIONS IN AMERICA
PREFECTURE APOSTOLIC OF SOUTHERN PATAGONIA
The prefecture apostolic of southern Patagonia in charge of the Sale-
sians of Turin comprises the extreme southern part of the American con-
tinent, bounded by the Santa Cruz river, the Cordilleras and the Antarctic
ocean. It includes also the islands in the Straits of Magellan, the Falk-
land Islands and Tierra del Fuego. There are about 13,000 Catholics and
2700 Protestants. 16 missionaries, all European, and 25 catechists attend
to the wants of the faithful. Seven churches and chapels have already
been built in the principal centers of this mission at the end of the world.
Letter of Dom Borgatello,
Salesian Missionary of Turin,
In obedience to Bishop Fagnano, I have just made an apostolic
journey of 28 days into the territory of Magellan, and I send you a few
interesting notes on my trip.
236
BOUTHKRN PATAGONIA 237
During my short stay in Punta Arenas^ Prince
A Meeting with a Louis of Savoy^ Duke des Abruzzes^ com-
Boyal Visitor. mander of the crusier Liguria^ arrived. Bishop
Pagnano, who chanced to be at the mission of
Candelaria, Dom Bamah6, Dom Bergise and myself considered it a
duty to pay our respects to His Highness.
As we approached the pier, the prince met us; he was accompanied
by an officer. The invitation to visit our college was graciously ac-
cepted. He smiled when I told him that I had read his work, la Stella
polare (the Polar Star), and was much affected by the account of the
accident in which he lost a finger. '' E niente! e niente " (it did not
amount to anything), he replied.
Having crossed the Rio Verde, we accepted
A French Family.— ^^® hospitality of a Protestant Hollander, who
Baptism of the gave us the most cordial welcome. Isolated at
Children. the end of the world, distinctions of cult and
nationality among men cease to exist. Among
the numerous personnel of his hacienda there were French, Spanish
and one Italian, all Catholics. I could do them some little good in
passing through.
Not much farther on I stopped at Mina Marta, a locality that has
enjoyed its day of renown. Coal was discovered and a French society
formed to develop it. The first beds promised sufficiently good re-
sults; sheds, houses and a railroad were constructed, costly machines
were imported — in short, 600,000 dollars had been spent when it
was discovered that the coal could not be utilized. The whole under-
taking was abandoned and the savages burned the buildings. Of the
great enterprise nothing but ashes is left.
At the southern extremity of Skyring Bay, I met a French family
separated from all human intercourse for nine years. The head of
the household had conceived the erratic notion to settle some place
"where no living soul could find him.'^ The site selected fulfilled
that condition perfectly, so perfectly, indeed, that he bitterly repented
of having satisfied his caprice.. His hair and beard were so long and"
tangled that he resembled a bear more than a man. As it was raining,
he had wrapped himself in a ridiculously large coat. Having been
told that his five children were unbaptized, I expressed my desire to
administer the Sacrament. Showing me how to reach the house where
238 MISSIONS IN AMERIOA
his family lived, he excused himself under some slight pretext from
accompanying me.
As soon as the children saw me they shrieked as though I were some
wild beast, and fled. The oldest, less afraid, or more brave, hid in
the neighboring woods. That seemed too insecure a shelter for the
others. Running as fast as their little legs could carry them, jostling
one another and trembling with fear, they rushed into the house,
through one apartment into another, till they reached their bfeds, draw-
ing the covers over their heads so as not to be seen.
A woman about forty years old stood at the door. She seemed
dumbfounded upon beholding a stranger. I greeted her politely and
told her first in French, then in Spanish, that I had come to baptize
her children with the consent of her husband, whom I had met on the
way. She declared that would be impossible, as her children had no
suitable clothes. I told her she need not trouble herself about such
details, as I would administer the Sacrament in the house.
" But," she objected, " they are so timid ; they have never seen a
stranger; they would never let you go near them."
Sure enough, when they heard my voice they set up a howl and
began to carry on like creatures possessed, insisting upon staying in
their hiding places. I showed them a large piece of chocolate, and
promised it to the one who would first approach. My only response
was redoubled confusion, so I decided to pitch my tent a few yards
from the house and spend the night there.
4-
The next day my little savages were not so fierce. By means of
presents and kindness I won them over completely and succeeded in
instructing, baptizing and confirming them. Their mother, whom
the natives call the Parisienne, told me the sad story of her life in
this desert region for nine years. I counseled her to go back to
civilized parts, or at least to send her children to our college. This
she promised to do.
I said Mass in the house; in assisting at the Holy Sacrifice, of which
she had been deprived for so long, the poor woman wept tears of joy.
My soul comforted by the happiness which my presence and holy min-
istry had brought to this family, I continued my journey.
Having crossed the Chilian Andes, I arrived at Ultima Speranza
(Last Hope), a locality which for some years has been showing signs
of progress because of the numbers of colonists. No more beautiful
SOUTHERN PATAGONIA
239
site than this can be imagined, framed as it is by verdant mountains
and an arm of the sea similar to the marvelous Lake Leman.
Providence guided my steps in this direction to give spiritual suc-
cor to a poor waggoner, the victim of a cruel accident. I met him
at the foot of the Sierra Dorotea. He had fallen under the wheels of
his cart, heavily laden, and had broken both hips. His agony was
intense. Mounted on a mild mare, he was trying to reach the home of
Native Patagonians.
a friend, not far away, to die. He begged me to hear his confession,
and not wishing to add to his sufferings, I heard the accusation of his
faults whilst walking beside him, and gave him absolution. Did he
enjoy the consolation of reaching his friend before commending his
soul to God ? I do not know.
From Ultima Speranza, where I spent four days, I went to Rio
Turdo, the home of the cacique Mulato and his tribe. There I con-
ferred three baptisms and three confirmations. I celebrated holy
Mass in the house of the chief. All the Tehuelches Indians of the
240 MISSIONS IK AMERICA
locality assisted as well as a number of workmen from Chili who
were passing through the country.
Poor Tehuelches! their days are numbered. They are fast disap-
pearing from the face of the earth; strong drink is thinning their
numbers as consumption is making ravages among the Onas of Tierra
del Fuego.
The Onas of which Dom Borgatello speaks are one of the most interest-
ing tribes of the archipelago. Dom del Turco, a Salesian missionary in
southern Patagonia, has written concerning their attractive customs.
The famous race of Onas, of athletic phy-
The Onas of Tierra sique and comparatively mild manners, seem
del Fuego. destined to disappear. When they exercised
their wild sway over the country, they lived
many years; we have known Indian men and women over ninety
years old, whilst now the Onas scarcely reach the age of forty-five.
Before the coming of the bands of speculators who have distributed
the country among themselves, the Onas had divided their land into
different zones which they occupied at different seasons of the year.
Compelled to be content with what was left, imable to defend them-
selves against the intemperate intruders, they naturally perished from
all causes, not to mention hunger, for the guanacos chased by a domes-
tic dog are not so easily overcome.
Many have found an asylum at the Mission.
Mission Shelter.— There they are at liberty to follow their no-
Pagan Superstition, madic habits, absolutely necessary to their
existence. Hundreds and hundreds of Onas
Indians are still living as savages in the unexplored regions.
Permit me to mention a few of their superstitions. An Onas
Indian firmly believes in the existence of an evil spirit, Ksoord. He
fears him, fights him and uses the same defensive means of sorcery
against him as against the moon. The evil spirit, it is believed, will
come forth from the bowels of the earth when God shall abandon
Heaven. During its first two phases the moon swallows up a number
of children which are set at liberty when it is once full. When there
is an eclipse everybody arms himself. One of the Onas told me that
after death souls are carried far away to a lake of blood. Did he
allude to the Redemption ? Is the allusion more apparent when they
express their belief in the existence of a son of God, Jow-listonf
One of their best instructed children gave us a description one day
SOUTHERN PATAGONIA 241
of a being descended from Heaven under the form of an angel all
surrounded by light; a number of details sounded Vcry like the
Apocalypse. He spoke a long time with much enthusiasm. Was
there any allusion to the Messiah, since they believe in a God, Jowen,
and, I repeat it, in his son, Jow-listont
4-
* At the death of a relative, mothers, in sign
Barbarous practices. ^^ mourning, make deep cuts in their arms,
—Influence of legs and breast; both mother ani father shave
Sorcerers. their heads and intons dirges which they re-
repeat for several days. All the eflfects of the
deceased are immediately burned, but he himself receives honorable
burial.
The Onas have no education whatever. They can count up to five
on their fingers; when that number is passed, they open both hands
wide, and exclaim: "Mucho!" (much). However, any little for-
eigner might envy the memory of some of the children. They easily
recall the names of persons upon seeing their photographs.
4-
One of the greatest obstacles in the way of missionaries is the influ-
ence of sorcerers. According to them, all disease is caused by the evil
spirit Ksoord or by the moon; consequently they hurl their wildest
and most terrible invectives against them.
The Onas have no knowledge of medicine. Charms, spells and en-
chantments constitute their only remedies. To protect their chests
against the rigors of winter and the wind, they coat the whole body
with a kind of red earth, which they have previously kneaded, cooked
over the coals, reduced to a powder and mixed with the fat of some
animal. To comb their long hair, they make use of the jawbone of a
fish. To transport drinking water they manufacture buckets from
the skin of the guanaco; shells serve for drinking purposes.
4-
Great lovers of nomadic life, it does not take them long to demolish
their huts (chozas) when they decide to make a change. They take
their whole house with them, the stakes and the skins of the guanaco
or seal. Being once present at one of these removals, I learned how
the Onas crossed a most dangerous river. The men ranged themselves
as stepping stones from one bank to the other, and the women were
led over by the arm, as also the old men and children; this proceeding
lasted a long time, as the river was quite broad.
242
MISSIONS IN AMERICA
When two tribes meet, their mode of salutation is to make three
profound inclinations at different intervals.
The Onas have dances, songs and foot races; horses are unknown
to them. Target shooting is practiced with arrows. Their favorite
game seems to be tennis; their balls are made from the skin of the
guanaco, stuffed with the hair of the same animal, feathers or other
elastic matter.
When I arrived among the Onas, February 16, 1901, nineteen chil-
dren were entrusted to my care. Alas ! two months had scarcely passed
before one after the other fell a prey to consumption. Secular studies
were postponed and all were satisfied to devote their time to catechism.
With this instruction, they learned to die well. All wanted to receive
the Holy Viaticum and Extreme Unction. Of the nineteen children,
only five are now living, and we are trying our best to prolong their
sad existence.
NEWS OF THE MISSIONS
Homage to Missionaries
During its session, May 26, the French Academy bestowed the Joest
prize ($400 for useful works for the public benefit) upon Father J.
B. Piolet for his work, " The French Catholic Missions of the Nine-
teenth Century/^ Each of the six magnificent volumes written in
honor of the contemporary apostolate, at the time of its publication
received a special mention in our columns.
Two missionaries of the Congregation of the Holy Ghost have also
received honorary titles which they were far from seeking, but which
are an evidence of the official recognition of their services.
Upon resolution of the Minister of Public Instruction, subsequent
to the motion of the Minister of Colonies, Father Henri Trilles, supe-
rior of the station of Ndjol6, in Gabon, has been named an officer of
the Academy. This distinction was accorded to him upon the request
of Mr. Guynet, ambassador to French Congo, because of his important
contributions to geographical science. The Missions Catholiques pub-
lished an account of the expedition last year.
Finally, upon resolution of the Minister of Agriculture, likewise
subsequent to the proposition of the Minister of Colonies, Father The-
ophilus Klaine, missionary since 1865 in Sainte Marie de Libreville,
has been named chevalier of merit in agriculture. This modest dis-
tinction, previously requested by Mr. Dolisie, lieutenant-governor of
French Congo, is due to the learned missionary ; during his forty
years of service he has discovered many rare and new plants, and
introduced the culture of useful plants into French Congo. Vanilla
especially has been transported from his test garden.
The New Superior of the Seminary of Foreign Missions
in Paris
Father Pierre Theodore Fleury, of the diocese of Laval, formerly
missionary in Pondicherry, who for six years has filled the position
243
244 NEWS OF THE MISSIONS
of assistant superior, has been appointed superior of the Seminary of
Foreign Missions to replace Father Delpeeh. Father Delpech has
been named honorary superior.
ASIA
The New Bishop of Coimbatore
Eight Rev. Augustin Eoy, of the Foreign Missions of Paris, writes :
" Since the beginning of 1903, our beloved diocese has passed
through mourning and tribulations.
"On February 7th, 1903, God called to himself his well-beloved
servant, Right Rev. Bardou, the great, wise and holy bishop; for
eighty-nine years his virtues won the respect, admiration and love not
only of his clergy and people, but of the pagans themselves.
"On the 17th of August of the same year, his pious successor,
Bishop Peyramale, who was to be consecrated on the 23rd of the same
month, quietly breathed his last, surrounded by his sorrowing clergy
and former parishioners of Coonoor. As though the justice of God
were not appeased by all this suffering, a terrible scourge, the bubonic
plague, visited the diocese, casting terror on all sides, disorganizing
our beloved institutions, annihilating and dispersing families, causing
torrents of tears to flow, and leaving a train of miserable creatures
behind.
" For four months the city of Coimbatore was nothing more than a
desert. Amid so much misery and so much sorrow, the little deso-
lated church learned that His Holiness Piux X had given it a new
pontiff. The sacred oil of consecration still flowing from his brow,
this new. pontiff hastens to forward his first blessings to his benefac-
tors, recommending his person and his diocese to their prayers and
charity.
The Christian Pariahs of Madras
Right Rev. J. Aelen, bishop coadjutor of Madras, has written the fol-
lowing touching letter to the Reverend Mother Superior of the Con-
gregation of Jesus, Mary and Joseph :
"In January I made a pastoral journey. Of the 854 Christians
whom I had the happiness to confirm, 309 were converts from pagan-
ism ; most of them were pariahs.
" I was astonished to find how well they were instructed in matters
of religion. They deserve the greater merit, as they have a hard time
to gain a livelihood. It is only in the evening after a hard da/s
labor that they can assemble to hear the word of God. If a mission-
ary finds it necessary to keep them a day with him, he is obliged to
furnish them a little money. These poor people live ^ day by day.'
ASIA 245
" Once Christian they endure still greater hardship. They suffer
dreadfully from the treatment of their masters. Pagans often accuse
them of imagined wrongs. Sometimes they are even beaten unmerci-
fully for the single crime of singing hymns on the street.
"But, you may ask, do not the missionaries protect their Chris-
tians? Of course. In these parts, however, it is a diflScult thing to
have real offenders punished. If any accusation is brought against a
a Christian pariah, all the pagans league against him. False witness
is brought to bear against truth and calumny, and as the judge can
pronounce sentence only upon the testmony given, his judgment is
usually the same : * The case is not proved.^
" In face of so much misery the heart is torn with sympathy ; one
can not help but admire these poor oppressed creatures. No effort
should be spared in their behalf; they themselves do not shrink from
any suffering, and are a noble example of constancy and love of sac-
rifice.^^
Seven Sisters of the Congregation of Jesus, Mary and Joseph have
arrived in Madras and are diligently studying the languages of the
country to devote themselves absolutely and exclusively to the salva-
tion of the natives. They intend to found schools, dispensaries, or-
phanages and all other kinds of charitable institutions, and will travel
from village to village, distributing medicines, instructing neophytes
and baptizing pagan children in articulo mortis.
A Typhoon Ln Cochin China
Mgr. Mossart, of the Foreign Missions of Paris, vicar apostolic,
writes from Saigon, May 11, 1904 :
"A part of Cochin China has suffered from a veritable disaster.
" The first of May a typhoon struck the shore and continued on its
destructive path into the interior. The center of the storm passed
through the eastern part of the Mekong delta, toward Gocong, Mytho,
Bentre, etc., passing from southeast to northwest. It attained its
maximum intensity about five o^clock, subsiding about nine o'clock in
the evening.
"All the localities along its route have been ravaged. Gocong suf-
fered from both wind and water, which rose to the height of six feet.
Elsewhere the wind alone accomplished its sinister work. Trees were
uprooted, houses demolished and vessels engulfed. The number of
dead is estimated at 3000. It is a heartrending sight to see the living
without shelter, clothing or food.
" The loss of the Mission has not yet been fully ascertained. The
246 NEWS OP THE MISSIONS
chapels built of wood and covered with leaves have been swept away.
The brick churches are still standing; the roofs, however, have been
partially torn off and the interior damaged by water. The ornaments
and sacred linens have either been carried away or damaged. The
houses of the missionaries and native priests have suffered the same
fate as churches and chapels. The catechisfs school in Anduc is
totally destroyed. The small village schools and homes of our Chris-
tians have been swept away.
" I mention these facts to keep you informed of our needs and to
recommend to the prayers of the members of the Society for the
Propagation of the Faith the dead and the homeless living.^'
Flowers of Martyrdom in Mongolia
Father Claeys, of the Belgian Missionaries of Scheut, writes from
Hia-ing-tse to Father Van Hecke, his superior-general:
" For over a year Father Tertstappen and myself have been in Hia-
ing-tse, the scene of the glorious martyrdom of our colleagues, Fathers
Van Merhaeghe and Bongaerts.
" Upon our arrival the Christians had not seen a priest for over a
year. Eather unattractive in appearance, their faith is strong and
active and their attachment to their priests defies all form of perse-
cution. Their joy upon seeing us brought silent tears of sadness to
their eyes. The sufferings of the past came to their minds in strong
contrast with the hopes of the future.
" From their first visit to us, which they made in a body, the con-
versation naturally turned upon the massacre of our two fellow-priests.
" They told us how, on the 13th of December, 1901, the feast of St.
Lucy, under cover of the night, a band of thirty brigands armed with
swords and knives, uttering the most horrible yells, rushed down
through the village directly toward the dwelling of the Fathers; how
they satisfied their rage by hacking their victims to pieces. The marks
of the swords on the wall and spots of blood on the floor were still to
be seen. The temporary tomb of the martyrs was also shown to us.
"As sad as ve felt at this tale of suffering, our hearts were filled
-with consolation that we were not left alone to provide for our little
flock. Two champions of the faith in Heaven will bless our efforts
and help on our work by their prayers.
" Finally, we visited the village and were deeply moved by what we
saw near one of its boundary lines. Suspended from stakes driven
securely into the ground were a dozen cages, each containing a human
head severed from the decaying body; the long hair was in frightful
AFRICA 247
disorder, presenting a more horrible sight than naked skulls. Under
each of the dead bodies there was an inscription giving the name of
the victims and the reason of their punishment. They were twelve
of the principal assassins of our beloved dead. After the massacre
the bandits had shouted victory, believing that they had destroyed
the support of the religion of Christ. Four months afterwards they
themselves fell under the executioner's axe to appear before the dread
tribunal of that same Chrisf
AFRICA
Abyssinia— An Appeal from Beyond the Tomb
Father Edouard Gruson, superior of the mission of Abyssinia, has
sent us the following touching letter:
" Father Charles Gruson has just met a tragic death, whilst bathing
near Alitiena. Among his papers I found the enclosed letter, headed
'What shall the title be?' Alasl the title is furnished by the sad
accident which has deprived us of an excellent missionary. I shall
feel myself much indebted to you if you will publish the 'Appeal from
beyond the tomb ' by Father Charles Gruson. Generous souls will be
affected.''
We hasten to comply with the touching request of the venerable
superior of the Lazarists in Abyssinia. Father Gruson's letter is as
follows :
"Upon my request for alms, I recently received a response from
some one whose offering manifested his generosity. Nevertheless, his
response betrayed a doubt of the use of making sacrifices for the mis-
sion of Abyssinia. The reason of his attitude was that nothing could
be done in this country because ' we do not enjoy a suflBcient liberty
there.'
" Such a presumption, once admitted, would ruin our work, so I
felt the urgency of refuting the false assertion.
" ' Nothing can be done in Abyssinia,' they say. The statement
seems to me a very rash one. I do not mean to imply that it is an
easy thing to do good there; but the church of God was not easily
spread through the world. Is it not the fate of holiness to suffer
persecution? Whatever some may think to the contrary, good is
being done and every day brings with it some consolation.
"Need we mention the crowds of children and young people who
fill our school in Alitiena? Is not the host of young girls who flock
to our native Sisters in order to learn and embrace the Catholic
religion a most eloquent proof?
248 NEWS OF THE MISSIONS
"And when children educated by us suffer persecution to the shed-
ding of blood rather than abjure the true faith to please their
schismatic parents, can any one say nothing is to be done in Abys-
sinia?
"And during times of persecution when whole villages abandon
their homes, fields and flocks rather than apostatize, can any one lose
confidence in the future of Abyssinia?
" Of course, the threat of confiscation hanging over the heads of
converts is calculated to intimidate. But when the opportunity
affords access to souls and they are instructed, they do not hesitate
to sacrifice all temporal goods for the one thing necessary.
" Of course, we have many, many enemies in the schismatic clergy.
But our Lord Himself was opposed by the Scribes and Pharisees.
Did He not conquer by kindness and miracles ? We also can conciliate
hearts, and if we have not the power to raise the dead to life, we can
prevent the living from dying of hunger.
" May help come to perform miracles of charity ; may the deficit in
our budget be supplied to instruct souls strayed from the truth !
" Good can be done in Abyssinia, but missionaries must receive help
from their brethren to do it. Generous alms must support works
begun, increase the number of disciples and prepare for the Church
zealous apostles and brave defenders.
" In a word, without the help of our brethren abroad, we cannot do
much; with their assistance we can perform prodigies. May they
extend their hands in brotherly love ! "
The Persecution in Gallas
Father Mo3\se, procurator-general of the Capuchin missions, writes :
" We have received sad news from Harrar.
" The persecution which was threatening us after the intervention
of the foreign minister has been renewed with greater vigor. At the
end of April missionaries received orders to meet in Harrar and were
prohibited from giving any instruction. The imperial edict added
that all stations would be placed under military rule to enforce the
orders of the negus.
"This action means the loss of Kaffa, the Gallas provinces, Choa
and perhaps that of the whole mission. It is not known what Bishop
Jarosseau will do when he returns from Addis Ababa.
"Whatever the issue, the unfortunate missionaries, who have been
compelled to leave the scene of their labors, cannot abandon their
Christians, especially their orphans, confided to the neophytes on their
AFRICA 240
departure. They must provide for their children, that the work of
forty years may not be undone."
Rebuilding of tlie Mission at Del<lna
The Fathers of the Lower Niger have lost no time in reclaiming the
mission of Dekina from its ruins, although the condition of the coun-
try is far from promising.
March 15, 1904, Father Joseph Lichtenberger, of Dekina, wrote to
Father Lejeune:
" The city is rebuilding and the barracks of the soldiers are going
up rapidly. Alas ! nothing has as yet been done for our poor mission.
I must begin again from the very beginning and have no one to depend
upon but myself. My workmen can do very, very little for me. God
will help me, ....
"All the officers are most kind. Colonel Festing presented me
with a filter. Captain Rose and the others are exceedingly gracious.
A despatch from Zunguru informs me that the chief commissary, Sir
F. Lugard, heartily approves of resuming the work so dear to you.
"At Lokodja, I was requested to conduct the burial service for
Captain O'Riordan. In the afternoon, at four o'clock, the officers
escorted me to the court house. The casket of Captain O'Riordan
and Lieutenant Bumey rested on two cannon and were covered with
the national flag. Twenty Catholic young men, most of them from
Onitsha, were present; surplice, a black stole, prayer-book, holy
water— everything was provided. We chanted the Libera, Beriedkiiis,
etc. The service was most touching in its simplicity and solemnity.
"The Protestant minister buried Lieutenant Bumey. The re-
mains of these poor murdered officers arrived only last week.
" The state of the country is far from reassuring. Reinforcements
of troops are constantly arriving. In two months there will be a
change. Much fear is felt The Okpotos wilL not yield and
the Bassas have joined them. I am going to set to work with the
huts, prepare the ground, cut the wood, etc.
Tlie Mission of Zagnanado (Daliomey)
Father Joular, of the African Mi«5ion of Lyons, writes:
"The beautiful station of Zagnanado, of which I am in charge,
was founded more than ten years ago. The government manifested
its friendliness toward us by placing the immense fortified camp
of Behanzin, surrounded by high and solid walls, at our disp(»al.
250 NEWS OF THE MISSIONS
" This populous district, situated on the Oueme river, only a day^s
journey from the old, royal city of Aboraey, is sufficiently distant
from foreign centers and not yet invaded by the Mussulmen. Its
site is excellently adapted for the work which our prefect apostolic,
the venerable Father Bricet, has been anxious to found for so long
a time, " a Christian village,'^ in other words, " a free village/'
"Two hundred young men and boys, ten to twenty years of age,
have been under the instruction of three Fathers and one Brother,
applying themselves to the study of the Christian religion, the ele-
ments of French, different trades and the culture of the cacao tree,
the vanilla bean and other native products.
"Unfortunately, our resources have become so reduced that our
vicar apostolic, Mgr. Dartois, has been compelled to reduce the num-
ber of our boarding pupils to one-half. Still the expense is too heavy
for our small budget; although the cost of food for one pupil amounts
to only ten cents a week and their clothing is of the most primitive
order.
" Interpreters, telegraph operators and custom house officials are
always selected from these young men ; all such employees are natives
and have been brought up in our schools. Two or three attempts
have been made to establish lay schools, but none has proved success-
ful. After several attacks of fever during a few months' sojourn,
all teachers so far have left discouraged and unwilling to return a
second time to this African oven.*'
The Mission of the Fails
The Priests of the Sacred Heart of Saint Quentin, missionaries in
Belgian Congo, have just published in Brussels an account of the
l^fission of the Falls, founded in the year 1897.
The first two missionaries, Fathers .Gabriel Grison and Gabriel
Lux, sailed July 10th for their distant destination, and arrived there
at the end of September. The governor of the district of the Falls,
Mr. Malfelt, extended a cordial welcome and helped to decide upon
the site to be cleared in the thick forest about four miles below Stan-
leyville. Father Lux was taken ill and was compelled to return
home. On December 25th, however, Father Grison took possession
of Saint Gabriel, said his first Mass there and the Mission of the
Falls was founded.
To-day the missionaries of Saint Quentin have evangelized a ter-
ritory six times larger than Belgium. They occupy a third of this
immense district, in which they have established six residences:
OOEANICA 251
Saint Gabriel, center of the mission ; Stanleyville, Basoko, Romfe
Banalya and Avakubi, the most recently founded. They number 14
priests, assisted by one Brother and 5 Sisters. Besides the residences
mentioned, "there are 20 to 25 posts, numbering in all 2000 Christians
and 3000 catechumens.
The Mission of Rwanda
Father Lecoindre, of the Society of White Fathers, writes from
Our Lady of All Saints ( Rwanda) :
^' I am in the great kingdom of Bwanda, about fifty leagues east
of Lake Victoria Nyanza. This region extends north almost to Lake
Edward; on the west it is bounded by Lake Kivou; to the south, a
chain of mountains extends almost in a horizontal line nearly to the
northern edge of Lake Tanganyika.
"The country is very mountainous; in these parts they speak of
the chief or the inhabitants of such or such a hill. The soil, neverthe-
less, is most fertile. Trees grow to an enormous size and all foreign
vegetables thrive to a marvelous degree. The grapes and fruit trees,
however, cannot be grown here. The climate is very mild; during
the fourteen months that I have been here, I have not known the
thermometer to be above 25° or below 15°: There are two well-
defined rainy seasons every year; the first lasts about three months,
from October to December, and the second four, February to May.
" We have been established "here but four years. It was only in
1908 that we recorded our first baptisms. Five stations have been
founded with a totality of about 180 Christians. The number is
increasing in relatively considerable proportion; there are at present
5000 to 6000 catechumens. But what are they against a total popu-
lation of two million souls? We cannot assert that we have come in
touch with the masses ; our efforts have been futile with the nobility,
the governing class, which manifests a deep hatred against us. Pray
and obtain prayers for our ipissions/'
OCEANICA
Tlie Cliurch of tlie Valley of the Colonies (New Caledonia)
In 1903 the mission was enriched by a church ; the feast of dedica-
tion was most consoling to the missionaries and Catholics in the
valley of the colonies. St. John's Church, 108 by 36 feet, is built in
the Roman style. Six columns support the vault of the great nave
which rises in an arch 30 feet in height.
252 NEWS OF THE MISSIONS
Bishop Fraysse, surrounded by all the priests of Noumea, sprinkled
the walls of the church inside and outside with holy water, whilst the
solemn prayers of the ritual were chanted, by which the edifice and
the bells were consecrated to divine worship.
After the Gospel was read at the pontifical Mass, Father Lencon-
teur delivered a sermon from which we publish the following ex-
tracts :
"The first missionary to plant the cross on Caledonian soil, De-
cember 1, 1843, died in the humble settlement of Balade, where he
spent the first years of a glorious apoetolate in dread of savage ag-
gression.
" Since that memorable epoch, Caledonia, the pearl of the ocean,
has been surrounded by a rich girdle of chapels and churches. To-
day the valley of the Colonies, which I have every reason to call the
Valley of the Future, since it is inhabited by men of good-will, is
honored by the erection of a church. This house of God will hence-
forth be a rallying point and an all-powerful motive for hope.
"The bell which has been solemnly consecrated will call to our
minds, in sweet, strong and melodious peals, the sentiments of faith
that form the foundation of Christian life. Have you noticed an
accent of sadness in its prolonged vibrations? Best assured, that
undertone of melancholy will disappear when your generous efforts
will hiive crowned the present work with an elegant belfry. The
tower is the diadem of the church, the outside pulpit, the asrial
throne from which, day by day, the eloquent bro^ize preacher salutes
the majesty of God and invites the faithful to prayer."
Death of the Old Minister of King George of Tonga
Father Beiter, Marist missionary in central Oceanicaj writes to
Father Begis:
" In the month of November, 1903, Baker, the famous prime min-
ister of King George, died at Haapai. At one time he was a most
powerful factor in our islands; the chiefs trembled before him and
the papers of the English colonies were filled with accounts of his
actions. His death, however, was hardly noticed.
"The son of a Protestant minister, he had promised his dying
mother, they say> to bring the " true Gospel " to the Pacific islands.
Arriving in Tonga, August, 1860, he began his mission in Kolowai.
From Tonga he was sent to Haapai, where he began to quarrel with
the other ministers, leading such a life that, in 1873, he was accused
of all sorts of crimes. The conference of Tonga examined his case.
OCEANIC A 253
but reserved sentence for the supreme tribunal in Sydney. Baker
left for Australia and returned with absolute authority, more power-
ful than before.
" He succeeded in convincing one of the foreign counsellors of
King George that he was the temporal and spiritual head of Tonga.
In 1875 he made use of his power to frame a more or less liberal con-
stitution, which his enemies tried to employ against him. They
succeeded only in having him suspended as a Wesleyan minister;
he still retained his position as prime minister.
^^ Open war was declared between him and the Methodist ministry.
In December, 1884, Baker separated himself altogether from his co-
religionists, founded a new sect and began to preach again. The
conference in Sydney ti-ied to re-establish order, but failed.
"In the meantime Baker acted tlie true tyrant. Xo one was sur-
prised at the attempt made upon his life, when the natives tried to
shoot him in the village of Noukoualofa. This act threw the whole
kingdom in confusion; the culprits were shot and Baker was again
triumphant, but awkwardly accused the English consul of providing
rebels with arms. The matter was brought before the English gov-
ernor, who sentenced Baker to withdraw from Tonga.
" In 1899 he considered the moment auspicious to return. A few
malcontents took his part, but their triumph was of short duration.
He then retired to Haapai, where he died.
"Baker hated the Catholic religion and tried to do all possible
harm. It is said that he prevented King George from becoming a
member of the Church. True it is that about 1884 and 1885 the
king's conversion was expected and a number of chiefs would have
followed his example. Whatever the case may be. Baker's influence
was very hurtful."
Progress of the Catholic FaUh in Cook Archipelago
Father Bemardin Castanie, missionary in Mauke island, writes,
March 14, 1904 :
"The work of God is progressing in !Mauke, which already num-
bers 76 Catholics. Our school, attended by both Catholic and
Protestant children, has 70 pupils. Sunclays from 120 to 150 per-
sons attend Mass. My chapel, although much enlarged, has become
too small. Every morning a large number of neophytes assemble
for prayers and to assist at Mass, when they recite the Rosary. I
^ teach school every day. Every evening prayers are said in common.
I am about to establish similar posts in the neighboring islands.
DESTINATION OF MISSIONARIES
Beported since the July-August Annals.
SOUTH AMERICA
CniLT.
Rev. Ellas Rodriguez Lopez.
Kev. Arthur Garcia Linagre.
Rev. Joseph Emmanuel Curraly
Uarcia.
Columbia.
Rev. J. M. Turbellier.
Rev. J. M. Arriendan.
Rev. P. Itaron.
Rev. V. Duret.
NORTH AMERICA
Hatti.
Rev. Louis Oremmel, C. S. Sp.
AFRICA
French Ot'igo,
Rev. Claude Murard» C. S. Sp.
Benin.
Rev. Fr. Landsperger, A . L. M.
Portuguese Coiiyo.
Rev, Lourenco Andre, C. S. Sp.
Kun^ne.
Rev. Antoine De Merango,
C. 8. Sp.
North MaddHfascar,
Rev. Leon Dissard, C. S. Sp.
Belgian Omu".
Right Rev. Van Ronsl.
Rev. Honore Baten.
Rev. Alfred Gorman.
ASIA
China.
Eastern Otchin dilna.
Rev. Edmond Landreau, P.F..M.
Kuanu-Tong.
Rev. Jos. Bar masse, P. F. M.
Cambodia.
Rev. Simon Larrabure, P. F. M.
India.
Potidicherry.
Rev. Jos. Cheilletz, P. F. M.
254
SUPPLEMENT
TO THE
AMERICAN EDITION
or TBB
Annals of the Propagation of the Faith
FRANCE AND THE MISSIONS
For the past year the attention of the Catholic world has been
fixed upon France and her struggle with the Holy See, and though
at times the crisis seemed inevitable, yet it was hoped peaceful rela-
tions would be restored. From the latest accounts received, how-
ever, it is evident that the Concordat will be abolished and in con-
sequence the butcome for the Church is very dark. The ordeal through
which the Church is passing has, therefore, for us a peculiar interest.
Since the very inception of the Society for the Propagation of the
Faith, France has home to a large extent the burden of its support
both in the money and priests she has sent to the foreign mission
field. Now we may naturally look for a change. As was mentioned
in our last issue, America is now taking an active interest in the
Society, and with His help for whom we are working, we may rightly
expect that our heroic missionary priests and nuns will not suffer
for the lack of resources. We rely on the promise of Him who said,
" Give and it shall be given to you."
MARTYRDOM OF A BISHOP
It was with the deepest sorrow that we learned of the death of
Bishop Verhapen and his brother at the hands of some Chinese
fanatics in the province of Lichuan. A young man, scarcely in the
255
256 SUPPLEMENT TO THE AMEUICAN EDITION OF THE ANNALS
prime of life, who certainly answered the description of the sacred
writing, " in a few years he lived a lorg time."
The protectorate of the missions in the East has always been held
by France, who at present is in the anomalous position of driving
out her priests and nuns, while protecting them abroad. The out-
come will be watched with much interest.
FEAST OF ST. FRANCIS XAVIER
The brief of His Holiness Piux X, recommending the Society for
the Propagation of the Faith to the faithful of the Universal Church
was published in our last issue and has awakened a fresh and, we
hope, a laeting zeal for the spread of this most blessed work. " Deeply
conscious of the merits of this illustrious Society," he has always
been anxious to promote its interests, which is evidenced by the fact
that he has raised to a double major the feast of St. Francis Xavier,
the patron of the Society. Throughout the entire world, therefore,
the Catholic faithful will unite on December 3, next in paying vene-
ration to the great apostle of the Indies, in obedience to the will of
the Holy Father. There is a plenary indulgence granted to those
who observe the usual conditions, and we respectfully urge as many
of our promoters and associates as possible to receive Holy Com-
munion on that day.
MISSION NOTES AND NEWS 257
MISSION NOTES AND NEWS
SASKATCHEWAN, (CANADA). A NEW MISSION AT
SASKATOON
Last year we published Father Guerin^s article on the Saskatche-
wan missions in northwest Canada. The same missionary has sent
us the following account of a new mission:
Letter op Father Guerin, 0. M. I.
In March, 1903, Bishop Pascal charged me to visit a little town
ninety miles south of Prince Albert City. Saskatoon^ the little
savage pear, according to its elymology, was at that time a hamlet
with only 15 to 20 families. Three or four times a year a mission-
ary from Prince Albert attended to the religious wants of the few
Christians living there.
On my first visit it was easy to collect my flock in a little room.
Great was my surprise the following month to see that the room
would not hold the attendants at Mass. Two weeks later, upon my
return, I was obliged to seek larger quarters. A hall was obtained
and Protestants, Freemasons, etc., came to hear me. It was easy to
rent the hall. A Mass in the rooms of Freemasons ! God will for-
give me.
The number of Catholics increased from day to day. I multiplied
my visits and soon realized the necessity of building a church. Bishop
Pascal did not contest the urgency of my request. But churches
cost money to build, and the river Pactolus does not flow by Prince
Albert, The only answer my bishop gave me was to show me his
empty purse.
"But,'^ I respectfully objected, "it is necessary. Saskatoon is
going to be a place of importance. The Protestants are beginning to
build three houses of worship. Is it not a shame that we Catholics
should be in the backgroimd and be obliged to hear Mass in the hall
of Freemasons ? ^^
" Go ahead,^^ said the bishop ; " I will do what I can.^'
I left, fortified with episcopal sanction.
4-
I arrived at Saskatoon on the feast of Corpus Christi. The bishop
had given me two of his best assistants, full of enthusiasm and zeal,
.258 MISSION NOTES AND NEWS
Fathers Burnouf and Duclos, excellent carpenters. We pitched our
little tent and quickly set to work. A few generous young men gave
us their assistance. Credit was allowed for the wood and ....
three months afterwards Bishop Pascal came to bless our modest
little church, which the clever hand^ of my good helpmates had made
neat and attractive.
The residents of the city flocked to it in astonishing numbers.
Nearly all the Catholics live in the coimtry; but the Protestants
responded to my invitation and came in crowds to the opening cere-
mony. A Benedictine priest preached an English sermon and asked
the non-Catholics to be present at Benediction. The church was
again literally filled to overflowing, as in the morning.
The priest spoke on the necessity of faith, and his words made a
good impression on his hearers. Several Protestants came to tell
me how greatly pleased th«y were.
"At least,'* said they, "to-day we have heard the word of God
preached without evasion and without disguise.*'
The sermon has done much to set aside a score of prejudices, and
I trust that the divine word sown thus in honest and upright hearts
may bear fruit. Several have been deeply touched I hope much for
the future.
The population is constantly increasing; in a few years Saskatoon
will be a large city. The Catholics are proud of their church, mod-
est though it is; even so, I contracted debts to build it. Were my
confidence not based in God, I should feel uneasy. There is still
much to be done. Being of wood, the building must be painted. I
likewise need an altar with all the appurtenances, a bell and an
organ. Without a bell or music a church seems sad. The little
belfry looks impatient at its emptiness. We must also build a house.
In a short time the place will require more than one priest, and my
lodging, sixteen by twelve feet, is not the most comfortable. Even
the necessity of a day and boarding school begins to be felt. Catho-
lics require Sisters to educate their children and Protestants are
making a demand for them. They have asked me when I shall be
able to have Sisters for a boarding school and a hospital. I must
say they have shown very generous dispositions toward me. All
these works are the subject of my thoughts, and my heart bleeds at
the want of means.
My ministry is not confined to the single city of Saskatoon. Many
Catholics have located in its vicinity and they are scattered within a
radius of from twenty-five to one hundred miles. As they are not
MISSION NOTES AND NEWS 259
congregated in a village, but live separately, I am traveling about
continually and need two strong horses. One is not enough now ; it
would die of cold on the road at a temperature of 30° to 40** below
zero. Horses, however, are dear and my funds are exhausted. Even
by practicing the strictest economy, cooking my own meals to avoid
expense, I cannot make both ends meet.
My people are very different, representing all nations — French,
Canadians, Americans, Yankees, English, Irish, German, Belgians,
Dutch, Swedes, Russians, Ruthemians, Galicians, Persians, Indians,
Mongrels and Chinese. Have I not the gift of tongues?
4-
I have just returned from a short journey of discovery south of
Saskatoon. There I discovered a " reserve " of Sioux Indians, pagans,
alas ! or Protestants. Still a new field to cultivate.
A little farther distant there is a village of mongrel Cris Indians.
These are Catholics. I found besides several other families of diverse
nationalities, in all more than a hundred souls. I was really taken by
surprise and prepared myself for other discoveries. The Mongrels
had fled to the United States during the insurrection' of 1885 and
had returned only a few months before. Since that time many of
them had been without Sacraments, without priests, without the Mass.
How great was their delight to be present at the Holy Mysteries after
so many years ! How happy they were to see me ! I had no trouble
in getting them to receive the Sacraments; my duties, however, were
far from light, and the little time at my disposal did not permit me
to arrange everything. It is impossible for me to stay long in any
one place, I have so many districts in charge.
A chapel and a school are also necessary in that locality. Despite
the privation of the helps of religion, these brave mongrels have led a
good life; I was surprised to see how they had preserved their faith
and manners pure. God watched over them.
An old woman, eighty years of age, told me her history, whilst she
smoked her pipe filled with tobacco and willow bark. She had lived
in this locality during the Sioux war. Her father was killed in battle
and she saw her mother, two of her sisters and her youngest brother,
an infant at the breast, massacred before her very eyes. She herself,
covered with wounds and with three bullets in her leg, had been left
for dead. Cared for by some charitable neighbors, she stayed in the
country until the rebellion. Then she emigrated to the United States.
It wafi hard for her to travel into an unknown country, and she was
260 MISSION NOTES AND NEWS
very glad to return. Poor old woman, in her exile she had been
forced to travel miles and miles every year to see a missionary; her
strength failing, she had been deprived of the Sacraments for several
years, and she actually wept for joy when she first saw me.
My arrival was a day of rejoicing for everyone. My ministry is
very trying, it is true, but what a consolation it is to know that we are
doing some good and that we are the instruments God has chosen to
dispense His peace, grace and blessings to these poor, neglected souls.
4- •
May the pious readers of these lines offer a short prayer for myself
and the souls confided to me, and may we feel the benefits of their
generous charity.
LETTERS FROM AN ANGLICAN NUN
The following letters, written by an Anglican nun, are as remarkable
as they are interesting. We sincerely hope that they will prove an Incen-
tive to our promoters to redouble their zeal for the spread of our Holy
Faith.
"Your people outnumber us five to one," she writes, and yet our con-
tributions are less than a twelfth part the amount given by non-Catholics
to the Foreign Missions. "That 'tis true, 'tis pity," and we may well
ask the reason for such a disproportion. Our people have never realized
their position in the Church and their duty towards our priests and nuns
who are spending themselves for the glory of God in foreign lands. We
all must have an active lasting interest in the propagation of the Faith,
and he who is indifferent to this duty is a Catholic in name only. May
the Christ-like love which underlies the following lines animate us all and
encourage us to pray and labor for the day when " there shall be one fold
and one shepherd."
Reverend and Dear Father — I am an Anglican religious, but read
with great interest records of the Society for the Propagation of the
Faith in the " Sacred Heart Review " of Boston, and also lately the
copies of the Annals that you have so kindly sent us. The foreign
missions of the Church have always had a warm place in my heart
and a constant remembrance in my prayers. I hope your reverence
will not think I am taking a liberty in writing, or that what I say
is in a spirit of criticism. I have read with surprise (knowing how
conspicuous your people are for good works) that the sum contributed
to your Society last year in the United States was only $65,000. I
think the contributions to our ^^ Board of Foreign and Domestic Mis-
MISSION NOTES AND NEWS 261
sions " for the same period was something like $800,000, and yet your
people outnumber us five to one, or more. No doubt much money
has been expended in other good ways, such as through the St. Vincent
de Paul Society and in maintaining your excellent parochial schools,
and yet I wish that more came to your Society, to spread the faith
among those who have never yet heard of their God and Saviour!
I notice in this week^s "Ave Maria" a quotation from the Holy
Father in which he points out that while individual gifts are good,
that the largest returns will be from the perfect organization by
which the many small offerings are collected. It is just in this way
that our people have been so successful, and it occurred to me that it
might be of use to you to know of the way in which one part of our
year's income comes to us. This is called the " Children's United
Offering," and is laid on the altar every Easter Day as the result of the
Lenten self-denial of our children. The Board of Missions have pre-
pared every year cardboard mite boxes which are sent (free) to the
rector of each pa]:ish, according to the number of children in his
Sunday School. These are distributed to the children on Quinqua-
gesima Sunday, with instructions to put in the box from day to day
the money saved by self-denial (such as money usually spent for
candy, car rides, etc.), and also any money collected by them for the
purpose. Many poor children earn all their money by working after
school hours, or in other ways, and some of the largest offerings come
from the poorest parishes. These boxes are returned to the parish
priest at the end of Lent and by him forwarded to uie Board of Mis-
sions in New York. The amount of the offering has grown steadily,
for some years the objective set before the children was to try to raise
the sum of $100,000, but last year it was overpast and $110,000 offered
to our Risen Lord by His little ones. I am convinced that if some
such system were tried with your children in Sunday Schools, and
also in your parochial schools, you would have marvelous results. If
we have one, I will enclose in this one of the mite boxes, that you may
like to see.
I must ask your reverenc . to pardon my writing in pencil. I have
^ for four months been confined to my bed with heart disease, and
writing is not easy, as you see by the untidiness of this sheet. !May I
ask you of your charity to remember me once at the altar that our
Lord would be pleased to give me the grace of a good death. If any-
thing I have written is of service to you, I shall be glad, but please
do not mention my name. In the Sacred Heart of our Lord, with
262 MISSION NOTES AND NEWS
many prayers for your Society and for the spread of the Catholic
Faith, Yours respectfully,
S^A
Reverend and Dear Father — Accept our thanks for the interesting
publications you sent, which were read with much interest. What a
glorious record of the work done by your Society since 1822, and if
the mere outward record is so inspiring, what must be the inner spir-
itual results which God alone could estimate. Surely your great
Patron has carried on his apostolic labors through you. I was spe-
cially interested in Bishop Pavier's journal, kept during the siege of
Pekin, as I have often wished I could know more of the details of
what took place at the Cathedral.
Our reverend superior instructs me to ask if our Society may be
permitted to become associates of the Society for the Propagation of
the Faith. We are seven in number, and the yearly subscription I
enclose for 1904, and hereafter on the Feast of St. Peter it will be
renewed. We always say a decade of the Rosary after Sext each
day for foreign missions, and to this we will add the Invocation of
St. Francis Xavier for the Society and the Our Father.
Perhaps you know that our special work is to labor and pray for
the return of the Anglican Church to her allegiance to the Holy See,
that we may be again one fold, under one Shepherd. When that great
event is consummated the *^ kingdom of this world " will, I trust, very
soon become ^^ the kingdom of God and His Christ.'^
In the Sacred Heart, Yours respectfully.
SPECIAL DONATIONS
Received since the July-August Number.
For the Work of Catechists in the African Missions
(Society of Lyons).
Very Rev. M. Weis (Diocese of Alton) $10.00
For Father CorrF^ Ieeper" iftlssiON, Japan.
Very Rev. F. M. Boff- (Diocese of Cleveland) 10.00
Per Rev. T. M. O'Leary (Diocese of Manchester) 5.00
A Friend (Diocese of New York) 5.00
Total $30.00
The Society gladly receives sums^of money intended by the donors for
any particular mission or missionary, and forwards the same at once to
its destination in any part of the world.
263
OBITUARY
The following deceased persons are commended to the charitable
prayers of our Associates :
Rt. Rev. H. de Regge, D. D., Diocese of Rochester.
Rt. Rev. Monsig. Slaughter, of the Diocese of Portsmouth.
Rev. Patrick Cunningham, of the Diocese of Burlington.
Of the Archdiocese of Boston the following: Miss Annie Tracy, Miss
Mary Martin, Miss Mary E. Sullivan, Miss Nellie Tangney, Mr. Thomas
Roche, Mr. Mangan, Mr. Wm. C. Creed, Mr. John McCotter, Mr. John J. Mc-
Inness, Mrs. Margaret Reardon, Mr. James Tully, Mr. John Tully, Mr. Chas.
McMullen, Miss Ann McMullen, Miss Ellen Burr, Miss Anastasia Sheehan,
Miss Katie Sheehan, Mrs. Daniel Keene, Mrs. Sarah Chamberlain, Miss
Louise Chamberlain, Mr. Edward Timmins, Mrs. Mary Timmins, Miss Han-
nah Fitzgerald, Miss Sarah Haus, Mrs. J. F. Fitzpatrick, Mr. James Wood,
Miss Bridget Burns, Miss Catherine Orr, Mr. Patrick McCole, Mr. Daniel
Keene, Miss Jennie F. Fitzpatrick, Mrs. Mary Mooney, Mr. Daniel Mahoney,
Mr. Michael Hunt, Mr. T. R. Donovan, Mrs. Mary Ivers, Mrs. Maria Walsh,
Mrs. Johanna Whelan, Mr. John Haley, Mr. Thomas Larner, Mr. Thos.
Larner, Jr., Mr. Wm. Lambert, Mr. Dennis J. Mahoney, Mr. Thos. Cough-
lin. Miss Margaret Davin, Mr. Thomas Norton, Mr. Michael Norton, Mr.
Patrick Ryan, Miss Mary G. O'Neil, Miss Margaret Murphy.
Of tho Archdiocese of New York the following: Rev. Patrick Hartigan,
O. P.: Rev. John Cook, C. S. S.R.; Mrs. McGoey, Mrs. Mary Fitzpatrick,
Mr. Patrick Faughman, Mr. James Crangle, Mr. James Bond, Miss Bridget
Lannau, Mr. Patrick McDavitt, Mr. John Cullen, Mrs. M. O'SullIvan, Mrs.
A. McGuire, Mr. John Dunn. Mrs. Mary Jaeger, Mrs. Barrett.
(We shall be-glad to recommend the names of all deceased associates
whose names are sent to us to the prayers of our readers.)
264
ADVERTlSEIfENTS
The Catholic Foreign Mission Field
and the
Society for the Propagation of the Faith
Two Papers read at the Missionary Conference
held at Washington, D. C, April 6-12, 1904
BY THE
Rev. J. FRERI, D. C.L., National Director
and the
Rev. JAS. A. WALSH, Boston Diocesan Director
of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith
EXTENT OP FOREIGN MISSIONS.
QUALITY OP MISSIONARY LABOR.
PROTESTANT MISSIONS AN OBSTACLE.
SOME REMARKABLE RESULTS.
MEANS OP SUPPORT.
REPLEX INFLUENCE OP MISSIONARY LABORS.
THE CATHOLICITY OP THE CHURCH AND OP THE SOCIETY
FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH.
ARE PROTESTANT FOREIGN MISSIONS A MERE SHAM?
OBJECTIONS TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OP THE SOCIETY FOR
THE PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH IN A PARISH.
THE SOCIETY FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH A
SOURCE OP BLESSINGS TO PRIESTS AND PEOPLE.
THE WORK OF THE SOCIETY AT PRESENT.
FAFEB, 5 CENTS
Address:
THE SOdETT FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH
627 Lexingrton Avenue,
NEW YORK, N. Y. ,
f
ANNALS
OF THE PROPAGATION
OF THE FAITH
*♦♦!»
^
GO YE INTO Tii£ WHOLE WORLD AND
FREACH THE GOSPEL TO EVERT CREATURE
lALTmORE. MD.
\^..
CONTENTS.
\
REPORT OF ALLOCATIONS MADE IN 1904 BY THE SOCIETY FOR THE PROPA-
GATION OF THE FAITH . 965
BISHOP, INISSIONARIES AND CHRISTIANS MASSACRED IN CHINA .... 275
THE SOCIETIES OF CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES.— Ill Article 276
Th» Society pf African MissionarlM (White Fathers), by the Rev. Sttnltlat
Comte 275
Missions in Oceanica.
Fiji lBiandB.'-\j^T of the Rev. John de Marzan, S. M 200
Conversion of the Tribe of Vounangoumou. — Imprisonment
of the Chiefs of Wainimala for the Crime of Sorcery. —
Pastoral Visit.
News of the Missions.
EUROPE.
The Urgett Diocese In the Worid 297
ASIA.
Massacres In Armenia 207
Terrible Cyclone In Anam 207
An Outline of Events in the Far East 298
AFRICA.
Edict of Menelik against the Uzarltt Mission In Abyssinia 298
News of the Mission of Galla 299
DESTINATION OF MISSIONARIES 200
Supplement to the American Edition of the Annalsu
EDITORIALS
The Feast of St. Francis Xavler 801
The Distribution of Offerings 802
The Chartty of the S. P. F 802
Visit of a Japanese Missionary 802
Lay Apostolate 808
Grateful Missionaries . 804
$70,000 In One Day 804
Our Departed Friends 805
MISSION NOTES AND NEWS
Mackenzie.— Letter of Bishop Breynat, 0. M. 1 806
Sandwich Islands.— Letter of Father Yzendoom 807
SPECIAL DONATIONS 809
OBITUARY 810
CONTENTS OF VOL. LXVII .811
Bntered at the Post Offloe, Baltimore, Md., aa Second Class Matter.
ANNALS
OF THE
Propagation of the Faith
Vol. LXVII, No. 457. Novbmbb^|cember, 1904
Report of the Receipts and Exp^^^Hrres of the
Society for the Propagationi^rthe Faith
for I903
RECEIPTS
Dioceses of Europe 11,107,463.93
Dioceses of Asia 1,195.67
Dioceses of Africa 5,588.82
Dioceses of America* 132,321.35
Dioceses of Oceanica 851.22
Total for 1903 (as in May Report) 11,247,420.99
Sum remaining at the disposal of the Holy Father for his
Eastern works at the close of 1902 27,600.00
Balance brought forward from 1902 27.23
Grand Total 11,275,048.22
EXPENSES
Apportioned to Missions in Europe 1124,198.07
Apportioned to Missions in Asia 584,397.62
Apportioned to Missions in Africa 259,881.89
Apportioned to Missions in America 66,555.82
Apportioned to Missions in Oceanica 123,449.50
Publication of the 16 editions of the Annals 68,772.92
Management 18,270.53
Total Expenses for 1903 11,245,526.35
Sum at the disposal of the Holy Father for Oriental Rites 29,400.00
Balance carried forward to 1904 121.87
Sum equal to the foregoing grand total 11,275,048.22
BBFOBT FOR 1903
The Division of the Alms collected In 1 903 has been made
as follows :
MISSIONS IN EUROPE
Diocese of Menevia— Bishop Mostyn I 300.00
Diocese of Lausanne-Geneva— Bishop Deruaz 4,800.00
Diocese of Chttr— Bishop Battaglia 700.00
Diocese of Basel— Bishop Haas 2,000.00
To Missions depending upon the Diocese of Cologne — Cardinal
Fischer 800.00
To Missions depending upon Diocese of Treves — Bishop Korum. . 800.00
To Missions depending upon the Diocese of Munster — ^Bishop Din-
gelstadt 400.00
To Missions depending upon the Diocese of Paderbom — Bishop
Schneider 3,200.00
To Missions of Northern Germany — Bishop Voss 6,600.00
To Missions depending upon the Diocese of Limburg — Bishop
Willi 400.00
To Missions depending upon the Diocese of Mainz— Bishop Kir-
stein 400.00
To Missions depending upon the Diocese of Fulda— Bishop Enders 400.00
Diocese of Hildeshelm — Bishop Sommerwerk 2,300.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Saxony 700.00
Missions of Pomeranla and Brandenburg — Cardinal Kopp 6,000.00
To Missions depending upon the Diocese of Breslau — Cardinal
Kopp 900^
Diocese of Posen and Gnesen — ^Archbishop Stablewskl 1,700.00
Diocese of Warmla (Brmeland)— Bishop Thiel 900.00
Vic. Apos. of Denmark and for the Nuns — Bishop Von Euch 7,700.00
Vic. Apos. of Sweden and for the Nuns— Bishop Bitter 2,600.00
Vic. Apos. of Norway and for the Nuns — Bishop Fallize 5,300.po
Diocese of Jassy — ^Rev. Fr. Malinowski, Adm l,100i>0
Diocese of Bukharest — ^Archbishop de Hornsteln 3,500.00
Diocese of Nicopolls— Bishop Doulcet, C. P.* 1,300.00
Diocese of Serajevo— Bishop Stadler 4,000.00
Diocese of Banlaluka— Bishop Markovic, O. F. M 700.00
Diocese of Antivarl— Archbishop Millnovich, O. F. M 800.00
Diocese of Scutari — Archbishop Guerlni 600 J)0
Diocese of Scopla— Archbishop Troskl 1,200.00
Diocese of Durazzo — Archbishop Bianchl 600.00
V. A. of Philippopolis and for Nuns— Bishop Mennini, O. M. Cap.. 800.00
Apostolic Delegation of Constantinople for Christian Brothers'
Schools and other works of the Latin Vicariate — Archbishop
Bonetti, CM 18,600.00
To the same, through His Holiness Pope Plus X 100.00
Armenian Catholics— Mgr. Emmanuellan 3,800.00
^The following abbreviations have been used In the report:
Al. M. — Algerian Missionaries (White Fatherg). B. F. M. — Foreign Missions of
Belglnm. C. S. C. — ^Holy Cross Fathers. C. M. — Lazarlsts. C. P. — ^Passionists.
C. 8. Sp. — Holy Ghost Fathers, C. SS. R. — Redemptorlsts. B. F. M. — Foreign
Missions of England. C. I. H. M. — Children of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
L. A. M. — African Missions of Lyons. M. C. — Company of Mary. M. P. M. —
Foreign Missions of Milan. M. S. C. — Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, of Issbu-
dun. M. B. F. 8. — Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales, of Annecy. O. 0. D. — ^Dis-
calced Carmelites. O. F. M. — Franciscans. O. M. C. — Franciscans (Minor Confen-
tuals). O. M. Cap. — Capuchins. O. M. I. — Oblates of Mary. O. P. — Dominicans.
O. Praem. — ^Premonstratenslans (Norbertlns). O. S. A.-^Augustlnlans. O. 8. B. —
Benedictines. O. 8. F. S. — Oblates of St. Francis de Sales. P. F. M. — ^Foreign
Missions of Paris. R. F. M. — Foreign Missions of Rotne. S. D. S. — Society of the
Divine Saviour. S. H. Pic. — Plcpusians. S. J. — Jesuits. S. M. — ^Marists. 8. 8.
F. 8. — Saleslans. 8. V. D. — Society of the Divine Word (Qerman-Holland Foreign
Missions). Dloc. — Diocese. H. H. — His Holiness. Pref. Apos. or P. A. — ^Prefec-
ture Apostolic. Vic. Apos. or V. A. — ^Vicariate Apostolic. Aam. — Administrator.
REPORT FOR 1903 267
Armenian Sisters of the Immaculate Conception through His
Holiness Pope Pius X $1,000.00
Armenian Orphans of Recanati, through His Holiness Pope Pius X. 400.00
Lazarist Missions In Constantinople, Salonica, Monastir and
Houses of the Sisters of Charity 11,020.00
Apos. Del. of Greece and for Nuns — Archbishop Delenda 2,800.00
Diocese of Corfu — ^Archbishop Polito 1,100.00
To the same, through His Holiness Pope Pius X 1,600.00
Diocese of Zante — Archbishop Polito 300.00
Diocese of Syria and for the Nuns — ^Bishop Darmanin 600.00
Diocese of Tyne and for the Nuns — Bishop di Mento 400.00
Diocese of Candia— Father da Pettineo, O. M. Cap 400.00
Jesuit Missions in Tyne and Syria 1,168.00
Lazarist Missions In Santorin and for the Sisters of Charity 1,600.00
For the St. Athanasius College in Rome, and for the Latin College
in Athens, through His Holiness Pope Pius X 6,000.00
For the Oriental College in Rome, through His Holiness Pope
Pius X 4,000.00
Works of the Propaganda for the Union of the Eastern Churches,
through His Holiness Pope Pius X 800.00
MISSIONS IN ASIA
Diocese of Scio and for the Nuns — Bishop Nicolosi 600.00
. Diocese of Smyrna and for the Brothers and Nuns — Archbishop
Marengo 4,600.00
Lazarist Missions in Smyrna and Sisters of Charity 4,100.00
Jesuit Missions in Armenia 8,176.00
To the Armenian Bishop of Malatia, through His Holiness Pope
Pius X 600.00
To the Armenian, Syrian, Greek Melchite and Chaldean Patri-
archs, through His Holiness Pope Pius X 5,700.00
To the Apostolic Delegation of Mesopotamia, Kurdistan and
Armenia Minor — Archbishop Drure 3,000.00
For the United Rites of the same Delegation 2,500.00
To Mgr. Thomas, Chaldean Patriarch, through His Holiness Pope
Pius X 2,000.00
Dominican Missions in Mesopotamia and Kurdistan 7,400.00
Capuchin Missions in Mesopotamia 5,000.00
Carmelite Missions in Bagdad 1,700.00
Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem — Mgr. Piavi, O. F. M 6,800.00
To the Benedictines of Palestine, through His Holiness Pope
Pius X 4,ooo.oa
Greek Melchite Seminary of St. Ann in Jerusalem (Algerian
Missionaries) 3,800.00
Missions in Cypress and for the Nuns— Mgr. Piavi, O. F. M 400.00
Apostolic Delegation of Syria, for the Latin Vicariate and the
United Rites— Archbishop Duval, O. P 7,100.00
To Archbishop Haggiar, Melchite Archbishop of St. Jean d'Acre,
through His Holiness Pope Pius X 1,000.00
To Mgr. Doumani, Greek Melchite Bishop of Tripoli, through His
Holiness Pope Pius X 1,000.00
Capuchin Missions in Syria 1,800.00
Carmelite Minions in Syria 800.00
Lazarist Missions in Syria and Houses of the Sisters of Charity,
Beyrout 7,500.00
Jesuit Missions in Syria 9,070.00
Apostolic Delegation of Persia — Archbishop Lesne, C. M 7,800.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Arabia and for the Nuns — Bishop Clarke,
O. M. Cap 2,200.00
Diocese of Lahore— Bishop Pelckmans, O. M. Cap 1,900.00
268 REPORT FOR 1903
Prefecture Apostolic of Rajputana — V. Rev. Father Fortunat,
O. M. Cap $1,600.00
To Missions depending upon the Diocese of Bombay — Archbishop
Dalhoff, S. J 3,504.00
Diocese of Poena— Bishop Beider Linden, S. J 1,943.00
To Missions depending upon the Diocese of Calcutta — Archbishop
Meulman, S. J 8,466.00
Prefecture Apostolic of Assam — Father Muenzloher, S. D. S 1,300.00
Diocese of Dacca— Bishop Hurth, C. S. C 4,500.00
Diocese of Krishnagar — Bishop Pozzi, M. F. M 2,400.00
Diocese of Colombo— Archbishop Melizan, O. M. 1 3,200.00
Diocese of Jaffna— Bishop Joulain, O. M. 1 6,000.00
Diocese of Kandy— Bishop Pagnani, O. S. B 600.00
Seminary in Kandy for the Missions in India 2,800.00
Jesuit Missions in Ceylon 3,504.00
Diocese of Madras — Archbishop Colgan, B. F. M 2,000.00
Diocese of Hyderabad— Bishop Vigano, M. F. M 3,000.00
Diocese of Nagpur, M. S. F. S 2,800.00
Diocese of Vizagapatam— Bishop Clerc, M. S. F. S 2,000.00
To Missions depending upon the Diocese of Pondicherry — Arch-
bishop Gandy, P. F. M - 12,019.01
Diocese of Kumbhakonam — Bishop Bottero, P. F. M 5,404.18
Diocese of Colmbatore— Bishop Roy, P. F. M 6,672.96
Diocese of Mysore— Bishop Kleiner, P. F. M 8,498.98
Diocese of Malacca — Bishop Burillon, P. F. M 6,658.68
Diocese of Madura — Bishop Barthe, S. J 14,014.00
Diocese of Mangalore — Bishop Cavidini, S. J 10,316.00
Diocese of Verapoly — Bishop Bernard, O. C. D 1,000.00
Diocese of Quilon — Bishop Ossi, O. C. D 1,500.00
Vic. Apos. of Trichur — Bishop Menachery 200.00
Vic. Apos. of Changanacerry— Bishop Makil 200.00
Vic. Apos. of Ernaculam — Bishop Pareparambil 300.00
Vic. Apos. of North Burma— P. F. M 4,202.53
Vic. Apos. of East Burma — Bishop Tornatore, M. F, M 3,500.00
Vic. Apos. of South Burma— Bishop Cardot, P. F. M 8,017.48
Vicariate Apostolic of Siam— Bishop Vey, P. F. M 6,825.15
Vicariate Apostolic of Laos — Bishop Cuaz, P. F. M 4,508.87
College of Paris Foreign Missions, Pulo Pinang 1,000.00
House of Paris Foreign Missions in Singapore 2,100.00
Vic. Apos. of Cambodia — Bishop Bouchut, P. F. M 7,235.92
Vic. Apos. of North Cochin China— Bishop Caspar, P. F. M 8,457.59
Vic. Apos. of East Cochin China— Bishop Grangeon, P. F. M 10,022.22
Vic. Apos. of West Cochin China— Bishop Mossard, P. F. M 10,059.38
Vic. Apos. of North Tongking— Bishop Velasco, O. P 4,000.00
Vic. Apos. of East Tongking— Bishop Terres, O. P 3,800.00
Vic. Apos. of Central Tongking — Bishop Fernandez, O. P 6,200.00
Vic. Apos. of South Tongking— Bishop Pineau, P. F. M 7,537.79
Vic. Apos. of West Tongking— Bishop Gendreaii, P. F. M 8,785.95
Vic. Apos. of Upper Tongking — Bishop Ramond, P. F. M 5,402.10
Vic. Apos. of Maritime Tongking— feishop Marcou, P. F. M 6,245.90
Pref . Apos. of Borneo and Labuan — Father Dunn, E. F. M 2,600.00
Vic. Apos. of North Chi-li— Bishop Favier, CM 5,400.00
Vic. Apos. of South-west Chi-li— Bishop Brugiere, CM 4,400.00
Vic. Apos. of East Chili— Bishop Geurts, C M 1,200.00
Vic. Apos. of South-east Chi-li — Bishop Maquet, S. J 3,000.00
Vic. Apos. of North Honan — Bishop Scarella, M. F. M 2.800.00
Vic. Apos. of South Manchuria— Bishop Choulet, P. F. M 5,019.87
Vic. Apos. of North Manchuria — Bishop Lalouyer, P. F. M 3,398.90
Vic. Apos. of East Mongolia— Bishop Abels, B. F. M 5,200.00
Vic. ApoB. of Central Mongolia — ^Bishop Van Aertselaer, B. F. M. . 5,100.00
Vic. Apos. of South-west Mongolia — Bishop Bermyn, B. ^. M. . . . 5,100.00
RBPOBT FOR 1903 269
Mission of Hi (Kansu)— Father Steeneman, B. F. M $1,600.00
Vic. Apos. of Kansu— Bishop Otto, B. F. M 4.900.00
House of Belgian Foreign Missions in Shanghai 600.00
Vic. Apos. of North Shen-si— Bishop Rizzi, O. F. M 2,400.00
Vic. Apos. of South Shen-si— Bishop Passerini, R. F. M 3,100.00
Vic. Apos. of North Shan-si— Bishop Fiorentini, O. F. M 2,200.00
Vic. ApoB. of South Shan-si— Bishop Zimmer, O. F. M 2,900.00
Vic. Apos. of North Shantung— Bishop Giesen, O. F. M 3,700.00
Vic. Apos. of East Shan-tung— Bishop Schang, O. F. M 2,000.00
Vic. Apos. of South Shan-tung— Bishop Henninghaus, S. V. D 4,100.00
Vic. Apos. of Che-Kiang— Bishop Reynaud, C. M 5,000.00
Vic. Apos. of South Ho-nan— Bishop Volonteri, M. F. M 3,100.00
Vic. Apos. of North Hu-nan— Bishop Perez, O. S. A 1,200.00
Vic. Apos. of South Hu-nan— Bishop Mondaini, O. F. M 2,000.00
Vic. Apos. of Bast Hu-peh— Bishop Carlassare, O. F. M 2,600.00
Mission House, Hankow (EJast Hu-peh) — Bishop Carlassare,
O. F. M 400.00
Vic. Apos. of North-west Hu-peh — Bishop Landi, O. F. M 2,800.00
Vic. Apos. of South-west Hu-peh — Bishop Verhaeghen, O. F. M. .. 3,200.00
Vic. Apos. of Nanking— Bishop Paris, S. J 1,752.00
House of the Paris Foreign Missions in Shanghai 2,100.00
Vic. ApoB. of North Kiang-si — Bishop Ferrant, C. M 2,900.00
•Vic. Apos. of South Kiang-si— Bishop Copset, C. M 2,700.00
Vic. Apos. of East Kiang-si— Bishop Vic, C. M 3,800.00
Vic. Apos. of Kui-chau— Bishop Guichard, P. F. M 7,035.66
Vic. Apos. of N. West Si-chuan— Bishop Dunand, P. F. M 6,291.82
Vic. Apos. of East Si-chuan — Bishop Chouvellon, P. F. M 8,042.85
Vic. Apos. of South Si-chuan — Bishop Chatagnon, P. F. M 7,002.45
Vic. Apos. of Thihet— Bishop Giraudeau, P. F. M 3,013.02
Vic. Apos. of Yun-nan— Bishop Fenouil, P. F. M 4,764.97
Vic. ApOB. of Amoy— Bishop Clemente, O. P 1,200.00
Vic. Apos. of Fuh-chow — Bishop Masot, O. P 3,000.00
Pref. Apos. of Kwang-si — Bishop Lavest, P. F. M 4,065.09
Pref. Apos. of Kwang-tung— Bishop Merel, P. F. M 9,954.70
Vic. Apos. of Hong-Kong— Bishop Piazzoli, M. F. M 1,900.00
House of Italian Foreign Missions in Hong-Kong 600.00
House of Paris Foreign Missions in Hong-Kong 4,120.00
Vic. Apos. of Corea— Bishop Mutel, P. F. M 7,371.41
Diocese of Tokio — Archbishop Osouf, P. F. M 6,455.98
Diocese of Osaka — Bishop Chatron, P. F. M 6,531.98
Diocese of Nagasaki — Bishop Cousin, P. F. M 6,488.48
Diocese of Hakodate— Bishop Berlioz, P. F. M 4,859.98
MISSIONS IN AFRICA
Missions depending upon the Diocese of Algiers — Archbishop
Oury , 1,800.00
Kabyles Mission (Algeria) , Algerian Missionaries 4,300.00
Vic Apoe. of Ghardaia — Algerian Missionaries 2,100.00
V. A. of Sahara and French Soudan — Bishop Bazin, Al. M 3,800.00
Missions depending upon the Diocese of Constantino — Bishop
Gazaniol 2,200.00
Missions of the Diocese of Oran — Bishop Cantel 1,900.00
Missions of Tripoli — Father Barrafranca, O. F. M 1,200.00
Vic. Apos. of Egypt for the Brothers, Nuns and Apos. Delegation
— ^Bishop Briante 5,700.00
Pref. Apos. of the Delta of the Nile and for the Nuns— L. A. M. . . 3,900!00
Franciscan Missions In Upper Egypt 1,200.00
Jesuit Missions in Minleh, V. A. of Egypt 2,726.00
Liuarist Missions and Sisters of Charity in Alexandria 4,000.00
Vic. Apos. of Central Africa— Bishop Geyer, V. A. M 1,600.00
270
REPORT FOR 1903
Pref. Apos. of Erythraea— Father Carbonara, O. M. Cap $2,000.00
Pref. Apoe. of Abyssinia—Father Gruson, CM 2.400.00
Vic. Apos. of Galla— Bishop Jarosseau. O. M. Cap 2,900.00
Vic. Apos. of South Victoria Nyanza— Bishop Hirth, Al. M 4,400.00
Vic. Apos. of North Victoria Nyanza— Bishop Strelcher, Al. M. . . 8,800.00
Vic. Apos. of Upper Nile— Bishop Hanlon, E. F. M 2,900.00
Vic. Apos. of Upper Congo— Bishop Roelens, Al. M 4,400.00
Vic. Apos. of Unyanyembe — Bishop Gerboin, Al. M 4,600.00
Vic. Apos. of Tanganyika — Bishop Lechaptois, Al. M 4,900.00
Vic. Apos. of LAke Nyassa- Bishop Dupont, Al. M 2,000.00
House of the Algerian Missionaries in Monbasa 600.00
Pref. Apos. of Shire— Father Prezeau, M. C 1,200.00
Vic. Apos. of North Zanzibar — Bishop Allgeyer, C. S. Sp 5,600.00
Vic. Apos. of Southern Zanzibar — Bishop Spiss, O. S. B 1,000.00
Mission in Upper Zambesi — Father Kerr, S. J 4,000.00
Vic. Apos. of Natal— Bishop Delalle, O. M. 1 3,800.00
Vic. Apos. of Orange Free State— Bishop Gaughran, O. M. 1 3,600.00
Pref. Apos. of Basutoland — Father Genez, O. M. 1 5,600.00
Pref. Apos. of Transvaal — Bishop Gaughran, O. M. I., Adm 2,200.00
Vic. Apos. of East Cape— Bishop MacSherry 1,400.00
Vic. Apos. of West Cape and Pref. Apos. of the Cape of Good Hope
District— Bishop Leonard 1,000.00
Vic. Apos. of Orange River— Bishop Simon, O. S. F. S 3,600.00
Pref. Apos. of Lower Cimbebasla — Father Nachtwey, O. M. 1 1,800.00
Pref. Apos. of Upper Cimbebasia — Father Lecompte, C. S. Sp 900.00
Mission of Cunene — Father Antunes, C. S. Sp 700.00
Pref. Apos. of Lower Congo — Father Magalhaes, C. S. Sp 2,800.00
Pref. Apos. of Lounda— Father Wendllng, C. S. Sp 400.00
Vic. Apos. of Belgian Congo — Bishop Van Ronsle, B. F. M 2,600.00
Pref. Apos. of Uelle — O. Praem 800.00
Pref. Apos. of Upper Kassai — Father Cambier 900.00
Vic. Apos. of Lower French Congo — ^Bishop Carrie, C. S. Sp 3,300.00
V. A. of Upper French Congo (Ubangi)— Bp. Augouard, C. S. Sp.. 5,900.00
Vic. Apos. of Gabon— Bishop Adam, C. S. Sp 5,400.00
Pref. Apos. of Lower Niger— Father Lejeune, C. S. Sp 3,300.00
Mission of Fernando-Po ( Annoban) — Bishop Coll, F. C. I. M 800.00
Pref. Apos. of Kamerun — Pallotin Fathers 1,200.00
Vic. Apos. of Benin — Bishop Lang, L. A. M 5,200.00
Pref. Apos. of Upper Niger — Father Zappa, L. A. M 2,100.00
Vic. Apos. of Dahomey— Bishop Dartois, L. A. M 5,000.00
Vic. Apos. of Gold Coast— Bishop Klauss, L. A. M 3,700.00
Vic. Apos. of Ivory Coast — Father Homand, L. A. M 2,400.00
Pref. Apos. of Togoland — Father Bucking, S. V. D 1,800.00
Vic. Apos. of Sierra Leone— Bishop O'Gorman, C. S. Sp 2,000.00
Pref. Apos. of Liberia— Fr. Sarre, M. C 1,200.00
Pref. Apos. of French Guinea— Father Segala, C. S. Sp 2,800.00
Vic. Apos. of Senegambia— Bishop Kunemann, C. S. Sp 7,200.00
Vic. Apos. of Northern Madagascar — Bishop Corbet, C. S. Sp 2,400.00
V. A. of Central Madagascar and for Christian Brothers — Bishop
Cazet, S. J 21,020.00
Vic. Apos. of Southern Madagascar— Bishop Crouzet, CM 6,000.00
Diocese of Port Victoria, Seychelles — Bishop Hudrisier, O. M. Cap 400.00
Indian and Chinese Missions In Reunion Island 400.00
MISSIONS IN AMERICA
Diocese of St. Boniface — Archbishop Langevin, O. M. I .
Diocese of St. Albert — Bishop Legal, O. M. I
Vic. Apos. of Saskatchewan — Bishop Pascal, O. M. I
Vic. Apos. of Athabasca — Bishop Grouard, O. M. I . .
Vic. Apos. of Mackenzie — ^Bishop Breynat, O. M. I
4,000.00
6,000.00
5,200.00
4,000.00
4,000.00
RBI>OBT 90R 1903 271
Diocese of New Westminster— Bishop Dontenwill» 0. M. I $6,800.00
Jesuit Indian Missions in Canada (St. Boniface) 1,752.00
Diocese of Vancouyer— Archbishop Qrth 400.00
Pref. Apos. of Alaska— Jesuit Missions 5,854.00
Jesuit Missions in the Rocky Mountains, U. S 3,795.00
Diocese of Cheyenne— Bishop Keane 300.00
Diocese of Lead — Bishop Stariha 400.00
Diocese of Baker City— Bishop OHeilly 400.00
Diocese of Tucson — Bishop Granjon 800.00
Diocese of Santa Fe — ^Archbishop Bourgade 800.00
Vic. Apos. of Indian Territory— Bishop Meerschaert 2,800.00
Diocese of Natchitoches 400.00
Diocese of Natchez — ^Bishop Heslin 400.00
Diocese of Roseau — Bishop Schelfhaut 1,900.00
Dominican Missions in Clenfuegoe, Cuba 900.00
Vic. Apos. of Jamaica— Bishop Gordon, S. J 1,168.00
Diocese of Port of Spain— Archbishop Flood, O. P. 500.00
Vic. Apos. of Curacao— Bishop Van Baars, 0. P 1,800.00
Pref. Apos. of British Honduras — Bishop Hopkins, S. J 974.00
Vic. Apos. of Surinam — Bishop Wulfingh, C. SS. R 4,100.00
Vic. Apos. of Northern Patagonia— Bishop Cagliero, S. S. F. S 300.00
Pref. Apos. of Southern Patagonia— Father Fftgnano, S. S. F. S. . 900.00
Mission of Corrientes — Franciscan Fathers 200.00
Missions of Arauco, Diocese of San Carlos de Ancud (Chile) —
Bishop Jara 600.00
Missions of Arauco in the Diocese of Conception (Chile) —
Bishop Labarca 400.00
MISSIONS nr ocbanica
Vie. Apos. of Klmberley— Pallotin Fathers 800.00
Maori Biission, Diocese of Auckland— Bishop Lenihan 800.00
Maori Mission (Diocese of Wellington and Christchurch), Father
Devoy, S. M 1,600.00
Jesuit Missions In the Bast Indies 1,200.00
Vic. Apos. of English New Guinea— Bishop Navarre, M. S. C 7,600.00
Pref. Apos. of Wilhelmsland ((Jerman New Guinea) 1,600.00
Vic. Apos. of New Pomeranla— Bishop Couppe, M. S. C 5,200.00
Marshall Islands (New Pomeranla) 900.00
Vic. Apos. of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands — Bishop Leray,
M. S. C 5,800.00
House of the Missionaries of the S. H. in Sydney 600.00
Vic. Apos. of Central Oceanlca— Bishop Lamaze, S. M 5,500.00
Vic. Apos. of the Navigators Islands — Bishop Broyer, S. M 6,400.00
To the same, for the No. Solomon Islands 3,000.00
Vic. Apos. of the Fiji Islands— Bishop Vldal, S. M 9,900.00
To the same, for the So. Solomon Islands 3,000.00
Vic. Apos. of New Caledonia— Bishop Fraysse, S. M 11,400.00
Vic Apos. of New Hebrides— Bishop Doucer6, S. M 5,400.00
House and Sanitarium of the Marlst Fathers in Sydney 1,000.00
Vic. Apos. of Tahiti— Bishop Verdler, S. H. Pic 9,200.00
Vic. Apos. of the Sandwich Islands — Bishop Boeynaems, S. H.
Pic 8,400.00
Vic. Apos. of Marquesas Islands— Bishop Martin, S. H. Pic 4,200.00
Exceptional Subsidies to defray the Missionaries' Passages
on Board Ships and other Extraordinary Expenses
EUROPE
Lasarist Missions in Constantinople, Macedonia and Bulgaria 1 890.00
Lasarist Missions in Santorin 80.00
272 REPORT FOR 1903
ASIA
Lazarist Missions in Smyrna $200.00
Capuchin Missions in Mesopotamia 360.00
Lazarist Missions in Syria 340.00
Lazarist Missions in Persia 360.00
Vic. Apos. of Arabia 30.00
Diocese of Lahore 1,170.00
Prefecture Apostolic of Bettiah 240.00
Prefecture Apostolic of Rajputana 180.00
Diocese of Krishnagar 240.00
Diocese of Dacca 280.00
Diocese of Kandy 60.00
Diocese of Madras 420.00
Diocese of Hyderabad 540.00
Diocese of Vizagapatam 1,200.00
Diocese of Nagpur 1,020.00
Diocese of Pondicherry 500.00
Diocese of Coimbatore 100.00
Diocese of Kumbhakonam 60.00
Diocese of Maissour 200.00
Diocese of Malacca 200.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Southern Burma 200.00
Vicariate Apostolic of East Burma 500.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Burma 220.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Siam 300.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Laos 300.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Cambodia 200.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Cochin China 200.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Eastern Cochin China 400.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Western Cochin China 200.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Eastern Tongking 300.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Southern Tongking 200.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Western Tongking 200.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Upper Tongking 200.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Maritime Tongking 200.00
Prefecture Apostolic of Borneo and Labuan 100.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Chi-li 400.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Western Chi-li 160.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Eastern Chi-li 160.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Ho-nan 320.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Southern Ho-nan 960.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Southern Manchuria 200.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Manchuria 400.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Eastern Mongolia 640.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Central Mongolia 1,500.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Western Mongolia 1,000.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Kan-su 600.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Southern Shen-si 320.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Chan-si 600.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Southern Chan-si 640.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Eastern Shan-tung 1,520.00 '
Vicariate Apostolic of Southern Shan-tung 480.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Che-Kiang 180.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Southern Hu-peh 680.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Kiang-si 200.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Southern Kiang-si 160.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Eastern Kiang-si 260.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Kui-Chau 700.00
Vicariate Apostolic of N. Western Si-chuan 600.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Eastern Si-chuan 600.00
REPOBT FOR 1903 273
Vicariate Apostolic of Southern Si-chuan $640.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Thibet 720.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Yun-nan 400.00
Prefecture Apostolic of Kwang-si 200.00
Prefecture Apostolic of Kwang-tung 200.00
House of the Paris Foreign Missions in Hong-Kong 56.17
Vicariate Apostolic of Corea 200.00
Diocese of Tokio 100.00
Diocese of HiEkodate 120.00
Diocese of Nagasaki 100.00
Diocese of Osaka 100.00
AFRICA
lAzarlst Missions in Egypt 200.00
Lazarist Missions in Abyssinia 240.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Central Africa 400.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Galla 120.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Sahara and French Soudan 1,400.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Victoria Nyanza 1,760.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Southern Victoria Nyanza 1,200.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Upper Nile 280.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Upper Congo 2,800.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Unyanyembe 1,400.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Tanganyika 3,600.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Nyassa 1,800.00
House of the Algerian Missionaries in Mombasa 400.00
Prefecture Apostolic of Shire 1,200.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Zanzibar 1,345.00
Vicariate of East Cape 100.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Orange Free State 480.00
Mission of the Upper Cimbebasla 200.00
Missions of Kunene 175.00
Prefecture Apostolic of Lower Congo 250.00
Prefecture Apostolic of Lounda 250.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Belgian Congo 3,100.00
Prefecture Apostolic of Upper Kassai 800.00
Vicariate Apostolic of French Congo 550.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Ubangl 1,800.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Gabon 2,350.00
Prefecture Apostolic of Lower Niger 700.00
Mission of Kamemn 1,000.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Benin 640.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Dahomey 200.00
Vicariate Apostolic of the Gold Coast 200.00
Prefecture Apostolic of the Ivory Coast 360.00
Prefecture Apostolic of Togoland 800.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Sierra Leone 100.00
Prefecture Apostolic of Liberia 600.00
Prefecture Apostolic of French Guinea 280.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Senegambia 490.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Madagascar 800.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Southern Madagascar 500.00
Diocese of Port Victoria 30.00
AMERICA
Diocese of Dallas 370.00
Diocese of Tucson 700.00
Diocese of Santa Fe 60.00
Diocese of Roseau 40.00
Dominican Missions in Cuba 1,520.00
Prefecture Apostolic of Southern Patagonia 440.00
274
REPORT FOR 1903
OCEANICA
Diocese of Rockinghampton $480.00
Diocese of Oerajdton 240.00
Maori Mission, Diocese of Wellington and Christchurch 1,000.00
Vicariate Apostolic of New English Guinea 480 00
Prefecture Apostolic of New Dutch Guinea 240.00
Prefecture Apostolic of Wilhelmsland 1,480.00
Vicariate Apostolic of New Pomerania 1,440.00
Mission of the Marshall Islands 1,120.00
Vicariate Apostolic of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands 320.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Central Oceanica 600.00
Vicariate Apostolic of the Navigators Islands 1,200.06
Mission of the Northern Solomon Islands 1,200.00
Mission of the Southern Solomon Islands , 1,200.00
Vicariate Apostolic of the Fiji Islands 1,200.00
Vicariate Apostolic of New Caledonia 2,400.00
Vicariate Apostolic of the New Hebrides 2,400.00
House and Sanitarium of the Marist Fathers in Sydney 800.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Tahiti 630.00
Vicariate Apostolic of the Sandwich Islands 560.00
Vicariate Apostolic of the Marquesas Islands 90.00
SUMS FORWARDED TO THE MISSIONS ACCORDING TO THE
DONORS' WISHES
Europe $ 4,790.07
Asia 36,234.62
Africa 21,335.89
America &,082.82
Oceanica 10,869.50
Total AUocations $1,158,482.90
275
THE SOCIETIES OF CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES
In this issue of the Annals we publish the third article on missionary
societies. The account of the Fathers of the Holy Ghost and the Foreign
Missions of Paris is followed by that of the Congregation founded by the
great Cardinal Lavigerie. It is young still, but its labors have made it
already widely known. The following notice is thoroughly imbued with
the spirit of that man of genius who was at the same time a true con-
queror of souls. His apostolic action survives in the work of his children —
the White Fathers and the White Sisters.
In the successive studies of different missionary societies, we have begun
with those founded in the XIX century, because their work is less known
than that of others.
Later on we shall publish accounts of the labors of the venerable con-
gregations, which, under various patrons, such as Saints Benedict, Francis
of Assisi, Dominic, Ignatius, Vincent de Paul and others, have edified the
world by the splendor of their works and virtues.
III.
THE MISSIONS OF THE SOCIETY OF AFRICAN
MISSIONARIES (WHITE FATHERS)
By the Rev. Stanislas Comte.
Since the sixteenth century the Franciscans, Dominicans and Jesuits
have established flourishing missions in the heart of America, in the
extreme Orient and in the lost islands of Oceanica. Africa, however,
though much nearer to Europe, has remained almost closed to their
missionaries. We must except the Portuguese missions of Angola, at
the mouth of the Congo, founded in the fifteenth, and those of
Mozambique, founded in the sixteenth century, which had only an
ephemeral existence. In the middle of the nineteenth century the
Church numbered only a few bishoprics for the foreign population
scattered along the coast or among the neighboring islands and some
missionaries who landed in Dakar in 1842 and in Abyssinia in 1846.
This was not yet the period of the " reconquest of the apostolate "
outlined by Portuguese Jesuits.
Africa presents the greatest difficulties to foreign exploration. Its
unbroken coast line offers no possibility of a harbor, its rivers bar
276
THE 800IBTY OF AFRIOAN 1CIS8I0NABIE8
277
navigation, and access to the lakes, full of miasma, is impeded by
dangerous rapids. The interior presents nothing but sterile and
burning deserts, impassable swamps and forests. Fever rages in all
parts and there is no escaping from the scourges of the invisible
enemy. For these reasons Africa hae remained literally "the mys-
BisHOP LrviNHAc, SuPEBioB Genebal of the White Fathebs.
terious continent;" till the middle of the nineteenth century geog-
raphers were in doubt as to whether or not the great central lakes
formed one vast single sheet of water and whether the three large
rivers had a common source.
Thirty years later, 1880, not a corner of Africa was excluded from
apostolic jurisdiction; missionaries bad planted the cross on all the
278
THE SOCIETY OP APRIOAN MISSIONARIES
shores of its great lakes and at the sources of its large rivers. Arch-
bishop Lavigerie, of Algiers, was one of the principal factors of this
important religious movement.
4-
How beautiful was his mission in Africa ! In his opening address,
when he took possession of his see in 1867, he traced the outline of
his magnificent plan : ^* To make Algeria the cradle of a great, gener-
ous. Christian nation ; to spread the true light of a civilization whose
Southern Ntanza — Residence of Missionaries.
origin and law is derived from the Gospel; to carry the truth into
the desert, even into the heart of this immense continent still plunged
in barbarism; to bring Northern and Central Africa to live a Chris-
tian life — such, in the designs of Gk)d, is our mission from Heaven.*^
This grand design had been foreseen by Charles X, King of France.
'^The day of our conquest of Algeria,*^ Archbishop Lavigerie ex^
plained later on, "happened on the eve of a revolution whose prin-
cipal character was religious infidelity and opposition to the Church.
One month after that conquest all our generals were replaced
THE SOOIETY OF AFRICAN 1CIS8I0NABIB8 279
by partifians of new ideas; their policy^ as anti-national sa it waA
impious^ was to depreciate and abolish^ as far as possible^ the Catho-
lic relij^on in favor of Mohammedanism/' What is more, our colony
became the home for the malcontents of the mother country, and the
example of foreigners was far from helping conversions. In vain
prominent Mohammedans, of their own accord, asked for priests to
instruct them; the government was so antagonistic that two of the
first bishops of Algeria, especially the well-known Et. Bev. Mgr. Pavy,
were forced to restrict their work to their dioceses.
In vain did Mgr. Lavigerie draw attention to the fact that Divine
Providence having used the efforts of the world for the betterment
of Africa in the second half of the nineteenth century, Catholic mis-
sions must be a part of the civilization which France was building
up in Algeria.
4-
At the end of 1867 a terrible famine, caused by two successive years
of drought and the locust plague, ravaged Algeria. Hunger and
disease carried off one-fifth of the native population within a few
months. Thousands of children, left orphans, faced certain death.
Bishop Lavigerie at once organized relief; 1800 little Mohammedans
were confided to the care of the Brothers of Christian schools and
Sisters of Christian doctrine.
Becognizing in these events a sign from Providence, the archbishop
claimed the mission of the " eldest daughter of the Church " for his
own. ''He could cherish the ambition, for he accepted the labors
and possessed the genius.'* Be that as it may, men and money were
necessary. God was to provide him with men whom he could animate
with his zeal and inspire with his thought. The money was expected
principally from the Sooibties for thb Propagation of the Faith
and that of the Holy Childhood. " I do not believe, moreover,'' he said
later on, " that the question of money is ever an obstacle not to be over-
come when works proceed truly from God. For a long time I have
experienced that Gk)d sends his missionaries what they need; I have
always received from charity the funds to carry on the works of our
missions.'' He did not say, however, that more than once; even as
cardinal, he visited the capitals of Europe, pilgrim's staff in hand, to
beg bread for his children and alms for his poor.
In the midst of the famine Father Girard, president of the seminary
in Algiers, one day announced to the archbishop that several youn^
280
THE SOCIETY OF AFRICAN 1CISSI0NABIE8
clerics had offered themselyes as missionaries to the Mohammedans.
Archbishop Lavigerie called them together, entrusted their religious
guidance to a Jesuit and a Sulpician Father and, on the second of
February, 1869, bestowed the habit of a new religious congregation
on its first four members. " Since,^^ he said to them, " the pride of
Father Paulmieb, Murdered in Sahara in 1876.
Arabs is one of the principal obstacles in the way of their receiving
the Gospel from men who seem to despise their class, we must give
them some marks of condescension; that is to say, we must make
ourselves more like unto them, adopting their exterior mode of living,
their dress, their food, their language; in a word, we must become
like them in order to win them over to Jesus Christ.^'
THB 800IBTY OF APBIOAN 1CISSI0NARIB8 281
The Society of African Missionaries was founded. The style of
its habit soon gained for its members the popular title of '^ White
Fathers/'
This institution necessitated another. ^' Among the Mohammedans
women alone can approach women to bring salvation unto them.
Everywhere, and especially in Africa, woman is best fitted for the
ministry of charity .'' Archbishop Lavigerie sent one of his priests
to Brittany for women filled with courage to undertake this new
mission. They were the first Missionary Sisters of Notre Dame of
Africa. Because of their habit, too, the people called them "White
Sisters.''
Before ten years had passed, despite the very great diflBculties
encountered, the faithful little troop under their guide had opened a
new world to the apostolate. A few dates will give an idea of the
rapidity of their progress.
In July, 1872, in the Attaf plain, the archbishop solemnly inaugu-
rated his first Christian Arab village. "This village," said he, "will
be the commencement of the regeneration of the people and of that
true assimilation which is sought for in vain in the Koran. According
to the Koran, in a thousand years we shall be as we are to-day, ^ dogs
of Christians ; ' to strangle us and throw us into the sea will be con-
sidered a holy act.''
In 1873, Archbishop Lavigerie obtained permission to establish his
missionaries in Kabylia, whose 500,000 Berberes are descended from
former Christians. Three stations were soon founded; fearing an
imaginary fanaticism, however, the government formally prohibited
any attempt at evangelization on the part of missionaries. If they
could effect no conversions, they at least had the consolation of
winning hearts by teaching in school and caring for the sick. The
following year the White Fathers pitched their tents in the oases of
the Sahara — ^the terrestrial Oceanica — rising amid an immense ex-
panse of desert seas. In a few years they occupied Laghouat, Gery-
ville, Metlili, Ouargla and El Golea.
These, however, were only advanced posts in the direction of Tim-
buctoo, the holy city, the learned city, the mysterious city of Soudan.
By founding a settlement there, at whatever cost, the archbishop
intended to arrest, if possible, the extension of Mohammedanism
among the blacks. " Several young negroes might be ransomed, edu-
cated and sent back into their own country as apostles." There was
282
THE SOGIBTY OF AFBIOAN MISSIONABIES
need of haste; so, at the close of 1875, three White Fathers, Eevs.
Pauhnier, Bouchaud and Menoret, set out with the order and reso-
lution to settle in the capital of Soudan or to sacrifice their lives for
the love of the Cross. News of their having been massacred was
afterwards received.
In 1876, the White Sisters, already established in Kabylia, went to
take charge of the hospital in the Attaf plain, founded for the benefit
of the natives. It was opened with wonderful festivities whose
Bquatosial Africa — Buildiivo the Mission of Kamooa.
oriental magnificence was so well adapted to the great ideas of the
archbishop, and, from the very beginning, gained the sympathies of
the Mohammedans. This hospital for natives was so successful that
the government founded another, which they gave in charge of the
White Sisters.
4-
His little army of missionaries suflBciently organized, increased and
trained, Archbishop Lavigerie applied himself to carry out the second
THE 800IETY OF AJfRIOAN MIB8I0NABIE8 283
part of his great providential plan, viz., " to spread the true light of a
civilization whose origin and law is derived from the Gospel, to carry
the truth into the desert, even into the heart of this immense conti-
nent, still buried in barbarism/^
The new field of action which he requested from Some for his
White Fathers extended from the southern boundary of Soudan, in
the north, to the English possessions in the south, and was bounded
on the east and west by existing missions. ^'The extent of terri-
tory,*' said he, " is a region as large as Europe, covering an area of
nearly 8,000,000 square miles. According to recent geographers, the
population numbers nearly one hundred million souls. The missions
to be established offer the greatest hopes, for they appeal to idolaters
who are new souls.'^
The request of Archbishop Lavigerie was favorably received by
Leo XIII four days after his election, and on April 22, 1878, the first
caravan of White Fathers left Marseilles to penetrate into the interior
of the Dark Continent.
4-
The caravan ! What trials, what fatigue, what suffering this word
conjures up ! No roads to travel ! simply a path which the band
followed in Indian file for hundreds of miles, making a guard almost
impossible and desertion easy. There are instances where as many
as 120 men have run off within a few days.
Arrived at the Arab colony of Tabora, two-thirds of the route behind
us, the caravan divided ; four of the missionaries — their superior had
died in the forest — ^turned toward Tanganyika, the other five toward
Nyanza. Since their departure from Marseilles the first band had
travelled ten months, the second fourteen. The same voyage is now
made in two or three months.
Thus were the missions of Equatorial Africa definitely founded.
4-
The zeal of Archbishop Lavigerie was far from satisfied. The same
year he founded a Graeco-Melchite seminary in Jerusalem for the edu-
cation of priests of the United Greek rite to effect, through them, the
return of eastern schismatics to the Church. At the same time he
gave the Church of Saint Ann, in Jerusalem, ceded by Turkey to
France, in charge of his own missionaries.
In 1879 he opened a college in Carthage under the direction of the
White Fathers and opened the way for tiie " annexation of Tunis to
the spiritual kingdom ^' by the introduction of a Catholic clergy. The
284
THE SOCIETY OF AFBIOAN ICISSIONABIES
same yeax his missionaries were established in Tripoli to attempt the
entrance into Soudan by way of Shadames.
Such progress could not be made without sacrifices; in 1881, within
a few months, the news came that three missionaries had been mur-
deredyon the shores of Lake Tanganyika and three others in Sahara
on their way to Timbuctoo. " Ten of yours have already shed their
Fatheb Bouchaud, Mubdebed in Sahaba in 1876.
blood in the interior of poor Africa," wrote the archbishop, when he
felt himself obliged to moderate their zeal.
Blood was shed in torrents around the missionaries. On the shores
of Tangan3dka, Arab slave traders put all to fire and sword for many
years; the White Fathers, the only representatives of civilization in
that distant country, were obliged to sustain veritable sieges in order
THB 800IETY OF APBIOAN MISSIONARIES 285
to save the thousands of negroes who sought refuge with them from
death.
Farther north, on the shores of Victoria Nyanza, persecution
immolated generous martyrs by the executioner^s ax or the pyre's
flames; there, as at all times, the blood of martyrs proved the seed of
Christians.
The missions at present in charge of the White Fathers may be
divided into three groups :
The Missions of Northern Aerica, Algeria, Tunis, Kabylia
and Sahara, are developing slowly ; not because Mohammedans cannot
be converted, since reason and facts prove the contrary, but because of
• the hindrances of all kinds which cramp the free action of the apos-
tolate. Excepting Kabylia, where good results have followed mis-
sionary effort, the moment has not arrived when conversions may be
looked for, still we may break down prejudice.
This mission numbers 16 stations with 230 catechumens and about
700 neophytes, Arab and natives. The White Sisters conduct indus-
trial and children's schools, dispensaries and hospitals.
4-
The Missions of Central Africa comprise all of French Soudan
or the " country of the blacks ; '^ that is to say. Upper Senegal, Upper
Niger and the regions included in the basin of this river.
The population defies all statistics and classification; of the Cau-
casians we shall mention only the Berberes and Arabs, all Moham-
medan ; of the negroes, the Mand6, the Songhai and the Mossi. The
term Mand6 designates a number of different tribes presenting some
analogy of language and type, such as the Bambara, the Malinke, the
Sonnenke (Saracolets) and the Sousou; most of them are fetishists.
Finally, the red race, a mongrel, is represented by the Peul (Foulb^,
Fellata), probably of Semitic origin, and the most ardent propagators
of Mohammedanism.
Although the White Fathers did not penetrate into Soudan until
the victory of Bonnier, in 1894, this mission has already grown to be
one of great promise. The greater number of blacks, it is true, em-
brace the religion of Mohammed in idle boast, adopting a few exterior
practices; nevertheless, even so much makes true conversion less easy.
With the Bambara and Mossi fetishists, there is every reason to hope
for conversions in great numbers.
The vicariate apostolic of Soudan numbers 10 stations, 1245 neo-
phytes, 2840 catechumens, 11 schools and 32 charitable institutions.
286
THE SOOIETY OF AFRIOAN MISSIONARIBB
The White Sisters have established their usual works and are in charge
of a military hospital; the Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny conduct
several common and industrial schools, besides a military hospital.
4-
The Missions of Equatorial Africa comprise the six vicariates
of Northern (Uganda) and Southern Nyanza, Ounyanyembe, Tan-
ganyika, Upper Congo and Nyassa.
%^S^^ -^
Sahaba. Mission of El GtOLea.
Excepting a few Indians, Arabs and Europeans, the number of
whom is on the increase, the population is composed entirely of
negroes. The blacks have nothing whatever in common; each tribe,
nearly every settlement, speaks a dififerent language; their size ranges
from that of the Pygmies (3^ to 4 ft.) to that of the Mouhima (6 ft.
and above) ; even their color varies from ebony black through all
shades to the most beautiful chestnut brown.
THB SOCIETY OF AFRICAN MI88I0NABIB8 287
The same yariety is manifested in the climate^ the hot plains of
Roukowa (Tanganyika) contrasting with the eternal snow of equa-
torial peaks. Ourandi with its wild valleys and graceful hills, where
the sweet odor from meadows mingles with the lowing of the herds, is
the Switzerland of Africa,
Each and every one of these missions has given the best results;
that of Uganda, in particxdar, has astonished the world by the number
and fervor of its Christians, recalling the most glorious times of the
Church. Stanley prophesied the truth concerning the Baganda when
he called them " an extraordinary people.'* Unfortunately, this people
is harassed by a disease called the sleeping sickness and the Bubonic
plague, which will annihilate them unless Heaven comes to their
relief.
Everywhere the White Sisters help the missionaries in their apos-
tolic work. Besides infant asylums, dispensaries and leper hospitals,
they conduct common and industrial schools for young girls, whom
they try to educate as good housewives and Christian mothers. The
best instructed among their pupils usually marry catechists and make
themselves very useful by teaching the women in the villages evan-
gelized by their husbands. Their households are a valuable auxiliary
for the mission.
The moral transformation in Christian villages is not the least con-
spicuous fact; the neophytes possess an elevation of thought and a
delicacy of sentiment that is truly astonishing. Eeligious subjects
are their usual theme of conversation; the beauty of their souls regen-
erated by baptism is reflected in their demeanor, language and even
in their carriage.
The blacks, by their manner of understanding and practicing a
Christian life, are a formal refutation of a certain bulletin on anthro-
pology which states that "it is as nonsensical to teach religion to a
race of fetishists as to teach differential calculus to a child five years
old.*'
Our Christians frequently approach the sacraments, many of them
once a week. Large numbers assist at Mass every morning; their
whole demeanor and the prayers which they say, often aloud, attest
a simple and profound faith. All manifest a great devotion to the
Blessed Virgin, as well as to their patron saint whose feast they cele-
brate with great solemnity. If they need special assistance in any
important affair or in a dangerous hunt, they invoke Mary. Nearly
all recite the rosary every day with such recollection that pagans and
Protestants are moved by their religious respect and often find in it a
sufficient motive for conversion. Neophytes and catechumens rarely
THE SOOIETY OF AFRIOAN lOSSIONABIES
commence any work without first making the sign of the cross, and it
is the first act which a mother teaches to her child. We might men-
tion numerous instances of the heroic practice of all the virtues.
Contemplative souls are not a rarity; so eager are they for Christian
perfection and sacrifice that missionaries are deeply edified.
Father Menobst, Mubdebed in Sahara in 1876.
In June, 1903, our equatorial missions numbered 56 stations, 1200
catechists, 91,316 neophytes, 193,496 catechumens and 346 schools.
4-
The Society of Missionaries of Africa is an association of secular
clergy, living in community, following the same rule and bound to
their work in common by the oath of consecration to missions in
Africa, according to the rules of the society and under obedience to
superiors.
THE SOCIETY OF AFBIOAN MISSIONARIES
" It cannot be denied," Cardinal Lavigerie writes, '* that a mission
like that in Africa, and especially in the interior, presents difficulties,
suffering and danger.
" The first proceeds from the climate, which is hard on the consti-
tution of foreigners. For this reason, unlike other communities
which have their mother houses in Europe, the novitiate has been
established in Africa itself, near Algiers. The climate in this region
partakes of the character of that of Europe and of the equator. In
this way missionaries are tried and gradually acclimated.
^' The second cause of suffering is the change of food, particularly
in the interior. We are deprived of the things which we had at home;
often we have no bread or vegetables and native fruits are quite differ-
ent to ours. The necessity of making long journeys, exposed to the
burning sun, is one more cause of suffering. Missionaries are accus-
tomed to these trials from the time of their novitiate and are thus
enabled to test their strength.
"Besides material sufferings there are others more painful to
endure, especially in the beginning of a mission. To change the sen-
timents of a people, to lead them from error to truth, from vice and
barbarism to virtue and civilization, is always a long and difficult work.
When missionaries arrive with illusions very common to generous
natures, believing that they need only be seen to win over their audi-
ence, only to speak to convert, they meet with a disappointment that
might well discourage them. There is but one remedy for this evil :
perfect reliance upon God in prayer and the firm conviction that all
required of a missionary is not so much success as fidelity to his duty.
"All these sufferings, however, have their reward, some in measure
a hundred-fold. Prom a material standpoint, if life in Africa is hard
imder some conditions, it is attractive under many others. Those
who have seen the clear sky of Africa, its pure light and majestic and
picturesque scenery, do not want to leave it. From a spiritual stand-
point, the harvest promises an abundance; perhaps no other mission
in the world holds out a greater hope to the preachers of the Gospel
than does equatorial Africa. If the list of dangers is terrifying,
consolations are proportionately great. With Saint Paul we may say,
* I abound in joy in the midst of all my tribulations.'
"Moreover, it is this interior joy which proceeds from suffering
itself when borne for the love of our Lord, from a consciousness of
laboring for the extension of His kingdom in the souls of others, and
in himself, that makes the vocation of a missionary superior to that
of a priest in Christian countries.*'
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MISSIONS IN OCEANICA
VICARIATE APOSTOLIC OF THE FIJI ISLANDS
In 1844, Bishop Bataillon, Vicar Apostolic of Central Oceanica, founded
the first Catholic Fiji mission, on the island of Namuka, south .of Viti
Levu. During the following years, Christian poets were multiplied on
most of the islands of the archipelago, so that in 1863, by a decree of
March 6, the Fijian mission was made an Independent prefecture apostolic.
The progress of conversions decided the Holy See to constitute it a vicariate
apostolic. May 5, 1887. Thirty-two missionaries, all Marists, are in charge
of the 90 Christian settlements scattered over the islands of Viti, Vanua,
Taviuni, Ovalau and Rotuma.
Letter of the Rev. John de Marzan^ S. M.
Solo-IRA, Notre Dame d'Esperance, June 14, 1904.
I have good news for you. The third tribe.
Conversion of the that of Vounangoumou, dwelling on the banks
Tribe of of the Wainimala, have followed the example
VonnangoumoiL of the Namosi and Solo-ira tribes and entered
the true fold. God be praised a thousand times !
In 1902, when Bishop Vidal returned from Namosi, accompanied
by Father Bougier and myself, we visited several villages of this tribe.
We wished to see the chief of Solo-ira, who had just been converted,
and who is a relative of the principal chief of the new tribe.
Once converted, the people of Solo-ira not only practiced their
religion themselves, but endeavored to become the apostles of their
faith to others. Calling upon their relatives of the Vounangoumou
tribe, whose chief lives about twenty-eight miles distant, they ex-
plained the purpose of their visit after the usual salutations. Their
address may be condensed as follows :
"We, chief and people of the tribe of Solo-ira, have received the
Catholic religion and know that it is good. Her priests are true
fathers to us, and treat us like their children. It is a religion of
290
FIJI ISLANDS
291
kindness and love and its practice makes us happy. Since we love
yon, because you are our brethren and of our blood, we want you to
share in our happiness. Receive the Catholic religion and abandon
the error in which you are living. This is our desire and the only
purpose of our visit.'^
After these words, one of tliem approached the chief and, according
to Fijian custom, offered him a present, which was accepted. This
Fiji. — On the Shores of the Rewa Riveb.
was a good sign, as its acceptance was a promise to accede to the
visitors^ requests. The chief of Vounangoumou, however, desired to
defer embracing the new religion for a few months, saying that he and
his people would study it first. He promised that they would not
hesitate to embrace it, and closed his address with the following sig-
nificant words : " Together we have heretofore been in error ; together
we shall henceforth soon be in truth." This interview took place in
February, 1903. How long were we to wait? God alone knew. In
292 MISSIONS IN OOBANICA
December, 1903, an incident occurred which promised to retard this
movement of conversion, but which on the contrary, proved the means
in the design of God to soon bring it to pass.
4-
The tribe of Vounangoumou had already
T . . M received some Protestant instruction from
ImprisonmeiLt of
^ ^, . - - Methodist ministers; most of them, however,
Wainimala for the adhered to pagan customs, and especially to
n. - -5 certain practices of sorcery called luve ni wax
Cnme of Sorcery. , ^ . ... ^ , x x m,
(ceremonies of the sons of water). These
pagan practices had been prohibited by the
government. Unexpectedly, the chiefs of the tribe were brought before
court for having tolerated and even favored the ceremonies of the sons
of water. On the 10th of December several of the accused were pro-
nounced guilty and condemned to three months' imprisonment. Be-
fore leaving to suffer the penalty of their guilt, the great chief, as well
as the priest of the sons of water, addressed their people :
''Go at once to get prayer-books, crucifixes, medals and rosaries
from the Catholic priest and embrace the true religion; it alone can
cure us of pagan superstitions and make us happy like our brethren of
Solo-ira; if you are afraid to embrace it now, wait until we are set at
liberty and we shall become Catholics upon our return.''
The people decided to wait for the expiration of the three months.
During that time they were visited by the Christians of Solo-ira, who
earnestly exhorted them to embrace the Catholic religion without
delay. These devoted apostles, however, could not induce them to
take the last step.
Having been advised of their favorable dispositions, I decided to
send several native catechists to them, whilst I myself went to see their
imprisoned chiefs. My visits were graciously received and they joined
their voices with mine in prayers to God on their own behalf. Before
I left they promised me to be converted as soon as they had served
their term of sentence. In the meantime I visited several villages in
the mountains where all the people seemed disposed to abjure their
errors.
On the 10th of March, the day of the chiefs deliverance, I returned
to Souva; true to their word they accepted the cross, wearing it con-
spicuously around their necks as a sign of their admission to the
Catholic Church. Returning to their tribe, they took with them
some medals for the most influential men of their different villages.
FIJI ISLANDS
293
Solemn Pastoral
Visit to the Tribe
On the 17th' of March, Father Rougier and
myself set out on our pastoral visit, accom-
panied by a number of catechists and children
from our school. After a two days' march,
in a driving rain, we arrived at the first villages of the tribe; here
we learned that the Bonli or sub-prefect of the region was opposed to
conversions, and had torn the cross from the neophytes^ necks. Such
Fiji Islands. — Court of Justice in Rewa.
a violation of religious liberty in opposition to the laws of the country
required immediate and energetic action. To comfort our new con-
verts, we visited every village. Thanks be to God ! we were able to
thwart the designs of the Bonli and succeeded in having the magis-
trate call his attention to the fact, that Fijians are free to embrace the
Catholic religion as any other and, in consequence, that no cross should
be taken away from any neophyte.
•I-
294
MISSIONS IN OOBANIOA
This admonition put an end to annoyances from that quarter.
Another war, however, was shortly afterwards instigated by a Meth-
odist minister. Despite his smooth-tongued calumnies, he met with
violent opposition. As a last resource, to frighten the natives, he pre-
dicted an immediate ruin of the whole tribe.
" I have seen in a vision,'* said he, " that only those who hold fast
to my girdle shall be saved."
We assured our neophytes that only those shall be saved who cling
""'^
Fiji Islands. — The Rewa Riveb.
to the cross of Christ. Fijians believe readily in dreams; neverthe-
less the minister gained nothing by his lying. Unabashed, he spread
the rumor that the English government of the colony regarded their
conversion with suspicion, and would refuse any post of honor to
Catholic chiefs.
Then one of the newly converted, the most influential chief, said
to the neophytes:
" I wish to set my mind at rest concerning this rumor; I am going
to consult the missionary.'*
7UI ISLANDS 295
Arrived at Solo-ira, I advised him to go to Souva, the residence of
the governor and of the bishop.
^' Go and see the bishop yourself/* I said, " and you will find that
the governor will contradict the report, for he is a protector of religious
liberiy/'
It was Holy Thursday when the chief and his catechist arrived in
Souva. Bishop Vidal received him affectionately and obtained an
interview for him with the minister of the home government. Prom
him he learned that the English government allows full religious
liberty. Any one may believe as he pleases, provided that he obeys
the civil laws.
4-
Made happy by this answer, the chief returned, home, having first
been strengthened in his faith by the sight of the beautiful ceremonies
of Holy Thursday and Good Friday. Informing his people that the
governor had told him a Catholic was free to practice his religion and
could hold a position under the government, the same as a Protestant,
he assured the neophytes, before the whole tribe, that he intended at
once to enter the Catholic Church ; at the same time he expressed the
hope that the other chiefs, his relatives, would do likewise and that
all the people would follow their example. In consequence of this
declaration 500 persons consented to become Catholics.
The Jtfethodist minister made a last effort to gain his cause, but
the brother of the chief who had been a prisoner answered him :
" Minister, you tell me that we are your children, but how are we
your children, and how are you our father ? My brother and several
other chiefs of our tribe spent three months in prison. Who visited
them and consoled them ? You ? No. It was the Catholic mission-
ary; it was he too who visited our tribe and instructed us. It is not
you who have been a father to us; it is the Catholic priest. There-
fore we should be his children, not yours. That is all I have to say
to you.'*
4-
On Easter and the following Sunday these people came in large
numbers to our little church in Solo-ira, too small to accommodate
them. They had traveled several days to reach us. Before leaving
they begged me to get them catechists, a missionary and Sisters. I
made known their request to Bishop Vidal, but not a single priest can
be spared for a new mission in Fiji. Since the conversion of Namosi
296
MISSIONS IN OOSANIOA
and Solo-ira, several Fathers have had their work increased to an
enormous extent. Pray that new missionaries may arrive and that
we may receive ahns to build a chapel on the beautiful shores of the
Wainimala..
We also need a convent for Sisters to instruct young girls and train
them in Christian virtue. Who will come to our a€lsistance? In re-
turn for what we receive, we promise our prayers and those of our
neophytes, and God will reward a hundred-fold.
NEWS OF THE MISSIONS
EUROPE
The Larerest Diocese in the World
For eighteen months the vast diocese of Mohilev, whose titulary
resides in St. Petersburg, has been deprived of a pastor. The new
archbishop, so impatiently expected, Mgr. Georges Scherabek, former
bishop of Plotsk, was promoted to his new see November 9, 1903, and
received the pallium Ascension Day, May 19, 1904, in the parish church
and pro-cathedral of Saint Catherine.
As archbishop of Mohilev and likewise administrator of the diocese
of Minsk, without a bishop since 1869, his jurisdiction extends from
Pinsk almost to the frontiers of Austria, as far as Yladivostock and
from Tachkend on the boundary line of Thibet to the Arctic ocean.
ASIA
Massacres in Armenia
Our readers are acquainted with the heart-rending scenes presented
in the mission of Armenia. The missionaries of these regions so sorely
tried have sent us an appeal of despair to move charitable hearts in
behalf of their poor starving Christians.
God grant that their cry of distress may be heard ! We commend
this poor Christian flock to the charity of our readers.
Terrible Cyclone in Annam
Father Fleury, superior of the Seminary of Foreign Missions,
has telegraphed from Paris:
" We have received the following dispatch :
" ^ The mission of Hu6 has been destroyed by a typhoon. Father
Dangelzer, pro-vicar, killed. Implore immediate aid for us.
Caspar.' "
297
298 NEWS OF THE MISSIONS
Bishop Caspar has been vicar apostolic of Northern Cochin China
since 1880. The victim of this terrible disaster. Father Louis Etienne
Dangelzer, was the senior dean of all the missionaries of that country.
Bom in the diocese of Strasburg in 1839, he left for Annam in 1863.
An Outline of Events in the Far East
Bishop Chatagnon, vicar apostolic of Southern Si-Chuan, writes
from Sin-Fu:
" Times are bad in China. For ten years there has been no cessa-
tion of persecution in this province ; we have scarcely had even a few
months of respite. Nevertheless, God has favored us with consola-
tions and encouragement. Though persecutions are not a thing to
be desired and do much harm, still they also effect some good. By
the grace of God, who makes use of the most contrary events to pro-
mote his glory and increase our merit, they excite the faith and zeal
of lukewarm Christians, arousing virtues of which they deemed them-
selves incapable.
"The pagans themselves ere moved and attracted by religion. I
have never experienced a similar movement of conversions. Since the
war of 1900, which affected all China, it has been felt in every prov-
ince. In the midst of troubles and revolutions, the pagans turned to
the young society of Christians who seemed to be more consistent and
united and manifested greater charity to one another. As in the
times of St. Paul, pagans are without love and pity for one another
and can easily be won over by any one who shows the least sympathy
for them. Thus God makes use of the calamities in this world for.
the salvation of . souls. We cherish the strongest hope that this
immense empire will one day be converted.
"At present we are enjoying peace, despite the war between Russia
and Japan, which from all indications will be a long and desperate
one.'^
AFRICA
Edict of Menelik against The Lazarlst Mission in Abyssinia
Father Edward Gruson, C. M., superior of the mission in Abys-
sinia, writes :
" The readers of the Annals will be grieved to learn that a general
persecution has been declared in Abyssinia.
" Until within the last few days our expectations wavered between
fear and hope. Owing to the great distance between our mission and
AFRICA 299
the capital, as well as to the good-will of the prefect of Agamie, we
cherished the thought that we might be left undisturbed.
"Alas! we are all included in the persecution. There is no hope
of escaping the suflfering till the end.
"After having made the most frightful ravages in the south, the
storm is about to break over all our works. The order of our expul-
sion has been pronounced by Menelik II himself. The following is
a translation of the imperial letter to the governor of our province :
"'The lion of the tribe of Judah has conquered, Menelik II, by
the grace of God, king of the kings of Ethiopia.
"'This communication shall reach Choum Agamie Desta.
" ' How is your health ? I, thanks be to Grod, am well.
" ' Our father Pietros is sent by me ; consequently he alone is em-
powered to teach religion in the region of Tigris. As for yourself,
you are charged with the commission of expelling the men of Abba
Joannes who are in your province. That is my desire.
"'Written in our city of Adis Abeba, the 19th day of November,
1896, that is to say, the 27th day of November according to our
Latin calendar.'
"By the men of Abba Johannes (Father Coulbeaux, my venerable
predecessor) the negus means not only Lazarist missionaries but all
native priests and Catholics. That is the interpretation given by all
the lawyers in the country.
" Thus our unfortunate faithful have no other alternative but apos-
tasy or exile. We are anxiously awaiting the result of the negotia-
tions of the French minister in Adis Abeba/'
News of the Mission of Galla
Since the foregoing letter was written. Father Moyse, of Orleans,
procurator general of the Capuchin missions, has sent us the following
note which promises some hope even for Abyssinia :
" Thanks to the intercession of Mr. Lagarde, the French minister,
and to the intelligence and generosity of Menelik, the suffering which
has overwhelmed the mission of Galla is about to cease."
DESTINATION OF MISSIONARIES
Reported since the September-October Annals
AFRICA
French ChUnea
Rev. Father Laoas, C.S.Sp.
French Soudan
Rev. Femand Sauvant, A1.M.
" Bmll Gourtellle, Al.M.
»* Pierre Houme, A1.M.
»» Henri Pranooia, A1.M.
<* Martin Leuray, A1.M. .
*^ Bugene Mangln, A1.M.
" Ernest Thueux, A1.M.
Northern Nyanza
Rev. Brneat Favidre, Al.M.
" Arthur Prentice, A1.M.
" Iieon Delevaux, Al.M.
** Btienne Arveny, AI.M.
" Louis Delery, Al.M.
" Joseph Berder, A1.M.
'' Jean Baptiste Persef^ol,
A1.M.
SoutTiem Nyanxa
Rev. Henri Leonard, A1.M.
•* Bmll Kuypers, Al.M.
*' Bugene Desbrosses, A1.M
" Martin Portet, A1.M,
'' Leon Reant, A1.M.
Brother Fulgence, Al.M.
N&rthern Madaoc^car
Rev. Father Ghapert, C.S.Sp.
QcLbon
Rev. Fr. Nussbaumer, C.S.Sp.
" " Monnier, C.S.Sp.
NORTH AMERICA
Canada.
Rev. Father Limbour, C.S.Sp.
SOUTH AMERICA
COIiOMBIA.
Rev. J. M. Tupbelller, O.M.I.
•* J. M. Arrieudare, O.M.I.
•* P. Baron, O.M.I.
*• V. Buret, O.M.I.
ASIA
China.
Kvxmg-tuno
Rev. Alfred Jarreau, P.F.M.
** Bmll Leveque, P.F.M.
'' Bdouard Sapin, P.F.M.
TonMn
Rev. Louis Christian Deoooman.
P.F.M.
'* Antoine Marie Mafifnin,
P.F.M.
" Bmll Olivier Proult,P.F.M.
" Clavis Tlssot, P.F.M.
" Matthew Bocher, P.F.M.
" Jules Louis Bremaud,
P.F.M.
Thibet.
Rev. Pierre Sylvaln Valentin,
P.F.M.
Cochin China
Rev. Gaston Francois Degas,
P.F.M.
•* Celestin Tramler, P.F.M.
*' Celeste Marie Nicolas,
P.F.M.
Kwang-si
Rev. Louis Humbert, P.F.M.
Hong Kong
Rev. Alexandre Marie David,
P.F.M.
Si-chuam,
Rev. Dominique Arias, P.F.M.
'' Adolphe Marie Pitiot,
P.F.M.
** Cyril Francois Gibergues,
P.F.M.
^ Jean Ferdinand Amaud,
P.F.M.
'* Bdmond Champion, P.F.M.
" Pierre Louis Clavidres,
P.F.M.
^ Amand Alphonse Poisson,
P.F.M.
Kui-chau
Rev. Jos. Alphonse Saunier,
P.FJff.
'* BugeneBartholemyGrlm-
ard, P.F.M.
Chi-li
Rev. Jos. Nlssen, S.J.
'* Paul Bornet, S.J.
Brother Joseph Schmltt, S.J.
Cambodia
Rev. Yves Qulmbrot, P.F Jf .
*' Jos. Pilliot, P.F.M.
India
Siam
Rev. John Yves Bellamy.
P.F.M.
Laos
Rev. Leon Perroudon, P.F.M.
'* Jean Marie Bouohet,
P.FJi.
Pondicherry
Rev. Bertraud Ernest Maylin,
P.P.M.
*' Ludovio Blaesd, P. F.M.
Kumbhakonam
Rev. Jean Baptiste Croze,
P.F.M.
** Jules Bulllard, P.F.M.
'* Claudius Chasaain, P. F.M .
Coinibatore
Rev. Leon Auguste Bechut,
P.F.M.
Maisur
Rev. Antoine Marie Laval,
P.F.M.
Ceylon
Rev. GHiston BobichezC8.J.
»* Michel Gouth, 8. J.
Brother Alphonse Drouan, S.J.
300
SUPPLEMENT
TO THB
AMERICAN EDITION
Annals of the Propagation of the Faith
The Feast of
St. Francis Xavier.
On December 3, the Church will celebrate
the Feast of St. Francis Xavier, the great
missionary of the sixteenth century, who la-
bored so zealously and with such great success
to fill the hearts of the people of India and Japan with Christian
truths. St. Francis was chosen as patron of the Society by its very
founders, and this year our Holy Father Pope Pius X confirmed that
choice in the beautiful letter which he addressed to the Catholic world
encouraging and commending the work of the Propagation of the
Faith. He did more, he raised the Feast of St. Francis Xavier to a
higher liturgical rite in order that the veneration paid to him may be
further increased. Our associates will not fail to answer the wishes
of the Holy Father and pay to that great apostle a special duty of
honor and praise. Let them pray on that day that God may inspire
our missionaries with the zeal and love for souls which consumed the
heart of Francis. May their efforts be blessed with the same success
and may also the association for the Propagation of the Faith grow
in strength day by day under the intercession of Francis.
We remind the members of the Society that a special plenary indul-
gence is granted them on the 3d of December, provided they observe
the usual conditions prescribed by the Church.
301
302 SUPPLEMENT TO THE AMERICAN EDITION OF THE ANNALS
The report published in this number shows
The Distribution of how the alms collected in 1903 were distrib-
the Offerings. uted in the early part of this year Whilst it
is a clear evidence of the truly Catholic char-
acter of the Society, it indicates also that our poor missionaries must
rely on the grace of God and their own sacrifices rather than on human
means to carry out their mission. Their applications for help
amounted to nearly five times the amount on hand for distribution.
All had to be curtailed in proportion and the alms sent were really
insignificant if we consider the needs and the results aimed at. And
yet how gracefully received by those noble souls ! How willing they
are to share the merits of their sufferings and labors with their bene-
factors ! Let us hope that the number of good Christians anxious to
partake of those precious blessings will grow and through their charity
the joys of the Gospel will be imparted to a larger number of souls.
The Propagation of the Faith has not suc-
Tlie Charity of the ceeded as yet in obtaining a firm footing in
Society for the Canada, since the total contributions to the
Propagation of the work made last year by that country amounted
Faith. to only $2270.83. The sum is rather small
for a Catholic population of over two millions,
still the Society continues helping generously the missions of the
Dominion, showing thereby its truly Catholic spirit and charitable
impartiality. As may be seen from the report published in the pres-
ent issue, the sum of $31,152.00 was apportioned to the missions of
Northwestern Canada, which may be counted among the hardest on
account of the distances and the rigor of the climate. They are almost
entirely in the hands of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate.
A few weeks ago we had the pleasure of en-
Visit of a Japanese tertaining a Catholic missionary from Japan,
Missionary. the Rev. Claudius Ferrand. Father Ferrand
is returning from Europe, where he has been
soliciting the charity of the faithful in behalf of a work which prom-
ises to do much towards the conversion of the Japanese people. He
is striving to reach the masses through the students and has already
obtained remarkable results in Tokio, where the student body is
50,000 strong. Briefly, Fath.er Ferrand's plan is to establish dormi-
SUPPLEMENT TO THE AMERICAN EDITION OF THE ANNALS 303
tories for students where they will be guarded against the baneful
influences of the hotels in which they are accustomed to live, and
brought into a Catholic atmosphere. The first Catholic Geshikuya
(dormitory) established three years ago by Father Ferrand has met
with great success and contains at present more than sixty students.
The good report of this house, which is called Nazareth, has spread in
Tokio, so that government oflBcials expressed their satisfaction at the
work which is being done, and nearly one hundred and twenty appli-
cants have been refused for lack of accommodations. Father Ferrand
is striving to enlarge the work and establish other Catholic Oeshikuijas
both in Tokio and the other university cities of Japan and is traveling
to obtain the necessary funds.
From New York, Father Ferrand went to Boston, where he received
the most cordial welcome. He will visit several places in Canada,
where he will lecture upon the Japanese and their manner of living,
at the same time pleading the cause of his most deserving undertaking.
A few days ago we received a letter from k
Lay Apostolate. Catholic layman asking for information and
materials to establish the Society for the
Propagation of the Faith in a certain parish of a Western diocese.
We thought at first that his intention was merely to form a band of
Associates among his friends, but soon received another letter asking
for more materials with the welcome intelligence that he meant to
start the work throughout the whole parish, which is a new one, and
later on throughout the diocese in which it is located.
We have since learned that the credit for the formation of that new
parish is due to that young man, who is in the employ of a large rail-
road corporation. When he went to the place he found about one
hundred Catholic families deprived of the help of religion. He set
about encouraging interest for the building of a church and his efforts
met with prompt success ; the church was dedicated last month by the
bishop and a pastor appointed.
What is more remarkable than all this is the determination of that
young man to establish at once the Society for the Propagatiox of
THE Faith in his parish, which probably is itself in need of many
things. But he understood that the surest way to draw the blessings of
God upon our own apostolic labors is to take interest in those of others ;
304 SUPPLEMENT TO THE AMERIOAK EDITION OF THE ANNALS
that the safest means of keeping the faith and diffusing its advantages
around us is to do something toward bringing its light to those entirely
deprived of it; that charity for this world-wide apostolate^ far from
being prejudicial, rather stimulates generosity for all home works.
This is a true Catholic spirit; may'Gtod bless the efforts of that lay
apostle and may his example be followed by many !
On August 30 the Chapter General of the
Oratefnl Congregation of the Oblates of Mary Immacu-
Missionaries. late convened at Liege. It was attended by
fifty-five members, among others the Arch-
bishop of St. Boniface, the Bishops of Jaffna, St. Albert, New West-
minster, the Vicars Apostolic of Athabasca, Mackenzie, Saskatchewan,
Yukon, Orange Colony, Natal, and other prefects apostolic and chiefs
of missions from all parts of the world.
One of the first cares of the Chapter was to address unanimously a
vote of thanks to the Society for the Propagation op the Faith.
In the letter expressing the gratitude of the Congregation, they assert
that it is owing to the generous assistance of the Society that their
missionaries are enabled to pursue their apostolio, labors; they ask
Ood to bestow His choicest blessings upon its members and directors,
promising them a communion of prayers and merits. They hope that
the number of our associates will grow daily and that all good Catho-
lics will generously contribute to the cause of the missions, which is
the cause of our Lord Himself.
ITnnnono "Oh! it is wonderful, very wonderful!*^
^ ' ' loudly sang the congregation that assembled
in the (Jospel Tabernacle, 692 Eighth Avenue,
New York, on October 9. The Rev. A. B. Simpson, President of the
Christian Missionary Alliance, had made an appeal in behalf of the
Protestant foreign missions and people were pouring money into his
hands.
Before the end of the day $70,000.00 had been contributed to the
cause in that one church and by that one congregation. It was indeed
wonderful! And this is only one of the many instances when our
separated brethren give us a remarkable example of their zeal and
eagerness for the propagation of the Christian faith.
SUPPLEMENT TO THE AMEBIOAN EDITION OF THE ANNALS 305
The month of November oflEers us an oppor-
Our Departed tunity to remind the faithful that even persons
Friends. who have departed this world may at the re-
quest of some friends share in the blessings of
the Propagation of the Faith. Let us remind them also that there
can be no truer charity to their departed relatives and friends, no
greatei* proof of affection and gratitude than to have them enrolled in
the Society and thus obtain a part of the merits and prayers of the mis-
sionaries and in the Masses said by them. More than 10,000 Masses
are oflEered up every year for the living and deceased associates.
306 MISSION NOTES AND NEWS
MISSION NOTES ANDJNEWS
Mackenzie, Canada
Letter op Bishop Breynat, 0. M. I.,
Vicar Apostolic of Machenzie.
A letter from Father Husson, procurator of our missions, informs
us that the station at Athabasca Landing has suflEered from a sudden
flood.
In a few hours the water rose eight to ten feet. By the energy and
courage of Father Beaudry, who fortunately happened to be there,
and of Mr. Besnard, the representative of the firm of Eevillon Bros.,
most of the effects in our dwelling were saved, but all the merchandise
bought in Winnipeg and stored in the warehouse of the above firm
was destroyed. The loss of the mission amounts to two thousand
dollars.
The merchandise specified were the annual provisions for our mis-
sions in Mackenzie. Transported during the winter over the snow to
the river shore, they were held till the melting of the ice to be carried
by boat for distribution to the uttermost mission near the Arctic
Circle. In a few hours the flood had destroyed everything. Thy will
be done !
Father Husson at once set to work to renew the supplies and organ-
ize a second expedition. The additional expenses will be enormous.
On account of the bad roads and great amount of traffic, the cost of
transportation between Edmonton and the Landing alone has been
raised from seventy-five cents, the rate last winter, to two dollars a
hundred poimds. We shall be only too glad if we can obtain what
we need in Edmonton, particularly the materials for making nets,
which are an absolute necessity for us. If we are obliged to get them
in Winnipeg or Montreal, I am very much afraid that they will not
reach their destination this year. What privations I apprehend for
my poor missionaries. Sisters and children ! There is no thought of
procuring anjrthing but absolute necessities; besides the exorbitant
prices ($15 for 100 lbs. of flour in the mission of Providence, $20 in
the mission of Good Hope), the Hudson Bay Company will be very
limited in their supplies.
MISSION NOTES AND NBW8 307
In aflfectionate gratitude, we oflEer to God our trials, our suflEerings,
our privations and our prayers for the benefactors of our painful
missions. I am proud to afBrm that my missionaries are doing their
duty bravely. Thanks to divine assistance and the alms of the Society
FOR THE Propagation of the Faith, they will continue to do in the
future what they have done in the past. Grace will not be wanting.
Sandwich Islands
Father Reginald Yzendoom, missionary at Hawaii, writes from
Hilo:
"After nine months of continuous work, I felt the need of a little
rest and received permission to spend one week in the country.
" I should have liked to visit Father Ulrich in Puna. His district
is a vast arid plain where many curious things are to be seen — trees
of lava, caves, hot springs and Hawaiian life in all its purity and
simplicity. The people of Puna are for the most part still composed
of the native element. As Father Ulrich was absent, I could not
appeal to his hospitality, and so applied to Father Otto, whose district
is on the opposite coast.
" First I went to Papaihon, where there is a Japanese temple ; a
little further on is Kalao, where stands the first church built by
Father Otto; it has just been painted. We continued our way to
Honomu.
"A chapel, white as snow, surmounted by a red roof and built on the
summit of a steep hill, announced the end of my journey. The
priesfs house stands close by. Back of the house is the cemetery.
The main part is reserved for Catholics, the rest for the Japanese.
" I at once perceived that it was ' All Souls' Day ' for the Japanese.
The graves were adorned with paper lanterns. At every turn men
and women were performing their devotions. The lamps were lighted,
figures were kneeling, one by one, before the graves, their hands
clasped. A prayer, a little shorter than the Ave Maria, was recited,
a bow was made, and the same ceremony was repeated before each
grave visited. The devotion was good and short, and the prayers
were said with a spirit of devotion and recollection.
" The next day I witnessed a Japanese burial. The procession was
led by several children dressed in bright-colored gowns; they were
followed by men and women forming two lines. Then came a man
carrying a wooden tray with offerings: a cup of tea, a cup of rice,
several potatoes and bamboo sticks for a fire. The coffin came next ;
it was made of plain wood and was carried by six men. A short dis-
308 MISSION NOTES AND NEWS
tance behind came the bonze on horseback and dressed in American
costume; for the ceremony, however, he resumed the native Japan-
ese garb. Long prayers were recited and short bamboo sticks burned.
On their return I saw several Japs kneeling before our church to per-
form their devotions as above described. Probably the popular prin-
ciple, ^ all religions are the same,' has been introduced into Japan ; or
were they pa3ring homage to the ^ unknown Ood,' as did the Athenians
in the time of Saint Paul ?
^' I took a walk across a field of sugar cane. Suddenly my path
stopped. Before me lay an abyss about 180 feet deep. To reach the
other side I had to cross the -flume. In the English of Hawaii a flume
is a kind of wooden trough, sometimes under ground and sometimes
resting on supports more or less elevated. They serve for the trans-
portation of the sugar cane and are never without a stream of water.
" The flume which crosses the gorge of Honomu is about 200 feet
high and rests upon a very light scaffolding. Well, I crossed this
kind of a bridge. But when I found myself in the middle, separated
from the chasm by a slight rail, and beheld \mder my feet the foam-
ing river dashing against the rocks ; when I thought of the possibiliiy
of a breakdown, I felt myself to be a mere nothing in the hands of
Him who is the Master of life. I do not deny that I recited acts of
love and contrition until I set my foot on firm ground again. It is
good for man sometimes to be in danger. Never does he make a better
meditation.
" On my return I was in a conveyance with two Japanese, an Ameri-
can, a Portuguese, five Chinese women and one Chinaman. The
Chinese women wore trousers, the Japanese men skirts. The way of
the world was reversed, but anything may be expected in Hawaii.**
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The Society gladly receives sums of money intended by the donors
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309
OBITUARY
The following deceased persons are commended to the charitable
prayers of our Associates :
Most Rev. W. H. Elder, Archbishop of Cincinnati; Most Rev.
C. Duval, 0. P., Delegate Apostolic in Syria; Most Rev. A. Bonetti,
C. M., Delegate Apostolic in Constantinople; Most Rev. A. Timoni,
Archbishop of Smyrna; Right Rev. G. Pelckmans, 0. M. Cap.,
Bishop of Lahore; Right Rev. Dom S. Wyart, General Abbot of
the Cistercian Order; Very Rev. Father Davis, 0. C. C, Dublin,
Ireland; Rev. J. P. White, Baltimore, Md.; Rev. C. Kaiser, Rev.
P. A. O'Reilly, of the Diocese of New York,
Mr. John McAuliff, Mr. Stanley MacMullin, Diocese of Cincinnati; Miss
Teresa McColgan, Diocese of Pittsburgh; Mrs. Bridget Regan, Mr. Wm.
Regan, Diocese of Milwaukee; Mrs. Coughlin, Diocese of Newark.
Of the Diocese of New York the following: Mrs. Mary Jaeger, Mr.
Cornelius J. Hurley, Mr. Wm. Scott, Mr. M. Gounoud, Miss Mary Fitz-
patrick. Miss Mary McDonald, Mrs. McGoey, Miss Mary Fitzmaurice, Mr.
Joseph Cunningham, Mr. Francis Lundergan, Mr. John Ryan, Miss Bridget
Dolan, Miss Margaret Sweeney, Mr. Hugh O'Brien, Mr. Wm. Buckley, Mr.
Wm. Mangan, Mr. Wm. Lord, Mrs. M. Mooney, Mrs. Fay, Mr. John Thomas
Ryan, Mr. George Fox, Mrs. Casey, Mr. Patrick Sheridan, Mrs. Engrazia
Callahan, Miss Maria Engrazia Callahan, Mrs. William Farrell, Mr. M. B.
Masterson, Mr. Thomas Finnegan, Mr. John Nolan, Mr. John Murphy, Mr.
Michael Connolly, Mr. Eugene F. Sullivan, Miss Frances Stockton, Mr.
Robert Fahey, Miss Grace Menchine, Miss Honors Whelan, Mr. William
Whelan, Miss Mary Whelan, Mr. John Byrnes, Miss Honors Byrnes, Mr.
Auerlia Williams, Miss Alice Hortense Ming, Mr. Frederick Aloysius
Coughlin, Mr. Henry Richards, Mr. John Wagner, Mr. Wm. Kearney, Mrs.
Nellie Boyle, Mr. E. D. Flynn, Mr. James McDonagh; Mrs. Mary Ann
McDonagh, Miss Delia McDonagh, Mr. Patrick Reynolds, Mr. John H. Rey-
nolds, Mr. Michael Howard, Mrs. Rose A. McKenna, Mrs. Jennie Smith,
Mr. Patrick Norris, Mr. Michael Norris, Mr. John Norrls.
Of the Diocese of Boston the following: Mr. James Curley, Miss Mary
Shields, Miss Margaretta Fleig, Mr. Michael Lynch, Mr. Thomas Lynch,
Miss Ellen Inglls, Mr. Joseph Shepard, Mrs. Ellen Crane, Mrs. Ellen Carey,
Mrs. James Klnsella, Miss Anna Leary, Mr. James F. Aylward, Mr. Henry
L. Richards, Mr. William McNamara, Miss Mary McCarthy, Mr. John
Hayes, Mr. James Dunn, T. R. Donovan, Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan, Mr. Charles
Lundergan, Mr. Michael Bathazar, Mrs. Virginie Bouchard, Mr. George
Chabot, Agnes L. Ring.
(We shall be glad to recommend all deceased associates whose names are sent
us to the prayers of our readers.)
310
CONTENTS OF VOLUME LXVII 311
CONTENTS OF VOLUME LXVII
Brief of His Holiness Pope Pius X in behalf of the Society fob the
Propagation of the Faith 153
Aitdience granted by His Holiness Pope Pius X to the Delegates of
THE Society for the Propagation of the Faith 3
Reports of Receipts in 1903 157
RxpoRT OF Allocations made in 1904 265
The Societies of Catholic Missionaries 167
1. The Missions of the Fathers of the Holy Ghost by Bishop
Lb Roy 167
2. The Society of Foreign Missions of Paris 211
3. The Society of African Missionaries (White Fathers), by
the Rev. S. Comte 276
News of the Missions 39, 89, 197, 243, 297
Destination of Missionaries 45, 94, 202, 254, 300
MISSIONS IN ASIA
Kui-Chau. — Letter of Father Cavalerie, P. F. M. — Visit to a persecuted
Mission. — The people of Chui-Kia 5
Lahore. — Letter of Rt Rev, G. Pelckmans, 0. M. Cap 16
Che-Kiang. — Letter of Bishop Raynaud, O. M. — Touching details of the
martyrdom of Father Tsu 55
Liban. — Letter of Father Delore, 8. J. — The School question 61
The City of Osaka. — By the Rev. Father Walter. — Description of
Osaka. — Summary of the Religious and Civil History of Japan. —
Evolution of Ideas and Social Transformation. — Education. — The
Church at Osaka 101
Hyderabad.— Jowrnal of Father Oivatti, M. F. M. — Need of Refuge for
Aged Pagans. — Discussion with an Intelligent Hindu. — Truth
proved by Charity 180
Southern Tongking. — Letter of Father Belleville, P. F. M. — ^Three
Blossoms of the Ha-Tinh Mission 190
Laos. — Letter of Father Bouriet, P. F. M. — Socialism in Laos. — Curious
Details concerning the Rights of Property 220
South-West Hu-Peh. — Murder of BisTiop Verhaeghen, 0. F. Af., Mis-
sionaries and Christians 275
MISSIONS IN AFRICA
South Victoria Nyanza. — Letter of Father Hurel, Al. M. — A Journey
to Kiza 21
Gabon. — Letter of Father Briault, C. 8. 8p. — Struggle of a Young
Christian Woman against Polygamy 65
Benin. — Letter of Mrs. Flora Lewis. — Progress of the Mission. — Bishop
Lang. — Saint Claver Hospital 73
Upper Nile.— Letter of 8ister M. Marcella, 0. 8. F.— A Christmas Cele-
bration in Uganda 119
Letter of Mother Mary Paul, 0. 8. F.— Nubian Practices. — The Sleep-
ing Sickness 124
Gabon. — Letter of Father Jeanroy, C. 8. 8p. — Abandoned Children. —
Apprentices in Libreville 225
Northern Nyanza. — Letter of Father Moullec, Al. M. — A Year's Record
of the Mission of Mitala Maria 230
312 OONTBNTS OF VOLUME LXVII
MISSIONS IN AMERICA
Athabasca. — Letter of Bishop Orouardt 0. M. I, — ^Touching Homage
to Bishop Glut — Bumlng of the Mission of St Anthony. — ^Works
of the Sturgeon LAke Mission 77
Obbgon. — Letter of Bishop 0*Reilly. — ^Difficulties of the Ministry. —
Need of Priests and Means. — Consoling Results 128
TznAB.— Letter of Father Malmartel, 0. M. L — ^A Texas Missionary
Trip. — ^The Mexican Character and Hospitality. — ^The Ages of
Faith.— A SainUy Death 131
South Dakota.— ^Letter of the Rev. H. L Westropp, 8. J. — ^The Jesuit
Mission Among the Sioux. — ^Difficult Beginnings. — ^The Conyersion
of Two Kettle Camp 139
Athabasca. — Letter of the Rev. J, M, Dupe, 0. If. J. — Indian Sorcer-
ers.— ^A Horrible Sacrifice. — ^The foundation of St Martin's .
Mission. — Our Schools 143
SoxTTHEBN Pataoonia. — Letter of Bom Borgatello, 8al, — ^A Trip into
Magellan 236
Letter of Dom del Turco, fifoZ.— The Onas of Tierra del Fuego 240
MISSIONS IN OCEANICA
Cook Islands. — Letter of Father Castanie, 8. H, Pic. — The island
of Mauke 35
Tahiti, — Letter of Father Janeau, 8. H. Pic. — Tuamotu Islands. —
Wreck of an English Vessel. — ^Devotion of Natives 84
B^i Islands. — Letter of Father de Marzan, 8. M. — Conversion of the
Tribe of Vounangoumou 290
Contents of American Supplement
Editoelal Section 46, 95, 147, 203, 255, 301
Mission Notes and News. —
An Amebican in Korea. — ^Letteb of Mb. W. F. Sands 48
Letteb of the Rev. E. Bonald, O. M. I. — St. Boniface 96
A Samoan Incident 97
Lett£b of the Right Rev. J. A. O'Gobman, C. S. Sf. — Siebba
Leone 205
Religious Statistics of the Wobld 207
Letteb of Fatheb Guebin, O. M. I. — Saskatchewan 257
Letters of an Anglican Nttn on the Pbofaoation of the Faith. . 260
Letteb of Bishop Bbeynat, O. M. I. — ^Mackenzie 306
Letteb of Father Yzendoobn, S. H. Pic. — Hawaii 307
.Special Donations 53, 99, 151, 209, 263, 309
Obituaby 54, 100, 152, 210, 264, 310
IMPORTANT NOTICES
The Proffloters^MembefSy and Benefactors of the ^Society
fof the Pfopagation of the Fahh*^ are earnestly requested
to remit their annual contributions before December 3f , 1904*
The DIOCESAN DIRECTORS wiU please remit aU
receipts to the General Director, the REV* J. FRERI,
D-CU 627 LEXINGTON AVENUE, NEW YORK,
N« Yt before January tO, 1905; on this date the account
of receipts to be credited to the various dioceses for the
current year will be closed*
n
We beg leave to notify the readers of the ^ANNALS
OF THE PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH ''that the
dates of appearance of the magazine will be changed with
the next number*
Henceforth it will come out regularly on the first day of
the folfowing months: FEBRUARY, APRIL, JUNE,
AUGUST, OCTOBER, DECEMBER.
We shall be thankful if notified of any failure to receive
the ^ Annals^ on the foregoing dates*
to'Ca
ANNALS
OF THE
PROPAGATION
OF TEE FAITH
6
Published bi-monthly by the
Society for the Propagation
of the Faith, Baltimore and
New York. A a a /,
/'
/'
OTKCH SHEEP I MAVC THAT j^
'MC NOT Ot THIS roLI> TH£H ALS^
! r\M%T eUlNO ANDTHEt-^
liHALL HEAR HY VOICE AfioT f
|TH£a£ SHALL |f ONE fOUJ^V^
AND OlS SHEPHERD
^
CONTENTS.
Missions in Asia.
CHINA.
So, IHanchuria.'^SMKi of Father C. Monnl«r, P. F. M. . . . 3
Murder of a MiBsionary of the Society of Foreign Missions of Paris.
INDO-CHINA.
Upper^Tongking.^LfMw of Father Hue, P. F. P'!. 5
How a Christian settlement is established. — Conversion of the Bonze
of Phu-Nghia,
Missions in Africa.
EQUATORIAL AFRICA.
Belgian Congo.— iMer of Father Senden, B. F. M 18
Letter of Father Stock, B. F. M 2J
Missions in Oceanica.
POLYNESIA.
Hew Pomerania.^\jb\iw of Bishop Couppi, M. S. C 80
Two Missionaries, three Brothers and five Sisters massaored in New
Fomc'/ania.
News of the Missions.
AFR!CA.
Good Tidings from Abyssinia 87
The Jubilee of Bishop Augouard 37
DESTINATION OF MISSIONARIES 88
Sttpplement to the American Edition of the Annals*
EDITORIALS.
The Feast Day of Our Patron 89
The Society for the Propagation of the Faith In our Ecclesiastical Seminaries 40
The Society for the Prop«|atlon of tne Faltn In Arizona 42
MISSION NOTES AND NEWS.
Father Corre's Leper Mission 45
Ste. Marie's MIsiilon.— Brittoh Columbia 49
nPErSAL DONATIONS &3
OBITUARY 64
Entered at the Post Office, Baltimore, Md., as Second-Class Matter.
ANNALS
OF THE
Propagation of the Faith
A PERIODICAL COLLECTION
OF
LBTTEHS FROM THE BISHOPS AND MISSIONARIES ENGAGED IN THE MISSIONS
OF THE OLD AND NEW WORLD. AND OF ALL THE DOCUMENTS
RELATING TO THOSE MISSIONS, AND TO THE INSTITUTION
OF THE PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH
This Collection serves as a continuation of the '^Lettres Edifiantes"
VOLUME LXVlll
Published by the Society for the Propagation of the Faith
BALTIMORE AND NEW YORK
1905
" I am the Immaculate Conception."-LouRDE8, 1858.
ANNALS
OF THE
Propagation of the Faith
Vol. LXVIII, No. 458. February, 1905.
MISSIONS IN ASIA
MURDER OF A MISSIONARY OF THE SOCIETY OF
FOREIGN MISSIONS OF PARIS
Favored by conditions which are a result of the war between Russia
and Japan, bands of brigands are scattered over Manchuria, the province
80 tried in recent years by pillage and death. Father Fleury, superior of
the Foreign Missions of Paris, has sent us the following account of the
murder of a young priest who fell on the field of honor, a victim of charity
for his Christians.
Letter of Father Christopher Monnier,
Procurator in Kouang -Chen-Si.
Kouang-Chen-Si, October 20, 1904.
Only a short time since, we said to one another : " What a miracle
it is, that, in these times of war, we have been living undisturbed, and
have suffered so little ; and behold ! we are called upon to mourn the
death of a fellow priest who lost his life by a brigand's shot.''
Father Ernest Trecul, who enjoys the honor of being the first victim
chosen by God from among our ranks, died at his post in Ta-tsing-chan,
October 16, at half-past twelve in the afternoon. He had just par-
taken of a frugal meal when Ouang, a young Christian, came to tell
him that the brigands were in the village and were pillaging his home.
The young priest at once set out to help the afflicted family, hoping to
check the robbers by his mere presence. His old servant tried to keep
him back, but in vain. "There is nothing to fear," said the
missionary.
When he arrived at Ouang's home, the first sight to greet him in the
yard, was a brigand pursuing a Christian, his gun aimed for the death
shot. Eealizing the danger which threatened his neophyte, Father
Trecul seized the weapon to thwart the murderer's design. The robber,
3
4 Missions in Asia
trying to regain control of his gun, called for help. One of his com-
panions responded at once, and fired upon the priest at close range ; the
bullet passing through the body. Falling on his knees without loosing
his hold of the enem/s gun, the priest was speedily surrounded by six
men who all fired upon the victim. One ball tore off two of his fingers
and lodged in the leg of his old servant; five others penetrated his
breast. In convulsions of agony, he sank to the ground; making a
feeble effort to rise, his arm fell back lifeless. Six of the seven wounds
received were mortal and his soul had been summoned before his (Jod.
The murderers mounted their horses at once, and fled, themselves
shocked at their crime.
The matter was taken before the tribunal of the sub-prefect of
Houaijteu-hien, but will any action ensue? will the culprits be pun-
ished? If the mandarins so desired they could easily find the mur-
derers. Two bands of brigands are, at present, in the neighborhood
of Ta-tsing-chan, and all facts tend to the belief that the assassins
belong to either one of these gangs.
However the case may be, our fellow priest died a victim of charity
for his people; the words of the Gospel may be applied to him : " The
good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep"
Father Ernest Louis Trecul was born in the Diocese of Chartres,
January 9, 1879, ordained priest on June 21, 1903, and left for southern
Manchuria on the 22nd of the following July.
VICARIATE APOSTOLIC OF UPPER TONGKING
The vicariate apostolic of Upper Tongking was separated from the vicari-
ate of Eastern Tongking in 1895. It comprises the province of Hung-hoa
and the mountainous region bordering on the Yunnan, besides a part of the
provinces of Sontay and Tuyen Quang. About 20,000 faithful are scat-
tered over this vast region inhabited by two and one-half millions of souls.
The mission numbers 120 Christian settlements. Bishop Ramond is as-
sisted by 24 missionaries of the Society of Foreign Missions of Paris, 14
native priests and 60 catechists. The Sisters of Saint Paul of Chartres
have four houses in Upper Tongking.
How a New Christian Settlement is Established— Conver-
sion of Phu-Nghia
Letter of Father Hue, P. F. M.,
Missionary in Upper Tonglcing.
At the foot of Bavi, the holy mountain of
Origin of Annam Annam stretches a vast plain bounded by the
According to a Red and the Black River which the first but-
Popnlar Legend. — tresses of rock have forced to change their
The Blood of course. History, as well as legend, places the
Martyrs. — ^Mystery of cradle of the Annam Empire in this region.
Predestination. In the shadow of the sacred mountain, the
legend runs, was fought the famous combat
between the Spirit of the Waters and the Spirit of the Mountain.
Both of these sought the hand of Mi-Chau, the daughter of Hung-
vuong, who decided that whichever one came first to ask her hand
should receive her consent the following morning. The spirit of the
mountain arrived at daybreak and the prince, faithful to his word,
gave him his daughter. Shortly afterwards, the Neptune of Annam
presented himself, but it was too late. In his wrath, he called upon
5
6
Missions in Asia
all the spirits of the waters to make a violent assault, but the spirits
of the mountains discharged their arrows in numbers so great that they
appeared as a cloud enveloping the unfortunate suitor who was forced
to withdraw to his own domains. Nevertheless, every year he sub-
merges the land surrounding Bavi as a sign of his anger. Imagination
plays a greater part than science in this explanation for the annual
overflow of the Red and the Black River. Moreover, if these inunda-
Thb Old Bonze of Phu-Nqhia.
tions are directed against the spirit of the mountain, their alluvial
deposits make the soil of the plain rich and fertile.
•I*
In this entire district of the province of Sontay, the true religion
numbers not a single believer. However, the blood of martyrs has
been shed in the capital of the province and a glorious death has
crowned their life of sacrifice. Blessed Cornay was cut into pieces.
Blessed Scheffler, decapitated; Blessed Mi, Truat and Duong were
Upper Tongking 7
strangled because of hatred of Christ. What is more, these confessors
of the faith were dragged from Co-Do to Sontay, one in a cage, the
others fastened to the pillory, so that the soil drank in their blood with
their sweat.
This divine seed could not fail to germinate. On each side of the
route, first in Phu-Nghia, then in Trach-Mi, Dong Phu and Quang-
Ngoc, in the furrows traced by the witnesses of Christ, were felt the
first motions of mercy and light which promised to reach and arouse
other villages still under the shadow of death.
Phu-Nghia (abundance and justice) was the first to be called to the
fold of the Divine Shepherd.
In all probability, the Gospel had never been preached there. The
only fact known is that, at the edict of dispersion in 1862, a Christian
was exiled in this village. A hut had been constructed for him at the
entrance gate, but his guard could not have been very strict, for one
fine night the prisoner escaped, leaving behind his prayer-books which
became the property of Ly Tho, the pagan to whom he had been
entrusted. Why Phu-Nghia should have been converted to the faith
in preference to so many other villages where the Divine Word is
preached every day is a mystery of predestination which St. Paul ex-
plained twenty centuries ago: "iV^on currentis, neque volentis, sed
miserentis est Dei," " It is not of him thai willeth, nor of him that
runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy," Such a mystery stifles all
sentiments of pride in the soul of an apostolic laborer.
Since Constantino and Clovis the tactics of
The Ways of Providence have not changed. Man is always
Providence. — ^A attacked at a weak point. Ly-Ei, a local chief.
Bonze Apostle. — suffered from crying injustice. Without help
Touching Details on earth, he turned to religion for comfort.
Concerning this hoping to find there even the means of con-
Bonze. — ^The True firming his innocence before the court of the
Science. foreign protectorate. For reasons too sad and
tedious to relate, his appeal was without effect
and he was condemned to eight years of exile. God was imprinting
the seal of the cross upon the cradle of religion in Phu-Nghia — a good
sign. However, if the missionary understood the doctrine of suffering,
to the relatives and friends of Ly-Ri, still weak in the faith, it was an
8
Missions in Asia
incomprehensible doctrine, and so a large number of defections was the
result of the sentence.
Having no one to look to upon earth, I, too, turned my eyes to
Heaven and placed the case entirely in the hands of Blessed Cornay.
Hoping against hope, I sent a catechist to Phu-Nghia to teach cate-
chism and prayers. Often I spent several days among the cate-
chumens ; many attended evening instructions ; some, out of curiosity,
others out of sympathy.
-^rfy^Bfe^r*^
ToNQKiNG — The Chubch of Ke-Vinh.
All were convinced of the truth of the Catholic religion, but the
three concupiscences had struck too deep a root to be torn up by a first
effort : ^^ This saying is hard and who can hear it f" A small band
of catechumens alone remained faithful.
•I*
Meanwhile, Blessed Comay had arranged matters by his intercession
in Heaven, and, despite complications of every description, the happy
prisoner retraced his steps toward Phu-Nghia, September 1, 1902.
Upper Tongking 9
The return of Ly-Ri re-animated the courage of all, and every one
began to study with renewed fervor. My visits continued as in the
past; during one of my short stays, I made the acquaintance of the old
bonze who had persuaded Ly-Ri to come to me to be instructed in
religion.
Nguyen-van-tin, originally of Phu-Huyen, was a magnificent speci-
men of manhood ; seventy years had not succeeded in bending his tall
frame. Having entered the religious state at seven years of age, he was
brought up in three pagodas in which he served at the death of their
masters. His favorite residence, however, was Phu-Nghia where every
one loved and honored him. His talents as a doctor, his knowledge of
Chinese, and, above all, his compassionate charity contributed not a
little to the universal affection felt for him. About twenty years since,
he was obliged to take refuge in Vinh-Yen. The rumor had spread that
he had discovered a treasure, a motive more than sufficient to expose
him to the attacks of brigands who, at that time, were ravaging the
coimtry. Understanding that the walls of his pagoda, which kept the
world from him, were an insufficient protection against the vandalism
of his countrymen, the old bonze took refuge with his maternal uncle,
feared by all because of the important services which he rendered to
the French troops in the taking of the citadel of Sontay.
When peace was re-established our good bonze continued to shower
benefits upon the country. A very able administrator, he understood
how to draw from his fields the money necessary to repair and embel-
lish his temples. By his efforts, seven new pagodas were built. To
finish the last he needed funds, and this lack of resources was the
exterior motive which led him to me.
'* Father,^' said he, " your religion is vast and grand ; you are occu-
pied in doing good to every one and you absolve the sons of men from
their sins. We bonzes do the same thing. Just now, I am in
want; I am building a pagoda and need thirty piasters to finish the
work. If you can lend them to me, you will be doing a good work;
I shall return them in a month.^'
I tried my best to make him understand that any such co-operation
was forbidden to me. He could not have followed my argument, be-
cause he answered at once :
" That is not so. Father, for I will give you some lumber from my
pagoda for yomr church.**
10
Missions in Asia
In the Home of the
Bonze. — ^A Bepast.
than that of a man.
After a short explanation of the difference in the case, lie withdrew
without further insistence.
•I*
In the evening I went to see him. He lived
on a porch at the entrance of the pagoda.
There were no signs of luxury or of comfort.
His dwelling seemed more the abode of a spirit
His only piece of furniture was a cot which
served as couch, chair and divan. The large columns of wood were
covered with inscriptions. One, in particular, attracted my attention.
It read : " Science, science, all in the religion of Buddha is conform-
able to science. Vision, vision, all in our cult is vision ! "
After having made an act of love with all my heart in a spot where,
perhaps, God had never before been loved, I prayed that our Lord
might enlighten this bonze in the one only science, which is to know
the true God and Him whom He has sent, Jesus Christ.
In the meantime, my host
invited me to be seated.
Over the cot, he threw a red
cloth which time and mag-
gots had transformed into
Jace work. Our conversa-
tion, at once, turned upon
religion and my interrog-
ator conceded the Catholic
religion to be more perfect
than Buddhism. Neverthe-
less, according to his way of
teaching, both religions were
good, because bonzes and
missionaries are engaged in
relieving the miseries of
mankind,
hesitated to eat. The bonze
The Ferbt-Boat at Phtjc-Nhac.
When tea and fruit were served, I
understood why and said :
*' Father, you may eat without fear. These are pure dishes. I know
your principles and I should never have presented consecrated offer-
ings to you.^'
I partook of the refreshments with good grace and went into the
house.
4-
Upper Tongking 11
TJpon another occasion, early in the mom-
The Bonsse at Mass. ing, the bonze came to see me. It was Friday,
a fast day, and I was saying my prayers, pre-
paring for Mass.
Fearing to disturb my '^ strict silence," the catechumens refused to
admit him; the noise of their discussion reached me and I invited
him in.
" Father," said he, ^' I should like to assist at a Catholic Mass."
Having been assigned to a place on the bench, he sat there with
uncovered head, his hands in his large sleeves ; motionless and respect-
ful, he heard Mass for the first time. I must confess, his presence
increased my own fervor and I prayed to Jesus Christ that He might
manifest Himself in the breaking of bread to him who had followed
Him so long without knowing Him.
After Mass, the old bonze walked gravely back to his pagoda; I
joined him a moment afterwards. Some one must have told him that
it was a fast day, for he served only such dishes which the Buddhist
ritual allows on fast days. Seeing that I persisted in abstaining, he
said, with an air of intelligence :
"Oh! Father, I know all. You sec these are dishes for fast days;
eat without fear."
Necessity compelled me to explain that Catholics fast by abstaining
from food and not merely by eating something different. The cate-
chumens, who had accompanied me, came to my assistance with all
their knowledge of theology on the question. My host seemed some-
what disappointed and contented himself with offering me tea. We
parted good friends, nevertheless, after having exchanged different
views on the subject of religion.
•I*
Meanwhile, prayers and catechism were
First Solemn studied hand in hand in Phu-Nghia and, in
Baptism. — consideration of the desires and excellent dis-
Disinterestedness and positions of the catechumens, the day of Pente-
Courage of a cost was fixed upon for solemn baptism.
Yoimg Catechumen. I arrived four days before the feast to preach
a retreat to the new Christians. On the vigil
of Pentecost, at the public examination, a young boy, sixteen years of
*g®> presented himself. He was a relative of one of the catechumens,
but his grandmother had threatened to disinherit him, if he were
converted to Christianity.
12
Missions in Asia
" Father/* said he, with a determined air, " I desire to be baptized
with my brothers/*
" But/* I answered, " only those can be baptized who are suflSciently
instructed."
" Father/* he answered, " I know my catechism and my prayers by
heart.**
These words surprised me the more, as I had never seen him study.
I examined him and he answered a dozen questions in the catechism
without making a mistake. His explanations of doctrine were likewise
good.
HanoX — Buddhist Pagoda on the Great Lake.
" Where did you learn all you know? ** I asked.
'^ When you were teaching in the evening, Father/* he said, " I hid
back of the door and heard every word that you said.*'
There was no reason why I should hesitate. According to the pre-
cept of the Master, he who leaves father and mother for His sake is
worthy of the kingdom of Heaven ; so I gave him permission to prepare
himself for receiving the Sacrament of Baptism with the others.
Pentecost day was celebrated with unusual solemnity. Through-
out the country, where there were, as yet, no Christians, the grace of
God found hearts ready to receive the gift.
XTppbe Tokokikg 18
On the vigil of the feast, throngs of old Christiaas, from all parts,
crowded the roads leading to Phu-Nghia, True imitators of the faith-
ful in the early days of the church, some brought an ox; others, a pig;
others, rice; and again others enormous fish. In Annam, where
religions and civil reunions form occasions for great feasts, the day
of baptism is a feast for the body as well as for the soul. Thanks to
God and the generosity of old Christians, nothing was wanting and
nearly three hundred persons could be seated at the festive board.
The neophytes themselves waited upon their elder brethren in the
faith.
As for the feast of the soul, every indication manifested that God
was pleased to watch over it. The house bore signs of a great celebra-
tion. Gardens furnished the most beautiful flowers and woods the
most varied foliage to conceal our poverty. The like had never been
seen in Phu-Nghia. The evening before, the native priest had come to
add to the splendor of the ceremonies and baptized the children.
Baptism was administered to adults on Pentecost morning.
The night before the great day, I slept little.
The Last Word of A secret mixture of joy and fear kept my eyes
Divine Grace. — ^The open ; under any other circumstances, the extra
" pusillus grex." — fatigue of the past few days would have closed
The Finger of God. them in a deep sleep. Harassed by such
sentiments, the sound of a sepulchral voice
broke upon my ear, at two o^clock in the morning.
" Father, greeting."
I recognized the voice at once to be that of my friend, the old bonze
of Phu-Nghia, who had come to see me.
" Father," said he, " I know that I should not have come at this hour
to disturb your rest, but I have a secret to tell you. I am convinced
that truth is on your side and I want to be converted to the religion
of the Sovereign Lord of Heaven."
Great was my joy upon hearing these words of a new Nicodemus.
I really thought, I must be dreaming, but my senses were not deceived.
A few words of encouragement with the help of the grace of God, con-
firmed our new catechumen, and he himself felt sure that he could
settle his affairs within the space of two months. Bidding me fare-
well, he returned to his pagoda.
•I*
This interview robbed me of any further desire I might have had
for sleep and I spent the remainder of the night in prayer, until
14
Missions in Asia
morning should gather around the altar of (lod those whom He was
to regenerate. They were nineteen in number. It was the pusUlus
grex in which the eternal Father was pleased. In this, as in every
other instance, many were called but few were chosen. The ceremony
ToNQKiNG — ^A Notable Chbistian and His Gsandchildben.
was performed with all the rites of Holy Church. The newly
" elected " responded in a firm voice to the questions which the priest
asked and, finally, the blessed waters fiowed upon the brow of these
catechumens who promised to bum what they had adored. The act
was completed and the Church of Christ numbered nineteen Christians
TJPPEE TONGKING
15
more. The Sacrament of Confirmation brought the Holy Ghost down
into the souls of these neophytes upon the same Pentecost Sunday,
and during the solemn Mass, which followed, Jesus in person took pos-
session of these souls which Satan had so long held captive. The mus-
tard seed has been sown. May it thrive and become a large tree !
My duties called me elsewhere, so I left my neophytes to their joy
and fervor and set out for No Luc.
I was not to see my old bonze friend again
in this world. In July he was seized with an
attack of dysentery which, because of his great
age, made rapid progress. The medicines of
Annam were ineffective. A few European
drugs were given with no better results and the
patient grew worse day by day. One of his
Baptism and Death
of the old Bonze. —
Vengeance of the
Bonzes. — ^A Flower
of Annam.
ToNGKiNG — The Road to Laos.
friends advised the catechist of his condition and he, at once, went to
see him. The dying man asked to be baptized, so the catechist finished
his religious instruction and exhorted him to renounce all superstition.
The good old man made a fervent profession of faith in presence of his
fellow bonzes and numerous visitors from the neighborhood. After
that, the catechist poured the waters of regeneration on his venerable
head, giving him the name of Augustine. It was a touching coinci-
dence that Ly-Ei should act as sponsor — he whom his god-child had
advised to embrace religion hardly two years before.
His disciples were not at all pleased with the conversion of their
master. They wanted to remove him from the influence of the cate-
chist, but he refused, and begged his Christian teacher to tell him all
16 Missions in Asia
that he was obliged to do to save his soul and to administer the sacra-
ments to him. Unfortunately, I was too far away from Phu-Nghia to
reach him in time, so the fervent neophyte received only the Sacrament
of Baptism.
Meanwhile, the other bonzes insisted upon taking their master to
Trach-Mi where they thought he might be cured. This time he acceded
to their request after the catechist had given his consent; Upon their
asking him hqw he wished to be buried, he replied :
" I give my soul into the hands of the catechist; my body into the
hands of my former pupils.*^
As it was necessary to give him Christian burial, the catechist con-
sulted me, but my answer did not reach him in time to act. The neo-
phyte breathed his last sigh pronouncing the holy names of Jesus and
Mary, and I have the sweet confidence that his soul has winged its
flight to the divine Tabernacles.
Scarcely was the old man cold in death when the bonzes, in the
absence of the catechist, hurriedly took away his body for burial — ^not
in the sacred ground of the pagoda, a privilege his position merited,
but in the plains below. In the eyes of men, this action was the result
of mean vengeance on the part of the bonze Co-Phap, who had been
severely punished by the deceased for- the scandal which he had given
to the community. In the eyes of faith, however, the finger of God
was there. He did not wish his servant to rest in ground consecrated
to Satan. Upon a slight eminence, overlooking three _ villages, rest
the mortal remains of the old bonze awaiting the summons of resur-
rection.
All the people declare his life to have been without reproach. Since
a catechist was installed near him, he has a thousand times declared,
in a tone of conviction, when called to the bedside of persons seriously
ill : '* I can do nothing more for you ; if you want anything more, you
must send for the catechist.'* A large number of children owe their
eternal salvation to this happy suggestion.
One year has passed since the death of the bonze of Phu-Nghia,
and, within that time, the Christian population has pearly doubled.
•«•
I shall close with a most touching incident:
At the end of January last, Quen, a little girl eight years old and not
yet baptized, was playing with her little friends, Madeleine and Agnes.
I was then in Dong Phu, a short distance from Phu-Nghia. The
Upper Tonokino
17
children were planning a walk to Dong Phu for the next morning.
Quen willingly consented to go ; then reflecting a moment, she said :
" I shall not go to Dong Phu to-morrow ; I am going to Heaven and
I shall not come down from there/^
Hardly had she uttered these words, surprising as coming from a
child who had never been instructed in Christian truth, when she stood
still as though paralyzed. In the absence of the catechist, Ly-Ei
baptized her, and her soul fled to Heaven, where she is now praying
for her disconsolate parents.
MISSIONS IN AFRICA
VICARIATE APOSTOLIC OF BELGIAN CONGO
The missionaries of the Belgian Congregation of the Immaculate Heart
of Mary have received the commission from the Holy See to evangelize an
immense district in the Congo region; the vicariate apostolic of Belgian
Congo administered by Bishop Camille van Ronsle and the prefecture
apostolic of Upper Kassai in charge of Rev. Henri Cambier.
The venerable superior of the seminary of Scheut, Rev. van Hecke, has
sent us the following letters from two of his missionaries; the first was
written by Rev. Sen den to his mother, the second by Rev. Stock to his
superior. Both relate very interesting facts concerning the difficulties of
the apostolate and the customs of the people in these distant countries of
equatorial Africa.
Letter of Father Senden,
Missionary of Scheut.
After three months of absence, I am again
in my residence of Saint Tnidon. Three
months of travel in Congo! Do not let your
imagination drift into ecstasies over my
prowess, for when I count up my days of
march, they number only thirty.
To return to my post from St. Joseph, I
traveled over a new route and was, therefore,
obliged to take a guide in each village. The
third day I stopped with Shaumba, and left there for Bidouai. On our
way, we came across a large pond of which marvelous tales are told.
According to the Bena Luluas the water throws back all that is thrown
into it, even iron and stones. Besides, this pond is filled with large
fish and the bottom is covered with beautiful stuffs and garments,
white, black, yellow, red, etc.
" But,^^ said I to Shaumba, " if there is so much beautiful stuff in
18
The Missionary on
His Travels. —
Chimerical and
Real Dangers. — ^Bad
Will of a Chief.—
Without Guide.—
Happy Result.
Belgian Congo 19
this pond, why do you not draw it up and clothe your people who go
about almost naked ? "
" That would do very well, Father," answered Shaumba, " but the
spirit who lives in the water gives us the choice between the fish and
the stuffs. If we drew up these, the fish will no longer enter our nets,
and we prefer to eat fish and go about half naked, rather than have fine
garments without fish."
According to Shaumba, the village of Bidouai was far away and we
were obliged to leave early so as to reach there before evening. Con-
sequently, the next day, I set out about four o^clock in the morning
with my guide and whole retinue. At six o^clock we came to a small
village.
" Halt ! " cried the guide. " Why are we stopping here? " I asked,
"it will soon be roasting hot and Bidouai is still far off. Let us
profit by the cool morning hours."
" That is very true; but Bidouai is still so far off that we could not
arrive there before evening and there is no village between here and
there. Let us stop here, that we shall not be obliged to sleep in the
woods."
Whether I wanted to or not 1 was compelled to stay with Shamanga
Tjondo.
Five men presented themselves to accompany me to Bidouai, so I
Jaarde farewell to my guide Shaumba.
The next morning, at six o'clock, I found myself on the shores of the
famous pond with all my men. It is a beautiful, clear sheet of water.
I asked my men to get me some of the stuffs hidden in the pond, but
they refused.
" That pond," they objected, " is the territory of the Bena Luluas ;
we are Balubas and they would kill us if we trespassed on their
ground."
Without stopping to catch any of the large fish, I gave the order to
advance and about mid-day we reached Bidouai.
The next day, likewise at noon, I arrived at Tshilolo, surprising the
chief in his '* morning negligee ; " and old worn-out apron girded his
loins. When he saw me, he took to his heels, to return from his hut
in gala costume. A loose garment, in days long gone by white,
concealed his broad, black shoulders, a hat with ventilating holes
capped his curly, black head; his feet were covered with a pair of shoes
so
Missions in Apbica
from which his toe nails protruded with a rather menacing air. I
asked him for some water and wood to prepare a light collation. Tlje
water he had brought at once ; as for the wood, I would be compelled
to wait until it was cut. In the meantime, my attendant had collected
Belgian Congo—
The Tomb of Fathkb
B£ DilKEN AT BoMA.
a few twigs here and there and cooked me a good cup of coffee, which
would suffice me until ev^iing.
After dinner, I called upon the chief three times before His High-
ness would deign to appear. I saw that he did not suffer from ami-
ability, so I said to him :
Belgian Congo 21
" You see, my old man, I must have some water and wood. Are you
going to give them to me, yes or no ? *'
''No/'
''Well then, boys," I said to my companions, ''set to work and
demolish these old hovels; they will give us enough wood for the
night."
When Tshilolo saw that the monuments of his capital were threat-
ened, he begged me to spare them, and hastened to furnish me with
necessaries.
However, I needed a guide to take me back to St. Trudon. After
much parley, the chief assigned one of his men to me. The next morn-
ing, at an early hour, I rapped at his door. No answer. One thrust
of the shoulder opened the door. Behold! the hut was empty. I
went to find the chief. That bird had also flown.
What was to be done? Without a guide and totally ignorant of the
roads, my situation was far from amusing. Suddenly, I heard a rustl-
ing of the dry leaves behind me. A man was crawling out of his hut
on hands and feet; before he had time to rise and rub his eyes to
recognize me I laid firm hold on him. My men assisted me and made
flight impossible.
" My good man," I said, " you are just in time. Serve as my guide
and I will reward you handsomely."
We were saved. Now, we could proceed. After a half hour's walk,
we no longer watched our guide so closely, not dreaming that he would
think of flight then.
In a little while, we came to a small woods, when, all of a sudden,
he plunged into the brush and escaped. What were we to do, all alone
in an unknown forest. In such a situation a Christian soul raises his
heart to Heaven and places himself in the hands of God.
Comforted by prayer, I fearlessly advanced. God protects those
who trust in Him. Without allowing myself to be confused bjr paths
that divided, crossed and led into inextricable thickets, I took the
direction which I supposed to be northeast and, a/t ten o'clock, reached
Musunga Muana, a village about six hours' walk from the mission.
During my trip, I visited the sick and baptized a large number.
The sleeping sickness is spreading day by day. Our hospital is filled.
The seminary of Li^ge has recently sent us two hundred dollars,
which has been a great help to us. During the past year, we have
spent eight hundred dollars for the ransom and support of the sick.
Dr. Borden has been with us four months, studying all the phases
22 Missions in Africa
of this disease from morning till night. He vi^ll leave next week
without having found any remedy for this terrible plague. The hope
of finding a cure is very small. In the meantime, God is making use
of us to gain many souls for his kingdom. Since July 1, 1903, we
have baptized more than 900 persons.
Letter of Father Stock,
Missionary of Scheut
Moanda, March 17, 1904.
My companion, Fad:her Boumans, has left for Kangu to make his
retreat and take a much deserved rest after two years of unremitting
work. I have been alone at the residence for a month; alone among
our Blacks. My multifarious occupations have left me no time for
ennui. By way of recreation, I am going to tell you about my last
visit among the Museronges.
I traveled with six boys to carry my luggage.
A Visit Among the After leaving the Christian village of St. Louis,
Museronges. — ^Royal we walked through high grass till we reached
Mourning. — Curious " the swamps of Mamputu, about noon. Cross-
Customs. — Conver- ing these was comparatively easy for me. I
sion in extremis. — had only myself to take care of and, by the aid
Bloody Practices. — of my long stick, I could find a firm footing on
Queen Netona. the trunks of trees lying in the marsh ; for my
companions, however, passage was very diflS-
cult; three of them fell with their loads; to add to our misfortunes,
the case containing the necessaries for saying Mass fdl; all the vest-
ments were ruined. It was impossible to dry anything at all, as the
weather was very damp and foggy. ^* Go back, Kisi, my boy,'^ I said,
^^ and bring me other vestments to Mingiele to-morrow."
I dined on the other side of the swamp in the forest. There was no
want of appetite, but the rations were meagre. At two o^clock, I
arrived at Netombe, my first halting place. In the evening, there was
catechism for the catechumens. Twenty-five boys were present, not
a single girl; the attendance was small for a village of its importance.
The chief is not friendly to us, and his sentiments influence the people.
Three days afterwards, my little caravan entered Nenimi.
What meant the crowd of men, women and children around the
royal hut? I went up to them and looked within. Nenimi, the chief
of all the Museronges on this side of the river, was lying dead, en-
Belgian Congo
23
veloped in strips of cloth, above a small wood fire the smoke of which
was gradually drying his body. Two days before, he had been drowned
whilst swimming in Banana creek.
In Europe, the death of a king or a prince is much talked of at first.
In a few days, the illustrious departed descends into the tomb; the
newspapers make a last mention of his good or bad qualities and imme-
diately afterwards fill their columns with articles on his successor;
the dead are forgotten.
-^v
&ir^— -^ -T^:P^.>^^,
Belgian Congo — Chubch at Leopoldville.
^^ :-g^_-.i^^
Among the Museronges, conditions are different. As I saw Nenimi
the other day, so I shall find him again next month. His dead body
will not have changed place ; he will be supported by the same frame
of wood, above the same fire, never extinguished. The only change
is that extra strips of cloth will be wrapped around his body. For
long months he will remain so, until his body is completely mummified,
when his funeral will be held.
I retired to my hut where my catechist Leo lives when I am not
in the village. It is very near the royal dwelling. Since Leo has
been teaching, the catechism classes are better attended than before;
24 Missions in Afhioa
besides a number of boys, some girls are present and even a few married
men.
Very well satisfied with these results, I went to sleep. In the early
morning, before three o^elock, I was aroused by a concert of lamenta-
tions performed near the corpse of the chief. The chant, sad and
solemn as the Miserere, was accompanied by the muffled beat of drums.
Prom time to time, the crowd interrupted the dirge at different inter-
vals with a piercing lament. ^^ Tata ufuidi, Tata ufuidi," (Alas!
our father is dead.)
It was impossible for me to go to sleep again. I looked out to see
what was going on. Women and children were gathered around fires,
singing in a plaintive voice the virtues of the deceased.
On my side, I erected my portable altar. The catechumens came
singly, or in small groups, kneeling without on the sand. And there,
on two rough boards, under a roof made of palm fibre, Jesus de-
scended. I thought of Bethlehem, the stable, the crib, the bed of straw.
Ah! Nenimi, new Bethlehem, may you become the cradle of a
flourishing Christian settlement among my poor Museronges !
Mass and thanksgiving were followed by instruction. JoyfuUy, I
registered several new names. Then, a happiness of a different nature
came to me.
One of the old Christians came up to me saying :
** Father, you know Joseph Ditu ; he is a Christian, but for three
years he has not fulfilled his Easter duty. Now, he is seriously sick ;
he has been stricken with the sleeping sickness ; it would be well for you
to see him."
*' Thank you, my good man, I will go."
The hut of the sick man was about a mile and a quarter away.
Joseph was stretched on a poor rug. I talked to him of his youth,
when, taken by the Fathers of the Holy Ghost, instructed and baptized
by them, he had tasted so sweet joys. I drew from him the confession
that he had been unhappy ever, since he left the narrow road. I
brought to his mind the thought of death and what follows it — ^judg-
ment, hell. Heaven — ^telling him that he must decide, for his hour was
near. Then, seeing that he was moved, I added :
"You want to go to confession, do you not? You will find peace
now ; Heaven hereafter."
As he could hardly speak, he gave a sign of consent and, after he had
made his confession, his countenance betrayed the emotions of his
heart. I gave him the Holy Viaticum and paid him a visit the next
Belgian Congo
25
day. Four days afterwards he died, happy to have heard the call of
grace at the last hour.
The same day, I beheld a strange sight near the funeral hut of
Nenimi. One of his old vassals, chief Kifuku, followed by his people,
had come to pay his respects to the mortal remains of his sovereign.
The day was waning. The large open space before the hut of the
deceased was lighted up by enormous torches of palm branches tied
Belgian CJongo — Cabbiers at Rest.
together. Kifuku, with his retinue and the followers of Nenimi,
stood on the right, whilst the women and children were arranged on
the left, singing a plaintive dirge.
With the men, the ceremony began with copious libations. Was this
meant to soften their hearts, or was their grief so great that they felt
the need of drowning it? Neither the one nor the other. These
people neither feel, nor do they invite, sadness. So long as his personal
interest is not at stake, ihe Congoan has no sense of compassion ; his
only motive for action is egoism ; he lives upon it and dies of it. These
26 Missions in Africa
men drank for the sake of drinking, merely to amuse themselves. The
performance might even terminate in bloodshed, if any question of
self-interest were provoked. Such an issue was, by no means, improb-
able; chief Kifuku, as a vassal, was obliged to furnish a certain amount
of stuff to decorate the dead body. If he refused — ^which he was likely
to do — a fight would ensue.
However the matter stood, after strong drinks, at a given signal,
four men leaped into the arena formed by the two groups and, to the
accompaniment of tam-^ams and boisterous songs, began a series of
dances, one more grotesque than the other.
One of the dancers wriggled a long train back of him, whilst his
partner gracefully balanced the immense cloak which enveloped him.
Two others pirouetted so dexterously as to make the most clever clown
in Europe jealous. The sight recalled to my mind the dance of death,
about which I learned in my youth ; it was a true dance of black spirits
moving about in the uncertain and yellowish light of the torches.
Meanwhile the performers, tired out and dying of thirst, withdrew
and were followed by two gladiators who threw themselves about in
the arena like souls possessed. Uttering the most horrible yells, each
one fought alone against an invisible adversary. Terrible blows fell
in number; there were leaps in every sense of the word, sudden halts,
whilst with breast protruded and arms extended, each fighter brand-
ished a knife which, suddenly thrust, felled the fictitious enemy; his
overthrow was greeted with a most savage applause from the throng of
spectators.
Finally, one man alone occupied the stage. In his left hand he
carried a convex shield of wood with a band of iron, on which he beat
loudly with the rusty sword clasped in his right. Then, in about the
middle of the open space, he seemed to move about with extreme
caution, closely studying the approach of the enemy. Suddenly, he
threw his body forward, bent his legs and gave a vigorous lunge against
the range of spectators. Had he noticed my presence? Be that as it
may, his sword just escaped my breast. Instantly there arose a general
cry : " Keba Mundel6, Keba Mpelo (look out for the foreigner, look
out for the Father).*'
The actor continued to plunge into the crowd, striking with his
blade, seemingly desirous of splitting all their skulls and piercing their
hearts ; but hurting no one.
Suddenly, his attention was attracted by a plaintive wail coming
from one end of the arena. Two men crawling on hands and feet,
with their faces to the earth, advanced directly toward the armed
Brloian Congo
27
actor. At first, they pleaded with him m sweet and fearful tones,
then, in agonizing cries, to have pity upon them. The ferocious
fighter, however, seemed only to redouble his fury. Preluding his
action by repeated knocks of his arm against the shield ornamented
with iron, he rushed against the two defenseless men who seemed to
be in the agony of death. Apparently not without reason, for the terri-
ble sword passed over their entire bodies with the rapidity of lightning.
The man possessed astounding skill, so to calculate his blows as not to
cause even the slightest scratch. Finally, he lifted his arm as if to
"^^"^^^^
Belgian CJonqo — Chubch at Moanda.
give the decisive blow ; however, a last cry for mercy made the sword
descend without force; grace had been granted and the three actors
left the scene.
After catechism in the morning, I left for Netona, nearly two miles
distant. I had very few catechumens there and I wanted more. God
gave them to me.
Netona, like Holland, is governed by a woman. Among the Muse-
28 Missions in Africa
ronges, this is no uncommon occurrence. If a king dies, leaving a
son too young to hold the reins of government, his mother acts as
regent, assembles the people to decide matters of importance and settles
disputes. Under such circumstances, the queen of Netona appears
in uniform : a baggy, divided skirt, a hat with a hanging brim and on
her breast an immense copper medal representing Victor Emmanuel.
When I made my official and diplomatic visit, she appeared with
this pomp seated on a little wooden bench for a throne. I received a
graceful invitation to be seated on another bench to the right of Her
Majesty. The people stood around looking at us. Before inquiring
about the purpose of my visit, the queen offered me five chicken eggs
for which I expressed my gratitude by signs and deep inclinations of
the head. My present, in return, was accepted with delight; and so,
convinced of the good dispositions of Her Majesty, I began an address
in the Congo language.
" Netona, you are a great queen and numerous subjects obey your
orders. Nevertheless, only a few of them come to hear instructions
on the great God. Only a few men. Why do not the women and
young girls attend catechism ? Is Heaven meant for men alone ? Are
not women as worthy to enter the kingdom of Heaven as men ? "
In delivering this piece of African eloquence, I emphasized my words
as strongly as possible so that they should make an impression, and I
succeeded. During my speech, the queen gave signs that she under-
stood me to be right. Then, taking up the thread of discourse herself,
she invited all the boys and girls to be present at the classes of the
priest of God.
Unfortimately, the young girls, timid as they are, were very much
frightened and seemed as though they were going to run away.
^^Do not be afraid of the white Nganga (priest)," said I. "Come
back and begin by holding out your hand to Titz, who will give you his
p;lw."
Titz is my brave, large dog. The young girls began to laugh and
approached. One of them ventured to hold out her hand.
" Your paw, Titz."
Titz quietly stretched out his paw to lay it in the child's hand. The
others took courage after this ; some caressed his back, others put their
arms around his shaggy head. One child even ventured to touch his
terrible teeth. Titz is ready enough to growl at any time, but he
looked at me with a knowing air, as if he understood the part he was*
to play. His success was complete. Thanks to him, the children
took confidence which was of great value to me.
Belgian Congo
29
I arose; the children followed me and the queen herself attended
catechism. You may judge of my astonishment, joy and gratitude to
Qod. Until then, I had numbered only 29 catechumens in Netona;
upon this occasion, I gained 24 new aspirants among them, seven young
girls and three married women together with their husbands.
Two days later, the village of Nesongo made me another present of
13 catechumens, so that my trip gave me the consoling figures of 51
new members for the Church of God. Glory be to God, and thanks
to the pious souls who have helped us by their alms and prayers !
MISSIONS IN OCEANICA
TWO MISSIONARIES, THREE BROTHERS AND FIVE
SISTERS MASSACRED IN NEW POMERANIA
As Bishop Coupp^ remarks, the natives are not attacking the Catholic
religion, but the whites, the foreigners, whom they consider invaders. If .
the assassins have selected missionaries for their victims it is because
these are defenseless.
The vicariate apostolic of New Pomeranla, crea^d in 1889, comprises
not only the archipelago but New Mecklenburg, the Admiralty Islands
and New Hanover. All these Islands belong to Germany. Their evangeli-
zation has been entrusted by the Holy See to the Congregation of the
Sacred Heart of Jesus of Issoudun. Before the recent massacre it num-
bered in these parts, 20 missionary priests, 29 Brothers co-adjutors, and
17 Sisters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. Bishop Louis Coupp6 was
born in 1850 and appointed titular bishop of Lero, December 28, 1899.
Lettee of Bishop Couppe,
Of the Society of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Issoudun,
Vicar Apostolic of New Pomerania,
VuNA Pope, August 28, 1904.
Several years since, we founded a new mission center in the moun-
tainous region of the Gazelle peninsula inhabited by the savage and
semi-nomadic tribes of the Bainings. It numbers five stations;
Ramandu, Vuna Marita, Saint Paul, Nakarunep and Marienhohe.
The first two, situated on the coast, are inhabited by the native tribe
of the lAvuans, very different from the Bainings in language, physiog-
nomy and character. They are old pirates who settled near the
Bainings to carry on their sad trade among them, massacring them by
stealth and making slaves of them. The three other stations are
situated in the mountains of the interior in the midst of the Bainings.
Toward the end of August, the governor and principal settlers were
to meet in St. Paul for the dedication of a new church. It was while
the preparations for this solemnity were being made that the massacre
took place.
30 +
Ni:W TOMEUANIA
31
The following are the details of this horrible drama:
On August 13th, a large number of natives from the neighborhood
came to Mass. After services, Sisters Bridget and Dorothea went to
Vuna Marita with their orphans to get some things brought by the
mission boat. Father Rascher was to be one of the crew, but feeling
,;'.,v'^.'MJii^ "";":j)i.
Father Rascher, Murdered in New Pomerania.
indisposed he changed his mind and went to rest on his bed without
undressing. According to his custom, To Maria, the priest's hunts-
man, a resident of the village and a former slave brought up at the
mission, asked the brother for his gun, which was given to him. The
three Brothers Plasschaert, Schellekens and Aloysius, and the five
Sisters were performing their respective duties. Sister Ann, assisted
32 Missions in Oceanica
by a boy, was washing up the floor of the hall in the center of the
priest^s house. The priest himself was lying down in his room, the
window of which, leading upon the veranda, was open.
About eight o'clock in the morning. To Maria climbed upon the
veranda and shot at Father Eascher through the window. The full
discharge entered his breast; however, he was able to rise and, going
to the door, he gave one cry and fell dead at the feet of Sister Ann
who had run to his assistance. Pursued by the murderer, she took
refuge in the adjoining room and locked herself in. To Maria forced
open the door with a hatchet and shot Sister Ann through the brain
at close range. She was found under the table with her eyes open and
her habitual smile upon her lips. On the road to the new church lay
the body of Sister Sophia, who was returning from the village whither
she had gone to dress the wounds of some sick. She must have made
a struggle, for her habit was torn.
The body of Brother Aloysius was found near the house. He and
a young boy named Tand6 were working under the dwelling when they
heard the gun-shot. (Joing out to see what was the matter, he called
to To Maria:
"Why did you shoot?''
The murderer took aim, but Tand6 placed himself before the
Brother, saying :
"You shall kill us both."
To Maria told him to get out of the way and when Tande refused,
he shot at the Brother who fell over and was killed with a hatchet.
Brother Schellekens was busy finishing a cement ' stairs at the
iBntrance of the new church. A Baining split his skull. He was found
with his face to the ground, still holding the trowel in his hand.
Brother Plasschaert was measuring off boards to cut them into the
required lengths. His body was found in a reclining position, with a
pencil in one hand and a rule in the other ; his skull had been likewise
split.
Sister Agatha was dressing the wounds of some natives. She was
attacked from the back and her head totally crushed.
Sister Angela was in the temporary chapel arranging the altar. Her
body was found lying on the altar steps; at her side lay the tabernacle
enclosing the Blessed Sacrament. Her skull had been split.
Sister Agnes was working as usual under the porch. Her body bore
deep wounds in the head ; she had covered her face with her veil.
The murderers accomplished their bloody work in a few minutes.
Their different rdles had been assigned beforehand and each one was
New Pomerania
33
at his post awaiting the signal to act. The plot was perfectly
organized.
4-
At sight of the massacre^ the orphans and natives still at the station
and in the village took flight in confusion; some went directly to Yuna
Marita; others hid in the forest.
New Pomerania — Chubch at Vlavolo.
In the morning of the same day, shortly after the attack in St. Paul,
Father Butten was assassinated in Nakarunep.
His chair was found covered with blood under the porch of his house,
whilst a large pool of blood on the floor marked the place where the
Father breathed his last. His breviary and a book, entitled The
Martyrs of the Catacombs, were Ijdng at his side. A few steps away,
34 Missions in Oobanioa
his body, wrapped in banana leaves, was bnried a foot deep in the
ground. His head was severed from his body completely hacked
into pieces.
At the news of the massacre, Father Van der Aa, head of the
mission, went, in all haste, to St. Paul. On the road he encountered
two armed Bainings, who were going to surprise him in Yuna Marita;
they fled at his approach.
Towards morning, Sunday, August 14, the Bainings came down to
Yuna Marita in large numbers; seeing that our people were on the
alert, they withdrew.
4-
Father Bascher was buried in the morning. During the holy sacri-
fice, just after the elevation, the Bainings attempted a second attack.
We were obliged to shorten the Mass. When our people rushed out of
the church, the assailants withdrew. It was only then that the
burial could be made.
Messages announcing the uprising were received at Herbertshohe
the seat of government, Sunday morning. Unfortunately, the governor
was on a trip to the Corolinas; the vice-governor was in New Guinea
repressing a plot; and the imperial judge was attending to affairs in
the northern part of the island. At the same time, there was but one
boat to command and it belonged to the New Guinea Company.
Preparations for an expedition were hastily completed. Twenty
native police, the whole force present in Herbertshohe, left for Yuna
Marita, where they arrived Sunday evening.
4-
Monday, the 16th, at a very early hour, they went to St. PauL There
they beheld the horrible sight of the mutilated bodies already in a state
of putrefaction. The houses were still standing; but linens, clothes,
food, knives, hatchets and church ornaments had all disappeared.
What was of no value to the murderers, chalices, lamps, books, chairs
and tables, had been thrown down in confusion on the ground. The
canvas of cots and folding chairs had been cut off and carried away.
The dwellings of the village had also been robbed.
The first thing done was to bury the victims in a common grave in
the cemetery of the station. Then the whole neighborhood was scoured,
but the posse returned to St. Paul in the evening without having
found a single offender.
On the 16th, the police went to Nakarunep. On their way they
fired on a group of Bainings who, in their flight, dropped a gun which
was recognized to be that of To Maria. Near Nakarunep our force
Nbw Pomerakia
35
• divided into two bands; the one set out in search of Lo Yalilika^ chief
of the district, the father of To Maria and a noted cannibal known to
be one of the murderers; the other went to the station of Father
Rutten. It was completely plundered. After a long search, the body
, ^Sff^j^^ff^-x .^
A Natiyk of New Pohkhania.
of the priest was found. Torn papers and books were lying around
in disorder. The altar in the church had been demolished and the
tabernacle containing the Blessed Sacrament carried away* The
twenly orphan boys of this station, recently founded, have not yet been
heard from.
36 Missions IN Oobanioa
As far as we know anything about the circumstances of the attack
upon St. Paul^ all evidence tends to the fact that the hatred of the
Bainings is not directed Against missionaries^ as such^ but against the
whites in general. The uprising was provoked by the universal and
inveterate hatred of the savage natives against the whites^ who have
taken possession of their country and become their masters. If our
missionaries have been the first to suffer death at the hands of the
Bainings^ it is because they occupy outposts and cannot defend liiem-
sdves.
Meanwhile^ it is painful to confess that several of the murderers^
To Maria, To Palum and To Mekmek belong to the village of Saint
Paul, formed of former slaves liberated and adopted by the mission.
To Maria was ransomed by us a long time ago; in turning against
the missionaries to whom he is indebted for nothing but good and
joining his father, who instigated the plot, he has yielded to his bad
instincts. He was an intelligent boy, but his heart was ruined by vice.
That was the cause of his treason. After his marriage, he ran away
with the wife of one of his neighbors. Brought back to his lawful
wife he swore to revenge himself upon those who opposed his passions.
A few days before the massacre he had been reprimanded by Father
Bascher.
To Palum had recently been handed over to the mission by the
government which had redeemed him from slavery; his father and
relatives were also among the murderers. The third, upon whom a
strong suspicion rests, is To Mekmek, who has not reappeared. His
father is one of the assassins. The others are men of the forest who do
not belong to the village of St. Paul and do not often come under the
influence of the missionaries.
May God make use of these trials and the blood of these ten victims
for His glory and the greater benefit of the mission !
^-''W^m^
t2^
NEWS OF THE MISSIONS
AFRICA
Good Tidings from Abyssinia
His Majesty, the Negus, has "Revoked the edict of persecution and
exile directed against Catholics. The saving telegram was received in
Adigrat, September 17. It reads :
^^Au chaum agamie Desta. Do not interfere with Catholic mission-
aries. They may remain at their posts. Menelick II.''
The Jubilee of Bishop Augouard
Father Gourdy, C. S. Sp., writes from Brazzaville :
"On the holy feast of Easter, we celebrated the silver jvbilee of
Bishop Augouard, our vicar apostolic. Most of the foreigners who
live here attended Mass; alas! not out of devotion, but to manifest
their sympathy and regard for the bishop. Our little church has a
poor attendance on Sunday.
"Twenty-five years of ministry in Africa! How much has been
accomplished !
" By Bishop Augouard^s efforts religion has spread over a vast dis-
trict in this part of Africa. The eight mission centers founded by him
are so many hearths from which the knowledge of God, the benefits of
religion and civilization spread; several thousand slaves have been
ransomed and instructed, and we now number 1200 children in our
schools.'*
37
DESTINATION OF MISSIONARIES
Beported since the November-December Aimals
AFRICA
The Gold Ooaet
Congo Free State
Rt Rev. Klaus, L.A.M.
Rev. Pfreger, L.A.M.
Rev.
Arthur Brielmao, S.J.
**
Jales Sadin, S.J.
The Ivory Coast
Lunda
Rev.
Convers, L.A.M.
Lebert, Ti.A.M.
Eev.
Germain Faroux, CS.Sp.
"
Gruson, L.A.M.
Senegal
The Niger
Rev.
Ange Renault, C.S.Sp.
Rev.
Cermenatl, L.A.M.
Rev.
Sierra Leone
Edouard Knntsmann,
O.S.8p.
Charles Rudolph, C.S.Sp.
Rev.
Lotoer Niger
Victor Duhase, CS.^p.
"
Upper Niger
Lower Congo
Rev.
Rousselet, L.A.M.
Rev.
Chas. Luttemhacher,
C.S.Sp.
Mauritius Island
Zanguebar
Rev. Btlenne Baur, CS.Sp.
** Alphonse Kuhn, C.8.Sp.
'* Louis Demalson, CS.Sp.
SenegamMa
Rev. Jean Leveque, C.S.Sp.
" Augustin Alller. C.S.Sp.
" Henri Joffroy, C.S.Sp.
French Congo
Rev. Francois Pele, O.S.Sp.
North Madagascar
Rt. Rev. Francois Xavler Cor-
bet, CS.Sp.
Rev. Marlus Georges Hug6,
C.S.Sp.
" Francois Morln, C.S.Sp.
Central Madagascar
Rev. Jos. Bowln, S.J.
" Louis Verley, S.J.
" Paul RIgot. S.J.
Northern Nyanaa
Rev. Jean Buffard, Al. M.
" Paul d'Urbal,AlM.
" Francois Robin, Al. M.
Benin
Rev. Bmlle Schmltt, L.A.M.
DafUMney
Rev. Laublac, L.A.M.
38
Rev. Auguste Haaby, CS.Sp.
" Jean Marie Plrault, O.S.Sp.
" Honors Salles, C.S.Sp.
ASIA
India
Calcutta
Most Rev. Menleman, S.J.
Rev. Jacques de Berraly, S.J.
•* M61ard Vermelre, S.J.
" John Comerford. S.J.
'* Michael Moore, S.J.
" Louis Wantus, S.J.
" Alphonse Bockaert, S.J.
" Gustave MotteI4, S.J.
" Paul Feron, S.J.
" Frederic Ernes, S.J.
" Pierre Hipp, S.J.
Ceylon
Rev. Paul Delebecque, S.J.
" P. Gllle, S.J.
Madura
Rev. Emlle Jonglt, S.J.
Mr. Bonhome, S7J.
*' Albert Mona, S.J.
" Alphonse Durh, S.J.
** Francois Lament, S.J.
Malacca
Rev. Henri Germane, P.F.M.
" Bus^he Chevauchtf, P.F.M.
Rumhhakouam
Rev. Victor Chaumartin, P.F.M.
Lower Burma
Rev. Jos. Mamy, P.F.M.
Upper Burma
Rev. Ren6 Bonffanais, P.F.M.
" Claudius Roche, P.F.M.
" Victor BUl^ P>.M.
Pondieherry
Rev. Jean Bastlde, P.F.M.
Koimhatur
Rev. Louis Perrl^re, P.F.M.
Maisur
Rev. Francois Boson, P.F.M.
Siam
Rev. Louis Calenge, P.F.M.
China
Eastern CocMn China
Rev. Henri Bonhomme, P.F.M.
" Charles Dorgevllle, P.F.M.
Kwang-tung
Rev. Leon Lemaire, P.F.M.
OCEANICA
OUhert Islands
Rev. Alexis Ponoreau, M.S.C.
** Auguste Auclalr, M.S.C
New Pomerania
Rev. Joseph Mflller, M.S.C.
** Joseph Htlskes, M.S.C.
Dutch New CMnea
Rev. Pierre Smets, M.S.C
'* Jean van der Rooy, M.S.C
New Caledonia
Rev. Fr. Fraysse, S.M.
" Henri Thouion, S.M.
New Hebrides
Rev. Pierre Gonnet, S.M.
*' Antoine Genevet, S.M.
*' Emlle Roux, S.M.
Southern Solomon Islands
Rev. Jules VIgne, S.M.
" Joseph Berlin, S.M.
Northern Solomon Islands
Rev. Joseph Grisvard, S.M.
SUPPLEMENT
TO THE
AMERICAN EDITION
Annals of the Propagation of the Faith
THE FEAST DAY OF OUR PATRON
A few months ago, St. Francis Xevier, the great missionary of the
16th Century and one of the greatest apostles of all times, was pro-
claimed Patron of the Society fob the Propagation of the Paith^
by Pope Pius X,who, besides, raised his feast to a higher liturgical rank
in order, as he said, that "the veneration paid to Him be further
increased and that additional honors may enhance His glory still more
among men/* It was natural, therefore, that the feast should be ob-
served in a special manner by the Associates of the Propagation of
the Faith.
At Lyons, the cradle of the Society, the celebration took place, on
December 3, in the primatial church, in the presence of the Cardinal-
Archbishop of that city and the other members of the Central Council
of the Society. The panegyric was delivered by Monsignor Henry,
Bishop of Grenoble. At Paris, where resides the other Central Council
of the Society, the ceremony took place as usual in the chapel of the
39
40 Supplement to the Ambeigan Edition of the Annals
seminary for foreign missions; the sermon being preached by Father
Lesserteur^ one of the professors of the hoiuse. Similar celebrations
were held in various parts of Europe where the work has been
deyeloped.
In New- York the feast of St. Francis was celebrated at the
Cathedral, on December 2. Notices had been sent to the different
churches throughout the archdiocese, and in response to the invitation
nearly six thousand of our helpers gaithered to hear Fr. Pardow, S. J.
His Grace, the Most Bev. Archbishop, presided and gave Pontifical
benediction. In Boston the service consisted of solemn Vespers, on
Sunday, December 4. His Grace, Archbishop Williams, presided, and
Fr. Oasson, S. J., preached the panegyric on St. Francis. Those
celebrations will be remembered as the first public expressions of
interest in foreign missions by the Catholics of this country; they are
hopeful signs that Americans will soon take a prominent part in the
evangelization of the heathen world.
THE SOCIETY FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH
IN OUR ECCLESIASTICAL SEMINARIES
The Society fob the Propagation of the Faith has been estab-
lished for many years in several of our ecclesiastical seminaries. There
are still some^ however, where it is practically unknown. A request was
recently addressed to the Presidents of these institutions that it be
organized among the students, the aim being not so much to obtain
from them much material help as to acquaint them with a work of zeal
which cannot but appeal to the heart of young men preparing for the
priesthood, and from which they may derive wholesome lessons and
inspiring examples. Then, again it is to be hoped that the clerical
student once ordained priest and in the ministry, will call the attention
of his people to a Society offering so many spiritual advantages.
We are pleased to say that several seminaries gave a most cordial
welcome to our request. The first answer came from the Pontifical
College Josephinum, at Columbus, Ohio, and we are sure that our
readers will be interested in the letter written us by one of the semi-
narians of that flourishing institution, in the name of his fellow-
students :
Sl'PPLEMENT TO THE AMERICAN EDITION OF TBE AnNALS 41
October 23, 1904.
Jtevcrend and Dear Father: ]
" We have read the pamphlet, ' The Catholic Foreign Missioil
Field/ which has recently been distributed among us by our Very Rev.
Rector, with great interest. We felt that we ought to do something
for the propagation of our Holy Faith, now already in the years of
preparation for the priesthood, and have therefore decided to become
members of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. Nearly all
of us seminarians, 37, as you may see from the enclosed list, beg to be
admitted into the Society. We have obtained permission from our
superiors and have arranged with our prefect, who himself wishes to
become a member, that he take upon him the direction of the Society.
Our alms for the coming month will be forwarded to you in the course
of this week. Accept our little offering; it is all we are able to do at
present. But after some years when, with the grace of Ged, we shall
be admitted into the ranks of the ministers of Christ, we hope to do
more for the Society, and thereby for the propagation of our Holy
religion."
Sincerely yours in Christ,
A Seminarian.
Another zealous student of the Seminary of Rochester undertook,
with the consent of his superiors, to establish the Society at St. Ber-
nard's. A few days after he had obtained the materials necessary for
the purpose, he wrote us : "I can get most of the students, 125 in
number, to join the Society." In the diocesan seminary of San Fran-
cisco at Menlo Park, Cal., one of the professors was appointed director
of the newly established Society.
The Propagation of the Faith has been for many years a feature
of Seminary Jife in New York, Boston and Baltimore. In the Boston
Seminary there is an Academia of Missions. At its monthly meetings,
papers on home and foreign missions are read and diseuBsed with great
profit by the Seminarians. The feast of St. Francis Xavier, Patron
of the Society, is always the occasion of a great celebration in the New
York Seminary. This year it was perhaps more solemn than usual
and a substantial offering of $650 was sent to the Society; this sum
representing the contributions of professors and students and the
42 Supplement to the Amkuican Editiox of the Annals
results of collections made by the latter among their relatives and
friends.
We hope that those generous examples will be followed, and that
we shall soon have the pleasure of enrolling all the students of our
ecclesiastical seminaries in the Society for the Propagation of the
Faitxi.
THE SOCIETY FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE
FAITH IN ARIZONA
The following letter was written to us by the pastor of one of those
floating congregations as may be found in the mining camps of a territory.
We publish it because it reveals a truly apostolic spirit and describes in
an interesting manner what can be done for the spreading of the kingdom
of Christ on earth in spite of poverty and under unfavorable circumstances.
Letter of an Arizona Priest
To the Reverend Joseph Freri,
Director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith.
December 3, 1904.
I want to write you a few lines about the Society for thk Propa-
gation OF THE Faith in my parish. As I told you some time ago,
I am trying to organize it on a systematic and permanent basis. My
plan is the following, which so far has proved a complete success and
promises to be such every year; the results obtained are beyond my
expectations.
I invited sixteen ladies, of the best and most zealous parish workers,
to form a band of Associates. To each one, of course, I suggested to
give the example and become a member herself, then, to enroll her
husband and other members of her family, either living or dead; the
rest of the band to be made up from among lier Catholic neighbors.
In this manner I have at least one promoter in every section of the
parish, and you will be glad to hear that nearly all of the sixteen pro-
moters have already turned in their $6.00. When this is done, I will
ask for a full list of the members and compare it with tlie list of
members of the parish. I shall then make a list of those who have
not been asked and appoint one or more new promoters to go and see
them. In other words, my intention is that every Catholic family
and individual of this parish shall be asked each year to join the
Society for the Propagation of the Faith.
Since you have been working yourself in the field we are trying to
Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals 43
cultivate, you know that it is a poor one from a financial and other
view points ; nevertheless, I have no hesitation in establishing here the
Society fou the Propagation of the Faith, firmly convinced that
the sacrifice of a few pennies to help to the conversion of the heathen
world, far from being prejudicial to my work, will help it and give to
my people a more ttuly Catholic spirit.
If every parish priest in the country would adopt my system, there
is not the least doubt that the $92,000 collected in the United States,
in 1903, would be increased to a round million of dollars, which would
gladden the heart of our beloved Holy Father and make him feel
prouder of his North American children. Dear Father, I think it is
the bounded duty of every pastor in the country to obtain for the
Propagation of the Faith as much help as can be expected, con-
sidering the means of his parishioners and the importance of the
matter in the present circumstances of the Catholic missions.
Because of the sad'condition in which the church is to-day in France,
very soon we will hear of the great falling off of the contributions for
the Propagation of the Faith in that unfortunate country ; which
falling off will be ^ veritable calamity for many missions among the
heathens, and the cause of stopping, in a great measure, the glorious
and gigantic advance the Catholic Church is making nowadays in
pagan lands. Who is going to make up for the expected falling off of
France? Which nation is going to step in to take up the burden
France will be compelled, shortly, to lay down, if not the young,
vigorous, up-to-date and wealthy Catholic Church in America? If
the Catholic Church in America does not prove equal to the emergency,
if she does not answer the call of Divine Providence in this matter, a
calamity on the foreign missions and the church at large may shortly
be expected. No doubt this sad expectation was in the worried mind
of the Pope, when he addressed a letter to the Catholic world, asking
it to give a new impetus to the Society for the PROPAGATioy of the
Faith. No doubt the Catholic Church in America was uppermost in
his mind to make up for the expected falling off of contributions in
France.
In order to increase still more the collections for the missions in
my parish, I will imitate the example of our separated brethren in
their most practical manner of raising funds for their foreign missions,
and establish the Society of the Holy Childhood among the children
of the Sunday school of the parish. Protestants are raising, in this
way, hundreds of thousands of dollars to spread error among the
heathens and to convert or rather pervert lukewarm Catholics, why
44 Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals
should we not make at least the same efforts to spread and defend the
truth?
The Holy Childhood Society, wherever it is established, produces
two excellent results : in the first place it increases the amount collected
for the propagation of our Holy Faith, and besides it helps to lay the
foundation and cultivate among the rising generation a missionary
spirit, which, it must be granted, has been lacking in some quarters.
Finally, allow me to say that it is much to be desired that there be
in every diocese, as far as possible, a priest devoting unreservedly his
time and efforts to the organization of the Society for the Propaga-
tion OF THE Faith. Let it not be believed that, while acquainting
clergy and laity with the foreign missions and interesting both in
them, he is not working for the best interests of the diocese ; this noble
work has a reflex influence on our missionary labors at home and will
contribute to make the priests more zealous and the people better
Catholics.
These, Rev. and Dear Father, are the few suggestions I wished to
write to you in regard to the development of the Society for the
Propagation of the Faith in a country for which it has done so
much, and from which it is fully justified to expect some returns.
Yours very sincerely in Christ,
Sacerdos.
Mission Notes and News 45
MISSION NOTES AND NEWS
FATHER CORRE'S LEPER MISSION
Father Corre does not need to be introduced to American readers; there
is probably no foreign missionary better known in this country than this
apostle of lepers 1^ Japan. For years his appeals in behalf of the poor,
abandoned lepers entrusted to his care have been received and generously
answered by many of our clergy and laity. We asked him sometime ago
for a comprehensive account of his work, and he caused his assistant, a
native priest, to write us the following interesting letter.
Letter of Father Fukahori, a Japanese Priest^
To THE Rev. Joseph Freri,
Director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith.
KuMAMOTO, July 23, 1904.
Reverend Father: — I will endeavor to comply with your desire to
hear about our leper-house, but allow me to write my account in poor
French.
It is now fifteen years since Father Corre, missionary apostolic, came
to evangelize Kumamoto! In 1890, while going about preaching here
and there, he came across many poor, miserable lepers, and especially
he saw great numbers of them along the road-side when he passed
through the town of Ilommyoji, so-called from a pagoda much fre-
quented by devout Buddhists. Lepers from all parts of the country
flock to that place, above all those who have been driven away and
abandoned forever by their families, for they hope to be healed by
praying to the god who is worshipped there. But, poor creatures!
their hopes deceive them, and cast down by sorrow, they only wait
there to die. When Father Corre saw them, his heart was touched so
that he burst into tears. Finally, he decided with the help of pious
offerings to establish a leper-house, and the work was approved by the
Bishop of Nagasaki, in 1891.
During seven years some French Sisters who were already estab-
lished at Kumamoto, where they had an orphanage, gave their precious
aid to this work; and, in 1898, some Franciscan Sisters, called Mission-
aries of Mary, were called to look after it.
The Lazar house of Kumamoto is situated at Biwazaki and is called
46 Mission Notes and News
in Japanese, Tairo-in, which signifies, " Come to me/^ It is placed
under the patronage of the famous Franciscan Martyrs of Japan,
Saint Peter Baptist and his companions. Biwazaki itself is on a little
hill outside of Kumamoto, under the shadow of the Aras mountain, in
a beautiful country, about half an hour^s walk from the city.
The hospital is a building 216 feet long, by 24 feet wide at the ends
Father Corre, Missionary Apostolic.
and 36 feet at the center; and is divided into two sections, one for each
sex, both of which may accommodate from twenty-five to thirty
patients. The grounds around the hospital have an extent of nearly
ten acres, within which are the houses of the Chaplain, the Sisters and
the catechist.
As a rule, there are about thirty men and women sick in the L&zar
house, of whom five or six die every year and are replaced by others.
Fifty or sixty lepers can be received at a time; but at present no more
>IlSSION NOTFS AND NkWS 47
than thirty can be taken in because of lack of funds, and it requires
about sixty dollars a year for the care of each patient.
Generally, they become Christians after entering, and having no
hope for anything in this world, they only look forward to the happi-
ness of heaven.
The Chaplain says Mass and preaches every Sunday in the chapel of
Fatiteb FuKAnoRi, Japanese Priest.
t^4iOBpit^,'aiid»fee6ides these cermons the. catechism is explained from
time to time by the catechist and infirmarians.
During the month of April this year, more than twenty lepers re-
ceived the Sacrament of Confirmation at the hands of the Bishop of
Nagasaki.
The good Sisters at present in charge number seven, and are aided
in their work by young Japanese women. Every day they wash the
wounds of the lepers — wounds which are running sores of a most
48
Mission Notes and News
offensive odor. In fact, the Sisters take care of t\u souls and bodies
of the lepers, with a kindness only equalled by mothers towards their
own children; and their charitable works attract the admiration of
every one.
Those who are least ill among the lepers work as carpenters, or
joiners, or else cultivate the garden. They unite in the chapel for
prayers every morning and evening. They love each other like
Leper Dispensary at Nakaomaru.
brothers; for in truth, they have only the Chaplain, the religious
women who nurse them, for parents and family; their own relatives,
according to the flesh, having wholly abandoned them.
Sometimes scholarly persons are to be met with among them. Oue
day when I went into their large hall, some of these surrounded me
and began to propose various objections on the subject of religion ; and
I was amazed, as well as delighted, at the depth and sagacit}' of their
questions. So, after I had solved their difficulties, I gave them some
Mission Notes and News 49
cigarettes, and then in their turn they showed such pleasure that, the
following day, they sent ttieir thanks written in verses composed by
themselves.
Some fields and rice plantations are owned by the Lazar liouse;
these form a good and safe capital stock, and if more can be purchased
the future of the establishment will be assured. Therefore, it is'much
desired to acquire more of- them, and alms given for that purpp,se will
be gratefully received.
The government of Japan does nothing to aid the Lazar house,
because just now it has no time to attend to lepers, and, moreover, it
has great need of money for all other kinds of things, in its effort to
civilize this empire.
At Nakaomaru (fifteen minutes walk from Biwazaki) the leper-
house has a dispensary ; and as many lepers go there, the Sisters from
Biwazaki usually visit the place every other day to dress the wounds
of the sick, and two Japanese catechists teach them the catechism, or
prayers. Generally, about fifty of them are baptized every year.
I am glad to have this opportunity of offering the heartfelt thanks
of Father Corre and myself to the American Associates of the Propa-
GATiox OF THE Faith^ both for the help received from the Society
and the alms many of them have sent us directly from time to time.
Let them rest well assured of the gratitude of our dear lepers and may
God reward their charity by guarding them forever against mortal sin,
that leprosy of the soul far more to be feared than the leprosy of the
body.
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Ste. Marie's IVIission
Letter op Father Tavernier; 0. M. I.
Ste. Marie, one of the first missions founded by the Oblates of Mary
Immaculate in British Columbia, is gracefully situated on the right
bank of the Fraser River. On one side of its modest church is the
convent of the Sisters of Saint Ann ; on the other, the residence of the
Oblate Fathers. The cemetery is not far from the church. There,
in the shadow of an humble cross, among their beloved converts, rest
the two great apostles of Columbia, Bishops d'Herbomez and Durieu,
together with several Fathers and Brothers, like themselves, members
of the Congregation of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. On the
outskirts of a forest, several hundreds of yards away from the ceme-
50 Mission Xotes and Nkws
tery, a ch-apel, surmounted by an elegant cupola, has been built upon
a high rock. This is the sanctuary of Notre Dame de Lourdes of the
Pacific, erected a few years since, by Bishop Durieu to fulfill a vow
made by his predecessor.
The mission of Ste. Marie possesses a boarding-school, conducted
by the Sisters of Saint Ann, and one in charge of the Oblate Fathers.
A word in regard to our schools. First of all, permit me to present
one of the latest arrivals, a child ten or twelve years of age. A brown
face, sunken eyes, thick lips, a flat nose, black hair -growing almost
direct from the eyes, a careless gait, hardly form an attractive picture.
Does the exterior denote an intractable character? Not at all. By
means of smiles, caresses and a few goodies the little savage can be
tamed. In a short while, you will see him playing with his com-
panions. The majority of these children belong to a wandering tribe
known here as the "Stalos;'^ they live on the banks of the lower
Fraser.
Their whole demeanor betokens absolute indifference- Generally,
they are contented at Ste. Marie. However, the hours of the class
must be too long, nor can a severe discipline be maintained. Our
pupils love neither work nor punishment. If we are gentle with them
and do not offend their love of independence, our success is assured.
We have no reason to complain of disobedience on their part; on the
contrary, we have only words of praise for the respect given to the
orders of teachers and priests. Most of them are devoted to those who
instruct them. Of mediocre intelligence, with no thought of any
higher condition, these children possess little taste for study. Never-
theless, they try very hard to improve, simply to please their teachers
and the missionaries.
At Ste. Marie, religious instruction is first in order. Our little
savages have quite a good knowledge of their catechism. Their piety,
without being fervent, seems to be sincere. They have a very lively
faith in the Blessed Sacrament snd still they suffer from a thousand
distractions even in the presence of our Lord. The following is an
instance :
One of our pupils was preparing for confession, when, suddenly, he
drew his sling from his pocket and .... a stone whizzed out of the
window of the chapel. What would you do? he had seen a wicked
little bird picking at tlie fruit of a cherry-tree nearby. A slight fault
Mission Notes and News 51
for a pupil not strong enough to repress the instincts of Nimrod,
which possess the soul of every savage.
Our children learn to read and to write ; we teach them, besides, the
elements of grammar, arithmetic, geography and even drawing. They
have a real passion for music ; not that they trouble themselves much
about its theory ; but they have a good ear and, in a few days, can leam
to play on different instruments, like the cornet and trombone, with
surprising skill.
" Is it necessary to have a school for these children ? " you may ask ;
" is it not sufficient for them to leam the indispensable truths of our
religion ? "
Since the desire for gold, the wealth of our forests and the fertility
of our soil have brought a throng of immigrants into these parts, people
of all religions and all sects, it is necessary that our natives be more
than believing Christians; they must be able to defend their faith.
Without institutions to educate the young, this result cannot be
obtained.
The children who come to Ste. Marie will, in future, be lost among
an almost entirely Protestant population. Probably, they will be farm
laborers, sailors or factory hands, or they will go from door
to door selling the product of their hunting or fishing. Most as-
suredly, they will come in daily contact with the whites. What man
or woman, edified by the conduct of these good people, will not speak
to them of religion? Perhaps, they will be congratulated upon the
fact that they are Catholics; but again, may not some sneer at seeing
them faithful to Catholic practices €uid even invite them to go over to
error? Under pretext of compassion, may not some deplore their
being poor and not so civilized as the whites, even pitying them for
still being under the thraldom of papacy f
•I-
The school of Ste. Marie can give good reasons for its existence. But
how hard it is to defray the expenses of such an institution ! We can-
not count upon the settlers to relieve our poverty. But may we not
appeal to the charity of the readers of the Annals ?
If we do not harbor the children who beg to come to us, will they
not receive only too warm a welcome from the Protestant minister?
There is question of protecting the faith among the children of a
52
Mission Notes and News
whole tribe converted to the Catholic faith by our predecessors. What
have I said? there is question of preventing Protestantism holding
sway over a territory indisputably Catholic for a number of years. All
Christians who assist in this good work will further the glory of Grod
and the salvation of souls.
SPECIAL DONATIONS
Eeceived since the November-December Number
Fob Bishop Chatbon, Osaka.
Per Rev. James A. Walsh (Diocese of Boston) $118.00
Per Rev. J. J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 2.20
Fob Bishop Hamlon, TJppbb Nilk.
Per Rev. J. J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 11.00
Fob Bishop Yioano, Htdbbabad.
Mr. F. Harper (Diocese of Brooklyn) 10.00
Fob thb Right kbv. Bishop of Naopdb.
Z. Z. (Diocese of New York) 3.00
Fob Fb. Pbicb, N. Cabolina.
Per Rev. James A. Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 1.00
Fob Fb. Roonbt, Tucson.
Per Rey. James A. Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 1.00
Fob Fb. Gbuson, C. M., Abyssinia.
Mr. F. Harper (Diocese of Brooklyn) 10.00
Fob Fb. Moullbc, N. Ntanza.
Mr. F. Harper (Diocese of Brooklyn) 10.00
Fob Fb. Tionous, Coimbatobb.
Per Rev. J. J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 23.00
Per Rev. J. A. Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 5.00
Fob Fb. Oubbin, O. M. L, Saskatchewan.
Per Rev. James A. walsh (Diocese of Boston) 6.00
Mr. O. McOaer (Diocese of Nashville) 5.00
Fob Fb. Joulab, Dahombt.
Mr. O. Mciiaer (Diocese of Nashville) . .« 5.00
Fob Fb. Cobbb, Japan.
A Priest (Diocese of Philadelphia) 5.00
Rev. R. de Rvckere (Diocese of Helena) / 10.00
Fob Fb. Gditta. S. M., Cbktbai:. Ambbica.
A Friend (Diocese of Baltimore) 5.00
Fob -Fb. Gotlb. Uganda. . ,
Per^Rev. J. J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 12.00
Fob Fb. Fbbband, Tokio.
Per Rev. James A. Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 100.00
Per Rev. J. J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 60.00
Fob Fb. Jbanboy, C. S. Sp., Gabon.
Z. Z. (Diocese of New York) 6.00
Fob Fb. Fbuttibb, India.
Z. Z. (Diocese of New York) 3.00
Fob Fb. Bbbnabdinb, Lahobe.
Z. Z. (Diocese of New YorlO 3.00
Fob Fb. C^avanol, India.
Z. Z. (Diocese of New York) 8.00
Fob Dom Boboatello, S. Patagonia. •
Z. Z. (Diocese of New YorkJ 8.00
Fob Motheb M. Paul, O. S. F., uppbb Nile.
Per Rev. J. J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 25.00
Fob Indian Missions.
P«r Rev. J. J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 20.50
Per Rev. D. B. Hudson, C. 8. C. (Diocese of Fort Wayne) 8.60
Fob Indian and Nbgbo Missions.
Per Rev. D. B. Hudson, C. 8. C. (Diocese of Fort Wayne) 34.85
Fob thb Sbminabt fob Apbican Missions in Cobk.
Per Rev. D. B. Bodson, C. 8. C. (Diocese of Fort Wayne) 25.00
Fob Obphans in Japan.
Per Rev. J. J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 14.00
Fob L^bbs in Japan.
Rev. C. Boehm (Diocese of Cleveland) 10.00
Total $561.05
The Society gladly receives sums of money intended by the
donors for any particular mission or missionary, and forwards
the same at once to its destination in any part of the world.
63
OBITUARY
The following deceased persons are recommended to the charitable
prayers of our Associates:
KiGHT Rev. Richard Phelan, Bishop of Pittsburg; Right Rev.
Bishop Carrie^ C. S. Sp., Vicar Apostolic of the French Congo; Very
Rev. Jules Lebas^ Superior General of the Society of St. Sulpice;
Rev. Benjamin De Costa, Diocese of New York; Rev. John T.
Stinson, Diocese of Boston; Rev. Jas. J. Dougherty, Diocese of New
York; Rev. Ed. O'Connor, Rev. James Stella.
Rev. Mother Ambrosia; Sister Anna, 0. S. F.
Mr. Andrew McPartland, Diocese of Hartford; Miss Emily Stewart,
Diocese of Baltimore ; Miss Emma Xax, Diocese of Baltimore ; Michael
Blake, Diocese of Burlington.
Of the Diocese of New York the following: Mrs. Ellen Twohill, Margaret
Costigan, Mrs. Peter L. Fay, Mrs. Helen T. Clements, Michael Rude, John
Mulligan, Mr. Michel, Mary Webster, Mrs. Catherine Holden, Mrs. Black-
wood, Catherine Murray, Johanna Dunn, John Cullen, Margaret Delaney,
Edward Holland, William Kearney, Margaret Miller, Ann Reilly, Catherine
Castello, Patrick Griffin, Mr. Concklin, James McKenna, Thomas Howard,
Peter Kelly, Mrs. Margaret Gilligan, Ann Clark, Mrs. Ann Wrape, Mrs.
Christina Casw^l, Mrs. Ellen Conkey, Mrs. Anne Harvey, Edward Coffey,
St., Michael Coffey, Jr., Margaret Coffey, Charles Massey, Mr. Dromgoole,
John Ryan.
Of the Diocese of Boston the following: Mr. Michael Bathazar, Mrs.
Virginia Bouchard, Mr. George Cabot, Miss Annie Leary, Mr. Frederick
Shepard, Miss Margaret Newcomb, Miss Bridget Short, Mr. Joseph Flatley,
Mr. Patrick O'Connor, Miss Mary Joyce, Miss Annie Joyce, Mr. James
Kaveny, Miss Bridget Kaveny, Mrs. Mary Honney, Miss Mary Crosby,
Miss Mary Haley, Miss Ellen Hackett, Miss Annie E. Sullivan, Miss Jennie
McNaughton, Miss Leah McNaughton, Miss Ann Mulligan, Mr. Wm. A.
Palmer, Mr. William Delory, Miss Margaret Christie, Miss Ann McGann,
Miss Ann Boyle, Mr. J. J. Lynch, Martin J. Dwyer.
(We shall be glad to recommend all deceased associates whose
names are sent us to the prayers of our readers.)
5^
ADVBBTISEMENTfl
We beg leave to notify the
readers of the "ANNALS OF
THE PROPAGATION OF THE
FAITH'" that the dates of ap-
pearance of the magazine are
changed with this number.
Henceforth it will come out
regularly on the first day of the
following months: FEBRUARY,
APRIL, JUNE, AUGUST, OCTO-
BER, DECEMBER.
We shall be thankful if notified
of any failure to receive the
"Annals" on the foregoing dates.
PUBUCATIONS
OF THE
SOCIETY FOR THE PROPAGATION
OF THE FAITH.
The Society for the Propagation of the Faith
and the Catholic Missions, 1822-1900,
Postpaid, 10 cents.
Bishop Favier* s Diary of the Siege of Pekin,
May- August y 1900, Postpaid, lo cents.
Origin and Causes of the Chinese Crisis.
By Rev. J. Freri, D. C. L. Postpaid, 5
cents.
The Propaganda. (A Sketch.) By Rev.
J. Freri, D. C. L. Postpaid, lo cents.
The Catholic Foreign Mission Field. Two
papers by the Revs. J. Freri and Jas. A.
Walsh. Postpaid, 5 cents.
ADDRESS :
Society for tliB Propagation of tlie Faltli,
627 LEXINGTON AVE., NEW YORK, N. Y.
HAVE YOU
A MITE BOX
Wherewith to collect your oflEerings for
the Catholic Missions during the year
1905? If not send a postal-car^ to
THE REV. JOSEPH FRERI,
627 LEXINGTON AVENUE,
NEW YORK, N. Y.
He will gladly send one by mail, free
of any charge.
WANTED FOE 1905
MORE NEW PROMOTERS
MORE NEW MEMBERS
OF THE
Society for the Propagation of the
Faith*
If the Society is not established in
your parish, write for a Promoter's
card to the
REV. JOSEPH FRERI,
627 LEXINGTON AVE.,
NEW YORK, N. Y.
and try to interest your relatives and
friends in that most truly Catholic
charity. It will prove a source of
blessing^s to you and to them.
Please mention " Annals " when writing to advertisers.
WHAT OUR H©LY FATHRR
POPE PIUS X
SAYS or THE
Society for t&e PropagatioD of the Faltli
**TIIE SOCIETY FOR THE PROPAGATION OF
THE FAITH appears to have ori^nated and arisen
among men by an inspiration quite Divine."
^*U the messengers of the Catholic docfaine are
able to reach out to the most distant lands and the
most barbarous peoples, it is to the generosity of
the SOCIETY FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE
FAITH thiit credit must be given,"
•■Through the SOCIETY FOR THE PROPAGA-
TION OF THE FAITH, salvation began for number-
less people « . • , through it there has been
gathered a harvest of souls***
"We have always been greatly interested in the
SOCIETY FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH
and have helped it as for as our humble resources
would permit.**
"We are filled with hope that this most noble
association will grow in strength day by day .
and may Christ protect it ... . since it is its aim
to spread His most Holy Name."
' iLt VOU JOm ANO HCl^ T»"
LXVm, Na459
APRIL, 1905
ANNALS
OF THE
PROPAGATION
OF THE FAITH
7
/ "/
Publtahed bi-monthly by the
Society for the Propagation
of the Faith, Baltimore and
New York. ♦*. •% •% .%
OTKfR iMIiP I HAVI THAT ^
'arc not of TKIf TOLO THtfl ALf£
IHALL HEAR MY VOICE Amf f
THEAE SHALL Bt OKC rOLulvX/
,,u^ A Mil ONC SHEPHERD J
CONTENTS.
THE 80€IEnES OF CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES— IV Artlcto 56
The Belgian Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and flM
Seminary of Schent-lea-Bmseels.
Missions in Asia.
Kumbhakonam,—\M.%T of the Right Rev. Mgr. BoltorOp P. F. M M
Sharp Contrasts The East and the Weft Rayaged. — Knmli-
hakonam Undisturbed Report of the MlBsion, 1904. — The
Training of Catechists.— Expected TriaU.
Missions in Africa.
^a6o/i.— Letter of Rev. Fr. Mace, C. S. 8p 74
The Miaaion of Lambaren4 The Oaloas and the Pahonl&iw— ftlayery.
News of the Missions.
EUROPE.
A Monument to Fr. de Deken In Belgium 81
ASIA.
The English In Thibet 81
DlfRcultlee of the Apoitolate In Kan-ta 82
Convertlone In Kwang-tung 88
AFRICA.
Terrible Hurricane In Madagascar 84
The Seminary of KIsubu 88
OCEANICA.
Importance of Services rendered by Missionary Brothers In New Qulnea 86
DESTINATION OF MISSIONARIES 88
Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals»
AN ORDINATION OF CHINESE PRIESTS IN S. E. CHIU 88
IN THE STEPS OF DAM I AN— Brother Seraplon a Victim of Uprosy 88
THE RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR AND THE PEOPLE OF JAPAN by Father Meodt,
Japanese Priest 88
SPECIAL DONATIONS 108
OBITUARY 107
Entered at the Poet Oflllce, Baltimore, Md., as second olass matter.
\
• 1
V
ANNALS
OF THE
Propagation of the Faith
Vol. LXVIII, No. 459. April, 1906.
THE SOCIETIES OF CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES
The following is the fourth of the sketches of missionary societies pub-
lished in the AiTNALS. Articles on the Fathers of the Holy Ghost, the
Society for Foreign Missions of Paris, and the White Fathers founded by
Cardinal Lavigerle have already appeared. Three hundred and fifty years
ago Saint Francis Xavler proclaimed the worth of Belgian missionaries,
when he wrote from the Far East to Saint Ignatius: Da mihi Belgas!
(Send me Belgians.) The following account shows that the apostles sent
forth to-day from Belgium are as zealous and heroic as their predecessors.
If the great apostle of India were living now, he need not recall his words.
IV.
THE BELGIAN CONGREGATION OF THE IMMACULATE
HEART OF MARY AND THE SEMINARY OF
SCHEUT-LEZ-BRUSSELS
The origin of the Congregation of Missionaries of the Immaculate
Heart of Mary dates back to the year 1860. In virtue of the treaty
signed in Pekin, the doors of the Celestial Empire had just been opened
to foreign powers, and also to apostles of the word of God. For a
long time Father Verbist, chaplain of the military school in Brussels,
and director of the Association of the Holy Childhood in Belgium,
had cherished the desire of founding a society of Belgian missionaries.
In the sixteenth century. Saint Francis Xavier had applied for Bel-
gians to carry on his work in the hard missions of India, and in
response to his appeal numerous missionaries set out to preach the
Gospel in all parts of the world. It was a great regret that no national
institution existed to make it easy for those who felt themselves called
to an apostolic life to obey the voice of God. The treaty of Pekin put
an end to Father Verbisfs hesitation. He at once began the neces-
sary preliminaries, and was soon joined by Father Van Segvelt, vicar
55
56 Belgian Conghegation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
of Saint Gudule, and Fathers Vranckx and Verlinden, vicars of
Molenbeek-Saint-John.
God always tries those whom he calls to a great work; numerous
difficulties faced the new Society. However, the apostolic zeal
of Father Verbist and his companions set aside all obstacles and, on
the 25th of August, 1865, the first little band set sail for China. They
were Father Verbist, superior, and Fathers Van Segvelt, Vranckx
and Hamer, and Mr. Paul Splingaert, Fr. Verbist^s servant.*
The new missionaries received charge of all Mongolia, an immense
region comprising nearly the whole of the country lying north of the
Great Wall. A small band of Christians awaited tiiem. The Laza-
rists had already begun to labor in these parts, but were recalled by
the Propaganda that they might give undivided attention to their
other missions for which the number of priests was insufficient.
4-
In 1866, four new members joined their venerable superior, who was
thus encouraged by the hope of seeing his work a success. Neverthe-
less, two great trials lay in store for the young congregation; for a
while, it seemed as though its foundation were tottering. On the 5th
of April, 1867, Father Van Segvelt died in Siao-miao-eul-kau and, on
September 12 of the following year. Father Verbist passed away in
Lao-hou-kau. Contrary to human points of view, the death of the
two founders was only the means of showing to their disciples iliat
generous hearts make a joyous sacrifice of all, even life, .for the con-
quest of souls.
The first cross aroused fresh ardor. Father Vranckx, successor of
Fatlier Verbist as superior, returned to Europe to direct the work in
Scheiit. Of tlie first little band of four, Father Hamer alone remained
in China ; he received his reward, the crown of martyrdom, only after
thirty-five years of apostolic labor.
At home the membership of the congregation continued to increase.
Thanks to the generosity of the Catholics of Belgium and Holland,
the patronage of Bishops and the assistance of the Society for the
Propagation of the Faith, sufficient alms were received to provide for
the increasing necessities of successful missions.
In 1874, Mongolia became a vicariate apostolic, with Mgr. Bax as
first Bishop. During the same year. Fathers Devos and Verlinden
*Mr. Paul Splingaert's life was one of extraordinary success. He be-
came a mandarin of the Empire, the happy husband of a Chinese Christian
and rendered the missionaries many valuable services.
Belgian Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary 57
undertook the evangelization of the Ortos territory, while at the same
time the Christians of Tli, exiles in Turkestan for the faith, applied
to Mgr. Bax for missionaries. In 1878, the Holy See added the
Chinese Turkestan to the missions of Mongolia, besides the vast region
The Very Rev. Fr. Van Hecke, Superior-General of the Missionaries
OF Scheut-lez-Brussels.
of Kuku-nor and the whole province of Kan-su. Situated south of the
Great Wall, the last mentioned district belongs to China proper, to
which Mongolia is tributary. Formerly in charge of Italian Fran-
ciscans, Kan-su was made a distinct vicariate apostolic ; Mgr. Hamer,
its first Bishop, likewise presided over Kuku-nor and Turkestan.
58 Belgian Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mart
In 1883, flourishing missions and the constantly increasing num-
ber of missionaries demanded the division of Mongolia itself. Mgr.
Bax remained in charge of central Mongolia ; Mgr. Devos became vicar
apostolic of southwest Mongolia (Ortos), and Mgr. Eutjes was placed
over eastern Mongolia.
In 1884, Fathers Jansen, Steeneman, and de Dekan, missionaries in
Kan-su, arrived among the poor Chrisftians of Tli after a painful jour-
ney of three months. Later on, this region was also made a distinct
mission.
4-
The missionaries of Scheut were thus in charge of five contiguous
missions in Northern China, stretching over a territory measuring
1700 miles from east to west and 1000 miles from north to south.
The bu^de^ seemed overwhelming. God, however, blessed the work of
his laborers. His grace multiplied conversions, peopled the growing
Christian settlements as if by magic, and, at the same time, generated
vocations in Europe.
The necessity arose to regulate and unite the vast work whose labor-
ers were scattered over so large a field. In 1887, a general meeting
called at Eul-che-san-hao, in Central Mongolia, brought together the
delegates from the mother-house in Scheut and those from the differ-
ent vicariates. Very Rev. Van Aertselaer was elected superior-general
and the following year the Holy See approved the constitution of the
congregation for ten years.
In 1888, a new field was opened to the zeal of these missionaries.
By a brief, dated May 11, His Holiness Leo XIII created the vicari-
ate of Belgian Congo, and confided the evangelization of this district
to the missionaries of Scheut. The new vicariate comprised the whole
of Congo Free State, excepting the region of Tanganyika already con-
fided to the White Fathers.
The first missionaries destined for Congo left Antwerp, August 28,
1888. They were Father Gueluy, former missionary in China, and
Fathers Huberlant, de Backer and Cambier, all natives of Tournai.
In 1891, a novitiate of Brothers coadjutor, destined specially for mis-
sions in Africa, was added to the seminary of Scheut.
A short but violent persecution tried Eastern Mongolia at the close
of 1891. Several hundred Christians and the native priest Lin were
massacred by the Tsai-li-ti, one of the numerous secret societies in
China.
Belgian Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary 59
When this sad but glorioxis news was received in Scheut, Very Rev.
Fr. Van Aertselaer, superior-general, was about to leave for a voyage
of exploration in Congo. He was accompanied by Father de Deken,
former missionary of Kan-su, who had shortly returned from the cele-
brated trip across Thibet, China, and Tonking made with the Prince
of Orleans and Mr. Bonvalot. After an absence of two years, the
superior-general, well satisfied with the progress of the Congo mis-
sions, returned to reassume charge of affairs.
4-
The year 1896 was marked by the elevation of Mgr. Van Ronsl6
to the dignity of vicar apostolic of Belgian Congo, and the year 1898
by the meeting of the general chapter at the mother-house. Provin-
cial superiors and delegates from the different missions in Africa and
Asia discussed the general interests of the congregation and of the
missions. Very Rev. Fr. Van Hecke, former missionary of Kan-su,
was elected superior-general to succeed Very Rev. Fr. Van Aertselaer,
destined to take the place of Mgr. Bax, deceased, in Central Mon-
golia.
In 1899, thanks to the- generosity of a noble patron, the house of
Sparrendaal, in the diocese of Bois-le-Duc, Holland, was opened.
Finally, on July 20, 1900, a decree of the Sovereign Pontiff crowned
the labors of forty years and assured the stability of the Society by
approving its constitution. Perpetual vows, until then optional, were
made obligatory for all members who had kept the vows for five years.
Whilst the Holy See, by its supreme authority, was consecrating the
work so prosperous under the protection of Mary, Providence con-
firmed its success still more gloriously by accepting the sacrifice of its
first martyrs. On the very same day, July 20, that the decree of
approbation was signed in Rome, Mgr. Hamer, the first of the seven
martyrs of 1900, commenced to suffer his horrible tortures. Christ
called to the joys of this triumph those whom He had first associated
in His sufferings during their work of the apostolate.
To this brief outline of the origin and development of the Congre-
gation of the Immaculate Heat of Mary, we add a short account of its
present status.
I. Missions of Schbut in China.
The immense territories of Northern China are settled by a dense
population composed of two races,- the Chinese and the Mongolian,
each having its own language, character, and customs. The Chinese,
for the most part farmers, occupy the southern part of Mongolia and
60 Bklqian Conoregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
%x
^^'^^v^
Bishop Abblb Bishop Bbrmyn
Vic. Apost. of E. Mongolia. Vic. Apost of S. W. Mongolia.
Bishop Otto
Vic. Apost. of Kan-su.
Bishop Van Ronsl^ Bishop Van Abbtslabb
Vic. Apoat. of Belgian Congo. Vic. Apost of Central Mongolia.
The Missionaby Bishops of the Society of Scheut.
Belgian Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary 61
Kan-su. The Mongolians, more or less nomadic shepherds, tend their
flocks in the steppes of the north, even to the frontiers of Siberia.
The great distances between settlements oblige missionaries to
almost daily travels, made more painful by the rigor of the climate.
The winter is long and severe; 30 degrees and 40 degrees below zero is
not a rare temperature. On the other hand, summer heat, especially
in the south, is almost equal to that of the tropics. The unparalleled
purity of an atmosphere, ordinarily very dry, more than compensates
for these extremes, so that missionaries in Mongolia nearly always
enjoy good health.
At the beginning of the year 1900, Christian settlements were flour-
ishing. During the last few years a strong tide of conversion passed
over the country. It would seem as though God, in face of the ap-
proaching storm, would have all souls of good will brought into the
fold of the church.
At present one hundred and ten missionaries of Scheut, assisted by
twenty Chinese priests, are administering to the spiritual wants of
40,000 Christians. One hundred and seventy-three schools are at-
tended by 3300 pupils. Two seminaries and seven colleges are
preparing young men showing the marks of a vocation for the priest-
hood. Sixteen hundred orphans sold by their infidel parents are cared
for by Chinese sisters and a few Franciscan missionaries of Mary from
Europe. One hundred young girls, besides, have been placed in
Christian families.
In 1904, there were 170 priests in Mongolia and Kan-su, 142 Fathers
from Scheut and 28 native priests.
Jealous of these magnificent results, the devil instigated one of the
most terrible persecutions ever waged against missionaries and Chris-
tians in China. The exact and complete account of the events in
1900 can not yet be written. There is no doubt, however, but that the
annals of China will furnish a glorious page in the history of the
Church, manifesting the power of the Gospel to transform the most
barbarous people; with a few exceptions, Chinese Christians have
proved themselves possessed of heroic courage. Their constancy be-
fore death is not less admirable than that of the early martyrs.
In Mongolia the number of Christians who sealed their attachment
to our Lord with their blood is estimated at three thousand, and God
alone knows the hosts who, deprived of all their goods, have died of
misery since the persecutions. Others during the struggle assembled
in the principal residences and, under the direction of missionaries,
bravely defended themselves against the Boxers. Thanks to their
62 Belgian Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
strong resistance, sustained in several instances by a providential inter-
vention bearing the character of a miracle, all was not destroyed. In
some districts, however, it was impossible to take measures of defense.
Thus it was that in Tai-hai and Hau-pa, in Central Mongolia, all
was destroyed. In the northwestern part of the vicariate of Mgr.
Hamer, fifteen missionaries expelled by Mongolian soldiers were forced
to travel forty-two days across the desert to reach Europe by way of
Siberia.
Chapel and Seminabt of Scheut in 1870.
Of the ninety-five missionaries that remained at their posts, seven
enjoy the glory of having shed their blood for the faith (July- August,
1900). The following year, in December, two others were massacred
in Ortos.
We have lamented the death of these noble victims, but our tears
have not been without joy. Near the throne of God, these conquerors
are powerful intercessors in behalf of the work for which they sacri-
ficed their lives. Moreover, despite the material losses caused by the
Boxers, we have the firm hope that an era of prosperity is about to
Belgian Congregation of the Immaculate Heart op Mary 63
begin for Mongolian missions and that the earth watered by the blood
of martyrs will produce a rich harvest of Christians.
Besides^ far from diminishing apostolic zeal in Christian conntries,
the terrible events of 1900 have served only to give it a stronger im-
pulse; a larger number of vocations is a proof that, in Belgium, truly
religious families consider it the greatest honor to give up their chil-
dren for the holiest of works, the salvation of souls.
II. Missions of Soheut in Congo.
Since the creation of the vicariate of Congo Free State, other re-
ligious societies have tmited their eflPorts with those of the mission-
aries of Scheut for the evangelization of the Dark Continent. They
are the Jesuits, Iforbertins, Trappists, Priests of the Sacred Heart,
Eedemptorists, Sisters of Charity of Gand, Sisters of Notre Dame,
Franciscans of Mary, Trappistines, and the Sisters of the Sacred
Heart of Mary of Berlaer.
Distinct missions have been made of two countries separated from
the vicariate, the mission of Kwango under the Jesuits and the pre-
fecture of TJelle in charge of the Norbertins. The rest of the region
is in charge of the Congregation of Scheut and forms the immense
vicariate of Mgr. Van Bonsl^. By a pontifical decree of July 16, 1901,
the region of the Kassai and its affluents has been separated from the
vicariate apostolic of Belgian Congo and forms a distinct mission
under the name of Upper Kassai. One of the oldest missionaries, the
Rev. Emeri Cambier, waa appointed prefect apostolic in March, 1904.
We shall mention only the posts founded by the missionaries of Scheut
and cared for by them.
4-
Congo Free State. — The first mission on the coast at the mouth
of the river is Moanda. Two missionaries and five Sisters of Charity
are in charge of a large number of catechumens and a flourishing
orphanage.
At Boma, five missionaries, three of whom are priests, perform
parish duties, attend the hospitals and schools and direct the state
academy. Eight Franciscan sisters are also stationed there.
A railroad has recently been built from Boma to Majumbe. A mis-
sionary of Scheut is chaplain of the company, as well as of the mili-
tary encampment in Tjuki. In Kangu, a little farther distant in the
region of Majumbe, is the young mission of Moll-Sainte-Marie. The
missionaries here are instructing a number of catechumens, also free
children that have come from the neighboring villages.
64 Belgian Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Leaving the forests of Majumbe for Matadi, the railroad stops at
Leopoldville. So in a few hours the famous ^^earavan route** is
crossed which cost explorers and early missionaries so much suffering.
Leopoldville is the residence of Mgr. Van Ronsl6, vicar apostolic of
Congo, of Eev. Father de Clerck, superior provincial, and of the two
missionaries in charge of the parish and the hospitals in the city
and the military camp of Kinshassa.
^^Our Lady of Perpetual Help," the small mission steamer, sails
..r^' . '^^
The Seminary of Scheut, Near Brussels, in its Present Condition.
from Leopoldville. Her captain is a missionary who visits the posts
on the river. At the mouth of the Kassai stood the once flourishing
mission of Berghe-Sainte-Marie, of which there is now no trace. The
strange " sleeping sickness " has converted these once populous regions
into a mournful, silent waste.
Farther up the river, on the other side of the equator, is the mission
of New Antwerp, among the Bangalas. Here there is a flourishing
Christian settlement; the missionaries are evangelizing the neighbor-
ing villages and attend the government post not far away. They also
Belgian Congregation of the Immaculate Heart op Mary 65
direct a state academy similar to the one in Boma. Seven Francis-
can Sisters assist in the work.
Upper Kassai. — ^Ascending the river and its affluents from the
other side, we arrive at several very important missions in the region
of Lnluabonrg. Saint Joseph, founded in 1891, is the largest and
most beautiful one in Congo. Eev. Father Cambier is in charge. He
is assisted by five missionaries and eight Sisters of Charity.
All the missions of Scheut in Congo have been founded by large
donations and usually bear the name of their generous benefactors or
those of patron saints chosen by them. In all, this congregation has
twelve posts or centers of evangelization; these are attended by 72
missionaries, of whom 55 are priests and 17 Brothers coadjutor.
No member has, as yet, suffered mariyrdom; many, however, have
sacrificed their lives in their prime to apostolic devotion. In fifteen
years thirly-three missionaries of Scheut have fallen victims to climate
or the exceptional fatigues attendant upon first settlements.
III. The Seminary op Soheut.
The oldest part of the present seminary building was erected near
the chapel of Notre Dame de Graces in 1870. At that time there was
neither a school nor a novitiate. Unordained aspirants finished their
course of studies at Louvain, Rome, or elsewhere. As soon as the mem-
bership permitted, a mother-house was established.
Most of those who now apply for admission have finished the college
course. All aspirants, even priests, spend a whole year in the noviti-
ate, the many spiritual exercises of which are designed to foster apos-
tolic virtues. Instruction is likewise given in the Chinese and Congo
languages. After a novitiate of one year the future missionaries take
the religious vows for a term of five years only. Later, they make their
perpetual vows. To be admitted ss a novice, one must, as a rule, be of
Belgian or Dutch birth, have received a college education, and be
possessed of the qualities of mind and body indispensable for their
future career.
During the present scholastic year, 1904-1905, Scheut numbers 38
novices and 55 students of philosophy; 84 aspirants are taking the
course of theology at Louvain.
Fifteen Brothers are preparing themselves at the mother-house for
the different trades useful to the missions. Young men from 18 to 30
years of age are admitted, provided they possess the necessary physical
and moral qualities and are born of honest, Christian parents.
MISSIONS IN ASIA
DIOCESE OF KUMBHAKONAM
The territory which composes the diocese of Kumbhakonam is bounded
on the north by the Vellar rlyer, on the west and south by the Cayery, and
on the east by the Bay of Bengal and the French district of Karikal. This
vast mission was detached from the archdiocese of Pondicherry by a decree
of Augrust 28, 1899; it is eyangelized by 20 missionaries of the Foreign
Missions of Paris and a few natiye priests, and numbers 108 churches, 400
chapels and a Catholic population of 85,000 souls.
Keport of the Et. Kev. Mgr. Bottbro, P. F. M.,
Sharp Contrasts. —
The East and the West
Bavaged. — ^Eiunbha-
konam Trndisturbed.
Bishop of Kumbhakonam,
When I was a youBg man, it was my de-
light to climb the heights of my native coun-
try and satisfy my eye with the varied
scenery before me. Below me lay fertile
fields ; in nearer view, shaded valleys ; to my
right dense forests of fir trees ; to my left a cascade dancing down into
a chasm of rolling stones and thrown back in iridescent spray. Some-
times at one point of the horizon great clouds charged with electricity
would suddenly gather. In an instant the plain before me would dis-
appear; under my feet the thunder crashed and hail spread ruin and
desolation over a country smiling and animated a moment before.
All around me, however, would be Calm and serene; not a cloud to
be seen in the azure vault. The sun^s rays played among the leaves
and bathed me in floods of light. The contrast between the heavens
above me and the stormy atmosphere below lifted my thoughts to the
powerful God who has created all things and whose voice the elements
obey. My heart re-echoed the words of wisdom which my good mother
so often repeated to me :
"My child," she would say, ^'here below, joy is intermixed with
; there are days when fortune smiles upon us and again we
6Q
KUMBHAKONAM 67
experience nothing but trials and contradictions. But, whether the
storm rages or the sun shines, preserve thy soul in peace. Fear noth-
ing but sin ; seek and desire but one thing, to love God.''
This dream of the past frequently haunts me, and my mother's
words come back to my mind, when I consider the events that are
taking place in the designs of Providence as I write.
In the east, two powerful nations, the one Christian, the other,
alas ! Gentile, appealing to our love less by their heroic bravery and
deep affection for their native land than by the deeply founded hope
which they hold out to the church of their conversion to the true faith,
are waging a furious war against each other. Their blood has flowed
in streams on the plains of Manchuria and at Port Arthur ; the earth
trembles under the weight of large cannons; night and day, the air
resounds with the detonation of a thousand engines of war, one more
murderous than the other; the sea itself is troubled to its depths by
the explosion of torpedoes in touch with strong vessels. Nevertheless,
it seems as though these two nations, killing without pity or mercy,
were intended to hearken unto each other's voices ; unfortunately, they
have been excited beyond control, pitted one against the other,, doing
evil that good may ensue. Woe to those who follow so infamous a
policy.
In the west, France is a prey to a religious and social cataclysm
which, alas ! recalls the darkest days of her long history.
All around the country in which I live, in fact throughout most of
India, for the last seven or eight years, thousands of men and women
have fallen victims to epidemics. Every week 30 to 30,000 beings
die of the plague, which resists the prayers and cries of anguish from
Hindu hearts and scorns the obstacles which European science has set
in its way. Cholera, fever, and small-pox, in their turn, glean what
has escaped the terrible reaper.
Whilst' far and near the collision of forces is spreading ruin and
desolation, Kumbhakonam is delighting in peace and enjoying a secur-
ity which is the envy of others. Here the air is calm, the sky serene,
the sun makes everything bright during the day, and a thousand stars
brighten the night. In most of our districts, Hindus, Turks, and
Christians help one another. Everywhere our missionaries, beloved
by their people, esteemed by the government, and respected by their
Mohammedan or idolatrous neighbors, are profiting by this Heaven-
68 Missions in Asia
sent peace to organize the parishes in their charge on a solid basis.
By their zealous efforts churches and schools have multiplied and the
Christian spirit has penetrated hearts in which the grace of God has
nurtured a thousand blossoms of virtue and merit.
We enjoy full liberty. The Blessed Sacrament and the sacred images
are carried in triumphant procession through our cities and villages,
receiving the public homage and veneration due to them. Only yes-
terday Catholics in great number could be seen wending their way
from fifty different points' to follow the blessed statue of the Holy
and Immaculate Mother of God. It was the close of the jubilee year.
The route of the procession was covered with flowers, the streets
were festooned with garlands; hundreds of pious banners floated in
the breeze. Bells of churches, chapels, and religious houses sent forth
loud peals mixing their joyous tones with the happy voices of Chris-
tians who sang the praises of Mary from the depths of their hearts.
Amid torches and lights, to the sound of music, somewhat barbarous,
it is true, though original and strictly in time; in the glow of red,
white, and green lights, shedding a fantastic glow over men and things,
the statue of the Queen of Angels was carried through the streets of
the Gentile and the Christian alike. Returning to the holy place, the
church was surrounded, the porches filled by an immense crowd.
Benediction was given and all returned home with the regret that the
feast was over so soon. In remembrance of the solemnity, all chil-
dren, boys or girls, bom within the three months of celebration, have
received in baptism the blessed name of Immaculate Conception,
"Amalanaden ^' or "Amelorpavi.^'
I have said that, in this part of India, we
Work to be Bone. are enjoying a blessed peace which mission-
aries are making use of to organize their
many parishes. The work is a difficult one, for the converted Hindus
live scattered in small groups among their Gentile or Mohammedan
relatives. The moral atmosphere which they breathe is poisoned.
Idolatry, superstition, and sensuality reign; around them all is cor-
rupt; peoples, temples, gods, the ceremonies of the pagan cult, family
feasts, the fine arts, books, journals, all, even to the language of the
country, is tainted with the virus of impiety and immorality. Our
neophytes live and move in the middle of pernicious example, and to
believe that they are easily preserved from contagion would imply that
human nature in them bears a different character.
We cannot, in conscience, be satisfied with increasing their num-
ber. We must educate and civilize them, making them more con-
KUMBHAKONAM 69
formable to our model, Jesus Christ. The work is one not readily
accomplished. If we should be unfortunate enough to neglect it, we
should be unworthy of our holy vocation. What would be said of a
prince who, having collected large pieces of stone and marble, rare wood
and all required to construct a palace, would leave his materials idle
in a comer, without thinking of disposing of them according to the
rules of architecture. The example applies to us in Kumbhakonam.
Much material is already prepared; but it must be fashioned and
arranged for a fine edifice. To effect this result, marble and stones
must be united by the cement of divine charity. Missionaries are de-
voting their lives to this great purpose. All are maMng the effort;
some succeed better than others; perhaps they are more gifted than
their fellow priests; perhaps God has allotted to them individuals of
higher intellectual and moral endowment. Results are not, and can
not, bfi the same; at times they are not even commensurate with the
effort made; but I believe I can say, without presumption, that on the
whole the work of instructing and perfecting our Christians in the
moral life is making very satisfactory progress.
During the past year only 26 priests, Eu-
Beport of the Mission in ropean and native, have been able to do
1904. — Catechist Sisters active service. These heard 99,092 confes-
of Mary Immaculate. sions of adults and 5500 confessions of chil-
dren; 120,300 persons received Holy Com-
munion and 2400 children were prepared for their First Communion ;
1010 marriages were blessed by the church; 1112 sick received Extreme
Unction, but only 361 Holy Viaticum, which shows that, in most in-
stances, death resulted from cholera ; only 141 adults, alas ! were con-
verted from paganism.
With the grace of God, four other priests are going to join their
efforts to ours, so that we hope to bind a larger sheaf of new adorers
next year. I am happy to add that we have recorded 135 conversions
from Protestantism, 60 in excess of the number for the year pre-
ceding. Such a result fills our heart with joy. What awakens in us
the deepest feeling of gratitude to God is the success which has crowned
the zeal of priests and sisters in finding and baptizing pagan and
Mohammedan children in articulo mortis. Paradise was opened for
1949 children who are now enjoying the possession of eternal glory.
Such is the record for the diocese of Kumbhakonam. I. had hoped
that the number of the preceding year would be double and behold !
it has been nearly tripled.
Of these 1949 souls regenerated in extremis, the missionary Cate-
70
Missions in Asia
chist Sisters of Mary Immaculate baptized over 1100. At the cost of
what sacrifices and suffering, Qoi alone knows. These holy women
have traveled over a large part of the diocese either on foot or in ox
carts. A tropical sun, rivers or mountains — ^nothing intimidates them.
Three of them risked their lives in crossing a river; three others were
hooted at and stoned out of a pagan village, returning to the mission
center glad to have been thought worthy of suffering for the justice •
and glory of God.
Episcopal Residence at Kumbhakonam.
These sisters have opened dispensaries in Kumbhakonam and Tran-
quebar. The kindness and love they show to the sick win over many
hearts.
"Your Sisters are ideal women," a Brahmin wrote to me a few
months since; "We have nothing in Hinduism which can compare
with them."
Their dispensaries are gaining in popularity every day. Patients,
especially women, apply by the hundreds. At the government hospital,
as at the Catholic dispensary, care and medicines are free. How-
KUMBHAXONAH ?1
ever, the official doctor works for himself; the Sister of Charity for
the love of (Jod; the doctor on duty contents himself with treating
his patients according to the prescriptions of the Codex; the Sisters
look upon them as their children and slip in a few words of consola-
tion that reach the heart and re-enkindle hope.
The training school of catechists and
The Traming of Cate- teachers continues to make satisfactory
chists. — What They Do. progress^ despite the absence of its founder,
Father Mette. Several of the missionaries
are assisted by yoimg men educated in this school, and they are loud
in their praise of their services. On October 28, Father Barralon
wrote to me :
The son of my Paudharam (catechist pariah), Aya Cannofi, who has
finished the course at Father Mette's school, has wonderfully profited by
the lessons received. He performs all kinds of invaluable services and is
especially 'helpful to me with the religious instruction of children. He
travels through all the pariah villages of the district, assembles little boys
and girls around some stump, teaches them their prayers and catechism,
and brings them to me when they are sufllciently well informed. Thanks
to his efforts, a number of children made the jubilee.
Father Deltour recently wrote to me of a similar instance of zeal on
the part of his catechist :
" I cannot praise his piety and devotion enough. He goes about in the
neighborhood of my station, mingles with the pagans, argues with them,
corrects the erroneous ideas which they have and explains to them the
principal dogmas of our holy faith. He shows the same zeal in preparing
Christian children for confession or for their First Holy Communion.
What valuable services he does for me! "
I am persuaded that this young institution is destined, in the near
future, to produce great results of good, not only for this diocese, but
for neighboring missions. Grod has granted us the means to develop
it. One of our fellow priests from a distant vicariate has interested
himself so greatly in this charity as to give a large part of a legacy
left to him to the bishop of Kumbhakonam for that purpose. Thanks
to his liberality, we are able to place the school on a better footing;
in a short time we shall receive official recognition by the government
as a " normal school," and will be able to provide for a much larger
number of pupils.
I have just finished a pastoral visit
A Pastoral Visit. through the diocese of Kumbhakonam.
Traveling four months in the year, it took
from July, 1900, till November, 1904. My impression is that this
72 Missions in Asia
mission is one which holds out the greatest promise for the future.
None other contains so many Catholics in as small a territory. None
other possesses as many buildings consecrated to God. Here and
there are old villages with a population of 1700 to 1800 souls, in which
scarcely two or three pagan families are to be found. In all parts of
the diocese churches lift the august sign of our redemption on high.
The mass of the people practice their religion. Without any feeling
of human respect they wear on their naked breasts the crucifix or the
scapular. The confraternities of the Sacred Heart, Our Lady of
Mount Carmel, and the Suffering Souls in Purgatory are established
in all parishes; their membership is large and all receive communion
once a month.
I have kntwn the time when aspirants at the seminary of the For-
eign Missions of Paris showed very little enthusiasm for the missions
of India.
" Oh ! " they used to say, " What can we do there ? It is but a poor
country, burned by a tropical sun. Foreigners are established there;
we should find but the same old routine of parish work. We want to
go to Corea, China, and Thibet/*
At that time " persecuted " missions, where there was a chance of
winning a martyr's crown, were the only ones which excited any am-
bition. In the end, what has been the percentage of those whom the
executioner's axe has crowned with glory ? Probably one out of fifty.
The other forty-nine realized at once that all was not poetry in Corea,
China, and Thibet. During the day they were compelled to lie con-
cealed. At night only they could venture out, like wild beasts, afraid
of falling into the hands of the enemy every moment. More than
once they deplored the fact of not being able to do their work of
apostles but by the intermediary of catechists.
In India the situation is different. Priests work in the open day.
It is true they live poorly, but they preserve tbeir cheerfulness, because
the country is one of bright skies and broad horizon. The priest him-
self baptizes; he converts pagans himself; he visits his flock; he can
carry sacred images publicly through cities and villages; the sick call
for him; on his way to them, sun and rain alike, according to the
season, the expression of joy is on his face, for he carries on his heart
the Blessed Sacrament. Ah! the happiness of carrying the Divine
Master through forests, tall grass, and the harvest field. The road is
never long in such sweet company. With Him, we fear nothing; we
never turn our back, whether plains must be traversed, mountains
KUMBHAKONAM 73
climbed, or rivers crossed by ford, in boats or on willow or bamboo
rafts covered with buffalo skin. Is not our life in the open air, which
gives us occasion to exert all our heartfelt energy, preferable to that
in China and other localities where days must be spent in some ob-
scure den? Places which hold out the promise of the shedding of
blood for our Lord are undoubtedly beautiful fields of labor, but
those where missionaries offer the sweat of the brow, drop by drop, for
the glory of God are not less inviting. After all, the most desirable
for each one are those selected by superiors.
I conclude my parable. During my youth,
Expected Trials. when on the mountain heights I too often
jdelded to the pleasure of contemplating
the marvelous beauties spread before my eye, I was more than once
the victim of my curiosity. The wind would suddenly change and
the clouds which enveloped the plain beneath me would rise to the
level on which I stood and I would be without shelter against thunder
and hail.
Just now nothing disturbs the peace about me; but tears attend
upon every feast, and the calmness and serenity of any one day is no
guarantee against shadows and storms for the morrow.
There is already a forerunner of approaching trials. The black
plague is making its mournful progress over India; its approach to
us is near. The priests of Mysore and Coimbatore have been unable
to save their Christians from infection. In all probability our turn
will come next. We have already noticed several isolated cases in our
settlements.
During the coming year we shall have not only the plague to fear,
but famine also. There have been no rains and the harvest is dried
up. If God does not hasten to our assistance, there is no hope for us.
May He show us mercy in our bitter affliction ! Moreover the Society
for the Propagation of the Faith is handicapped by recent events in
France and can, therefore, not remit to us the usual amount of alms.
Whence shall help come to us in case misfortunes overtake us?
i^'1iMBIiP^''Tii"T1
miM^^fTO
^^hH
^^S
^^^1
MISSIONS IN AFRICA
VICARIATE APOSTOLIC OF GABON
The Mission of Lambarene
The following letter gives us a picture of one of the most flourishing
missions in French Congo, Equatorial Africa. The abolition of slavery
has been promulgated in principle, but it will be some time before it is
realized.
Letter of Rev. Father Mac^, C. S. Sp.
According to an old axiom^ to live is to possess the principle of
motion; motion is what Lambaren6 lacks less. All who labor here
know that Lambaren6 of the past sees nothing to envy in Lambaren6
of the present.
In 1902, the mission received a very valu-
Our Schools. able aid to our boys' school in the Brothers
of Saint Gabriel. The three classes now
formed number 140 pupils. During the years 1902-1903 the attend-
ance averaged 107. This number has been considerably increased
by the addition of the Pahouin element. We have been compelled to
transform the refectory into a class room and, to provide suflBcient
accommodation, have added a light brick building 51 feet by 15 ; this
has only three walls; the fourth side is closed by a whitewashed frame-
work with window panes, which produces a very good effect.
The girls' school is likewise developing under the direction of the
Sisters of the Immaculate Conception; it numbers 45 pupils. This
year we have been able to erect a fine building. Workroom, refectory,
and class room are on the ground floor; on the second floor there is a
dormitory with 70 beds and a room for two Sifters. Added to this
are a laundry and kitchen for the pupils and a hospital with 40 beds
for the sick. The whole forms quite a little community.
74
Gabon
75
Besides catechism and the elements of reading and writing, the
pupils learn all that it is necessary for girls in their state of life to
know : sewing, cooking, and housekeeping. They have their own little
banana grove and their fields of pistachios, corn, etc. The most im-
portant service they perform is the making of clothes and the washing
of linen, not only for residents of the mission, but for foreigners.
This work, which is particularly diflBcult to establish, has already
produced good results. Since 1902, we have blessed the marriage of
eight of our young women with men brought up at the mission.
Chxjbch and Mission at La.mbaben£ — Oabon.
Oardeners, Carpenters,
and Bricklayers.
The number of apprentices varies from
25 to 35. Ten are carpenters, the others,
all Pahouins, are gardeners, planters, and
builders, as the occasion demands; Brother
Sylvain is often called upon to change trades ; nevertheless, he remains
a master in each. His garden means a great deal to us, and our mer-
chant neighbors often obtain produce from it. The apprentices are
of greatest assistance to us as sailors on our apostolic rounds, which
can not be made but by water. Our greatest encouragement is that
76 Missions in Africa
they are all well instructed Christians; several have become good
catechists and maintain our influence among the Pahouins.
The work of training laborers is hard; the school is easily filled,
but as easily emptied, homesickness being one of the most prevalent
diseases among the Pahouins. However, the good seed has been sown ;
it is very seldom that any one who has become a Christian leaves with-
out returning sooner or later. Even so, they carry away with them
the great lesson of work, a most important acquisition in a country
where the ideal of the greater number is absolute idleness.
Brother Dioscorus, who has been laboring in Africa for years, with
unimpaired health and undaunted spirit, has succeeded Brother Syl-
vain as director of the carpenter shop. A large number of carpenters
have been placed in very advantageous positions. This year three
who finished the course of study were at once engaged by commercial
associations.
We also keep up a brick yard and make about 50,000 bricks
and 5000 tiles every dry season. Unfortunately, this work is not
very remunerative. Yet our barren soil yields little else. The cacao
does not take root here, coffee scarcely thrives, and even bananas do
not produce fine fruit. We have made application for an island
formed by two arms of the river opposite the mission, in view of
planting a grove, but nothing definite has been accomplished. Though
our children have not always the best heads, their stomachs are in
excellent condition. When manioc is scarce, we become apprehensive,
but St. Joseph, the patron of temporal affairs, usually saves us from
distress.
mi. -rr 1 -m- • x Thc work of a priest among the various
The Holy Ministry.— i ^i, i. u • • x • i.u
mi. ^ / :■ T* peoples that are besinnmff to acquire the
Thc Qaloas and Pa- • ^ • v i.- ? a. i j. ^ ^
, . - _,.. . vices of civilization is not always a grateful
- * task. Nevertheless, we see that some good
has been done. Unfortunately, only two
Fathers have been stationed in these parts and for the last two months
the superior, Fr. Monnier, has been alone. One of them attends the
Pongons, the other the Pahouins.
The Galoas, who were falling a prey to corruption, seem to be re-
turning to God. Is the movement to be attributed to their disillusions
of the commercial companies, which have no further use for them?
Is it to be laid at the door of Protestants because of their calumnies
against us? Or are we to recognize in it the last grace for the salva-
tion of these poor souls? Each of these three causes no doubt plays
Gabon 77
some part. Be that as it may, the movement toward good is a fact.
The large majority of young men, at least, are well disposed ; the old
men, imfortunately, are still very influential.
Our young men often say to us :
"Ah! Father, if you knew how hard it is to be a Christian. We
want to send boys and girls to the mission, but the old men, and,
above all, the old women, object.**
They speak the truth. What prevents the Galoas from coming
over to us is, first of all, the question of marriage. These gentlemen
and ladies love change. Then there is fetichism, in which the old
men are adepts. Furthermore, there are the mothers-in-law. To
take their daughters, send them to the mission and marry them in
church would be to deprive them of their little gains; they would
be prevented from earning much money, God knows how !
Our young men are seeking to bring about a reaction; it does not
seem just to them that, considering their number and their intelli-
gence, they should be treated as pariahs.
" We want," they say, " to found families ; we want Christian women
for wives and not those whom others have refused."
This is the main reason for the return to truth which we notice in
the young.
4-
As checkered as their life has been, a deep spirit of faith lives in
these youths. If some, by reason of the pitfalls set for them, have gone
astray, they easily come back to us when experience opens their eyes.
Lazarus, our catechist in Satanga, is an example.
During the past year Father Monnier was obliged to correct him
in public for having participated in fetichist ceremonies and neglected
his Christian duties. He bore the reprimand bravely. All was going
on well in Satanga this year ; the chapel had been repaired and orna-
mented by a beautiful altar and a belfry that is the envy of our neigh-
bors. Unfortimately, at the close of the summer Lazarus was mortally
wounded by a fall from a boat
As soon as he was injured he sent his brother for me. I tried in
vain to cure him. In perfect resignation he faced death with sur-
prising firmness. Having received the last sacraments, he called the
faithful around him and confided his three little children to his
brother, asking but one thing of him, to make Christians of them.
Begging pardon for the bad example he had given, he asked that the
prayers for the dying be recited, especially the litany of the Blessed
Virgin, during the third recital of which he breathed his last sigh.
4-
78
Missions in Africa
Here, as everjrwhere else, the Pahouins are not models of wisdom.
We return good for evil. These old man-eaters are beginning to
soften and do not make as great opposition as heretofore in confiding
their children to us. Of course, their motive is one of self-interest,
but, nevertheless, good will result from their action. We have more
than sixty children at the mission; forty-eight of these attend our
school. Perhaps we shall be able to draw them in greater numbers.
It is only such a purpose that can give us patience to listen to their
interminable harangues.
Gabon. — Schools at Lambaben^.
Since 1902, a catechist school has been
Catechists. organized in a very important village of the
Esesobas tribe. The magnificent region of
Samkita, where we have two posts, has suffered many changes in the
past two years. The establishment of a military post has forced
several large villages into the interior; the inhabitants are returning
in small numbers and seem well disposed. A passing visit is not suf-
ficient for them ; they need a real mission or, at least, a residing priest.
Alas ! when shall we realize this dream ? Two things fail us, laborers
and resources.
Gabon 79
The village of Esicourge, on Lake Ejanga, formed by the Mboule,
has a chapel and catechist. Many of our apprentices are natives of
this village. The good work has commenced.
At Ntangatele we have resumed work by maintaining a young
Christian household in a hut offered to the mission by an old settler.
In ISrtambe we are not so successful; catechists have been forced
to withdraw because of the bad will of the people.
At Mpendo and at Melen the catechist is doing good work.
Frequent visits have been made to Lake Azingo, where we were able
to see several children; Obego, the catechist, has resumed his duties
there and also attends a neighboring Pahouin village. In a few
months we shall station a catechist on the other side of the lake, where
a beautiful hut has been offered to us. Father Dubrouillet has just
returned from an eight days' stay in these parts ; he found the people
in good disposition and has brought back eight children with him.
On the whole, our cateohists are a great help to us.
Since July, 1902, we have redeemed five
Slaves. slaves. It is said that slavery is no longer
in vogue here ; that is true in principle, but
the practice still obtains. Every year a large number of slaves are
brought from Ngounie and Upper Ogooue; the traflSc is not carried
on openly, but it exists none the less.
There are villages, or rather plantations, which swarm with slaves.
These unfortunate creatures represent all classes. Some sold by their
families are carried far away from home to work plantations. Others,
sold while they are very young, are transported to perform the same
labor or even tasks more shameful. All are reduced to the ranks of
beasts of burden. They are considered only as long as they are capable
of working and serving the passions of their masters. For this last
purpose every effort is made to destroy any vestige of nobility in the
nature, so that moral sense is completely stifled. They are trans-
formed into inferior creatures ; indeed, the term is too mild ; they are
placed on a level with brutes. A slave is nothing more than an
instrument.
The comment of a rich negro, a man of judgment, and who was even
considering conversion, is, to my mind, a just judgment on the state
of slavery among the Qaloas.
Father Monnier, superior of the station, learned one day that an
old woman had died during the night; she was a slave. Passing
through the village, the priest asked her master why he had not sum-
moned him to baptize her. Filled with astonishment, the man an-
swered coldly :
so Missions in Africa
" Oh ! Father, baptism is very good for us, but what can it do for
an old woman like that, a slave, all covered with wounds? You see,
we do not even bury any one like that; we simply throw them into
the river/*
Recently, we have had the happiness to rescue an unfortunate young
man from such a life of moral and intellectual degradation.
Two of our Brothers left with several children for a trip on the
river. When they halted in a cove of brush, they found two men
preparing their camp for the night. Their odd behavior, embar-
rassed manner, and loaded gun made the Brothers suspicious of what
their business might be. Going into the forest, they found a young
man, with hands tied and mouth gagged. He seemed overjoyed to
see them, and when questioned by the children informed them that he
had been taken captive. Giving up all idea of their trip, the Brothers
returned to the mission, taking the victim and his two captors with
them.
The superior being absent. Father Dubrouillet took the matter in
hand. After much difiBculty, being ignorant of his language, we
gleaned a few facts from the captive's history. He belonged to the
Ishogo tribe, which inhabits the banks of the ISTgounie river, was called
Mondjo, and had been sold by his parents to two Adiombas, neighbors
of ours. The two culprits were at once taken to the post and delivered
into the hands of the governor of the district. Young Mondjo was
set at liberty and returned to his tribe. To obtain this end, we were
obliged to have at least ten interviews with the commander of the
post. However, the cost was not too great for the consolation of hav-
ing saved a fellow creature from a horrible life of slavery or a frightful
death. We hope that he will remember in the future what he owes
to the missionaries of God. Let the readers of the Annals continue
to assist them with their prayers and alms.
NEWS OF THE MISSIONS
EUROPE
A Monument to Father de Deken in Belgium
On September 14, the monument erected to the honor of Father
de Deken in Wilryck, his native town, near Antwerp, was unveiled.
The imposing ceremony brought together a large crowd of all social
ranks : delegates of the king and of the Congo Free Stai^, the governor
of the province, military commanders from Antwerp, senators and
representatives, magistrates and members of geographical and differ-
ent State societies.
The statue, which is bronze with a granite base, represents Father
de Deken standing, holding his crucifix in one hand and extending the
other in benediction and protection jover a negro humbly kneeling at
his feet. The statue has been erected by public subscription and
is a truly national monument, having been paid for by the three
provinces of Antwerp, Grussels, and Gand.
We need not inform our readers of what Father de Deken has
done; the glorious part which he took in the memorable trip across
Central Asia with Mr. Bonvalot and Prince Henry of Orleans is
known to all. A great missionary and explorer, he died in his prime
in Africa, whither he had been sent by his superiors to propagate
the faith and give to Christians the helps of their religion, beloved of
all who knew him. Men of all opinions united to attest his merits,
admire his virtues and perpetuate his memory.
ASIA
The English in Thibet
Bishop Giraudeau, vicar apostolic of Thibet, writes from Tatsien-
Jou, September 27, 1904 :
81
82 News of the Missions
'^The news of the entry of the English into Lhassa, August 3, is
now generally known. A less widely reported fact, however, is the
rather cowardly flight of Dalai Lama, about whom so much has been
written.
"Five days before the English entered Lhassa, the grand lama
left his sacred residence and took the road leading to the north, carry-
ing some of his treasures with him. It is believed that many of the
lamas traveled with him, but the army which he had gathered for his
defense at once scattered to the four points of the compass.
" The only act of note which this supreme Thibetan diety performed
before his flight was to take vengeance on the imperial legate of
China for not having given him sufficient protection. Several attacks
were made upon the representative of the Chinese Emperor with no
other result than the death of several Thibetans. The emperor de-
prived him of his titles of the great living Buddha and king of Thibet.
Unfortunately for us, he has appointed as his successor his adversary,
the living Buddha of Tchrachilhumbo. It is to be hoped that England
will not omit the clause of religious liberty in her treaty.
"At all events, a mortal blow has been struck at the prestige of the
capital of Buddhism, which henceforth will be only a military center.
I trust that the missionaries of Thibet will be able to take possession
of the cradle of the mission, Bonga, and raise the standard of the
cross in the Babylon of the lamas. An immense but very poor region
is about to be opened. I recommend the conversion of the people to
the prayers of Catholics. At the same time, I appeal to their charity
that their alms may help us to enter the new field of labor before
preachers of false doctrines take possession."
Difficulties of the Apostolate in Kan-su
Rev. Father Van Poeck, of Scheut-lez-Bruxelles, writes from Juen-
tau-kau :
"In Kan-su, we, like our fellow priests in other vicariates, have
been able to throw our lines at large and see it torn by the weight of a
counter-draught. Prom time to time only do we succeed in drawing-
a soul from the waters of paganism. Cases like the following are
the more consoling, as they are so rare.
" One day a pagan came to see me at my residence, declaring that
he desired to become a Christian in order to save his soul. As I
learned later, he was one of those upright and sincere souls that are
Asia 83
so seldom found in this immense country, to whom the words of our
Saviour can be applied, in quo dolus non est. I give his history :
''Ten years ago, this man was working with our Christians.
Impressed by the sublimity of our doctrines, he resolved to be
converted and began to study the catechism. He was serious in
his decision, but just at that time his brothers came for him to adjust
some family affairs. He never came back; however, the spark of
faith which seemed extinguished still smouldered imder the ashes.
He never forgot. After his brothers could take care of themselves
and their children were grown, he bade them farewell and returned
to us for religious instruction and baptism.
"Another example proves that God does not abandon to themselves
those who seek Him in all sincerity. A brave pagan, Wang-je-sin,
had searched books and manuscripts for a number of years to find
out the truth. Meeting one of our Christians in his travels, he
entered into conversation with him, and introduced the subject of
religion :
" ' My brother,' said the Christian to him, ' what you seek you will
find with us and nowhere else.' He then explained to him in sim-
ple and concise words the principal points of doctrine. Wishing to
know more, the pagan came to his companion's house and borrowed
a few books on religion. As soon as he had read them, he declared
himself a catechumen. His friends spared neither flattery nor threats
to dissuade him from his purpose. He remained firm, weathered the
storm and was baptized. Not satisfied with having found the truth, he
is its staunch defender."
Conversions in Kwang-tung
We have already had occasion to mention the marvelous effects of
grace in the prefecture apostolic of Kwang-tung. Nowhere else do we
believe is a stronger movement of conversion to the truth noticeable.
Let us thank God for this magnificent growth in apostolic fields and let
us, by prayers and alms, gain a share in the merits of the laborers who
are reaping this spiritual harvest.
" In the district of Shaokwan," Father Montanar writes, *' we num-
ber more than a thousand catechumens. I could have prepared at least
two hundred for baptism if my duties had allowed me to stay long
enough to give them the necessary instruction.
'* In the month of September I went to visit the old Christians of
84 News of the Missions
Lien-chau. In a few weeks more than ten thousand persons came to
me to be admitted as catechumens. My heart beat for joy. The words
of our Lord, Videte regiones quia olhae sunt jam ad messem, came to
my mind, and a hymn of gratitude burst forth from the depths of my
soul.
'' I do not know how many catechumens will persevere, but I hope
to baptize a large number. Mandarins, notables, and shop-keepers —
all seem in good disposition. A larger chapel where neophytes can
assemble on Sundays and holy days is an absolute necessity. I have
said a chapel; but, after the baptism of these new converts, other
buildings must be erected. A collection is being taken to raise money
to buy ground and build a chapel, school, and residence. The poverty
of the neophytes cannot guarantee suflScient resources. Will you help
me to procure the required amount for the buildings and the mainten-
ance of catechists ?
AFRICA
Terrible Hurricane in Madagascar
The cyclone which recently devastated the north of Madagascar has
cruelly injured the Catholic works of this large island. Our readers
can judge of the damage by the following touching appeal from Bishop
Corbet, who writes from Diego Suarez, December 20, 1904 :
" The press has informed you of the terrible catastrophe which has
afflicted this island. But you can not form a suspicion even of the
horror of our situation and the extent of the disaster, God's will be
done!
" On December 13, I returned from a pastoral visit to the western
shore of the islatid, when at Majunga, the next day, Thursday, De-
cember 15, a terrible cyclone suddenly swept over the country. 1
have seen many terrible hurricanes in the West Indies and in the
Eeunion Island, but I have never heard of any more frightful. For a
whole day the wind blew with unabated rage, destrojring everything in
its path. Houses were unroofed and others crushed by the debris car-
ried by the wind. Not a building was spared.
" The mission itself suffered great damages ; the church was partly
unroofed. The storm burst so suddenly that the Blessed Sacrament
could be removed only at the cost of great danger. The roof of our
dwelling was split in the center. The workroom of the Sisters was
entirely unroofed. Their house was also damaged.
Africa 85
" To add to the suffering, a heavy rain continued during the wind-
storm ; for one whole day we had not a corner in which to take shelter,
and were forced to be passive lookers-on of the work of ruin and deso-
lation.
" All our institutions, established lately at great cost, if not totally
destroyed, are in a state of collapse impossible to describe. The furni-
ture of the church and sacristy, ornaments, altars, vestments, library,
the book-bindery, and carpenter^s shop — ^nothing has been spared ; all
is soiled, damaged, and, for the most part, unfit to use. If Providence
and charitable souls do not come to our relief in our great distress, I
do not know how we can support this trial.
"I have mentioned only what I have seen in Diego Suarez; the
same sad sight is presented at Anamakia and Amber Mountain. No
news has yet come from Vohemar, St. Marys Island, and Tenerivo.
May these stations have been spared ; still I can hardly cherish the
hope.^^
The Seminary of Kisubu
To form a native clergy is always the purpose and supreme ambition
of missionary societies.
" I have in my school,*^ writes a White Father from Villa Maria,
" more than a hundred boys between six and twenty years of age. The
greatest punishment is dismissal from class; they are so willing to
learn; all are good children, docile and pious, more attached to the
missionary than to their own fathers.
" With such characters for material, it was not a difficult matter,
ten years ago, to form an apostolic school, the first fruits of a native
clergy for Central Africa, and the preparatory seminary of Kisubu was
founded. This nursery has produced a number of catechist instruc-
tors, valuable assistants of the missionary in their laborious work of
evangelization.'^
No further action was taken until the end of December, 1903, when
Bishop Streicher, vicar apostolic of Northern Nyanza, concsidered the
moment opportune for taking the next step forwards. Father Man-
ceau writes to one of his former teachers in the seminary of Angers:
" I am now in Kisubu, and you could never guess why I am here. I
have been appointed superior of the seminary. Perhaps you have not
heard of our preparatory seminary The bishop has selected
six of the strongest pupils, most zealous and gifted in mind, and hold-
86 News of the Missions
ing out the promise of perseverance, since they have been here since
the beginning, to form the basis of the seminary. In three days they
will begin their studies after a retreat of six days, just as the custom is
at Saint Sulpice.
" Our pupils, with whom I have a very slight acquaintance, are not
eagle-eyed, as far as science goes, but they are admirable young men.
The oldest is twenty-five, the youngest twenty years of age. All know
enough Latin to understand the New Testament and the breviary.
That is all their intellectual baggage, besides the elements of ecclesias-
tical history, geography, and arithmetic. You can understand what a
task it will be to explain philosophy and theology in Ruganda. My
duties affright me. The vernacular is so little adapted to convey such
ideas.
^^ Give me your prayers for the success of the work and for the poor
priest in charge. When shall we see a Ruganda priest? In ten or
fifteen years ? Our Divine Lord alone knows. As for myself, I hope
to see that from Heaven.**
OCEANICA
Importance of Services Rendered by Missionary Brothers
The following letter by Rev. C. Meyer, missionary of the Sacred
Heart of Issoudun, gives a very just idea of the work done by Brothers
coadjutor :
"Although missionaries are invested with sacerdotal rights and are
the depositaries of faith and the ministers of the Gospel, they need
the help of the faithful for the carrying out of the work. It has
always been so, as St. Paul testifies in his beautiful letter to Philemon,
whom he calls ' his co-operator ' and whom he asks to send Onesimus
that he may. become ^not his servant, but his beloved brother.' Mis-
sionaries find valuable assistants in the Brothers coadjutor and the
Sisters. This point of resemblance with the primitive church appeals
to me so strongly that I feel constrained to express my appreciation
for the work of these humble assistants.
"Let us take, for example, what is being done in the mission of
Papua by the Brothers. I was filled with* astonishment at the progress
made in New Guinea — twenty-eight churches and as many stations and
schools. To estimate the results at their proper value, the different
settlements must be visited one by one. I myself have been to all, and
shall describe the first, by which all may be judged.
Afbioa 87
** The native villages are all built on the same plan^ symmetrical and
picturesque. In the center is an open square^ from 450 to 600 feet
long and 120 feet broad, in perfect order, weeded Mid graveled; this
is adapted for a promenade for men, a playground for children and a
dancing lawn for solemn occasions. On each side, in regular rows, one
against the other, like sparrows on a branch, stand the huts of the
natives; four of such lines, back to back, on the right and the left of
the square, constitute the village.
^' So as not to interfere with the general symmetry, missionaries
build their stations a little apart, by preference at one end of the large
square; an avenue leads up to it. The churches, which recall the pov-
erty of the stable at Bethlehem, are the grandest structures ever beheld
by these savages. Built on piles of native wood, they have no other
grandeur than that of large proportions; some of them measure a
hundred feet in length. To construct them, the Brothers have been
obliged to be wood-cutters, builders, carpenters, locksmiths, etc.; to
build the altar and finish the decoration of the sanctuary, they have
played the part of cabinet-makers, painters, and decorators.
" Work is hardly finished in one station before other demands are
made and the Brothers leave with their utensils on their backs to re-
peat their services.
''As the stations are scattered, roads must be cut through the forest.
These are something unknown to savages. An almost imperceptible
footpath through the grass of the undergrowth, or on the edges of
mountain bridges, suflSces for them. The government can do no more
than pay the salaries of its functionaries. It is missionaries who pene-
trate thickets, bridge over rivers, lay out the zig-zag roads over moun-
tains, throw planks over swamps, and so make communication easy, if
not always agreeable.
'* Besides their many other services, Brothers also perform the du-
ties of catechists and school teachers. In these they not only comfort
the priest, but take his place. God has often blessed their ministry in
an extraordinary manner.
" Thus Brothers coadjutors live, suflPer, and die on the mission field.
Neither their life nor their death is barren of fruit. But alas ! how
incommensurate their number with ever increasing demands I *'
DESTINATION OF MISSIONARIES
Beported since the February Annals
NORTH AMERICA
United States
Rev. Alphonsns Coignard,
C. S. 8p.
«« Manrice Raelpsaet,
8. H. Pic.
West Indies
Cuba
Rev. Regis Gerest, O. P.
it Epiphanius Vernay,
O. P.
" Marcel SeignenriD, O. P.
'» Amed6e Fiojgere, O. P.
ffayti
Rev. Valery Dubnc, C. S. 8p.
Martinique
Rev. Chas. Wechter, C. 8. 8p.
'< Leon Delaval, C. ^. 8p.
SOUTH AMERICA
The Amazon District
Rev. Henri Maurice, C. 8. 8p.
AFRICA
Oabon
Rev. MathiasSchmittjC. 8. 8p.
Lower Congo
Rev. Mathnrin Le Conrtois,
C. 8. 8p.
French Congo
Rev. Cyril Moulin, C. 8. 8p.
Cimbeba9ia
Rev. Joseph Roussel, C. 8. 8p.
»» Aug. Muller, C. 8. 8p.
Lundi
Rev. Manoel Alves, C. 8. 8p.
«* Alvares Alves da 8ilva,
C. 8. 8p.
** Honors Trltsch, C. 8. 8p.
Zanzibar
Rev. Ferdinand Luc, C. 8. 8p.
Senegambia
Rev. Joseph Peres, C. 8. 8p.
Cunene
Rev. Jean Steinmetz, C. 8. 8p.
<t Joaquin Pereira,C. 8. Sp.
i» Felix Villain, C. 8. 8p.
*« Joseph Le Borgne,
C. 8. Sp.
Sierra Leone
Rev. Francis Joseph Sinner,
C. 8. 8p.
Dahomey
Rev. Fr. Imoberdorf, L. A. M.
Ivory Coast
Rev. Fr. Dubreuil, L. A. M.
Gold Coast
Rev. Fr. Rlber, L. A. M.
" Fr. Mutscheler, L. A. M.
'< Fr. Schmitt, L. A. M.
Benin
Rev. Fr. Delfosse, L. A. M.
** Fr. Schmidt, L. A. M.
Madagascar
Brother Acaire Meyer.
ASIA
Polynesia
Sandfoich Islands
Rev. Olivier Bogaert, 8. H. Pic.
Tahiti
Rev. Gustave Nouviale,
8. H. Pic.
88
p ^._.
A^
1 ^^^^
tmSjfeSr^
m|
^^S
SUPPLEMENT
TO THE
AMERICAN EDITION
OP THE
Annals of the Propagation of the Faith
AN ORDINATION OF CHINESE PRIESTS
She was a dear, good old soul, whose life was filled to overflowing with
faith, more precious to her than all the world beside. She knew her But-
ler's Catechism from cover to cover, and could quote like a theologian pas-
sages from it that would put to flight the strongest adversary. Her re-
ligion was part and parcel of her very being, and what she did not know
of it and about it is not worth recording.
Some months ago there was issued by the Society for the Propagation of
the Faith a picture of a group of ecclesiastical students in Canton, China.
A copy fell into her hands, and as one of our directors was minutely ex-
plaining its meaning, and was about concluding his talk with the infor-
mation " that all these Chinese students would be ordained within a year
and a half,'' he was rather startled with the remark: "Glory be to God,
Father, did I ever think I'd see a heathen a priest! "
There may be others who do not fully appreciate the meaning of the
Catholicity of the Church, and to them we commend the following letter of
Fr. H6raulle, S. J., some of the details of which might well have been writ-
ten about our own students in our home seminaries.
VICARIATE APOSTOLIC OF S. E. CHILI, CHINA
HsiEN-HSiEN, March 20, 1904.
For his first ordination of priests Bishop Maquet, S. J., chose the
feast of St. Joseph, the special patron of China. As at all the great
89
90 Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals
feasts of the year, the Christians came from twenty-five to thirty-five
miles about, to hear Mass, to receive Holy Communion and to assist at
the ordination of five young priests. You can have no idea of the
crowd that assembled in the church at eight o^clock when the ceremony
commenced.
The feast was as imposing as any I have ever seen in Europe. The
assemblage was less brilliant, to be sure, simple peasants for the most
part in their workaday clothes — all their wardrobe contained — but
no one minded that One thing alone riveted the attention, namely,
the crowd of Christians, both men and women, kneeling on their
simple mats or even on the earthen floor. In that posture, I may add,
they remained more than three and a half hours, occasionally resting
themselves by sitting on their heels.
The ordination itself brings before one a picture of the early ages
of the Church when the Bishops ordained those who were to fill up
the ranks depleted by the bloody edicts of the emperors. When I saw
these future priests prostrate in the sanctuary, I said to myself : These
are the relatives of martyrs, and even the youngest of them may one
day celebrate the glorious feast of a father, a mother, a sister, or a
brother. The Bishop and the priests who assisted him are, as it were,
in the catacombs, the survivors of the persecutions, for they had with-
stood the Boxer siege for more than three months, expecting each day
to have their rampart battered down as were those of Fr. Mangin,
S. J., and his 2000 Christians.
The little ones had climbed the steps of the sanctuary, some of them
hanging to the altar railing, their wondering eyes following with atten-
tion all that was going on. To look at them one would believe that
they imderstood what was taking place between the Bishop and the
superior of the mission, who was acting as archdeacon.
'* The holy Church asks you to raise these holy deacons to the rank
of the priesthood.**
" Do you know them to be worthy? ** asks the Bishop.
Father Superior answers imhesitatingly. He has every guarantee
that human prudence can afford. He has been for years with those
young men before him. They have been under his observation in col-
lie during their Chinese studies and later in the seminary.
Before admitting them to the Sacred Orders which will bind them
for life he has sent them out to a district to act as catechists or teach-
ers in the schools. He, therefore, answers in a firm tone, dwelling on
each word :
Mission Notes and News
91
" As far as it is permitted for human weakness to know anjrthing,
I know and I testify that they are worthy.'^
The whole assemblage, the little ones clinging to the altar railing,
the fathers and mothers in the back of the church are prepared to give
the answer of the Superior : " Yes, Rt. Rev. Bishop, they are worthy.
The pagans of our villages have observed them while they were among
us, studying their solitary lives so contrary to our mode of living, and
never have they seen in them any sign of weakness. We have received
Bishop Maqxtet, S. J., Fb. StuftcAAJ^ S. J., and the Five Newly
Ordained Priests.
from them only good example. Do not be afraid, Rt. Rev. Bishop,
they are worthy."
And Monsignor, his soul overflowing with joy, pronounces the
words of the pontifical, ^^ Thanks be to God.*'
There is nothing out of the ordinary about this ceremony of ordina-
tion; it is the same ceremony of the Catholic Church the wide world
over, and everything is conducted with becoming gravity and ad-
mirable dignity.
The first Masses were said on Passion Sunday. The new priests
left the sacristy at six o'clock and grouped themselves around the steps
92 Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals
of the main altar, each one having at his side the priest who was to
assist him; a short distance away stood the sanctuary boys.
After the Veni Creator was intoned and sung, the Masses of the young
priests began. In procession walked the relatives and friends directly
to the altar, where their loved one was to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice.
One of them, Pr. Tchang, who was born in the town, gave fifty com-
munions to the various members of his family. Another, Pr. Stanis-
laus Tchong, formerly an old student of Tai-ming-fou, had fewer
assisting at his Mass, in fact only three men, one of them a pagan.
They lived three hundred miles from here and spent twelve days on
the journey. How the heart of that other young priest must have
throbbed with joy at the sight of the following incident. The day
previous his parents had waited on the Bishop, whom they had known
when he was in charge of their district, and the uncle said to him :
"I and my family from this time forth are Christians.^^ It was the
fulfillment of a promise made some ten years previous, when, having
been exhorted by his nephew to become a Christian, he had then re-
plied : ^' Very well, we shall all be Christians when you are a priest/'
He had come to assist at the ceremony and in the course of his visit
had received the light of faith. At the main altar the celebrant was
Fr. Raymond Li, assisted by his brother, Fr. Simon Li, of the Society
of Jesus.
One could clearly perceive that the devotion of the Christians was
indeed genuine, and I could read on the faces of those around me the
joy that I knew to be in their hearts. The following incident will
illustrate this. The men of a family came to thank the spiritual
father of the seminary before leaving and begged of him to watch
over a cousin of theirs who was in the little seminary, at the same time
expressing their hope that he also would become a priest. " But, my
friends, that is not for me to say. It is God who calls, and it is He
who will watch over him." "Yes, yes," said the men, "we recom-
mend the little one to the good God, but we hope that the father too
will watch over him."
Those studying philosophy and theology live in the large seminary,
but are separated into two divisions. The chapel and refectory are
the only places where they assemble together. Studies, of course, are
no longer in Chinese, but in the tongue of the Church, Latin. In
three or four years they become quite proficient in it, and after a
certain time spent at preparatory subjects they pass on to the study
of philosophy, which they pursue for two years, then they are sent to
some districts to work as catechists or school teachers.
Mission Notes and News 93
In this course of training, practical proof is given as to the fitness
of those aspiring to the holy priesthood. They are now no longer
children, but men of twenty years or more, who, if they were in the
world, would be directing the affairs of a household. Their years of
study have developed in them a serious, solid character. They have
acquired the habit of daily meditation and spiritual reading. By con-
stant examination they have found out their weaknesses and safe-
guarded themselves against later sudden surprises. Prom a mission-
ary who has acquired wisdom and practical knowledge they receive
occasional talks which will help them in the years to come. During
their days spent in the seminary they have had the graces and helps
which come from daily Mass and frequent Communion. These, it is
true, they will now miss when away from their seminary life, but their
souls have been strengthened to face all difficulties.
Take, for example, the life of any individual student, the details of
which are the same for all. In the village to which his Bishop sends
him, he will conduct a children's school, will teach the catechism to
the new Christians, or the catechumens, will lead in their prayers or
will preside over the congregation in church. It may be that he will
have charge of a small boarding school in his. district, and his life in
such a case will be more confined. He must not, even for a little
while, leave the children alone. After class work is over, he watches
over them while at study, takes part in their games, eats at the same
table with them, and sleeps in the same dormitory. On Sundays and
feast days he preaches to them, always adapting himself in simplest
language to their intelligence. Little by little, better even than the
European, he succeeds in impressing the hearts of those erstwhile
pagans with the spirit of Christianity.
After two or three years of this kind of life he returns to the sem-
inary. When he first made application to be a priest he was told:
**It is all very well, my child, but do you know what it is to be a
priest? You will have less comfort than is given to a catechist or
even than a peasant may enjoy, whereas in the world you might per-
haps have a life of ease. Think of the matter seriously and some time
later we will talk it over again." The courageous young man, how-
ever, has weighed and calculated all these before he went to his spir-
itual director. The yearning is not born of the enthusiasm engen-
dered by the glowing description of some missionary, but a strong
determination based on the highest motive, viz., His Lord and Master
had suffered and labored for him, and now he would labor and suffer,
and repay the debt. A month or two passes, and his spiritual director
94 Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals
again opens the subject : " Well, my boy, how now do you fed about
your vocation ? *' His resolve has not changed ; the answer is almost
invariably the same : " I think now as before ; I want to be a priest
to save my own soul as well as the souls of others/'
And when he enters theology, after his years of trial, the young man
is stronger and more trustful to the grace of God which has victori-
ously sustained him in all his diflSculties and sufferings. His directors
know him better also, for they have seen him at work, and they know
that when souls are confided to his keeping he will be watchful and
zealous, if he is faithful to his rules. They go back to his life in the
seminary and they remember how he renounced his liberty and applied
himself to the regulations imposed on him; they follow his career
during his three years of probation in his mission life. And when
at the age of twenty-eight or thirty he is advanced to the priesthood,
the Archdeacon can very well reply to the interrogation of the Bishop,
" I know him and can testify that he is worthy of this charge."
After the stormy days of 1900 the work of the seminary, as in fact
all other works, received a fresh impetus. To it Bishop Maquet gave
his whole attention. He immediately opened a course of theology
for those who had finished philosophy, the priests in the neighboring
districts supplying the college and the seminary from their schools.
Always careful to select only those who had intelligence and good
sense, and were anxious to devote themselves to the service of the
Church, they succeeded in securing young men who would do effective
work as catechists or as teachers in schools.
A word will not be amiss about these schools and their students.
The boarding school is conducted on the same lines as the better class
of European schools, and furnishes many future priests. The year is
divided into two terms. Children who are about to enter must know
their prayers, the catechism, the rosary, and the way of the cross.
Then commences the study of their own Chinese works, at which they
continue until proof is given of their piety, their character, and their
general ability. At 14 or 15 years of age they are admitted, if they
so desire it, into the little seminary, where they continue their Chinese
studies, to which is added Latin for an hour each day. Consent of
parents is secured to allow the young students to follow their vocation,
and to waive the custom of betrothing them while still young, but the
promise does not always hold. It often happens that some fine morn-
ing the professional matchmakers have decided that such a one should
marry such a one, and all arrangements are completed without the
knowledge of either father or mother.
Mission Notes and News 95
Our little seminarians finish their Latin studies at 16 or 17 years
of age. This is almost equivalent to entering the religious state. They
spend their last vacation days with iheir relatives^ and finally bid them
farewell. They will now return to see them but rarely ; occasionally
they may do so, but it is compulsory on the young student to
return to the college the same night. They now belong to God and
the Church. The parents pay no tuition for them nor do they clothe
them, a privilege of which they hasten to avail themselves.
The results that have been obtained thus far are most encouraging
to Mgr. Maquet and those who have given themselves to the training
of the seminarians. At present two are about to enter philosophy
after Easter, and year after year the good work will go on. In the
little seminary there are 48 boys studying the rudiments of Latin,
which gives bright promise for the coming years.
IN THE STEPS OF DAMIEN
Brother Serapion a Victim of Leprosy
The name of Damien, the leper priest, the hero of charity, is loved and
reverenced throughout the world. He stands out vividly as an example of
Christlike disinterestedness and love for suffering humanity. There are
men indeed who give their lives in attempts to save others, men who
shrink not from dangers and conditions demanding undaunted courage and
extraordinary bravery. There are circumstances, however, which help one
to bid defiance to fear. For instance, the battlefield has always furnished
types of heroism, and yet the majority of us can be brave to more or lees
extent in the surroundings in which war places us. It is a different story
when one is called on to go forth alone without blare of trumpet or beat of
drum to become a life prisoner amid the most fearful conditions, until death
comes to end the tragic tale.
Damien consecrated his life to alleviating the sufferings of men who had
been cursed with the most loathsome of all diseases. He went among them
in the fiush of vigorous young manhood, entered into the living charnel-
house of Molokai and labored there through the ceaseless sight and touch
and smell of long-drawn agony until the Master called him from the scene.
He has gone, but only to be succeeded by other not less heroic souls. In the
appended letter we find his living, breathing spirit; in the one pathetic
sentence, "I am a leper," Brother Mary Serapion presents to the world
another hero of charity, a living martyr of his love for Christ and his
fellow-men.
The following letter was written by the good Brother to some of his
friends giving them the dreadful news.
96 Supplement to the American Edition op the Annals
Kalaupapa, August 22, 1904.
I have at last summoned suflScient courage to-day to write you a
few words, the writing of
which will not be without an
effort and with no small
amount of grief. For the
past six months I have lived
through days of such anxiety
and melancholy that I had not
the courage to talk with you.
You will pardon me for not
replying more promptly to
your well wishes for a happy
year, but I could not. Even
to-day it is very hard fqjr me
to tell you the sad news, but I
feel it necessary at last to
break silence and let you know
my condition. Will you kindly
break the news to my brothers
and sisters, because I can not
tell them myself.
A little while after your let-
ter came I discovered that I
had no feeling in my elbow.
I remarked the fact to Eev. Pr.
Maxime, who immediately commanded me to go to our physician.,.
After he had examined me he declared that the want of feeling
appeared to him to be a symptom of leprosy, but to make sure he took
from my elbow some pieces of flesh for a microscopical examination.
After a few days he came to see me and informed me that very prob-
ably it would prove to be a case of leprosy. He did not care to decide
definitely, however, as all cases of the kind are left to the doctors at
Honolulu, to whom he suggested that I should go. Our Very Eev. Pro-
vincial had been stopping with us for a fortnight, and on his return to
Honolulu I accompanied him. When we arrived there I was exam-'
ined by Doctor Herbert, who also took a piece of flesh from my elbow,
causing me quite a little pain. The operation, however, brought no
result.
Fatheb Damien Afisb His Obdiitation
(1863).
Mission Notes and News
97
Two days later there was a new operation with similar uncertainty.
The following day I was examined by another doctor in the hospital,
who brought in consultation the ph3rsician in charge of the Board of
Health. This time a small piece of skin was taken from a red patch
which had appeared on my cheek, as well as a piece from my forehead.
In both of these cultures they found the microbes of leprosy. There
is no doubt of it, I am a leper !
These experiments were made on the 11th of this month. That
same night I left Honolulu to return to Molokai, where I will be com-
pelled to remain for the rest of my days.
You may be sure that this last trip was not exactly a very pleasant
one. Just as soon as I arrived at the Lazaretto, my first care was to
turn over all the affairs of the house to Father Maxime, with whom I
had lived up to that time. I then took up my residence in a hut
where I will live absolutely alone until my superiors decide other-
wise. It is certainly a very great trial for me, but I am sure that Gtod
will not forsake me. This is why
I ask you, my dear friends, to
remember me often, but especially
in your prayers.
Brother ^
Mary Serapion Van Hoof,
S. H. Pic.
Not alone will the relatives and
friends of this heroic soul pray
for this new leper, but all the
members of the Society for the
Propagation of the Faith will
not fail to recommend him to the
intercession of Fr. Damien. Like
him whom he resembles in so
many details he has now com-
menced to walk step by step that
sorrowful journey which will end ^atheb Damien the Leper— (1888).
only when his mangled body rests neath the shadow of the tomb.
The Bev. Fr. Maxime Andr6, S. H. Pic, missionary at Kalaupapa,
writes on the same subject under date of November 21, 1904:
98 Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals
" You know that Brother Serapion is a leper. Three or four doc-
tors besides the one oflBcially appointed to examine the sick before they
come here, have found the bacilli of leprosy in his blood. Our dear
Brother is only in the first stage of the disease and there is, therefore,
almost no external evidence of it. He suffers more in the fingers of
his right hand than in the rest of his body. He experiences no feel-
ing whatever, even when pricked with a pin. At times his right hand
becomes very weak and occasionally two or three of his fingers are
powerless and are as it were paralyzed. He has not yet been set down
Bishop Boeynaens, S. H. Pic, and Lepeb Boys at the Grave of Father
Damien.
in the oflBcial list of lepers, because to do this the person must appear
before a commission composed of six doctors who are stationed at
Kalihi, near Honolulu. He remains my helper, for there is
not, I believe, any danger of contagion for me as yet, and I feel no
repugnance for the disease.
" I have taken ordinary precautions, however. He is not permitted
in our house, but may come to the veranda or work in the kitchen,
which is separated from the main building. But although we are for-
bidden to receive the lepers in our own rooms, we are not forbidden
Mission Notes and News
99
to go to them. I make spiritual reading with him by going to an
apartment near his bed-room. The other exercises are conducted in
the chapel, where all are admitted without distinction. Our recrea-
tion, when our duties permit such, we take together on the veranda
or in the enclosure surrounding our mission house. Often I take the
Brother with me in my visits to the lepers, and I am going to secure
for him a pony so that he will be able to visit from time to time our
other Brothers at Kalawao.^'
Brother Serapion is a young man but thirty years of age !
Gbaveyabd at Molokai.
THE RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR AND THE PEOPLE
OF JAPAN
By Father Maeda, Japanese Priest.
Father Maeda, ordained in 1894, is the first native priest of the Arch-
diocese of Toklo, and for several years past he has been devoting himself
to the apostolate of the press. Alone, or collaborating with Father Ligneul,
he has published a " Course of instructions to Christians/' besides a number
of pamphlets and leaflets.
A pious and educated priest, he is also an orator whose talent is appre-
ciated by pagans and Christians alike. On many occasions he has been
invited to deliver a series of lectures before audiences composed of pro-
fessors and school directors.
The following sketch by him will interest our readers for the light it
throws upon the attitude of the Japanese people towards the war now
going on.
100 Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals
^* For the past thirty years/' he writes, ^' probably no country has
been more talked of than Japan, and particularly during the last few
months, the Russo-Japanese war has engrossed the attention of the
world. Japan has attempted the almost impossible, and achieved
results which even she in her wildest fancy had never anticipated.
What country in Europe would have ventured to draw the sword
against so great an adversary as Eussia? And yet, so far, events
seem to prove the old adage, ^Audaces fortuna juvat.* The Japanese
are victorious.
"The shot fired in the extreme point of Asia has been heard
throughout the world, and the nations are not only astonished but
dumbfounded at the sight of such heroic bravery and such unlooked-for
BABBACKt — TOKIO.
success. They seem to say : What kind of people are those Japanese
who are making their first appearance before the world?
"To see those little yellow-faced soldiers and sailors, with their
oddly shaped heads and awkward carriage, walking in the streets of
the capital in European shoes and clothing, nearly always too large
in size, no one would detect an active mind and a high degree of in-
trepidity and valor beneath such a careless ease and heavy gait.
" To foretell the outcome of the war requires light, which certainly
very few at present enjoy. Time alone will disclose what is now ob-
scure. All developments in the undertaking are so extraordinary
that, on many points, the most clear-sighted policies will certainly
fail in their promised issues.
"As events are making their course and leading up to the fulfill-
Mission Notes and News 101
ment of the decrees of Providence^ this war has already had a most
important result in its effect, and first of all upon the Japanese them-
selves. Before the war, and especially during the past four years, the
ancient spirit of the Japanese has suffered a decided change. The
principles of materialism which ruled their educational methods, had
very much lowered the old ideals of the nation, ideals of honor, hon-
esty, and patriotism. Self-interest and money held an undisputed
sway in the estimation of this people. Material civilization brought
in its train many vices. What was luxury before, now became a neces-
sity, at least to many who were forced to appear as prosperous when
in very truth they were not. Every day created new deeds, and in
order to make provision for them, means formerly considered dishon-
est were looked upon as legitimate. Venality in particular^ at one
time looked upon as a disgrace, became no longer a secret sin, and the
public morals naturally went the downward course. Public conscience
was relaxed on all points and the united efforts of educators and moral-
ists were powerless to check the movement.
'^ Politics became more complicated day by day, by the confusion of
opinions and rivalry of parties. And how to preserve peace at home
became a most di£Bcult question. The dissolution of the congress, re-
peated several times in succession, showed the predicament of the
central power. In the general disturbance and discontent, socialism
spread rapidly, numbering many and powerful adherents. " In a word,
to state the. matter plainly, selfishness in all its forms seemed on the
verge of succeeding, bearing with it, as is always the case, division in
society.
" With the declaration of war an entire change took place. As soon
as word came announcing the news to the people in all parts of the
empire, the whole nation responded. From one end of the country to
the other a single thought, war, brought about a sudden union. The
soul of ancient Japan, which had lain dormant, was aroused. This
people, numbering foriy million souls, had at once but one thing in
view, the honor of their country; but one resolution, victory or death.
" The new congress which in the meantime had been re-elected, forgot
its rancors and abandoned its opposition, and in three days closed its
sessions, voting upon all the motions of the government without dis-
sent. * Country, first of all I ' The people cut down their expenses,
those in better circumstances gave up their luxuries, and even the poor
gave their mite to pay the expenses of the war. The tax of blood, a
greater sacrifice than money, was demanded and paid with the same
generosity. All the soldiers that had fought in the war with China
102 Supplement to the Amerioak Edition of the Annals
were called to arms. They could support their younger comrades;
what mattered it that they were men thirty-five years of age and above^
with wives and children? They left for the field of action^ and rela-
tives, friends, children, and wives, yea, whole villages, accompanied
them to the neighboring docks. Among those crowds there was no
evidence of weakness; those left behind were as courageous as those
departing, the determination of both was the same, the strength of
their farewell left no doubt of their readiness to f aoe every danger.
"With such men all things are possible. No one need be aston-
ished, therefore, when the time comes for some extraordinary act of
valor and the general calls for ten volunteers to do or die, if two thous-
and rush forward to crave the honor.
" When the fatal, nay, the glorious news is received in Japan, that
a son, a father, or a husband has fallen, tears flow, nature demands its
rights; but this tribute to human weakness only keys them up to
greater courage. Congratulations are extended to those who have lost
relatives in battle for their country. All must die some day, the dead
were brave, there is no reason to grieve for them; moreover, the be-
reaved do not dare to complain, for they are not abandoned ; in every
village families unite to support the widows and orphans.
"No doubt the war is imposing a heavy weight upon the whole
nation, but the patriotism, union, and endurance which it has called
forth are ttiily admirable. A celebrated thinker has said that the
greatness of man is measured by his power of devotion. What is true
of individuals is likewise true of peoples, they are great according to
their devotion. Applied to the Japanese in their present line of con-
duct, this rule would raise them to the first rank among nations.
" Can we call them a great people? Not yet, for their education is
incomplete. Among contemporary powers, Japan is only thirty years
old; its age, therefore, is too young. We must wait and be patient
before learning. what that nation will be; for the moment it is an
infant amusing itself with the most formidable weapons, playing with
death and not considering the danger.
"The lessons which it has learned from its teachers in the last
thirty years it is now applying on land and sea. No one can deny,
that it has profited by their teaching. Admiral MakaroflE, probably
the most highly esteemed and feared of all men by the Japanese, is
one of those from whose books they have learned the most. Undaunted
by an adversary of that merit and an immense country like Russia,
their enthusiasm and passion for glory have been raised to the highest
pitch.
Mission Notes and News
103
" Even formerly, when their country was ignored by the rest of the
world, and they were warring among themselves, the one thought of
making their family illustrious, and leaving their names inscribed on
the pages of history, sufficed to urge them on to deeds of heroic valor.
" Now that this war has placed them on the stage of the world, as
it were, with the eyes of all nations upon them, need we marvel at
their bravery? Even the children at home are possessed of the same
enthusiasm and passion for glory. Great excitement prevails in the
girls^ schools, and no mercy is shown to any student who remains cold
Chubch of Myazu — Diocese of Osaka.
or indifferent to the success of the Japanese arms. To be insensible to
the honor of the country is in their eyes the greatest of crimes.
"A certain class of men exists to-day whose one idea and ambition
are to elevate themselves, amass wealth and live for the enjoyment of
the hour. In the eyes of such men ^ country ^ is simply a name ; the
interests of their native land affect them only in so far as they repre-
sent personal gain. They care little for her honor provided their
extravagant tastes are satisfied. In the judgment of such egoists, the
ardor of the Japanese for glory, their contempt for suffering and death
seem exaggerated and extravagant like the follies of youth.
" Measured according to the standard of the almighty dollar, such
104 Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals
conduct is absurd. To those, however, who have read the history of
the past, one thing is clear with nations as with men ; the future does
not belong to enjoyment, but to suffering and self-sacrifice. Notwith-
standing all its bravery, any nation may experience reverses.
" The Japanese in this war are not placed beyond the possibility of
grave losses; but if the spirit of devotion remains, a people is invin-
cible even in its defeat. That is why Eussia is not the strongest enemy
that Japan has, despite the great power of the Sussian people.
"Japan does not fear her, because, even though finally defeated,
defeat would not mean dishonor. The enemy to be feared is not
without but within. Up to the present day the Japanese have lived
more for the ideal than the real. Their nature will not change ; they
will always need an ideal. Their misfortime will be to lose the one
they had and replace it by a different one, the enjoyment of money and
the luxuries of life.
" If the time ever comes that the Japanese people shall become ma-
terialists from their education and shall cease to believe in virtue and
honor and degenerate into egoists, their enemies need not war against
them. The destructive force shall come from themselves.
" Many are already conjecturing as to the course that Japan will pur-
sue if she is victorious, but the question is premature. Whatever may
be the final outcome of the war, the gravest and most important factor
to be considered in Japan^s future is, on what Faith her people will
base their moral laws and upon what system they will found their
policies. Before dreaming of the splendor of the edifice, thought
must be given to its foundation.^'
Speoial Donations 105
SPECIAL DONATIONS
Received since the February Number
Fob Abch^ishop Osouv, P. F. M., Tokto.
Anonymous (Dloceae of New York) 110.00
Fob Bishop Biblios, P. F. M., Hakodatb.
Anonymous (Diocese of New York) , 6.00
Fob Bishop Chatbon, P. F. M., Osaka.
Per Rer. J. A. Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 202.63
Anonymous (Diocese of New York) 6.00
Fob Bishop Cousin, P. F. IL, Nagasaki.
Anonymous (Diocese of New York) 6.00
Fob Bishop Ossi, O. C. D., Quilon.
Anonymous (Diocese of New York) 5.00
Fob thb Bishop of Allahabad, India.
Anonymous (Diocese of New York) 6.00
Fob Bishop 0'Gk>BMAN, C 8. Sp., Sibbba Lbonb.
Per Bey. J. A. Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 10.00
Fob Bishop Hanlon, B. F. M., Uppbb Nilb.
Per Bey. J. J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 28.00
Miss B. Krampe (Diocese of St Louis) 2.00
Fob Bishop Couppb, S. H., N. Pombbania.
Anonymous (Diocese of New York) 3.00
Fob Bishop Stabiha, Lbad. S. D.
Anonymous (Diocese of New York) 8.00
Fob Bishop (^aspab, P. F. M., N. CIochinchina.
Anonymous (Diocese of New York) 8.00
Fob Bishop Massabo, P. F. M., W. Cochinchina.
Anonymous (Diocese of New York) 8.00
Fob Bishop O'Rbillt, Bakbb CitTp Obb.
Per RcT. J. J. Dunnn (Diocese of New York) 16.00
Fob Fathbb Lucchssi, S. J,, Alaska.
A Priest (Diocese of Newark) 10.00
Fob Fathbb Bbttbck, O. M. I., Saskatchbwan.
A Priest (Diocese of Newark) . ., 10.00
Fob Rbv. B. Coubbis, O. M. I., Saskatchbwan.
A Priest (Diocese of Newark) 10.00
Fob Fathbb Fbbband, P. F. M., Japan.
Per Bey. J. A. Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 818.18
Per Rer. J. J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 60.00
A Priest (Diocese of St. Paul) 60.00
Anonymous (Diocese of New York) 8.00
Fob Fathbb Cmlmbtivm, Malabab.
Anonymous (Diocese of New York) 8.00
Fob Fathbb Maxim, S. H., Hawaii.
Anonymous (Diocese of New York) 8.00
Fob Fathbb Josbph, S. H., Hawaii.
Anonymous (Diocese of New York) 8.00
Fob Fathbb Walkbb, Osaka.
Anonymous (Diocese of New York) 4.00
Fob Fathbb Bbbtband, P. F. M., Japan.
Anonymous (Diocese of New York) 8.00
Fob Fathbb Haidbgobb, Bobnbo.
A Priest (Diocese of Concordia) 8.00
Fob Fathbb Sibbl, O. M. Cap., Asia Minob.
A Priest (Diocese of Concordia) 8.00
Fob Fathbb Citatti, M. F. M., Htdbbabad.
Per Bey. J. A. Walsh (Diocese of Boston) , 5.00
Fob Fathbb Toub, P. F. M., Coimbatobb.
Per Rer. J. A. Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 17.00
Fob Fathbb Dvpb, O. M. I., Athabaska.
Per Rey. J. A. Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 11.00
Fob Fathbb VirrLSTBKBtPoBTO Rico.
Per Rey. James A. Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 7.00
Fob Fathbb Cotlb, B. F. M., Uppbb Nilb.
Per Rey. J. J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 2.00
Fob Fathbb Tionous, P. f. M., Coimbatobb.
Per Rey. J. J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 5.00
106 Special Donations
Fob Fathiib Cayaliebe, P. F. M., Kui-Chad.
Anonymous (Diocese of New York) fS.OO
Fob Fathbb Pellion, S. M., S. Solomon Island.
Anonymous (Dtocese of New York) 8.00
Fob Fatheb Ouitta, S. M., Mua Tonga, O.
Anonymous (Diocese of New York) 8.00
Fob Fatheb Juliette, S. H. Pic, Molakai.
Anonymous (Diocese of New York) 3.00
Fob Fatheb Moullec, W. F., N. Ntanza.
Anonymous (Diocese of New York) 3.00
Fob Fatheb Lichtenbebgeb. C. S. Sp., Afbica.
Anonymous (Diocese of New York) 3.00
Fob Fatheb Fbbtnbt^ P. F. M., Rangoon, Bubma.
Anonymous (Diocese of New York) 3.00
Fob Fatheb Cance. P. F. M., C. Bubma.
Anonymous (Diocese of New York) 3.00
Fob Fatheb Janeau, S. H. Pic, Polynesia.
Anonymous (Diocese of New York) i 3.00
Fob Fatheb Oubbin, O. M. I., Saskatchewan.
Anonymous (Diocese of New York) 3.00
Fob Fatheb Joullabd, Lt. Af. B1^ Dahomey.
Anonymous (Diocese of New York) 3.00
Fob Fatheb Rousset, O. M. I., Zululand.
Anonymous (Diocese of New York) 8.00
Fob Fatheb Le.tbune, C. S. Sp., Old' Calabab, Afbica.
Anonsrmous (Diocese of New York) 8.00
Fob Fatheb Gbandmaibe, P. F. M^ Coghinchina.
Anonymous (Diocese of New York) 3.00
Fob Fatheb Montanab, P. F. M., cabe Bishop Mbbel.
Per Rev. J. A. Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 6.00
Anonymous (Diocese of New York) 8.00
Fob Fatheb Chayanol, P. F. M., India.
Anonymous (Diocese of New York) 3.00
Fob Fatheb Saurbt, P. F. M., Japan.
Anonymous (Diocese of New York) 20.00
Fob Fatheb Paquettb, O. M. I., Saskatchewan.
Anonymous (Diocese of New York) 20.00
Fob Fatheb Dupin, P. F. M., Tongking.
Per Rev. J. A. Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 10.00
Fob Fatheb Tavebnieb, O. M. I., B. Columbia.
Anonymous (Diocese of Boston) 2.00
Fob Father Corbe, P. F. M., Japan.
Two Priests (Diocese of St. Paul) 25.00
Miss C. Casey (Diocese of Hartford) 1.80
Anonymous (Diocese of New York) 3.00
Anonymous (Diocese of Boston) 2.00
Miss B. Krampe (Diocese of St. Louis) 2.00
Fob Motheb Paul, O. S. F., Uganda. ^ ^ ^^
Per Rev. J. J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 13.60
Fob Schools in Egypt.
A Priest (Diocese of Newark) 50.00
Fob the Redemption of Childben of Infidels.
A Priest (Diocese of St. Paul) 22.00
Fob the Baldwin Home, Molokai.
Anonymous (Diocese of New York) 3.00
Fob Japanese Obphans.
Per Rev. J. J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 2.00
Fob the Leper Mission, Molokai.
Per Rev. J. J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 23.00
For the Redemption of Children in Africa.
Per Rev. J. A. Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 12.00
For Missions in Annam and Mongolia.
Per Rev. D. E. Hudson, C. S. C. (Diocese of Fort Wayne) 5.00
Fob Armenian Missions.
Miss M. Bulman (Diocese of Albany) 6.00
Fob Missions in Japan.
Miss E. I. Steuart (Diocese of Baltimore) 1.00
Fob Indian and Negro Missions.
Per V. Rev. J. Schoenhoeft (Diocese of Cincinnati) 5.00
For Indian Missions. ^^ ^^
Per Rev. J. J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 43.00
Fob Father Stroebele, Old Providence.
Per Rev. J. J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 6.00
The Society gladly receives sums of money intended by the
donors for any particular mission or missionary, and forwards
the same at once to its destination in any part of the world.
OBITUARY
The following deceased persons are recommended to the charitable
prayers of our Associates :
Right Eev. Felix De Grasse, 0. S. B., Abbot of the Sacred Heart
Mission, OJclakoma; Eight Rev. Mgr. GT. H. Doane, Diocese of New-
ark; Very Rev. T. J. C. Moobe, Diocese of Lea/venworth; Rev.
Louis Bosoat^ C. M., Procurator of the Lazarist Missions in China;
Rev. Joseph Carrier, Rev. C. B. Reilly, Diocese of New York,
Rev. Brother Dominic, Diocese of New York.
Mr. Fongeroux de CampigneuUes, Treasurer of the Society in Bel-
gium; Miss Mary P. Walsh, Diocese of Baltimore; Mr. James Cantil-
lon. Diocese of San Francisco; Mrs.. Margaret OTonnor, Diocese of
Peoria; Mr. M. Blake, Diocese of Burlington; Mr. Patrick Morissey,
Diocese of Peoria.
Of the Diocese of Boston the following: Mr. Luke Quinn, Mrs. Mary
Cosgrove, Hugh Morgan, Dennis D. Mahoney, William McCabe, Owen Cur-
ley, Michael Curley, Neil Murphy, John Murphy, John Maloney, Mrs. Han-
nah B. Moriarty, Mrs. John Walsh, Mrs. Owen Curley, Owen McGonagle,
William Collins, Mrs. Achille Lessard, Lucy Surette, Mary McNifC, William
Pendergast, Mrs. Mary Shea, Mrs. Mary DriscoU, Bernard McNulty, Miss
Elen Lang, John H. O'Connor, Miss Bridget M. Clancy, Mrs. Margaret M.
Rountree, Miss Anna Whelton, Miss Agnes G. Ring, Miss Annie Leary, Miss
Mary Monahan, Martin J. Dwyer, Miss Ellen Goss, Rev. T. J. Tobin, Mrs.
Ellen Campbell, Felix Nolan, Sister De Paul, Denis Foley, Mrs. Anastasia
Maloney, Miss Mary Sinnott, Mrs. Catherine Casey, Mrs. Ellen Doyle,
Charles Carney, Mrs. Catherine McCarthy, Herbert Carty, Patrick Wm. Get-
tings, Richard H. Gettlngs, Mrs. Margaret K. Gettings, Patrick Gettings,
Miss Mary CNeil, Thomas Holton, John McMorrow, Patrick Nolan, Edward
107
108 Obituary
Willock, Miss Barbara McSweeney, Miss Mary Hickey, Miss Bliza Myers,
Miss Mary Russell, Miss Bridget McMorrow, Charles Moore, Mrs. Annie
Dunn, Mrs. Elizabeth McManamy, Mrs. Mary O'Neil, Mrs. Ann Roach, Miss
Anna Brady, Miss Nellie Keefe, Mrs. Bean.
Of the Diocese of New York the following: Leonie Ryan, Margaret
Miller, Mr. Keating, Bridget Fltzpatrick, William Kearney, Miss McNab,
Mrs. Anderson, John Dunn, John Collins, William Kearney, John Thomas
Ryan, Andrew Clark, James Nugent, Miss Mary Dunne, Matthew Rogers,
Michael Kearney, Peter A. Simcox, Mrs. Catherine Bauer, Sarah Ryan,
Mrs. Mary Flemming, Miss Catherine Hines, James Harrison, James
Hanrahan, Bdward Hanrahan, Mrs. John Mullally, Daniel Clark, James
Thornton, Michael Fay, Joseph McCormack, Francis McCormack, Joseph
Ralph, Mrs. Polard, John J. Prial, Charles Maurer, George Bieg, May
Keegan, Anna DIodati.
(We shall be glad to recommend all deceased associates whose
names are sent us to the prayers of our readers.)
NOTICE TO REVEREND PASTORS:
RcvcRCND Pastors are respectfully informed that
if they find it impossible for the present to organize
the Society for the Propagation or the Faith in its
usual form, and are still wilUng to let their parishioners
take part in this great charity* they may do, so by
placing in the church a contribution box to receive the
offerings of the faithful for the ^fissions. Steel boxes
with suitable inscriptions will be furnished, free of charge,
by the Society. Address;
SOCIETY FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH,
627 Lexington Avenue,
NEW YORK. N. Y.
MITE BOXES....
wherevrith to collect offerings for the missions may be
obtained by persons living in the Diocese of New York
froms
The Rev. J. J. DUNN.
462 Madison Avenue,
NEW YORK. N. Y.
by persons living in the Diocese of Boston from :
The Rev. JAMES A. WALSH,
75 Union Park Street,
BOSTON, MASS.
by persons living in other Dioceses from :
The Rev. JOSEPH FRERI,
627 'Lexington Avenue,
NEW YORK, N. Y.
^Make « fittle cliett for aknB at home, omt tbe place wfaere you pray,
and as often as you go to pray^ ftnt depostt an alms and tben send up your
prayer.**
— St# John Chrysostom*
DEAR FRIENDS IN CHRIST:
DO YOU KNOW
thai your prayert become more valuable in God's
sight if accompanied by the alms of a few cents
for the work of the SOCIETY FOR THE PROPAGA-
TION OF THE Faith?
DO YOU KNOW
that this alms entitles you to a share in tiie
merits of 65*000 MISSIONARIES who, laboring in
infidel countries* are praying daily for their bene*
factors.
DO YOU KNOW
that over 10,000 M ASSESS are offered every year
by the missionary Priests for the living and dead
Associates ?
DO YOU KNOW
that if you love the Sacred Heart you should be
interested in this work of the Propagation of the
Faith amongst the heathen and the infidels?
DO YOU KNOW
that charily is the most saving of virtues, covering
a multitude of sins?
THEREFORE,
this being the highest and most precious form of
charity, practice it and with your prayer mingle
the alms of
A FEW CENTS
a month to help on this good and holy work.
THE SOCIEn FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH,
627 Lexington Avenue,
NEW YORK. N, Y,
;a46o
■^^^^ JUNE, igoi
^^^^^^^^M
ANNALS
OF THE
g|y
PROPAGATION
OF THE FAITH
^?K* »l
} 6
Published bi-monthly bf the
Society for the Propagation
of the Faitht Baltimore and
New York A A .% •%
^I NOT or THIS row THtJl^LSC
llHALL ntAK MYVOJCe Af^D
iTHEac SHAtt »t ONi row
REPORT NUMBER
CONTENTS.
PAOa
REPORT FOR 1904 109
RacalpUfrom all Dlocam Contributing to tha Work In 1904 HO
THE SOCIETIES OF CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES. V Arttelt 119
THE SOCIETY OF AFRICAN MISSIONS OF LYONS. By tht Rov. E. ChtotaH,
L.A.M 119
Missions in Asia.
CEYLON.
Litter of Fathtr Aloys Kttgor, 0. M. I 137
From Genoa to Ceylon. — In Columbo with Archbishop Helizan. — ^The
College of the Oblate Fathers. ~The Mission of Moratnwa.—
First Efforts and Consolations. -.The Feast of the Immacnlate
Conception.
SupfJement to fhe American Editbn of the Annals*
THE UST LETTER OF BISHOP FAVIER AND COMPARATIVE REPORT OF THE
VICARIATE APOSTOLIC OF PEKIN 148
AN AMERICAN NUN IN THE HEART OF AFRICA.
Letter of Mother Paul, 0. S. F 146
NEED OF NATIVE CATECHIST8 AND NURSES IN JAPAN.
Letter of Father Sauret, P. F. M 158
AN APPEAL FOR AMERICAN MISSIONARIES IN CHINA.
Letter of Father Fraser, Missionary 159
SPECIAL DONATIONS 154
OBITUARY 166
Entered at the Post Office, Baltimore, Md., as second class matter.
("f JUN17 1905 X.
\
\
ANNALS
OPTHI
Propagation of the Faith
Vol. LXVIII, No. 460. June, 1905.
ACCOUNT OF THE WORK OF THE SOCIETY
FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH
IN 1904
The alms received by the Society for the Propagation of the Faitb
during 1904 amounted to $1,352,017.07, an increase of $104,596.07
over the preceding year. In the beginning of the past twelve montjis
His Holiness Piux X, in answer to the petition of the Central Council
of the Society, solemnly proclaimed St. Francis Xavier the patron of
our work. This act of the Sovereign Pontiflf, we are firmly convinced
contributed greatly to the happy result, and we now beg leave to ex-
press to him our filial and heartfelt gratitude. We wish to sincerely
thank those also who so devotedly and zealously co-operated with us.
The countries of Europe, it is consoling to state, have not dimin-
ished their offerings, and, in some instances, have given even larger
amounts than in 1903. Moreover, one of our dearest hopes has been
realized. In North America, the great Church of the United States,
mindful of the help it received from the Society in its struggling* days,
has truly increased its offerings. Worthy of special mention is the
Archdiocese of Boston, which, thanks to a magnificent personal be-
quest, now stands the first of all the Dioceses of the world. South
America has also made progress, and it is a touching detail to note the
recently converted peoples of Asia, Oceanica, and Africa striving to
extend help to others. After God, the interest created in our work jn
America is in great part due to the devoted Directors, who have zeal-
ously pleaded our cause before the people, and who, under the direction
of the Sovereign Pontiff, were so warmly seconded by the members of
the Hierarchy.
In the United States, the Rev. Joseph Freri, Missionary Apostolic;
109
110
Bepobt for 1904
in Mexico, Rev.. Fathers Devoueoux and Hagenbach, of the African
Missions of Lyons; in South America, Fathers Cyprien, Barb6, Mar-
ladot, and Cfeenivesse, of the White Fathers ; in Chili, Father Darbois,
of the Assumpticm Fathers — all have unselfishly labored to bring about
the success of the past year. In the name of the missionaries of the
entire world and our own, we beg leave to assure them, their co-
workers, and their associates of our deepest gratitude.
May the good God watch over a work, which is pre-eminently His
own, for in it is realized the noblest ideal of charity which helps to
carry light and life to the nations that as yet are sitting in the shadow
of death.
RECEIPTS FROM ALL DIOCESES CONTRIBUT-
ING TO THE WORK IN 1904
EUROPE
France
. . .1 3,533.65 Le Puy $11,200.64
... 1,418.10 Saint-Flour 3,906.37
... 1,155.97 Tulle 1,504.09
... 3.578.89 Cambbai 34,324.87
... 1,879.77 Arras 11,604.08
... 15,633.70 Chambery 2,587.49
... 2,004.82 Annecy 6,187.45
... 5,590.48 Salnt-Jean-de-Maurlenne . 1,809.77
... 4,064.00 Tarentalse 1,472.16
... 4,059.29 Lyon 80,383.64
... 1,479.03 Autun 10,085.20
... 15,548.98 Dijon 6,538.66
... 6,432.53 Grenoble 10,141.42
... 7,110.24 Langres 3,207.32
... 12,360.88 Saint-Claude 3,490.83
... 2,963.39 Pabis 33,183.88
... 3,585.34 Blois 2,428.30
... 5,659.60 Chartres 1.358.37
... 3,587.34 Meaux 1,060.51
... 6,075.73 Orleans 3,332.84
... 8,498.43 Versailles 5,330.08
... 7,386.42 Reimb 9,414.82
... ^,995.89 Amiens 5,609.58
... 7.156.76 Beauvals 2.548.96
... 8,601.00 Chalons 1,581.65
... 5,535.60 Soissons 5,760.00
... 9,261.96 Rennes 23,324.70
... 2,124.02 Quimper 30,721.61
... 2,635.29 Saint-Brieuc 36.000.42
... 6,428.00 Vannes 11.418.62
... 2.449.86 Rouen 9.447.55
... 5,821.51 Bayeux 7,788.61
... 1,535.53 Coutances 11,966.84
... 3,072.71 Bvreux 2,325.51
... 15,363.63 S^ez 6,816.10
... 2.663.20 Sens 1.530.38
Aix
Ajaccio
Digne
Fr6jus
Gap
Marseilles
Nice
Albi
Cahors
Mende
Perpignan
Rodez
AUCH
Aire
Bayonne
Tarbes
Avignon
Montpellier
Nimes
Valence
Viviers
Besan^n
Belley
Nancy
Saint Di6
Verdun
BOBDEAUX
Agen
Angouldme
Lucon
Perlgveux
Poitiers
La Rochelle
BOUBOES
Clermont-Ferrand
Limoges
Hungary
111
France— Cont.
Moullns I 3,889.54 Tours ^ 2,444.08
Nevers 2,330.21
Troyes 2,104.33
Toulouse 10,489.00
Carcassonne 3,990.38
Montauban 2,750.00
Pamiers 1,814.35
Angers 9,916.94
Laval 11.114.96
Mans 6,762.69
Nantes 36,778.49
Total 1702,008.64
Monaco
Monaco ^ 480.00
Alsace-Lorraine
Metz ^36,003.86
Strasbourg 31,104.33
Total 167,108.19
Germany
Cologne 113,704.54
Munster 7,457.92
Paderborn 7,769.88
Treves 12,593.31
PosEN AND Gnesen 4,964.00
Culm 40.90
Breslau 3,058.33
Osnabruck 64.97
Wannie % 725.00
Friboubg 3,707.56
Fulda 263.26
Llmburg 183.75
Mayence 125.51
Rottembourg 11,104.32
Saxony 310.00
Total $66,073.15
Switzerland
Tioai^ i Basle I 5,130.95 ) . k i»i qq
^*«^« JTessln 351.04} M,481.99
Chur 2,075.04
St. Gall 3,184.16
' Lausanne $ 3,086.90 ) j. ^ao qr
Geneva 1,976.06 f ^'^^^.96
Lausanne
Sion
j Slon 2,225.87 :
I St. Maurice 2,637.50
4,863.37
Total $20,667.52
Austria
Lalbach $ 5.00
Trieste and Istrai 60.00
Lbopol 124.00
Przemysl 113.40
Tarnow 232.40
Olmutz 59.58
Prague 2,186.44
SalzbOubg 875.88
Brixen 1,213.68
Gurk % 1.71
Seckau 133.45
Trent 1,434.98
Vienna 1,700.65
San Polten 387.03
Llnz 506.46
Zara 47.25
Cracow 2,769.98
Total ^11,851.89
Szathmar ^
Gran
Raab
Hungary
40.00 Grand-Varadln ^ 1,030.00
90.62
6.70 Total % 1,167.32
112
Report foe 1904
Belgium
Malines $15,945.53 Namur $ 7,501.80
Bruges 13,100.40 Tournay 14,977.30
Gand 12,031.15
Liege 9,790.97 Total $73,347.15
Holland
Utbecht $ 551.29
Bois-le-Duc 7,766.61
Breda 813.15
Haarlem $ 1,268.28
Ruremonde 6,152.68
Total $16,552.01
Duchy of Luxembourg
Luxembourg $ 5,764.57
British Isles
IRELAND
Armagh $ 2,727.91
Ardagh .50
Derry 46.87
Down & Connor 87.75
Dromore 60.72
Kilmore 25.00
Meath 456.67
Raphoe 67.46
Cashel 340.83
Cloyne 1,000.00
Cork 914.10
Kerry and Agadoe 225.48
Limerick 1,663.83
Ross $ 585.00
Waterford and Lismore.. 224.02
Dublin 9,839.22
Ferns
Kildare and Leighlin
Ossory
Tuam
Clonfert
Elphin
Galway
16.04
200.98
309.17
30.42
10.83
5.42
4.25
Total $18,842.47
Westminster $ 1,768.23
Birmingham 334.39
Clifton 348.06
Hexham and Newcastle . . 347.33
Leeds 100.00
Liverpool 1,048.42
Menevia 196.66
Middlesborough 25.00
Newport 200.00
Northampton
Nottingham
Plymouth . . .
Portsmouth .
Salford
Shrewsbury .
Southwark . .
85.85
97.79
109.41
352.91
123.39
357.27
595.67
Total .^ $6,090.38
St. Andrews and Edin-
burgh $ 5.41
Aberdeen 438.42
Argyle and lies 2.75
SCOTLAND
Dunkeld
Galloway
Glasgow
.$ 25.00
255.75
170.W
Total $897.52
Spain
Burgos $ 674.20
Calahorra 76.97
Leon 156.89
Osma 130.00
Palencia 952.03
Santander 433.71
Vitoria 7,203.61
COMPOSTELLA 466.60
Lugo 501.79
Mondonedo
Orensa
Oviedo
Tuy
Granada . . .
Almeria . . .
Carthagena
Guadix
Jaen
341.94
587.19
630.95
162.15
214.50
158.94
134.96
90:00
200.00
Italy
113
Malaga $
Sabaoobsa
Barbastro
Huesca
Jaca
Pampeluna
Tarazona
Teruel and Albaracin
Seville
Badajoz
Cadiz
Ck)rdoYa
The Canaries
San Crlstoyal de Laguna .
Tarbaoona
Barcelona
Gerona
Lerida
Solsona
Tortosa
Urgel
Vich
Bbaoa
Braganza
Coimbra
Lamega
Oporto
Vizeu
Btora
Rome
Albano
Palestrina
Camebino
Febeaba
Pebugia
Spolete
Aoquapendente
Alatri
Amelia
Ancona and Umana
Citta di'casteiio "/."/.'.*.!
ClYita Castellana
Corneto and Civlta Vecchla
Fabrlano and Matelica . .
Fano
lesi
Nooera
Norcia
Osimo and Clngoli
Recanati and Loretto . .
Rleti
Teml
Terracino and Pipemo . .
Spain— Cent.
160.00 Toledo $ 432.12
550.00 Coria 20.00
24.20 Cuenca 66.16
117.08 Madrid 4,645.96
33.70 Plasencla 287.60
1,291.30 Siguenza 253.40
169.32 Valencia 621.54
202.60 Majorca 402.40
1,197.40 Minorca 224.46
357.14 Oribuela 51.60
470.77 Segorbe 262.95
282.22 Valladolid 185.00
130.74 Astorga 116.82
427.73 Avlla 207.20
186.64 Ciu Rodrigo 305.79
2,907.67 Salamanca 882.34
107.00 Segovia 90.35
83.80 Zamora 179.60
51.00 Cuidad Real 56.00
9.10 Gibraltar 27.00
99 26 ——___—
340.00 Total 131,633.40
Portugal
12,418.91 Beja $ 35.29
285.54 Faro 151.98
415.62 Lisbon 638.75
41.37 Angra 652.11
589.84 Funchal 125.91
59.87 Guarda 811.96
39.05
Total $6,266.20
Italy
$2,090.46 Tivoll $ 32.48
40.76 Veroli 40.00
12.56 Viterbo and Toscanella . . 16.36
66.00 Boloona 287.65
150.00 Faenza 43.60
108.80 Imola 49.14
4.80 Febmo 54.00
66.20 Macerata and Tolentino . 58.16
16.40 Montalto 27.72
22.00 Rlpatransone 20.00
26.64 Ravenna 49.20
31.42 Bertinoro 17.51
36.40 Cervia 9.00
25.10 Cesena 34.20
6.00 Sarslna 21.00
50.00 Ubbino 37.11
40.00 Cagll and Pergola 55.00
76.00 Fossombrone 17.79
80.00 Pesaro 76.50
12.47 Senigaglia 80.00
7.00 Sarzanne and Burgnato . 48.00
113.64 5EN0A 9,036.00
10.00 Albenga 300.00
66.00 Robblo 54.00
24.84 Chiavarl 220.00
114
Report for 1904
Italy-
Savona and Noli $ 180.00
Tortona 608.79
yintlmello 247.90
Sassaki 46.40
TuBiN 12,408.00
Acqul 100.00
Albe 198.40
Aosta 527.31
Asti 1,004.00
Coni 464.00
Fossano 752.00
Ivree 1,460.00
Mondovi 1,054.20
Pignerol 468.00
Saluces 634.00
Susa 174.00
Verceil 1,958.57
Alexandria 104.00
Bielle 1,191.00
Casale 893.00
Novare 1,217.71
Vlgevano 411.20
Udtne 242.64
Milan 5,141.95
Bergame 600.00
Brescia 720.84
Como 275.68
Cremona 419.16
Lodl 500.00
Mantua 30.90
Pavia 220.43
Venice 358.46
Adria 170.65
Belluna ' 109.73
Ceneda 34.86
Chioggia 14.65
Concordia 29.04
Padua 212.90
Verona 157.96
Vicence 199.50
Lucca 243.43
Arezzo 77.70
Cortona 37.93
Montalcino 19.38
Montepulciano 24.24
Plaisance .53
Fix)RENCE 758.87
Colle 49.95
Fiesole 23,31
San Miniato 93.43
Modigllana 39.52
Pfstoie and Prato 55.50
Pisa 87.46
Llvurna 127.17
Pescia 66.60
Pontremoli 27.04
Voltena ...-. 59.20
Sienna 99.55
Chiusl and Pienza 34.72
-Cent.
Grossetto $ 12.95
Massa Marittima 34.41
Soyana and Pitigllano . . 29.99
MoDENA 526.70
Carpi 79.80
Massa dl Carrara 53.00
Reggie 303.25
Aquila 7.06
Catana 855.07
Gaeta 30.00
RossANO 1.44
Aci Reale 182.49
Aquino Sora and Ponte-
corvo 13.20
Aversa 326.00
Trivento 12.00
Valva and Sulmona 4.86
ACEBENZA AND MATERA . . . 11.76
Barl 21.20
Bojano 30.52
Larlno 35.77
Cajazzo 19.20
Calvi and Teano 45.58
Caserte 5.66
Isemla and Venafro 2.40
Sessa 2.00
Chietti 20.00
Lanciano 1.00
Messina 40.98
Llpari 1.36
Nlcosie 16.58
Monreale 76.52
Caltanlsetta 131.88
Girgentl 52.66
Naples 3,283.23
Pouzzoles 10.96
Otranto 20.00
Leccee 60.00
PAI.ERMO 147.73
Mazzara 117.48
Trapani : 147.02
Reqgio 20.00
Cassano 1.40
Salerno •. 93.20
Diano 10.42
Nocera del Paganl 20.00
Nusco 3.00
Sorrento 1,600.1 5
Castellamare 18.60
Syracuse 313.45
Noto 30.90
Piazza 3.44
Tarente 22.52
Castellaneta 28.84
Tranj and Babletta 26.49
Andria 28.00
Abbey Montevergine 12.00
Total $60,337.39
Newfoundland
115
The Levant
Malta I 9,994.01 Gozzo $ 116.20
Syra
Tine
GREECE
.$ 32.00 Corfu $ 24.00
48.33
TURKEY IN EUROPE
Constantinople $ 1,011.17 Candle $ 8.00
Scutari 62.60
ROUMANIA
Jassy
.40
Total 111.333.71
Russia and Poland
Ruaala I 152.84
Warsaw 48.00
Smyrna
Rhodes
Syria
Jerusalem
Sem. Sainte Anne
Mangalore
Colombo
Nagpore ,
Total 1200.84
Various Northern Countries. . $123.54
ASIA
137.96 Pondicherrt | 52.55
5.00 Colmbatoer 5.50
135.86 Maissour 36.92
222.40 Tongking 56.00
33.60 S. Burma 90.47
50.18 Yun-nan 2.00
•124.70 Corea 154.72
48.40
Total 11.156.26
Algiers
Constantlne 1.140.60
Oran 1.040.54
120.00
25.00
.50
10.71
446.85
26.50
AFRICA
.$ 1,292.40 Gabon $
Carthage
Egypt
Delta Egjrptian .
French Soudan .
W. Cape Colony
French Congo . .
Benin
Senegal
St. Denis
Port Louis . . .
Port Victoria
Mozambique .
Madagascar
14.79
27.60
128.40
360.04
100.00
20.00
.50
20.00
Total 14.774.43
NORTH AMERICA
Canada
Antigonish | 1,536.30
Peterborough
Montreal
Pembroke
Quebec ..
Rimouski
1.43
105.88
102.84
308.63
77.10
St. Boniface $
London
Victoria
New Westminster
Various dioceses in Canada
404.46
70.00
50.00
178.80
8.145.15
Total 110.980.59
Newfoundland
St. George's I 102.00
ne
Report for 1904
United
SUltimobe* $ 1,119.19
Charleston 38.36
Richmond 19.00
Savannah 423.99
St. Augustine 84.78
Wheeling 477.21
Wilmington 112.50
N. Carolina 15.00
Bos'^ON* 83,029.25
Burlington
Hartford • 2,324.34
Manchester * 1,425.22
Portland 770.60
Providence 2,678.38
Springfield 1,780.42
Chicago • 3,772.35
Alton • ^ 609.70
Belleville 320.00
Peoria 102.45
Cincinnati * 778.15
Cleveland 1,999.73
Columbus 204.60
Covington 249.38
Detroit* 381.45
Fort Wayne • 598.90
Grand Rapids 529.28
Indianapolis »• 797.50
Louisville 966.28
Nashville 54.25
Dubuque 1,386.49
Cheyenne 85.50
States*
Davenport " $ 1,284.00
Lincoln 5.00
Omaha 533.49
Sioux City 600.00
Milwaukee " 2,817.04
Green Bay 906.30
La Crosse" 719.26
Marquette 346.89
New Orleans" 1,195.35
Dallas 32.90
Galveston 362.87
Little Rock 163.00
Mobile 349.36
Natchez 164.80
Natchitoches 55.25
San Antonio 163.00
Brownsville 175.30
Indian Territory 156.50
New Yobk » 16,648.71
Albany 695.08
Brooklyn 673.06
Buffalo" 1.147.98
Newark" 2,130.87
Ogdensburg" 327.00
Rochester " 45.60
Syracuse 772.10
Trenton 694.76
Obegon City 197.86
Alaska 13.00
Boise 219.00
Helena 132.85
Nesqually" 361.25
Philadelphla: "* 2,279.23
* Special mention is made of single donations of |40.00 or over.
^ Including a donation of $100.00.
'Including 153 perpetual memberships, a donation of $}00.00, and
legacies amounting to $45,619.97.
' Including a perpetual ^membership, $40,00.
* Including a perpetual membership, $40.00.
'Including a donation of $225.00, a legacy of $236.00 and a perpetual
membership, $50.00.
* Including a perpetual membership, $40.00.
^ Including donations of $100.00 and $40.00.
* Including donations of $100.00 and $50.00.
' Including a legacy of $100.00.
" Including a perpetual membership, $60.00.
" Including a legacy of $500.00.
" Including a donation of $600.00.
"Including a donation of $100.00.
" Including a perpetual membership, $40,00.
"Including 152 perpetual memberships, $6,080.00.
" Including a perpetual membership, $40.00.
" Including a donation of $100.00 and a perpetual membersliip, $50.00.
" Including a perpetual membership, $40.00.
" Including a perpetual membership, $45.00.
^ Including a perpetual membership, $40.00, and a donation of $50.00.
" Including donations of $600.00, $100.00 and a perpetual membership,
$40.00.
Venezubla
117
United States— Cont.
Altoona" | 1,228.16
Brie" 785.95
Harrisburg 6.60
Pittsburgh"* 2,087.15
Scranton 502.00
St. Loins* 1,576.68
Concordia 272.80
Kansas City " 393.83
Leavenworth " 558.90
St Joseph 178.05
Wichita" 251.00
St. Paul 1,350.05
Duluth 203.12
Fargo .• I 30.80
Lead 79.70
St. Cloud » 492.56
Sioux Falls 126.00
Winona • 600.13
San Francisco* 1,122.50
Los Angeles*^
Sacramento •• .
Salt Lake ....
Santa Fe
Denver
Tucson
270.70
390.00
1.00
212.40
190.00
313.95
Total 1166.942.92
Me.xico
Angelopoli $ 37.60
Haujuapam de Leon 30.00
Antbqueba 845.59
Yucatan 2,992.85
DuBANOO 210.32
QUADALAJABA 8.495.00
Aguas Calientes 1,738.04
Collma 50.40
Linares % 160.00
San Luis Potosi 37.50
MiCHOACAN 18.00
Leon 2,508.36
Queretaro 2,514.28
Mexico 1,378.00
Vera Cruz 595.78
Topic
634.00
Total $22,245.72
Central America
Guatemala
Honduras
San Jose (Costa Rica) .
San Salvador ,
Port-Au-Prince
3.00
35.00
.64
5.00
5.00
Roseau | 50.27
Basse Terre 201.12
Saint Pierre and Fort-de-
France 1,016.64
Total $ 1,516.67
SOUTH AMERICA
U. S. of Columbia
Cabthagena
Panama
Total
Venezuela
.1 83.66
113.10
. r 196.76
Caracas
Barquisimeto
.$ 287.44
6.40
Total I 293.84
" Including a donation of $500.00
* Including a donation of 150.00.
'* Including a perpetual membership, |46.00.
" Including a donation of $300.00.
" Including a perpetual membership, $40.00.
' Including a legacy of $100.00.
" Including a perpetual membership, $40.00.
"Including a perpetual membership, $50.00.
** Including a donation of $100.00.
''Including 6 perpetual memberships, $240.00.
"Including a perpetual membership, $50.00.
118
Report for 1904
Guiana
French Guiana * $ 320.00
Ecuador
Quito $ 26.20
Quayaquil 14.00
Loja 2.00
Total
42.20
Peru
Lima $ 588.10
Brazil
Bahia
Goyaz
Ollnda
Rio db Janeiro
5.20
162.60
24.00
94.00
Rio Grande $ 4.28
Saint Paul 679.24
Tot<a 1969.32
Chili
Santiago $ 5,139.12 d'Autofogasta $ 18.73
Conception 688.67 Tarapaca 279.57
St. Charles d' Ancud 251.17 Various dioceses in Chili. 8,466.13
Serena 1,640.82
Total $16,484.21
Argentine Republic
Buenos Atres $10,391.91 San Juan $ 452.62
Cordova 6,519.31 Santa Fe 3,403.47
La Plata 3,436.80 Tucuman 2,167.76
Parana 1,955.14
Salta 814.23 Total $29,141.24
Paraguay
Assumption $ 166.40
Mo:
Uruguay
DEO $ 3,897.40
OCEANICA
Adelaide . . .
Auckland . . .
Christchurch
580.39
552.20
15.00
Tahiti
Gilbert Islands
.$ 300.00
5.20
Total $ 1,452.79
Grand total for all countries, 1904, $1,352,016.86
THE SOCIETIES OF CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES
The following article on the Society of African Missions of Lyons is the
fifth of the series, published in the Annals, on missionary societies occu-
pied with the conversion of pagan countries. Father Eugene Chautard,
its author, has divided his labors between the two great groups of mis-
sions confided to this Society; the missions of the western coast of Africa
and the prefecture of the Egyptian delta.
THE SOCIETY OF AFRICAN MISSIONS OF LYONS
AND ITS MISSIONS
By the Rev. E. Chautard, L. A M.
I. Origin op the Society.
In 1854, a young missionary bishop, Rt. Rev. Melchior de Marion
Bresillac, bishop of Pruse and first vicar apostolic of Coimbatour, re-
turned from India to consult with the Sovereign Pontiff about the
diflSculties which opposed the propagation of the Gospel in his vicari-
ate. Fearing that he himself might not be doing all the good pos-
sible, the humble prelate offered his resignation upon several occasions.
In the end Rome granted his request.
Bishop de Marion Bresillac, still in his youth, burned with the desire
to devote his life to the cause of the apostolate; he could not forget the
lamentable condition of the people of Africa, the poor blacks, whom
he had seen on his way to India, hunted like wild animals by traders
in human flesh and dragged into slavery.
It seemed to him that he heard the angel of Africa speaking to him,
as the angel of Macedonia had spoken to St. Paul : Transiens, adjuva
nos. " Cross the seas, and come to our assistance.^' Ijearning the hor-
rible details of the barbarism and the slave trade of the blacks in
Dahomey, he chose this country for his heritage. He at once asked
to be placed in charge by the Holy See, and hearing only the voice of
119
120 The Society of Afuican Missions of Lyons
his own heart, he wanted to set sail with two or three companions, in
the hope that his devotion would find imitators. Rome, however, made
familiar with the special difficulties of African missions by experience,
underrated the zeal of the impatient apostle, and required him first
to found a society of priests destined to continue and perpetuate his
work.
Obedient to the voice of the Holy See as to the voice of God, Bishop
de Marion Bresillac yielded. Provided with a letter of recommenda-
tion from the Propaganda, he left Rome to preach his African crusade
in France in order to procure the necessary priests and resources.
In Lyons, near the tomb of St. Irenaeus and his nineteen thousand
companion martyrs, at the feet of Notre Dame de Fourvi^re, Bishop
de Marion Bresillac established the cradle of his work. On December
8, 1856, the founder and his first assistant. Father Planque, conse-
crated themselves to the Immaculate Virgin together with the first
fruits of the Society thus founded. Fortified by the benediction of
Mary and in expectation of the investiture of the mission of Dahomey,
the bishop continued his crusade of prayers and preaching.
Unfortunately, the exceptional barbarism of the country made the
Propaganda fear that missionaries might be massacred as soon as
they arrived there. In a letter of September 23, 1867, the mission
of Sierra Leone was offered to the bishop. He at once accepted the
charge and the mission was created a vicariate apostolic, March 21,
1858, by Pius IX. Accompanied by Father Planque, superior of his
seminary, the new vicar apostolic went to Rome to receive his last in-
structions as well as the blessing of the Holy Father.
On his return to France, he arranged for the departure of his first
missionary band for Sierra Leone. Fathers Reymond and Bresson
and Brother Eugene Reynaud sailed from Marseilles, November 4,
1858, on board th(^ Express. Deep indeed was the regret of the good
father that he was not able to leave with his children.
In the evening, the Bishop of Marseilles entertained a number of
distinguished guests. During the pleasant flow of conversation, the
young bishop held himself aloof, sad and silent. An eminent eccle-
siastic went up to him and inquired of him in a low tone :
" What is the matter with you, bishop ? "
" They have left without me," was the reply.
"Who?"
" My missionaries."
The Society op African Missions op Lyons
121
The priest was none other than Father Boyer, the future cardinal,
who, when bishop of Clermont, manifested so much sympathy for the
spiritual family of Bishop de Marion Bresillae.
Betuming to Lyons, the founder thought of nothing else than
hastening preparations for his own departure. Making a hurried trip
to Paris, he obtained from the government passage for three on the
man-of-war la Danae, which was about to leave for the western coast
of Africa.
1
1
!
ii
The Cbadle of the Society of Afbican Missions of Lyons.
On Sunday, January 16, 1859, the vicar apostolic of Sierra Leone
pontificated for the last time in the church of St. Sulpice in Paris.
During the chanting of the psalm Memento, Domine, David, Father
Perreyve, who was present at the services, was suddenly inspired to
write a magnificent paraphrase on the psalm applicable to the prelate
about to leave for Africa.
On March 11, 1859, Bishop de Marion Bresillae, together with
Father Riocreux and Brother Gratien sailed from Brest on the Danae.
Hardly had they left port when a terrible storm almost wrecked their
vessel. On the 14th of May, they entered the port of Free Town, the
capital of Sierra Leone.
122 The Society of African Missions of Lyons
Unfortunately, a terrible epidemic had just broken out in the city,
striking nearly all foreigners. Captain Bosse, commander of the
Danac, who feared for the lives of the bishop and his companions,
opposed their landing.
" Bishop,*' he said, " you are going to certain death; I shall have to
answer for your life.**
" I am in my diocese," answered the bishop, calmly, " and shall
I not share the fortunes of my children ? **
The commander was compelled to yield. Accompanied by Fathers
Reymond and Bresson, who had come to see him, the bishop landed.
What a joy it was for the father and his children to meet in Africa,
the land of their desires. Joy is very often short lived.
The epidemic continued to claim its victims, and soon attacked the
little apostolic band. Hardly had he set foot on land when Father
Riocreux fell a victim; in a few days Father Bresson followed him
to the grave.
The sensitive heart of the bishop* was almost broken; the last
page of his journal can hardly be read with dry eyes. "On June 2,
Ascension Day, Father Riocreux died .... a most edifying death.
I fear the consequences which such a loss may have for the success of
the mission. The decrees of God are impenetrable ; let us adore them
in silence, though our heart be crushed. On the 5th of the same
month, the Sunday within the octave, Father Bresson died. His death
is a true desolation. It is a fresh blow which leaves us inconsolable;
but, by the grace of God, I am resigned to His will without under-
standing it." These touching and pathetic words close the diary of
the holy bishop.
A few days after, the bishop buried Brother Gratian, his traveling
companion, and Brother Eugene, broken in health, left for Europe.
So the holy prelate was left alone with his vicar general. Father Rey-
mond, who was himself seriously ill.
The blow was too great for the heart of the apostle, who saw all his
hopes for his mission perish in the death of his religious family. He
fell a victim, in his turn, beside his last spiritual child. The two dying
priests of God performed mutual acts of charity; each gave to the
other final absolution; the father, weakened more by the sorrow of
losing his children than by sickness, was the first to go, June 25 ; the
next day the vicar general followed his superior to the tomb. It was
finished; the holocaust was consumed. The priesthood and the So-
ciety of African Missions both fell at the same time in Sierra Leone,
The Society op African Missions op Lyons 123
struck by the same blow. Not a single priest was left to recite a
prayer over the dead or bless the tomb of the bishop and his children.
Annihilated in Africa, and in Prance reduced in number to three
priests and a half dozen of aspirants, the Society of African Missions
possessed, humanly speaking, no germs of life. Its cradle was its
tomb. * " * -
However, in the Church of God a grave is always the presage of
resurrection. Coming from the mind and heart of Pius IX, the
Society of African Missions could not perish. On his departure for
Africa, when Father Planque, superior of the seminary, spoke with
Bishop de Marion Bresillac concerning the dangers which threatened
the new society in the departure and probable death of its founder,
he answered : " If I die soon, I know that my work will survive, pro-
vided there is a will to sustain it and you are animated by that will."
His words were a prophecy; subsequent events proved that the mantle
of Elias had fallen upon Eliseus.
After the first few days of grief had passed when the sorrowful news
was received. Father Planque, strengthened by faith, imparted to his
little community his trust in God. Going to Rome, he explained to
Cardinal Barnabo, prefect of the Propaganda, that the few children
of Bishop de Marion Bresillac were ready to continue the work of
their founder if the Sovereign Pontiff considered their resolution ad-
visable. When Pius IX heard of their generous decision he cried
out: "Blessed be God!"
Fortified by the special benediction of the Holy Father, Father
Planque received another official letter from Cardinal Barnabo in
which the Propaganda "expresses its admiration for the children of
Bishop de Marion Bresillac, who, instead of allowing themselves to
be discouraged by the death of their father and elder brethren, are
rather inflamed by fresh ardor to continue their work." Immediately
on his return to Lyons, the new superior showed this letter to Car-
dinal De Bonald, who said to him : " Father, you are following the
way of God; continue your work."
Better instructed regarding the true state of Dahomey, the Propa-
ganda, a short time afterwards, complied with the first requests and
constant desires of Bishop de Marion Br&illac. By a brief dated
August 28^ I860, Pius IX made Dahomey a vicariate apostolic and
placed the Society of African Missions in charge.
124 The Society of African Missions of Lyons
In a few months Father Planque made arrangements for the de-
parture of three missionaries for Dahomey. Fathers Borghero, Edde,
and Fernandez sailed from Toulon, January 5, 1861.
Passing through Sierra Leone, they blessed the tomb of their de-
ceased superior and his companion, Father Reymond. We can imag-
BisHOP DE Mabion Bb£sillac.
Founder of the Society of African Missions of Lyons. '
ine their sentiments of filial devotion when they knelt on the tomb
of their spiritual father and their four brethren who were called home
with him.
A sixth grave was soon added to the ^roup ; unable to bear the rigor
of the voyage, Father Edde died in Free Town, so his ashes were
mingled with tliose of the first martyrs of the fatal climate. Like
that of Sierra Tjcone, the mission of Dahomey was founded in tears
and continued to suffer trials.
The Society op African Missions op Lyons 125
II. DiPPIOULTIES OP THE APOSTOLATE IN EQUATORIAL ApRIOA.
A difficult undertaking in all parts, the work of the apostolate is
particularly painful in the trying climate of equatorial Africa. A
review of the effoii» made in behalf of the conversion of Central
Africa is appalling. All attempts from the Middle Ages down to the
nineteenth century have either been altogether fruitless or have pro-
duced but transient results. The old missions of the Great Lakes,
Abyssinia, and Congo, and the more feeble efforts in the Gold Coast
and Ouidah are but a memory.
Besides the general difficulties. Upper Guinea, and especially Da-
homey, present other obstacles. These arise, first, from the climate;
second, from the exceptional barbarism of Dahomey; third, from the
omnipotence of the king; fourth, from slavery; and fifth, from .the
hostility of the superstitious people.
When, April 18, 1861, the first missionaries
Climate. arrived in Dahomey, the vicariate apostolic com-
prised the whole Slave Coast, i. e,, the entire
region from the Volta river to the mouth of the Niger.
Formed of sand and alluvial deposits, this coast is furrowed
throughout by lakes running parallel with the sea and serving as a
reservoir for the waters from the interior. Plants, leaves, and fruits,
fresh water and salt water fish, even land animals surprised by floods
die and rot in these marshes.
Under the direct rays of the sun all this dead animal and vegetable
matter decomposes; germs of pestilence infest the atmosphere, pene-
trate the pores of the healthiest and poison the sources of human life.
Swarms of mosquitoes are generated in the marshy ground, infest-
ing cities and country, tormenting foreigners in particular, forcing
them to sleep under nets, disturbing their rest by incessant buzzing,
and often inoculating them with the worst diseases by their sting.
Is it astonishing that the English, who know this country so well,
call it the " white man's grave ? " It is a rule with them not to have
their officials remain in Guinea longer than a year; at the end of that
time they return to Europe, where they are obliged to stay six months
before going back to Guinea.
Catholic missionaries, however, could not burden the Society for
the Propagation of the Faith with the necessary cost of so expensive
voyages. Moreover, in many cases there is no one to take their places,
they have not the heart to abandon their adopted children, and so
they die in those lands or return to Europe broken in health.
126
The Society op African Missions of Lyons
The average term of life for missionary priests and brothers in Da- .
homey is only three years ; that of missionary sisters, four years. The
average age of those who died was, respectively, only thirty and twenty-
eight years.
The Society of African Missions has lost, in forty-nine years, two
The Very Rev. Fb. Planque.
One of the founders of the Society of African Missions of Lyons.
hundred and eighty-three members in these parts, all stricken down
in the prime of life by the fatal climate. Such figures tell their own
story.
Antiquity has immortalized Regulus, the Roman, and why? Be-
cause, taken prisoner by the Carthagenians and allowed to regain his
liberty under the condition of making a treaty of peace with Rome
disadvantageous to liis native city^ Regulus preferred to return to
Carthage and give his life into the hands of his jailers. To-day mis-
The Society op African Missions op Lyons 1*27
sionaries from Guinea, who have escaped death the first time, joyfully
return to their mission as soon as their strength allows, knowing full
well that the reaper, death, will soon lay them low.
In the interior, the climate is more healthful. Even on the coast
within recent years conditions have improved. Let us hope that the
modem methods which follow colonization will lengthen the span of
life in Guinea.
4-
A second obstacle in the way of the aposto-
Barbarism. late in Dahomey is the extraordinary barbarity
of the people. No African territory, at least
none in the last few centuries, has drunk in so much blood ; it is the
classic country of human sacrifice.
Up to the time of the French conquest, the feasts which were cele-
brated by the shedding of human blood, when victims were offered to
the god of war or the spirits of deceased kings, occurred so regularly
as to bear the significant name of " customs," in memory of the ances-
tors by whom the tradition had been handed down. They were a truly
national institution " regarded as essential for the preservation of the
Dahomeyan monarchy." These were the words spoken by King
Glegle, father of Behanzin, in an interview with Father Borghero, first
superior of the mission. An account of his visit to the capital of
Dahomey is given in Volume XXXV of the Annals op the Propaga-
tion OF THE Faith.
On special occasions, thousands of human victims were immolated.
Tn one of his first letters Father Borghero speaks of three thousand
men sacrificed shortly before his arrival in Dahomey. Snelgrave, an
explorer of the eighteenth century, states that after the capture of
Ouidah, the king of Dahomey, Guado Trujo, immolated four thousand
prisoners.
In 1860, Mr. Lartigue, chief agent of Mr. Eegis, a merchant of
Marseilles, was obliged to assist at the feast of the Customs in Abo-
mey. The following short extract from the journal of this eye-
witness is taken from the Annals, Vol. XXXTV, page 162: "Dur-
ing the past two nights more than five hundred heads have fallen;
they are taken from the palace by basketsful, together with large cala-
bashes in which the blood has been collected to water the grave of the
dead king. The same sacrifices continued the following days
These ceremonies will last a month and a half, after which the king
will set out to take other prisoners so as to begin the Feast of Customs
128 The Society op African Missions op Lyons
again toward the end of October. Seven to eight hundred heads will
fall/'
Decapitation is not the only form of punishment that prevails in
Dahomey; several human sacrifices are accompanied by the most re-
fined cruelly. Some victims are buried alive, others burned over a
slow fire; others again, enclosed in baskets with only the head free,
are suspended from trees to die of hunger if birds of prey do not
devour them.
Imprisonment is often nearly as bad as death itself. The health of
Fathers Dorgere and Van de Pawordt was ruined during their con-
finement, the latter dying soon after his liberation.
4-
Another obstacle in the way of conversion
Omnipotence of the was the king's veto delivered in precise terms
Zing of Dahomey. to Father Borghero. Eoyal power in Dahomey
is absolute. Until the capture of Behanzin,
this country was the promised land of socialism. The state was the
sole owner of property and person, empowered to impose taxes and
labor at will. No one could leave the kingdom without the permis-
sion of the king or his representative, nor could any one embrace
Christianity. An act of disobedience to the king was punished by
death.
4-
Dahomey is a part of the Slave Coast. This
Slavery. term is more than a mere geographical expres-
sion; . the district is truly the country of
bondage.
For centuries Dahomey has been the great provider of human flesh.
If servitude lowers the mind and heart of man, who can number the
difficulties in the way of conversion that have been engendered by cen-
turies of slavery? As early as the seventeenth century, St. Peter
Claver, the glorious patron of negro missions, deplored the difficulty
of converting the natives of the Slave Coast.
4-
Finally, the last obstacle is poison, a most
Poison. terrible weapon in the hands of fetishists.
These priests of idols excel in the knowledge
of the use of vegetable poisons, so abundant in Africa. They know
how to select them, regulate the doses and administer them in a way
as efficacious as it is unforeseen. Some poisons act fatally in an
The Society of Afrioan Missions of Lyons 129
instant, as those used to carry out the judgment of the law; others,
at the end of several days; others, again, only after an interval of
months. To avert suspicion of foul play, it is often necessary to give
a slow poison.
Poison is sometimes administered by a simple grasp of the hand
by means of a ring dipped in the corrosive liquid, which gradually
penetrates the tissues of the hand unnoticed by the victim. The fear
of poison has so imbued the manners of the natives that it is a rule
for the host to drink first from the gourd offered to the visitor to
quench his thirst; he drinks only after the head of the house has first
partaken or after his own slave has first tasted the draught.
Who will ever know the number of missionaries who have fallen
a victim to such treatment? We are sure of four cases; but in how
many other instances are not suspicions only too well founded ?
The elements, man and devils, seem to combine to paralyze all
efforts of the apostolate. However, what is impossible to man is not
so to Him who said to the Apostles : " Preach the gospel to every
creature.^' At the word of the vicar of Jesus Christ, telling them to
throw the net into the waters of Guinea, tho Society of African Mis-
sions, in all humility, but confident in God, responds: "At thy word
I will throw the nef
III. Results.
The Society of African Missions has at present charge of six large
missions in Africa. Excepting the prefecture of the Nile Delta, all the
missions are located in Upper Guinea ; they are the vicariates apostolic
of Dahomey, the Benin Coast, the Gold Coast, and the prefectures of
Upper Niger and the Ivory Coast.
These missions comprise the whole coast of the Gulf of Guinea
from the Cape of Pabns to the chief mouth of the Niger (German
Togoland excepted), and extend into the interior as far west as Lake
Tchad. Their territory is nearly three times as large as the State
of Texas and comparatively thickly settled. Uorin, Abeokouta, and
Ibadan, the most important cities in Africa, next to Cairo and Alex-
andria, number a total of 200,000 inhabitants.
4-
The results obtained by the Society of Afri-
Vicariate Apostolic can Missions cannot be estimated by mere
of Dahomey. statistics. To the number of conversions must
be added other work of equal honor to the
apostolate. Such is the admirable example of Father Dorg^re, a man
130
The Society op African Missions of Lyons
of great soul and indomitable energy. Superior of the mission of
Ouidah, he was captured during the war of 1890 and dragged to the
capital. Before him in full view his captors bore the knife which
was to sever his head and the basin in which it was to be presented to
the king.
Subdued by the authority and courage of the man of God, the ter-
rible. Behanzin felt his anger change into admiration. From being
an enemy he became a friend, gave orders that the chains should be
removed from all the prisoners, and sent Father Dorg^re back to
Ouidah, begging him to conclude peace with France. When the brave
missionary returned as the embassador of Admiral de Cuverville to
propose the terms of peace, his entry into the capital of Dahomey was
one of triumph; preceded by a guard and the French flag he was
MOTHEEHOUSE OF THE SOCIETY OF AfBICAN MISSIONS OF LYONS.
received by 101 cannon salutes instead of the cries and threats of death
which marked his first arrival.
Does not Christianity benefit by such examples of religious and
patriotic devotion? Has not the preaching of the Gospel been a
strong factor in the abolition of human sacrifices, and was it not a
missionary. Father Borghero, who first dared to broach the question
in Abomey ? King Glegle answered that " had any other white man
dared to do so, no consideration whatever would have prevented his
Majesty from sending the offender to death."
The Society of African Missions of Lyons 131
The companions of Father Borghero were the first to draw any spe-
cial attention of civilized countries to the bloody customs prevalent in
Dahomey. He <::radually prepared public opinion for the expedition
of General Dodds, who abolished them forever.
4-
To-day, thanks to the Socieiy for the Propagation of the Faith and
the Society of African Missions, the altar of the true God stands in
the place of the bloody altars of Dahomey. Every day the blood of
the Lamb mystically immolated in the hands of a Catholic missionary
purifies the very spot in Abomey which for three centuries was red-
dened by the' blood of thousands of human victims.
The mission of Dahomey, governed by a vicar apostolic, at present
numbers 8600 Catholics, 18 schools with 1756 pupils, 13 churches and
chapels, 13 hospitals or dispensaries, 4 workshops and 3 farms, that
of Zagnanado eliciting even the admiration of foreigners by the beauty
of its plantations. Ouidah possesses a large and beautiful church.
That of Porto-Novo has been enlarged to accommodate the Christians
who communicate every month, or at least on the principal feasts of
the year.
Though founded only in 1868, seven years
Vicariate Apostolic of after that of Dahomey, the mission of Benin
Benin. is the more flourishing. Its development is in
part due to the liberty which Catholic in-
stitutions enjoy under the English government. The schools receive
a regular appropriation from the colony.
Since 1891, the mission is under the jurisdiction of a vicar apos-
tolic, who resides in Lagos; 2069 children attend the schools; after
many difficulties, the model farm of Tocpo is in a flourishing condi-
tion. Where, at one time, there was only brush along the beach, the
astonished eye of the sailor now sees a forest of cocoa trees laden with
fniit; in their shadows flocks graze, and here and there the white
habits of missionaries are seen as these direct the work of many
orphans or children redeemed from slavery.
Spiritual results are even more consoling. Not only pagans, but
Protestants, always numerous in English colonies, are converted. A
recent number of the Missions Catholiques has published the fact that
in Ijebou, Ibonwon, and Eshure, non-Catholic communities have em-
braced the true faith, putting at the disposal of our Catholic missions
their churches and schools fully equipped.
Works of charity go hand in hand with institutions of learning.
132 The Society of African Missions of Lyons
Two homes are provided for the aged; an infant asylum has been
built for abandoned children. In Abeokouta, a large number of lepers
were forced to live outside of the city, sleeping at night in the open
air on beds of leaves and dragging their disfigured limbs by day to beg
a few yams to sustain life. Moved by pity, the missionaries have
given them the best shelter within their means and devote themselves
to the care of their souls and bodies alike. A young Portuguese
woman has consecrated her life to the service of the lepers and the
sick; for ten years "Mother Luiza,'^ as she is called, has cared for
them with true maternal devotion.
The most renowned institution in the mission of Abeokouta, how-
ever, is the Catholic hospital, founded by Father Coquard, or simply
" Doctor Coquard,^' as he is known among the natives. His reputation
as doctor and surgeon extends for over a hundred miles around. The
sick come to him in crowds, even from Lagos, the capital of the
English colony, where several physicians reside. The press never
wearies of sounding his praises or publishing his success. The king
of Ake, president of the Federation of Abeokouta, grants an appropria-
tion to the hospital and, although a pagan, always assists at Mass,
with his court, on great occasions.
4-
In 1830, the merchants of Dieppe founded
Vicariate Apostolic of a settlement in Elmina; the Portuguese, who
the Gold Coast. succeeded the French, dedicated the small
chapel built by their predecessors, to Saint
Anthony of Padua. Unfortunately, the Catholic religion gained no
strong foothold and the Gold Coast remained without a priest until
1880, when the Fathers of the African Missions established themselves
in Elmina.
Their trials were many and cruel; however, the ashes of the first
missionaries gave birth to a flourishing Christian settlement which
numbers 6500 Catholics and 1650 school children, not to mention
many charitable institutions, all prosperous.
Like Dahomey and Benin, this region is governed by a vicar apos-
tolic with episcopal powers.
The prefecture apostolic of the Ivory Coast
Prefecture- Apostolic was founded only in 1895 ; with its ten stations
of the Ivory Coast. ftbd twelve schools it has made considerable
progress, notwithstanding that the yellow fever
has twice nearly carried oflE the whole personnel of the mission. Last
The Society op African Missions op Lyons 133
year the station of Koroco was founded about 250 miles in the in-
terior, northwest of Kong. The question of schools is an important
one in missionary countries. Like their Blessed Master, His disciples
love to say : '* Let little children come unto me/'
4-
In some of the more barbarous countries
Prefecture of the where cannibalism has not entirely disappeared
Upper Niger. the necessity of instruction is not understood.
It is diflScult to get children to attend school
with any degree of regularity. The apostolate, therefore, gives chief
attention to adults and tries to win them over from polygamy. Such
is the condition of affairs in the mission of Upper Niger, established in
1884.
If the conversion of an adult is most difficult, it has the advantage
of being definite and influencing the entire family. Tested by a prepa-
ration of several years, these polygamists, once, converted, become excel-
lent fathers of Christian families.
Catholic missionaries lay great stress upon teaching their people how
to work. Following Saint Paul, they themselves give the example,
biiilding all the structures of the mission with their own hands. Under
their direction masons, carpenters, joiners, plasterers, blacksmiths, and
tinners are so well trained that the English government is glad to
secure their services.
Perstmded that agriculture, besides being a moral power, has the,
advantage of attaching man to his country, the Fathers try to educate
fatthers rather than artisans. The Catholics of Niger are the best
, cultivators of the soil in these parts, and their work does not prevent
them going to church morning and evening for prayers and catechism.
By the express request of the Propaganda,
Prefecture of the the Society of African Missions went to Egypt
Nile Delta. in 1877. The conditions of the apostolate are
different in that country from those in Guinea.
Egypt is Mohammedan ; taken all together, the Christians of all the
rites do not form one-tenth of the total population. It is a well-
known fact that Mohammedans are hard to convert. Conversion pre-
supposes two things : the disappearance of obstacles and the adoption
of the new religion. Within the last twenty-five years in Egypt, preju-
dice against Christianity has either altogether vanished or is weak-
ening more and more. The most prejudiced Mohammedans have been
134
The Society of African Missions of Lyons
prevailed upon to send their children, boys and girls, to Catholic
schools.
What schools do for the upper classes, dispensaries do for the lower.
They come every day by hundreds, begging to be cared for. The de-
votion of the Sisters is admirable. Nothing is more interesting and,
at the same time, more heartrending, than to spend a morning in one
of the dispensaries. It is, moreover, very consoling, for the care given
to the body is generally the means for the mercy of God to enter the
soul.
The Seminaby of African Missions at Caibo.
It must not be thought, however, that no pioneer work is done in
the Nile Delta. Gradually many schismatics have been approached
and many, especially among the Copts, have been brought back to the
Catholic Church.
As St. Francis Xavier began his work in India by converting the
Portuguese of Goa, so the missionaries of Egypt are trying to convert
and reform the 200,000 European settlers in that hospitable land.
This undertaking is prospering. Catholic schools and other institu-
tions are in a flourishing condition. More than one European who at
The Socibty of African Missions of Lyons 135
home would have remained from religious influences, through human
respect, live and die practical Catholics in the land of the Nile.
Such is a sketch of fhe modest part of the apostolate which, by the
grace of God, the Society of African Missions has performed. It has
remained what its founder intended it to be — ^a society of secular
clergy and lay brothers, consecrated to the work of missions, at first by
a simple resolution, now by the form of oath used in the seminary of
the Propaganda.
Its rules were definitely approved in 1900. The Society numbers
three hundred and thirty members, most of them on missions, and two
hundred and forty-five aspirants, distributed in three apostolic schools
and two seminaries ; the one in Lyons, the other in Cairo, Egypt.
IV. Congregation op Our Lady of the Apostles.
Death did not allow Bishop de Marion Bresillac time to finish his
work. His successor, the Very Eev. Fr. Planque, seeing how insuffi-
cient the work done by man alone in Africa would be, provided for the
necessity by founding a congregation of Sisters consecrated to African
Missions.
Although the congregation was founded only in 1876, it already
numbers one hundred and ten Sisters on its death list. At present
eighty Sisters in France and Ireland^ the larger number in the novitiate
near Lyons, are preparing for mission work. One hundred and fifty
are in the field at present- Schools, asylums, work-rooms, hospitals,
dispensaries, infant asylums, leper hospitals — all are conducted with
the greatest success by these brave laborers of the Gospel, who win
the admiration of pagans and Mohammedans by their modesty, indus-
try, and inexhaustible charity.
In conclusion, when we recall the sad beginning of the Society of
African Missions, the premature death of its founder and all of his
companions in Sierra Leone, the long list of the victims of the climate
of Guinea, can we not say in all truth : " They have sown in tears " ?
Nourished by the grace of Christ and watered by the sweat of Afri-
can missionaries, the seed has come forth and grown little by little in
the midst of thorns; beautiful ears have been gleaned; a congregation
of Sisters has also added its sheaf.
When we consider the 20 to 25 million infidels to be converted, well
may we exclaim with the apostles : " What is that among so many ? ''
136
The Society of Afeioak Missions op Lyons
Nevertheless, the Christian settlements number 38,514 Catholics, 8984
school children, and 1600 sick cared for every day without charge.
In face of such results, following the example of Father Perreyve,
who adapted the psalm Memento, Domine, David to Bishop de Marion
Br&iUac when he was leaving for Africa, it would not be rash to apply
to the Society of African Missions, in mourning its founder, the verse
of the same prophetic psalm : ** I shall cover his widow with benedic-
tions and I shall help the poverty of his children abundantly/^
MISSIONS IN ASIA
DIOCESE OF COLOMBO
Metropolis of the large island of Ceylon, the arch-diocese of Colombo
comprises the two provinces of Colombo and Kurunegala, one-fifth of the
population (200,000 souls among a million) profess the Catholic religion.
200 churches and 100 chapels are scattered over the territory. Eighty
missionaries, Oblates of Mary Immaculate, and 10 native priests, under
the direction of Archbishop Melizan and his jOoadJutor, Bishop Coudert,
exercise the apostolic ministry, assisted by the Christian Brothers,
Sisters of the Good Sh3pherd, Sisters of the Holy Family, Franciscans,
Missionaries of Mary, Little Sisters of the Poor, and several native com-
munities.
The following letter has a double interest. It not only gives us interest-
ing details on the apostolate in Colombo, but makes us share the first and
enthusiastic impressions of a young missionary Just arrived on the field of
labor which it had been his long-cherished dream to evangelize.
Letter of Rev. Aloys Kiegeu, 0. M. I.
I thought it would give you pleasure to know a few of my impres-
sions of the island of Ceylon.
On the 7th of November, 1904, early in the
From Gknoa to morning, we arrived in Genoa, two veteran
Ceylon. missionaries from Ceylon and four young re-
cruits. In the afternoon we boarded the Span-
ish steamer Lopez y Lopez, A whistle was heard, and slowly, majesti-
cally we sailed out of port.
On November 12 we arrived at Poit Said, whence we steered direct
for Ceylon without stopping. On seeing the barren, sandy banks of
the Suez canal and the bare rocks burned by a direct tropical sun, we
said to ourselves:
" Well, if the island of Ceylon is as fertile as these shores, there must
be absolute poverty."
Our two elder brethren comforted us by telling us that our mission
137
138 Missions in Asia
was the most beautiful country in the world, the island of pearls and
the pearl of islands — in a word, a little spot of the ancient earthly
paradise.
On the seventeenth day after our departure, at dawn, we were all on
deck when a small black speck was seen in the horizon. "Ceylon,
Ceylon, there is Ceylon ! ^^
Little by little the speck grew larger until we could distinguish
mountains and plains, then an immense forest of unfamiliar trees ex-
tending into the sea; forests of cocoa trees and banana groves. A
beautiful, a magnificent sight !
At midday we entered the port of Colombo.
In Colombo,— ^ ■ It was very warm, particularly as the vessel
A European and an stopped ; the sun's rays beat furiously down
Indian City. — upon us. Fortunately, we were provided with
Types of Natives. an umbrella and a broad-brimmed hat; sun-
strokes are of common occurrence in these
parts especially among new arrivals. The natives are much more fear-
ful of the moon. At night they always wear some kind of a head
covering, though in the day they walk around bareheaded.
Hailing a boat, we set foot on the soil of our adopted country ten
minutes later. Upon beholding the large houses, fine streets, and
electric cars, we must confess we were somewhat disappointed. We
thought we were going to a barbarous country, and we found ourselves
in an almost European city. Taking the car, the scene soon changed ;
we were in an Indian city. The streets were lined with a row of huts,
one dirtier than the other. The natives, seated in their shops, were
selling the fruits of the country — cocoanuts, bananas, pineapples, etc.
They were dressed in the most varied and startling costumes, from the
last Parisian novelty to the garment worn by our first ancestors before
their fall ; the ardent rays of the sun supplied all other raiment. Be-
fore the small front door of their home, one saw mothers washing their
little ones with buckets of water, unmindful of the presence of stran-
gers. We were impressed by the air of the men, effeminate and, at the
same time, manly. They are tall and strong, wear no clothing above
the waist, and arrange their long black hair woman fashion, with a
large comb shaped like a horseshoe. The natives value their tradi-
tional costume very highly. Shoes, a foreign necessity, are very rarely
worn, and, if so, only on great occasions, as at the ceremony of mar-
riage.
Colombo 131)
We are now in Borela, the residence of Arch-
With Archbishop bishop Melizan, of Colombo. A large park
Melizan. — Curry. — planted in eocoannt trees with several one-
Thc College of the story structures forms the archiepiscopal pal-
Oblate Fathers. ace. The archbishop extended a most cordial
welcome and offered us as a refreshment the
favorite dish of the country, rice served with curry, a sauce much hot-
ter than pepper. With no suspicion of the malice concealed under its
beautiful reddish color, I partook plentifully of it; immediately my
tongue begun to burn and the tears started to my eyes. And yet this
curry is the royal dish of natives and missionaries accustomed to the
country. They never sit down to a meal without it. To know how to
make curry, strong and well-spiced, is the highest ambition of native
cooks. Not one of its ingredients may be omitted — meat, fish, cocoa-
nut, and particularly red pepper.
In the evening we went to visit the College of the Oblate Fathers.
It is a structure built on the shores of a magnificent lake; although un-
finished, it is worthy of the city of Colombo. More than 600 students
of all creeds are following the course of instruction under the wise
direction of Rev. Charles Collin. We went up into the tower to get
a view of the city, but could not see all its beauty for the surrounding
trees. The whole city is a large park planted in thousands of cocoanut
trees, in whose shadows the houses lie. If they do not take their rest
near the vine and the fig trees, as did the Jews in the Promised Land,
they can truly say that they pass their lives in the shadow of cocoanut
trees crowned with perpetual verdure.
We had seen enough for one day, and retired for the night.
The next morning we received a visit from
The Work of Kission- our future pastor. He excused himself for not
aries. — ^An Excursion having come the night before; there had been
into the Surrounding too many penitents. For longer than a month
Country. he had been doing nothing but hearing confes-
sions for the jubilee. The poor priest could do
no more, and implored help. What was there to do ? All the mission-
aries were in the same plight. The Father told us of many conver-
sions effected by the jubilee. How many pagans and heretics were bap-
tized, how many unlawful unions were blessed and legitimized !
Leaving the city of Colombo, we took a trip to Maggona for the pur-
pose of getting our new costumes, the excessive heat preventing our
wearing our cassocks any longer. In Maggona, we changed our seats
in the railroad for the less comfortable accommodations of an ox cart.
140 Missions in Asia
As the vehicle was intended for only two passengers, it was rather diffi-
cult for the four of us to make ourselves comfortable. But we adapted
ourselves to the situation and by close packing all of us got in.
Our little ox, urged on by the driver, ran
The Catholic Orphan- like a horse, and, after twenty minutes of more
age. — ^Thc Kission of or less inviting jolts, we reached our destina-
Moratnwa. — ^First tion. The Catholic orphanage is situated in
Efforts. — Consolations, the midst of a forest. Twelve years ago a large
tract of land belonging to the archdipcese was
cleared and planted with cocoa trees. After a few years these trees
will be a source of revenue, but as yet many of them are barren. Near
the orphanage there is a small jail in which more than 160 juvenile
prisoners are held for a term of three, five, or six years. The orphans
number about 120, and come together with those in the workrooms of
a little industrial school built for them; it is very interesting to see
them all at work under the direction of a few Brothers. Their primi-
tive carpenter shop appealed to me especially.
Native Brothers conduct class during half of the day. To Jcecp this
little world in order requires a firm hand. More than once there have
been signs of revolt in the reformatory, and the Father hf|s been re-
quired to use till his power to suppress it. Many of the little prisoners
are either Buddhists or Mohammedans, still most of them attend Mass
and Benediction on Sundays voluntarily. It is a pity that the little
building honored by the name of chapel is too small to accommodate
all, although the natives scorn the comfort of benches and chairs. The
Father in charge of this work has designed a plan for a snjall church.
Let us hope that it will soon rise in the shadow of the cocoa trees. With
time and money all can be accomplished. We know it, alas ! but which
of the two will fail the Father ! ! !
4-
In the meantime the archbishop summoned me for the mission
of Moratuwa, where there were two priests sick and overworked.
" Very well,^* said I, '* but of what use will I be in a mission com-
posed of natives ? ^*
" Go anyhow," replied he ; " you will do what you can ; you will bap-
tize, bury the dead, give Holy Communion, etc."
On my arrival I found Father Eyffon engaged in examining a num-
ber of Christians who wanted to go to confession. To go to confession
here, one is provided with a ticket given by the priest, who makes use
of this occasion to become acquainted with the religious knowledge of
Colombo
141
his parishioners. The two missionaries were very tired ; for more than
a month they have been in the confessional nearly all day. Their sick
calls and other sacerdotal duties have also been very many.
The mission of Moratuwa numbers about 8000 Catholics living in a
Buddhist center of which they form the large minority. The principal
Cetlon. — Scenery neab Ck>i/>MB0.
church is pretty, very pretty indeed for a mission country. I cannot
say as much for the other ten churches in charge of the same priests.
Six of them are yet building; the others are more or less equipped.
On the 3d of December I had occasion to see one of them. It is an old
hovel located fifty feet from the sea and only a few yards above the
level of the water. Back of the sanctuary is a kind of shed leaning
against the wall. This is the rectory, where the priest spends nearly
a month every year. I spent two days there. At night I laid myself
142 MISSIONS IN ASIA
down on a kind of cot covered with a mat and I wrapped myself up in
a sheet; nevertheless, the dampness came in through the window, in
which there was no glass, and drops of water falling from the roof wet
all my clothes. So I have had a taste of some of the trials of a mis-
sionary.
However, if the work of a missionary is hard,
The Feast of the his consolations are also many. The devotion
Immaeulate Conception, and fervor of Christians kneeling or prostrate
for hours in the church would rejoice the heart
of any apostle. The 8th of December was a feast of exceptional sweet-
ness to us. For twelve days a band of natives had been busy decorating
the road between St. Sebastian and the church of St. Joseph. All was
done for the procession in honor of the Blessed Virgin to be held on
December 8.
At three o'clock the church of St. Sebastian was filled and a crowd
stood without. At four o'clock the processional cross was borne in
front, followed by six stalwart men bearing a large statue of the
Blessed Virgin to be carried in triumph to the church dedicated to
St. Joseph. More than 6000 persons surrounded the statue, saying the
rosary and singing hymns in the vernacular. A number of Buddhists
stood by the way lost in astonishment; if any one of them neglected
to take pflf his turban when the statue passed, the sacristan kindly called
him to order. You should have seen the enthusiasm of our people.
Woe to any Buddhist who would have dared to say a word against the
faith. Fortunately, everything passed off quietly. The procession
lasted nearly two hours and then seemed to be over too soon. The
Blessed Virgin must have rejoiced to see this display in a country given
up for centuries to the errors of Buddhism and paganism. What a
pity it is that there are so few missionaries ! The more progress we
make the more work accumulates. In the place where twenty years
ago, thirty missionaries found leisure, ninety priests have now not a
minute to call their own.
This diocese is more thickly settled than most coimtries of Europe,
and the Buddhists, who see the zeal and disinterestedness of Catholic
missionaries, and the good will of converts, gradually manifest a desire
to embrace the faith. The harvest is great. Let us hope that God will
soon send a number of apostolic laborers zealous for the glory of God
and ready to suflEer the fatigues of continual work.
SUPPLEMENT
TO THB
AMERICAN EDITION
Annals of the Propagation of the Faith
THE LAST LETTER OF BISHOP FAVIER
One of the most iUustrious of the valiant cohort of Catholic prelates
on the foreign mission field dropped from the ranks on the 6th of April
when Mgr. Pavier died in Pekin. During the 43 of the 68 years of
his life that he spent among the Chinese, he wielded an immense influ-
ence and accomplished a most notable work, not merely as a successful
missionary, but also as an able diplomatist. He was instrumental in
facilitating foreign intercourse with the Chinese government and in
establishing diplomatic relations between the Chinese court and the
Vatican.
Our readers will recall how prominently Bishop Pavier came before
the public a few years ago during the Boxer outbreak. Por two months
while the uprising was at its worst, Mgr. Pavier gathered with mission-
aries, nuns, and native converts and refugees to the number of over
three thousand on the grounds of the Cathedral (North Pekin), with
a mere handful of Prench and Italian marines made a heroic stand
until relieved by the allied forces. A short time after the storm he
wrote : " I do not think I exaggerate in estimating the number of vic-
tims in the Vicariate of Pekin alone to be 20,000 at least In
143
144 SUPPLBMBNT TO THE AMERICAN EDITION OF THE AnNALS
this city our churches, chapels, colleges, hospitals, etc., all are de-
stroyed. Throughout the yicariate the ruin is almost entire; the work
of 40 years is nearly annihilated. The courage of missionaries, never-
theless, is not on the wane; we shall begin over again, assured of suc-
cess in the end, for ' the blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians/
We were 45,000 before the war; I venture to predict that in spite of
our losses we shall be 55,000 before five years 1 '^
Almost simultaneously with the news of the death of Bishop Fayier
we receiyed communication of the following letter and report addressed
by him a few months ago to the Superior (General of the Congregation
of the Mission of which he was a member. It shows that before his
death the eminent prelate had the happiness of seeing his prediction
more than fulfilled.
'^ My hopes haye been more than realized. Last year we registered
twelve thousand adult baptisms, which brings the total number of
Christians in this vicariate up to sixty thousand, and we have remain-
ing twenty-five thousand earnest catechumens for next year. Surely
we are indebted to our martyrs of 1900 for these marvelous results.
" The spiritual fruits, which T have the honor to send herewith, will
satisfy you that as regards both our personnel and our works, we are
making very satisfactory progress. Besides the four missionaries,
whom the generosity of our Very Rev. Superior General has bestowed,
the goodness of our Visitor claiming also our gratitude, you will note
with pleasure the number of newly ordained priests at Pekin, and the
growtii of seminaries.
" Qod, in His mercy, has augmented so considerably the fiock, that
the corresponding increase of pastors has become our first care. Our
personnel enables us to meet all present demands, but what if the pros-
pective harvest for 1905 exceed that of the current year? May Al-
mighty (Jod vouchsafe to multiply vocations for China !
" These consoling results obtained during the great calm, and with-
out the slightest annoyance, are the best refutation of the erroneous
opinion which, perhaps, still causes Pekin to be considered a most
perilous mission, an opinion that, it is probable, has been strengthened
by the massacres of the Boxers. A like persecution may never occur
again; it may take another form, but are such evils so much to be
deplored? Assuredly not: witness their fruits. In our missionary
labors we still follow the little method of our Holy Founder; motives
and means. Why do we devote ourselves solely to the conversion of
infidels, especially of the poor ? Our Lord and St. Vincent have giveni
Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals 146
us the example. Why do we not seek out the rich ? Our Lord did not
go in search of them. Why, in order to effect conversions, do we limit
ourselves exclusively to preaching? For the reason that in this we
imitate our Lord and His Apostles, who made use of no other means
than preaching.
Bishop Favieb.
"What means do we employ? We give to the poor catechumens
during the term of their instruction what is indispensable in the way
of food. Our Lord by a miracle provided for those whom He had just
evangelized, lest they should suffer from hunger. We spare no effort
in the selection and trial of our catechumens. Do we always make
choice of the most perfect only ? It would be presumptuous to expect
146 Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals
such success; among the twelve Apostles there was one traitor; among
the first deacons, two heresiarchs !
" Our missionaries might well content themselves with evangelizing
only the principal centers; we scatter them over 711 missions; why?
Our Lord sent His Apostles into every place, and to the extremities of
the earth.
'^ The little method of St. Vincent is, therefore, the only one for us
to follow, if we would never be led astray, for the motives and the
means which it commends are those of our Lord Himself/'
+ Alph. Pavier, C. M.
Comparative Eeport op the Vicariate Apostolic op Pekin.
Before the Boxer outbreak, 1900 At the end of 1804
Bishops 2 2
Missionaries (European) ... 28 29
Native priests 30 47
Churches 31 44
Chapels 145 273
Stations 577 711
Catholics 46,900 69,016
Baptisms of adults 2,322 12,414
Catechumens 6,506 25,000
Total pagan population, about 10,000,000.
AN AMERICAN NUN IN THE HEART OF AFRICA
It is a far cry from the heart of Africa to the heart of New York,
but it is a cry that many of our readers will heed when they learn that
Mother Mary Paul is one of our own. Some years ago she with five
other heroic women volunteered for the African missions, with the
result that practically the whole district in which she has been laboring
is now Catholic. " Was it worth while '^ for her to leave home and
country and the ordinary conveniences of civilized life in an American
convent to go to Uganda ? Prom the appended pages one may gather
that she feels it not only a duty but a privilege to devote her best
efforts to the salvation of those precious souls who have so readily
listened to the words of life. Last Christmas there were 2000 Holy
Commimions in that little mission station of Nsambya. ''Was it
worth while?'* The marvels accomplished by Bishop Hanlon with
his Irish priests and American nuns is a sufficient answer and should
inspire us all to " give more interest ** to the Catholic missions.
Supplement to the Amebioan Edition of the Annals 147
Letter op Mother Paul, 0. S. P.,
To the Rev. John J. Dunn,
New York Diocesan Director of the Society for the Propagation of
the Faith.
Nsambya, Uoanda, British East Africa,
Pranciscan Convent, Pebmary 21, 1905.
Deus Det Nobis Suam Paoem !
Reverend and Dear Father:
Your very kind letter was forwarded from here to Nandi Country,
where I was in what truly proved to be " the wilds of Africa/' It is a
great pleasure to know that you are personally interested in the progress
of the work of Bishop Hanlon's vicariate and that you are kind enough
to give special encouragement to this American member of our Pran-
ciscan community here. Naturally, I turn my eyes to America when
I take them away from heaven, with an inward consciousness that my
prayers and expectations will be heard and granted in due season.
Upon my return to Uganda, I found some copies of the Catholic
News, in which the Society for the Propagation of the Paith had some
interesting notes. Two headings have fixed themselves in my brain :
" Is it worth while ? *' and " Now I will give more interest.^' Were
anything wanting to answer the first, I could tell enough to convince
the one who asked the question that it is well worth while. If
praises are due to the missionary priests one meets in Uganda, how
much more is due to the thousands who have not alone listened to the
Gospel preached to them, but who have Imitated the Apostles in leaving
all things in order to follow their teacher and take to others the glad
tidings they waited for so long.
We are here only two years, and already three bands of young Ba-
ganda women taught by us have penetrated to wilds we dare not enter
in order that they may — ^as they express it — " carry the words of the
religion of Jesus Christ to those who have not yet heard of Him.'* They
are doing well themselves and are helping others, especially little chil-
dren, whose hearts will be better disposed than their elders to welcome
the white missionaries of whom they so often hear from the black mis-
sionary girls who teach them. Was it worth our while to come and
prepare these intrepid missionary bands? Yes. Por that one work
we would travel the distance again and repeat the leave-taking from
those we left and love.
We had a school sufficiently large to accommodate one hundred
and fifty pupils. Last Easter, when the Cathedral was swept away by
148 Supplement to. the American Editlon of the Annals
the cyclone^ our school building was so shaken it had to be taken down.
A generous priest of New York City sent me fifty dollars. With that
we built a temporary school large enough for two hundred and fifty
pupils, and now there are as many more attending daily; we have
classes outside the school building, where happy little pupils sit on the
ground and diligently apply themselves to their appointed tasks.
Bishop Hanlon and Missionaries.
Mother Paul {on the right of the Bishop) and Nuns.
Their perseverance may be known by the following: I saw a sister
distributing pieces of blue paper — the covers of old copy books — which
the little ones were accepting with great satisfaction. The sisters told
me that I was a party concerned in their scheme, as they had promised
a rosary to each child who returned fifteen pieces of paper representing
as many weeks regular attendance ! These dear little Catholic Baganda
children prize a rosary above anything else presented to them — ^unless
it be a crucifix.
Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals 149
We had difficulty in getting siifficient food for these little ones, who
have come from distant villages to receive instruction and prepara-
tion for their first Holy Communion. Nearly all the first band re-
turned to their homes before they had been here a month. However,
the catechists planted sweet potatoes and the women hoed and pruned
for better results from the banana trees, so we were prepared for the
next band of little guests who came to Nsambya. About that time
another friend sent sixty dollars, with which I ordered from London
a plough and harrow. They are now on Lake Victoria Nyanza, and
soon we shall be able to put them to good use and produce better food
for our little ones.
NSAMBTA. — Ck>MVENT OF THE FRANCISCAN SiSTEBS.
With another donation, we are to-day commencing to build a hos-
pital one hundred feet long by twenty-eight feet wide, of native sun-
dried bricks, and hope to complete it for three hundred dollars. I
think there may be some force given to the necessity of building such
a hospital, if I tell you that the donation for it has been raised and
presented by the Uganda priests themselves. By no means could they
donate the whole sum — they encouraged us to start, and America will
be sure to do the rest !
Every morning the sick come in numbers to receive medicine and
treatment, and it is heartrending to send them back to their villages
when we know that many might be cured by a diet of milk and soup,
which they have no means of providing or knowledge of preparing for
themselves. Our hospital will meet such needs, although for the
150 Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals
greater numbers aflBicted with sleeping sickness there is yet no cure
known. Colonel Bruce, to whom has been entrusted the duty of dis-
covering the cause — and, if possible, the cure — of the sleeping sickness
of Uganda, regrets that as yet there is no abatement of the disease.
One estimate gives the death rate from this cause at eight per diem,
and it is probable that not fewer than sixty thousand persons have
died from this strange disease during the past four years. The
Fathers visit the infected districts regularly to administer the Sacra-
ments to the dying Catholics .and to give Holy Communion to those
Mother Paul's Children Cabbying Sun -dried Bricks.
who desire it. Isn't it all "worth while?'' I did not realize this
myself until my recent visit to Nandi country, where, at present, there
are no missionaries.
The Nandi men are warriors, and they consider it degrading to en-
gage in anything other than warfare. They have been so successful
in their raids upon neighboring tribes that the government authori-
ties find it difficult to prevent the Nandi continuing the custom in
which they find such glory. With tribes of this kind it is very diffi-
cult to deal. Their rejection of any fonn of labor, their gross super-
stitions and their adherence to polygamy make a strong opposition to
missionary efforts; nor are they at present prepared for the presence
Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals 151
of strangers — white strangers — in their country. They ran in fear
from Sister and me and drove their cattle off the paths as if they might
suffer some loss by passing too close to us. Human life is of little
value in Nandi country, for the poor savages have yet to learn that
there are other means of combating or treating with an opponent than
by — as they call it — " blooding their spear.**
Contrasting the Nandi with our gentle Baganda, who have always
shown such excellent courage in throwing away their superstitions
and generously embracing the knowledge and the practice of our Holy
Bishop Hanlon and Some of His Christians.
Religion, one stands in awe of the gift of faith vouchsafed to the
Baganda. The latter will work — even the little children are glad to
carry the sun-dried bricks their elders make to build church, convent,
school, or hospital for us. This is not easy to do in a land of sun-
shine and song. Nature allures one to enjoy lazily its beauties re-
vealed to eye and ear, and it is only strong love in the hearts of our
children that makes them labor when they want to revel in the ease
about them. I send you a photograph of some of them carrying
bricks. You may be able to see in the distance the tin roofs of the
houses of which we call "the city," viz., Kampala; also the Protes-
tant church crowning a hill. You will know how near we are to the
152 Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals.
dangers mentioned under the heading, " Now I will give more inter-
est/' Just a little more interest — ^a little more help from individuals
at home would make such a difference to missionaries abroad !
Tell them, Father, how much we, among many others, need such
help. A little goes a long way in this country, and we are just begin-
ning in a vast field where thousands of women, girls, and children
have only us to show them *^ a better way," and give them care they
never knew before.
Give our heartfelt thanks to those who have forwarded donations
through the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, and exhort
others to remember the mission of Nsambya. With warmest thanks
to you for your personal help, believe me, dear Beverend Father,
Your servant in Christ,
Mother M. Paul, 0. S. F.
NEED OF NATIVECATECHISTS AND NURSES IN JAPAN
A New York gentleman interested in the Catholic missions in Japan
having requested us to obtain information as to the cost of maintaining
catechists and dispensaries in that country, we wrote to Father Sauret,
who has been doing missionary work in the diocese of Nagasaki for many
years. We think that his answer will be of interest to our readers, be-
cause besides the many practical details it contains, it shows the absolute
necessity of native catechists for the conversion of Japanese pagans, until
a native clergy will have been provided, which is not to be expected for
many years owing to the lack of resources. In the second part of his
letter, Fr. Sauret emphasizes the oft-repeated assertion that charity to the
body is often the surest way to the soul.
Letter of Father Sauret, P. F. M.,
To TitE Rev. J. Freri,
Director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith,
KuRUME, Japan, February 28, 1905.
Rev, and Dear Father:
I am only too glad to answer your welcome questions. You ask me
the cost of maintaining a catechist in Japan? I cannot, of course,
vouch for my figures to apply to all parts of the empire, but in the
diocese of Nagasaki it costs about 15 yen ($7.50) a month to support
a man catechist, who must be married and may have a child or two.
This does not even include the house rent, costing from 3 to 5 yens a
month. Some missions are able to provide lodging for their cate-
chists; here I have rooms for two. Of course, we could secure the
Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals 153
services of unmarried young men for less money, but they would not
inspire any confidence.
The cost of living increasing every year, and more so since the be-
ginning of the war, most of our missionaries have dispensed with
catechists, waiting for better times to enlist anew their services. This
means an absolute standstill in our missionary labors, properly speak-
ing, as it is impossible for us Europeans to do any direct work among
the pagan element of the population. To reach it we need the cate-
chist as an intermediary, the very fact that we are foreigners is
an insuperable obstacle to our being admitted in a pagan family, much
less gaining its confidence.
KUBUMK. — ^BilSSION HOUBK.
This shows the necessity in a country like this of a native clergy, for
of course a native priest will do far more effective work than a cate-
chist, though I confess that among the poor a catechist will find an
easier access than a priest would; here as elsewhere the poor are the
ones who open more readily their souls to the light of the Qospel. Fif-
teen years ago a seminary was opened at Nagasaki and the training of
young men for the priesthood begun and carried on successfully, since
in this diocese alone we have 27 native priests. I regret to say that
owing to lack of resources the Seminary of Nagasaki, which at one
time counted as many as 50 students, is closing its doors, and our
bishop is even compelled to refuse new missionaries, being unable to
support them. AH he can do at present is to fill up the vacancies
154 Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals
caused by death. Let us hope that charitable souls will help us to con-
vert this brave and intelligent people before Protestantism has gotten
hold of it.
The diocese of Nagasaki is rather behind in regard to the evangeliza-
tion of the pagans; this is due to the fact that the old Christians of
St. Francis Xavier, discovered by Bishop Petitjean in 1865, are all in
this part of the country. For many years the missionaries had all
they could do to minister to those Christians, who numbered several
thousands. Although they had kept the faith, they were very igno-
rant and had to be instructed and trained in the practices of religion.
Japanese Chbistian Women.
I was the first one to attack the pagans, and not without some suc-
cess. I formed a catechist to clear up the ground for me, and that man
has brought to the faith a number of pagans. Four years ago he left
me to go and make a little money to marry his daughter. He succeeded
and she married a policeman, who later on received baptism and is
now an excellent Christian. Having no other family care, and being
old, my catechist came back to me last year and took up his work
anew. I pay him only 12 yens ($6.00) a month, and later on he will
probably be able to live on ten yens. He is thoroughly devoted to. his
work, and as he knows everybody in Kurume and has always enjoyed
an excellent reputation, he is an ideal helper. His theological learn-
ing is not, perhaps, very deep, but one cannot be perfect.
I employ also as catechist a woman who has been working 23 years
Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals 155
for the Nagasaki mission, 15 of which were spent in Kurume. She is
extremely skillful and well and favorably known. Besides bringing
many adults to the true fold she has opened the gates of heaven to
numberless children. In one year she baptized 212 pagan children in
danger of death. Unfortunately, that good woman is now suflfering
from the beri-beri; her limbs are half paralyzed and she walks with
great difficulty. To send her home after so many years of excellent
services would be cruel, so we are taking care of her at the mission.
The best cure for beri-beri is good and substantial food, meat and
bread, which are expensive in Japan ; rice and fish, the ordinary fare
of the Japanese, must be put aside. This is how Japanese physicians
treat beri-beri, and it is the only effective remedy. We still hope that
our good catechist will recover her health, but it may take a long time.
A woman catechist costs less than a man, not a great deal, however,
for here, as elsewhere, appearances are important and, she must be
well dressed in order to be admitted into good society. Ten. or twelve
yens a month ($6 or $6) will generally support her.
So much for an answer to your first question.
You ask me, in the second place, what would be the cost of keeping
up a dispensary? In China much can be done with little. Here we
are in a civilized country, where everything costs. Moreover, the
pagan Japanese value only outside show and have no regard for Chris-
tian humility.
However, a well-equipped dispensary with a sufficient personnel and
Sisters as nurses would cost little to support. The rich Japanese
would be delighted to be cared for by the foreign Sisters, let the cost
be what it may, and would give enough to provide for the poor. For
all that, it would require an establishment which I consider an impos-
sibility for the present. Let us not speak of it.
The practical question is a dispensary for only the poor and those
who have some money to pay the cost of medicines. A Japanese doctor
would be necessary; his terms would be about seven or eight dollars
a month for two or three hours' service a day, or from 15 to 20 dollars
if he would give his whole time to the dispensary. The cost of the
medicines could be collected, and the nuns could get their support from
an industrial school which they intend to establish.
But if we want a dispensary to do some good to the soul, we must
also employ Catholic Japanese nurses. They are indispensable and
would alone be able to make conversions. Sisters might have direc-
156 Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals
tion of the institution, but they could do no effective work for the
evangelization of the pagans. Their habit and their nationality would
always stand in their way. The Japanese keep strangers at a distance.
European Nun and Japanese Nubses.
In their heart of hearts they despise them more or less, though ex-
teriorly they preserve a respectful silence. There is no possible inti-
mate association under such conditions and, consequently, the heart
is not won over and it is difficult to effect a sincere conversion. In
dispensaries and in hospitals a Japanese woman could do a great deal of
Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals 157
good. A sick man or woman would speak to her with sincerity and
would not hesitate to ask her about the character, life, and religion of
the foreigners at the head of the dispensary. Prom admiration it will
be easy for them to pass to imitation. The patients would not dare
to ask similar questions of the Sisters; and, even if they did, they
would not pay much heed to the answers; in their opinion, all for-
eigners must have a motive of human interest for coming to Japan
and it must be to their advantage to keep it concealed. With such a
feeling of distrust, no mutual confidence can be established. After
they are once converted, the men will speak frankly to me of their
dispositions before baptism. Nurses, therefore, Will not only do good
at the dispensaries, but they will dispose men to study the Christian
doctrines by visiting them in their homes. The sick will come to the
dispensary, from time to .time, to get the necessary medicines, and so
he will become acquainted with the infirmarian. She can then, call
upon him; conversation will drift more or less upon the subje^^t of
religion. Moreover, if a child is dying in the neighborhood, it cdn be
baptized unknown to the parents. My woman catechist baptizes a Aum-
ber of pagan children every year in this way. Every one knowslthat
she is in my employ, sjxd as I have the reputation of being a good
medical doctor, the people imagine that, by being associated with me,
she has learned to take care of the sick. She can present herself any-
where where there are sick children. As she has a weakness for find-
ing fever, and always discovers microbes in a dirty skin, she, of course,
needs water to lower the temperature or bathe the parts affected by
microbes. Whilst the pagans admire so much scientific knowledge in
a Japanese woman, she profits by the occasion to administer the Sacra-
ment of Baptism, making use of the Latin formula. The unknown
language sounds rather strange to pagan ears ; they imagine her words
to be some kind of incantation to add eflBcacy to the remedies. The
people never raise any objection to any such proceeding. They be-
lieve that, in Christianity as in Buddhism, certain formulas add force
to the medicines. Besides, there are many patent medicines in Japan ;
every one uses them without consulting a physician. Any nurse hav-
ing some to distribute is always welcomed by a patient who cannot
afford to buy any himself. A few pellets given to a child for nothing
usually gains the good will of its parents. Moreover, the spirit of
religion is fast disappearing in Japan ; the question of temporal inter-
ests is attracting the people more and more. This is a misfortune
for such a country; but religious indifference taking the place of
hatred of Christianity makes it easier for us to have access to the
children.
158 Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals
If we could found a Catholic hospital, I am sure that we could do
much good, and the Japanese would pay the expenses of maintaining
it. The Japanese are very proud of their victories over the Eussians.
Japanese Catechists.
They are confirmed in the belief of their superiority over the people
of the west. To be cared for by instructed European women would
be the nee plus ultra of rich men who have money to spend and are
anxious to profit by the best treatment for a certain length of time.
Japanese hospitals are very well provided with medicines and surgical
Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals 159
appurtenances, but the food is not nutritious. The doctors often
prescribe European diet for their patients, but no one knows how to
prepare it.
The difficulty presents itself anew how to arrange an establishment
for this people. The Japanese have very strict regulations of hygiene
to be observed in their hospitals. The building must be of brick or of
stone, with plastered trellises; above all things there must be the re-
quired extent of roofing. I do not think I shall be able to assume the
responsibility of such an undertaking. Moreover, it would be desir-
able that the institution should be self-supporting and not be com-
pelled to make constant appeals to public benefactions.
With educated and rich men at the hospital, it would be easy to dis-
pose them to hear the explanation of our holy religion. Even if they
were not converted, they would allow the poor in their neighborhood
to follow their hearts^ desire, even encouraging them to be converted.
It is, at present, admitted that religion is necessary for the lower
classes. The educated may have other principles. They are difficult
to convert and pride is the main obstacle. Indirectly, nevertheless,
they can be of great service to us by granting the same privileges to
Christianity that are allowed to Buddhism and by not opposing the
conversion of the masses. The Eussians have made the present war a
crusade against paganism; and as, up to date, at least, they are the
ones to lose, the bonzes are profiting by the opportunity to show the
people the futility of the efforts of Christianity. It will take some
time to open the eyes of the rural population.
Hoping that the increasing interest of American Catholics in the
work of the Propagation of the Faith will soon enable us to obtain the
help of catechists and nurses for our missionary labors, and assuring
you of my sincere gratitude for the many favors already received, espe-
cially those of my unknown friend, I remain.
Faithfully yours in Christ,
M. Sauret, Mis. Ap.
AN APPEAL FOR AMERICAN MISSIONARIES IN CHINA
A Sister of Charity who has spent the best years of her life in China,
and whose letters have Just been published in pamphlet form by the
Society for the Propagation of the Faith mentions repeatedly the need of
English-speaking priests in China. That need will be brought to the atten-
tion of American Catholics still more vividly in the following letter of an
American priest who is doing missionary work in Ning-Po.
160 Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals
Letter of Father Fraser
To THE Eev John J. Dunn,
New York Diocesan Director of the Society for the Propagation of
the Faith.
Catholic Mission, Ning-po (Che Kiang), China,
February 22, 1906.
Rev. Dear Father:
In reading over the page on "The Propagation of the Faith" in
the Catholic News, I was very glad to see that you are endeavoring to
excite the zeal of American Catholics to a more generous contribution
towards the spread of the faith in heathen lands.
It is heartrending to see on the one hand how many Protestant min-
isters come to China from America to spread their heresies, and, on
the other, how few Catholic missionaries to spread the faith of Jesus
Christ. Indeed, the Protestant missionaries coming from America
and England are so numerous that the English-speaking people are
put down by the Chinese as being one and all Protestants. This is all
the more lamentable as at present the English-speaking people exer-
cise a great influence over the Chinese on account of their overwhelm-
ing majority here in China, their commerce and wealth. In fact, the
greatest attraction now for a Chinaman is to study English, and in
order to acquire a knowledge of our language he often spends what to
him are enormous sums of money. "America,'* it is said, " is a world
power.'' That is true, and all must admit it. But for the poor Chi-
nese, who, by the way, form no small portion of the human race, up
till now America has made her power in matters of religion felt only by
sending hordes of Protestant missionaries. There are seven Protestant
sects in Ning-po alone; among them a China- American sect founded a
few years ago, which has already 150 stations.
China is full of American ministers working away at the poor
Chinese, imposing upon them a more dastardly yoke than that of
paganism from which they pretend to redeem them, and besides, what
is most galling to us Catholic missionaries, they receive millions of
dollars from America and thus by means of money thwart us in every
way they can, and do an immense harm to the Catholic Church. Catho-
lics in America should do all in their power to prevent these contribu-
tions. " Money makes the mare go," and this saying was never more
true than when applied to the Protestant church in China. Let the
flow of American gold into all parts of this heathen land be stopped
and you will see sapped at its root all Protestant missionary enterprise.
Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals 161
Oh, if I could only impress on American Catholics this truth, which
to us is as clear as the light of day I Here is a work you can do even
remaining in America. Help us ! do help us I If you do not wish to
come to China and spend your life in converting the pagans, you can
at least help us in America by destroying the work of Satan at its roots,
I mean by preventing in some way or other the unspeakable iniquity,
the unheard-of injustice of sending hundreds of ministers and millions
KiANChSi. — Bishop Coqset and Native Priests.
of dollars for the spreading of Protestant errors. Cry out against this
violence of truth, this confusion of principles. Just think of it for a
moment : the Catholics of America look on calmly without making an
eflfori; at resistance, whilst the Protestants, on the contrary, are ravaging
with all their might this vast vineyard of the Lord. I wish some
scheme could be devised to lessen the contributions towards Protestant
propaganda. I am sure American Protestants would not be so eager
to give alms (?) to their missionaries (?) if they only knew how
half the money went.
162 Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals
But America must not stop at this negative propagation of the
faith. She must make amends for the past by sending a host of
zealous missionaries to China and must support them generously.
Oh I if America would only send us priests animated with the same
zeal for the salvation of souls as animate those who are now giving
missions to non-Catholics. We have a peculiar need of them at pres-
ent on account of China being deluged with Protestantism. Strange
as it may seem, wherever we go we must begin our evangelization by
proclaiming the falsehood of " the Church of Jesus/' the name which
Protestants have impiously assumed to themselves. Who are more
qualified for this work than American priests, who have lived with
Protestants from their childhood and know all their tricks and
sophisms. What more efficacious means of blotting out the infamous
slander spread abroad by the Protestants that all English-speaking
people are Protestants than a band of American priests ?
Yes, dear brother priests and ecclesiastical students of America,
you have a work to do in China, which you alone can do. Do not
stop at the selfish thought that there is too much to be done in Asia
Minor — when St. Paul left it to go to Macedonia. "And a vision
was showed Paul in the night, which was a man of Macedonia stand-
ing and beseeching him, and saying, * Pass over into Macedonia, and
help us.' And as soon as he had seen the vision, immediately we
sought to go into Macedonia, being assured that God had called us to
preach the Gospel to them.'' Would that the noble Society for the
Propagation of the Faith were, as it were, a vision for many young
American apostles, who, breaking the ties of kindred and fatherland,
would come into this vast kingdom of Satan, and by a life of zealous
toil deliver many a soul from his awful clutches.
The Chinese are not as bad as they are pictured. The most of them
are good, simple people and easily converted to the faith. An Ameri-
can priest leaving the conversion of heretics for that of pagans loses
nothing in the way of merit before God, as he can convert a hundred
Chinese pagans in less time than it takes to convert one Protestant;
then, besides, look at the countless number of infants to whom he
can give eternal bliss by baptizing them or getting others to do so at
the hour of death. Come, then, American Catholic missionaries, and
help us to gather in the harvest. Pray for us, dear Father, and beg
the prayers of the Associates for the success of our mission. I shall
be very glad to write you and give you any details you require with
regard to China, and consult with you the means to stop the Protes*
tant propaganda and increase the Catholic, I have, I think, a claim
Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals 163
on your attention, having come myself from America. I was invited
by our good Bishop Eeynaud, and like the mission very well. Our
province is entrusted to the Lazarist Fathers, but secular priests, as
myself, can also come.
Hoping we will have many zealous applicants to come and help us
convert the twenty million pagans of our province, I remain.
Yours faithfuly in Jesus and Mary,
J. M. Frasbr, Missionary.
SPECIAL DONATIONS
Received Since the April Number.
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Per Rev. J. A. Walsh (Diocese of Boston) | 6.00
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Per Rev. J. A. Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 55.00
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Per Rev. J. A. Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 5.00
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A Priest (Diocese of Pittsburg) .* 3.00
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Per Rev. J. A. Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 63.00
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For Father Dupin, P. F. M., Ton o kino.
Per Rev. J. A. Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 12.00
For Father Grosjban, P. F. M., for Leper Mission.
Per Rey. J. A. Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 60.00
For Father Db Rongb, S. J., Nesquallt.
Y. L. Sodality, Holy Family Church (Diocese of Chicago) 25.00
For Father Sacrbt, P. F. M., .Japan.
Per Rev. J. J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 60.00
Per Rev. J. Frerl (Diocese of New York) 10.00
For Father Mater, Natal.
Per Rev. J. J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 5.00
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Per Rev. J. J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 27.00
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For Missions Among Indians and Negroes.
Legacy of Mrs. A. C. Nuss,
Per Very Rev. J. F. Schoenhoeft (Diocese of Cincinnati) 300.00
For Armenian Orphans.
Mr. J. Rebmann (Diocese of Green Bay) 5.00
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Per Rev. J. J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 28.00
For the Redemption of African Children.
A Priest (Diocese of Syracuse) •. » 25.00
Per Rev. J. A. Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 50
For the Gotbmba Leper Asylum, Japan.
Per Rev. J. A. Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 5.00
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Per Rev. J. Frerl (Diocese of New York) lO.OO
The Society gladly receives sums of money intended by the
donors for any particular mission or missionary, and forwards
the same at once to its destination in any part of the world.
164
I
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OBITUARY
The following deceased persons are recommended to the charitable
prayers of our Associates:
Most Rev. Mgr. Piavi, 0. S. F., Latin 'Patriarch of Jerusalem,
Right Rev. A. Favier, A'ic. Ap., Bishop of Pekin,
Right Rev. Mgr. Savelli Spinola, Secretary of the S, C, of
Propaganda,
Very Rev. Canon Ardant, Director of the S. P. F., Diocese of
Limoges. Rev. Patrick J. Clancy, Diocese of New York, Rev.
L. G. O'Reilly, Diocese of Syracuse,
Mr. C. Cottin, Member of the Central Council of the Society for
the Propagation of the Faith, Diocese of Lijons,
Miss Bridget Mullin, Diocese of Milwaukee. . Mr. and Mrs. Frank Bates,
Diocese of Chicago. Mrs. Hillegass, Diocese of San Francisco. Miss Mary
Boylan, Diocese of Newark. Mr. Jas. Gough and Mrs. Mary Gough, Diocese
of Philadelphia. Mrs. M. Merritty, Diocese of Milwaukee. Mr. Wm.
GafCney, Mr. P. Conway, Diocese of Montreal.
Of the Diocese of Cincinnati the following: L. F. Bouscaren, Helen L.
Bouscaren, M. S. Lincoln, T. D. Lincoln.
Of the Diocese of Boston the following: Mrs. Elizabeth W. Brainard,
Vincent Kelly, James Sullivan, Patrick Burke, Luke Quinn, Bernard Lynch,
Stephen Eagan, Dennis Leahy, Ellen Goss, Catherine Hand, Herbert Carty,
Alfred Demers, Thos. McAleer, Margaret Murphy, Mrs. M. Leahy, Lucy
Murtaugh, Mary Mullaney, Mrs. Jas. Walsh, George Boardman, Bridget
McManus, Mary McManus, Mrs. Chas. Heinleen, Alex. Schallen, William
Slavin, Ellen Loftus, Mrs. E. C. Anderson, Mrs. Agnes Judge, Delia McCros-
san, Daniel Creedon, Howard Russell, John F. Cotter, Timothy Foley,
Agnes Radigan, Elizabeth McCarthy, Patrick Walsh, Mrs. Mary Honney,
Margaret Russell, Ellen Loftus, Margaret McAleer, John McCotter, Emily
Read, Mrs. Margaret Kennedy, Catherine Connor, Mrs. M. Sheehan, Mrs.
P. Morrison, Patrick McManus, James Keating, Martin Boland, Thos. Cough-
lin, Michael Boland, Margaret Murphy, ICate Howes, William Holland,
Bridget Hastings, Mrs. McCawley, Mary Murphy, Bridget Larkin, James
Eagan, Catherine Daly, John L. Doyle, Mrs. Mary Duffy, Mrs. Mary Ellis,
Charles Canney, John McAleer, Mrs. Hannah Horrocks, John Dooley, Cath-
erine Cunningham, Henry Moore, Ann ConuDr, Julia Carr, Mrs. M. Madden,
165
166 Obituary
John McManus, Mary Keating, Frank King, Felix Nolan, Julia Boland,
James Burke, Mrs. E. Brainard, Mrs. A. Brine, Mary O'Loughlin, Richard
Healy, Mrs. Slamin. Mrs. A. Conlin, Michael Gillen, Mrs. Cath. O'Conell,
Mrs. P. Langbois, John O'Brien, Mary Ryan, Bridget Haley, Mr. Curley,
Dennis Hurley, Mrs. J. Myers, John Conlin, Mrs. Sarah Gillen, Chas.
O'Connell, John Nolan, William O'Brien, John P. Flood, Anna Maloney,
Joseph Healy, Edward Slamin, James Gately, Mrs. A. Conlin, Mrs. Mar-
cella Mullen, Paul Langbois, Mathew Kileen, Mrs. M. Ryan, Dr. J. P.
Kelly
Of the Diocese of New York the following: Mrs. Margaret Foley, Mrs.
Mamie Fox, Mrs. Helinski, Mrs. Agnes Pollard, Mr. Joseph McCormick, Mr.
Rinn, Patrick Aheam, Mrs. Caridad Arteara, Mrs. Mary Gaffney, Patrick
Toohey, Malachy Ulolea, Charles Kircher, Miss Magdelen Schivbuis, Fran-
cis X. Horgan, Mrs. Ellen Ott, Miss Mary Ward, Hugh O'Reilly, William
Gaynor, Elizabeth Cahill, Leo Gallagher, Bridget Monaghan, James Roarty,
Mary Blake, Mary Kenny, Edward O'Reilly, Mr. William Collins, Mr. J.
Maloney, Dr. Brennerman, Mr. Patrick Walsh, Mr. Daniel Dugan, Rose
Beaty, Edward J. Mulligan, Miss Margaret Roon, Mr. Owen Reynolds,
Phillip Ahearn, Patrick McAdams, Robert Connolly, Arthur J. Lewis, John
Joyce, Mary Ross, John Murtagh, Elizabeth Gaynor, Stephen Herbert,
Emma Harris, John Dean, John Lynch, Mary Dunn, Thomaa O'Hare,
Timothy Clarke.
(We shall be glad to recommend all deceased associates whose
names are sent us to the prayers of our readers.)
^CH HISTORY
FOR 7IJi TO 9lh Y&Ui OF SCHOOL
BY
REV. J. H. OECHTERmC
9bort HUtary Cat4K^b1sru In Etmng ouUUiiiH,
'with detftlli brlellj but Tlrlillj driwn
* Tike auiliorof th« pre8«nt volume hna Had It^njr
l^erlenoeaa a |wai4)r ami t««elier, ind Lt li {^onfl-
titl^ bellm^ed that Iq pybtl^bltiir iKli work lie
iidersa£«tialDe serrice to our BcttoolK.''
rourth Edition, Clolh. ia«
20 cl«. itholi«il«
B. HERDER
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Please mention ** Antiala " when writing to advertisers.
CATHOLIC FOREIGN MISSIONS
There are in the wor14 &bdut ISOO mtlUom of htsman
beings.
Do you know how maoy of that number have received
the Christian faith?
A little over 4OD miUioni.
And only half of these are Catholics, the otheri are
Schismatics or Protestants.
So that 1900 ye&f s after the death of Jestis on the Cross
there are over 1000 millions of men and women who do
not share the fruits of His Redemption, who may never
have heard of Him I
And why?
Because no one as yet has br might them the good tid>
lags that a Saviour was born to them I
You» who enjoy the blessings of the true religion, will
you not make a little sacrifice to procure those blessings
to your heathen or inBdel brothers?
Will you not give an offering of prayers and alms to the
Catholic missionaries who are working in the foreign mis*
sion field 7
You may have heard of Protestant misrionaries &nd the
generous support they receive, but do you know that
there are at present about 15000 priests. $000 brothers and
45000 sisters who have left their home and country and all
they hold dear in this world to go to Asia* Africa, and the
Islands of Oceanica^ to carry out the command of Christ 1
**Go and teach all nations, preach the Gospel to every
creature.**
Help them in their noble work, and they will give you
a share in their Masses^ prayers and merits : and the souls
to whom you vnll have procured the Christian F^th will
be cteraaUy grateful.
THE SOCIITY FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH
(Central Direction) 627 Lexington Avenue
NEW YORK, N. Y.
ucvm, Na 461
AUGUST, ..
iaJ^ —
ANNALS
OF THE
PROPAGATION
OF THE FAITH
(^
Published bi-raontWy by the
Society for the Propagation |^/
of the Faithf Baltimore and
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CONTENTS.
THE SOCIETIES OF CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES. VI ArUclt 167
THE CONGREGATION OF UZARIST8 AND THEIR APOSTOUTE IN MISSIONAIIY
COUNTRIES. By tht Rev. AlfrMl Mllon, C. M 167
FOUR MISSIONARIES MASSACRED IN THIBET 175
Missions in Asia.
NORTHERN MANCHURIA.
Lttter of BIthop Ulouyer, P.F.M 176
Missions in Africa.
SOMAUUND—Tho NflMlon of Btrbora.
Utter of Fathers Lawrsnct and Stephen, O.M.Cap 18S
Geographical Description. — Foundation of the Miselon.— 8ad Begin-
nings.— Tribute to the English Ooyemment — Beeulte and Needi.
— Admirable Examples of ChrisUans.— Obstacles to BTangelixa-
tion.
Missions in Oceanica.
THE MARQUESAS ISUNDS.
Utter of Father Orens Salnt-Crlq, S. H. PIc 105
Touching Death of a Child. — How Our Lord Keeps His Promises.
News of tlie Missions.
ASIA.
Apostolic Ubors of the Fathers of ths Foreign Missions of Paris SOI
Tho Situation In China 803
A Solemn Procession of ths Sovsrelgns of ths Celestial Empire S04
DESTINATION OF MISSIONARIES 906
Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals^
IRISH MISSIONARIES AT THE UPPER NILE.
Utter of Bishop Hanlon,E.F.M 807
THE CHINESE SEMINARY OF CANTON.
Letter of Bishop Merel, P.F.M 819
SPECIAL DONATIONS Sao
OBITUARY 8S1
Entered at the Post Office, Baltimore, M<L, as eeoond class matter.
ANNALS
OF THE
Propagation of the Faith
Vol. LXVni, No. 4G1. August, 1905.
THE SOCIETIES OF CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES
Our sixth sketch of religious societies consecrated to the apostolate
in foreign countries is devoted to the congregation of Lazarists founded
by Saint Vincent de Paul. The following article was written by Father
Alfred Milon, secretary-general of the congregation.
VI.
THE CONGREGATION OF LAZARISTS AND THEIR
APOSTOLATE IN MISSIONARY COUNTRIES
Tlic names of several founders of missionary societies have, in
recent times, iM^en added to those of Saints Francis of Assisi, Dominic,
and Ignatius of Ix)yola — men of apostolic' vocation bom to extend
the Catholic faith. The seminary of Foreign Missions in Paris was
founded by one of th(»se, and to Saint Vincent de Paul wc owe the
two communities of the Priests of the Mission, or Lazarists, and the
Sisters of Charity.
The Ankals of the Propagation of the Faith have already
published several articles on the origin and nature of different mis-
sionary societies. The following is. a sketch of the congregation
founded by Saint Vincent de Paul, born in France in 1576.
With his spirit of unbounded charity, he could not forget the work
of converting souls in infidel lands. His Mission Priests are com-
monly called Lazarists from the house of Saint Lazarus which was
their principal residence until the Eevolution at the close of the
XVIII century. Their mother-house, at present, is in Paris, 95 Rue
de Sevres. ' i:
167
168 The Congregation of Lazarists
Saint Vincent de Paul defined the purpose of his association to be:
1st, the work of country missions ; 2d, the education of the clergy by
retreats for candidates for ordination and by seminary direction;
3d, the conversion of infidel countries. His contemporary, Abelly,
states respecting the last-mentioned purpose:
'^ How happy, how very happy is the state of a missionary whose
missions and labors for Jesus Christ cover the whole habitable world !
Why should we confine ourselves to one spot, and prescribe limita-
tions when God has given us such a territory for the exercise of out
zeal/^
" He paid special honor to apostolic laborers and when any from
distant parts returned to visit Saint Lazarus, he assembled the com-
munity in their presence to hear the success of their holy work, so
that their zeal might be imitated by all the missionaries. Their
written accounts were read aloud in the refectory, and the saint did
all in his power to further the well-being and the progress of their
missions among infidels. Eecognizing that, according to the words
of Jesus Christ in the Gospel, the harvest of souls is large in strange
and barbarous lands, and that the number of laborers is too small, he
was inspired to offer himself and his whole community to Jesus Christ
for the instruction of poor and most neglected souls, not only in
Christian regions but among infidels and barbarous nations. He
aroused the same zeal and the same dispositions in all his followers;
and when several offered to leave for distant lands, he rejoiced with
them that God had granted them such a sublime vocation.**
The Missionaries of Saint Vincent de Paul commenced their labors
among infidel nations, 1645, in Tunis and Algeria, the "Barbary
States.'* The most devoted attention was given to captives in prison.
Conversions were comparatively rare, but the great work was to pre-
vent uiifori;unate Christian slaves from falling into despair and sub-
sequent apostasy. Slaves were obliged to work during the day; that
is why the missionaries devoted the night hours to their apostolic
labors — hearing confessions and attending the sick. Mass was said
at daybreak. At times, priests accompanied the slave caravans sent
into the mountains. The cost of this liberty was to suffer many
insults in patience. Father Jean Levacher, former vicar apostolic of
Tunis and Algeria, was shot from the mouth of a cannon and his body
blown to pieces before the bombarding fleet of the French. However,
the missionaries bore persecutions and braved the plague which so
The Congregation of Lazarists
169
often almost annihilated tliem. When France liberated Algeria in
1830, and religious freedom was granted, they were still at their post.
In 1648 Saint Vincent de Paul sent apostolic men to the shores of
Madagascar. When France took possession of the large African
Veby Rev. Fb. Fiat, Superior-General of the Congregation of Lazarists.
island, they set sail on the vessel belonging to the East Company and
landed with the French settlers at Fort Dauphin. The tribes inhab-
iting the southern part of the island lent a willing ear to the apostles
of the new religion and a large number of petty chiefs, together with
their subjects, renounced idolatry, their idols, and other superstitions.
Several of the missionaries died of fever, others died at sea during the
long voyage by way of the Cape of Good Hope, and three others were
170 The Congregation of Lazarists
massacred by the Madagascans. iN^cvertheless, their work prospered.
A native clergy was dreamed of, the plan of a little seminary projected,
Sisters of Charity were to come from Europe, when alas! the enter-
prise undertaken by France, badly conducted, failed, -and the work
of religion, too, was swep4: away in the ruin.
When the evangelization of Madagascar was again begun in the
XIX century, the liazarists returned; three vicariates apostolic were
created. They have charge of the one in the south with principal
residences at Fort Dauphin, Tulear, and Farafangana. Sisters of
Charity are established in tlie last two places. At Faraf-angana, they
have a leper hospital in which 'M)0 patients are cared for.
In 1712, Pope Clement XI gave the spiritual administration of
Bourbon Island into the hands of the Ijazarists; they have also been
laboring on Mauritius Island for more than a hundred years.
One of the missionaries massacred had desired to go as far as China,
lie wrote to his superior, the successor of Saint Vincent de Paul,
1664, begging him to obtain the necessary powers from the Propa-
ganda. " It was the intention of our late superior. Father Vincent/'
he wrote, " that I should go as far as China."
This apostolic purpose was not realized by the Lazarists until later
and then under sad circumstances. The Jesuits had accomplished
great results in China when their Society, under the pressure of
an immense conspiracy of civil powers, was suppressed by the Pope.
What was to become of their works in the Levant and in China? The
Propaganda, on one side, and the French government, on the other,
requested tlie Lazarists to take charge of the vacant posts. The
superior general refused. After some delay, Rome and Paris renewed
their demand and, in 1782 and 1783, respectively, the decrees of the
Propiiganda and the royal acts of the French government entrusted
to the Lazarists the administration of the missions in the Levant
and in China formerly conducted by the Jesuits.
The task was a formidable one; particularly at the time when
the Revolution was draining the source of religious vocations, it seemed
almost an impossibility. Nevertheless, every effort was made. The
Lazarists already had several priests in the west of China and in
Su-tchuen, and now established themselves in Pekin. They gave a
cordial welcome to all former laborers who wished to remain and,
gradually, at the close of the Revolution, they increased their per-
sonnel and extended their works. Many storms and persecutions were
The Congregation of Lazarists
171
endured. During the persecution of 1820, Father Francis Clet was
put to death; in 1840, Father Gabriel Perboyre was imprisoned and
finally suffered martyrdom. The Chui'ch has beatified them and num-
bers them among her martyrs.
At present, the Lazarists have seven vicariates apostolic in
China; three in Chi-li with principal residences in Pekin, Young-Ping-
fu, and Tcheng-ting-f u ; three in Kiang-si and one comprising the
Tsi-Kiang with the principal residence in Ning-Po.
Paris. — Motueruouhe of the L.\zarist Congrecjation.
The Sisters of Charity were first* established in China in 1852.
They now have charge of institutions in all the vicariates apostolic
above mentioned. In the boats that ply along the numerous canals
they attend the villages close to their residences, care for the sick and
baptize clrildren in diinger of death. Their cliaritable institutions for
little children and the aged nre very iniuh aj)pr(»ciated.
The Trappists were called to the vicariate apostolic of Pekin in
1883; the Marist Brothers, in 1891. The 1?ox(t insurrection, in 1900,
destroyed all their good work by fire and sword. New institutions
172 The Congregation op Lazarists
designed on a larger plan under the direction of Bishop Pavier, lately
deceased, arc in course of erection. Over 12,000 adult baptisms are
recorded in this vicariate for the year 1904. This is the first time so
large a number has been attained.
In the Levant, the Lazarists are endeavoring to maintain the prin-
cipal institutions in the stations vacated by the Jesuits. They are
established in Constantinople, Beyrout, Salonica, and Antoura, and
have prepared the way for the Christian Brothers and the Sisters of
Charity. The former are stationed in Constantinople, and the latter
in almost all the cities where missionaries themselves have residences.
Their educational institutions in Constantinople, St. Benedict and
St. Pulcheria, are an honor to the Catholic religion. Their college
of Antoura in Liban exercises a great influence throughout the country.
The Bulgarian seminary in Salonica holds out the strongest hope for
the regeneration of the Bulgarian clergy in Macedonia.
In 1839, " Ethiopia and the neighboring countries," now Abyssinia,
were confided to the Lazarists by the Holy See. Ten years later the
mission was made a vicariate apostolic. Its superior, Bishop de
Jacobis, wafi a man of truly apostolic spirit; the process of his beatifi-
cation is now being introduced. The work of the apostolate was
hard. Poverty, imprisonment, and chains had to be endured. The
foundation of the mission, however, was secured. Institutions had
been established in Massaouah and in Keren; a printing oflBce and
a little seminary were added, and the Sisters of Saint Vincent de Paul
called to conduct the girls' schools. When Italy conquered the north
of Abyssinia, these works were transferred with the territory and
passed into the hands of Italian Capuchins. The French Lazarists
withdrew into Erythrea, on the plateaux of Gouala and Alitiena, where
they are continuing their labors amid great tribulations.
The mission of Persia has likewise been entrusted by the Holy See
to the disciples of Saint Vincent de Paul, 1840. The way had been
opened for them in this country by Father Eugene Bor6, a distin-
guished Orientalist. At first, a simple layman, he was sent out by
the Academy of Inscriptions and Belles Lettres of Paris to explore
Persia. He was accompanied by a Lazarist and, later on, became a
The Congregation of Lazarists
.ir3
priest and subsequently became superior general of the congregation.
The present (1904) Lazarist superior of the mission of Persia is
Archbishop Lesne, who has the title of Apostolic Delegate. Mission-
aries are stationed in Teheran, Tauris, Ourmiali, Khosrowa, Djoulfa,
and Ispahan. They enjoy religious liberty, have founded schools, con-
duct a printing establishment, and have stationed Sisters of Charity
in each of their missions. A Lazarist priest. Father Paul Bedjan, a
Persian by birth, has had printed in Chaldaic, the vernacular of the
country, a number of liturgical, devotional, and historical works which
Pekin. — Cathedral and Residence of the Lazarist Missionaries.
are of the greatest value for the Catholic religion in Persia. The
Nestorian heresy and the Russian schism are the greatest 6bstacles
encountered in these parts by missionaries.
The Congregation of Lazarists maintain establishments in the vari-
ous countries of Europe — France, Austria, Spain, Great Britain, and
Italy; it has missions and conducts seminaries in North America, the
United States and Mexico, in Central America and the Antilles, and
in most of the countries of South America, as well as in the Philip-
pine Islands and Australia.
But the institutions to which we are referring particularly, which
constitute especially the work of " Foreign Missions,'^ those of China,
174
The Coxguegation of Lazarists
the Levant, Persia, and Abyssinia, comprise eleven vicariates apos-
tolic, for the most part supported by the Society for the Propaga-
tion OF THE Faith.
The personnel of these vicariates, priests and brothers of the Lazar-
ist congregation, is more than 500, who like all missionaries need
help and co-workers.
Founded, as we have said, by Saint Vincent de Paul, in Paris, 1G25,
the Congregation of Missions, or the Lazarists, is composed of priests
and brothers. All the members are bound by vows. After a term of
preparation, they apply themselves to the work for which they are
best fitted by talent and inclination. They devote themselves particu-
larly to the conversion of infidels, to carry out the admonitions of
Saint Vincent de Paul to his disciples. We conclude with the holy
founder's own words : " Let us give ourselves to God, gentlemen, to
carry His holy Gospel over the whole world, to whatever part He leads
us, let us guard our post and our practices until His good pleasure
relieves us. Let no difficulty overcome us; it attests the glory of the
eternal Father, the efficacy of the word and tlie passion of His Son.
The salvation of souls and our own is so great a good tliat it deserves
to be won at any price."
175
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MISSIONS IN ASIA
VICARIATE APOSTOLIC OF NORTHERN MANCHURIA
Until 1898, the immense district of Manchuria formed but one mission.
A decree of May 10, of that year, divided it into two vicariates apostolic;
that of Southern Manchuria, composed of the province of Mukden, and
that of Northern Manchuria, composed of the provinces of Ghirin and
Tsitsicar. We hardly need remind our readers of what these two mis-
sions have suffered from persecution. Missionaries have been devoting
their zeal to repairing the ruins. God has blessed their efforts. The fol-
lowing extract is taken from the long and interesting report for 1904
addressed by Bishop Lalouyer to the directors of the Seminary for
Foreign Missions of Paris.
Letter of Bishop Lalouyer, P. P. M.,
Vicar Apostolic of Northern Manchuria,
I am happy to forward the annual report of the labors of mission-
aries in Northern Manchuria during the year 1903-1904.
The total number of baptisms is 3199; of these, 1401 are catechu-
mens under long probation; 53, adults in danger of death; 561, chil-
dren of Christian parents, and 1184, children of pagan parentage.
Besides there were 25 conversions from heresy.
Last year I congratulated myself upon the fine figures of 1007 adult
baptisms, a number never before attained in Northern Manchuria.
This year the number is larger; it is with the feeling of true happi-
ness that I lay at the feet of Mary Immaculate the beautiful sheaf of
1454 baptisms of pagan adults.
In 1902, I traversed the province of Tsitsicar. In 1903, about the
middle of October, I left my residence to visit the posts in the province
of Ghirin and administer confirmation to a large number of neo-
phytes. During this journey I went to see all the newly founded
stations. It is impossible to describe the joy of the neophytes who
176
NoKTHERN Manchuria 177
beheld their bishop for the first time. Everywhere a magnificent wel-
come was extended to me. May these outward demonstrations con-
tribute to develop the movement of conversion which, thanks be to
God, is spreading day by day.
During my pastoral journey I confirmed 1277 persons.
The great distances between the stations of the province of Tsitsicar
had prevented my gathering all the missionaries for their annual
retreat before.
The situation is now very much changed. The Trans-Siberian
crosses the mission and the long distances are done away with. A
journey which formerly required ten to fiiteen days can now be made
in one day. In pursuance of these traveling facilities and the need I
felt of consulting my missionaries upon several questions, I decided
to call them together for their retreat in Kouang-chang-si and dis-
cuss with them the affairs of the vicariate.
January 9 was fixed for the day of opening of the spiritual exer-
cises. When I arrived at 5 o'clock in the afternoon, all the mis-
sionaries had assembled, happy in their meeting after so long a
separation. In the evening of January 9, the retreat began with the
chanting of the Vent Creator, closing on January 12, with the renewal
of the clerical vows. After two or three days devoted to the settling
of several questions, each missionary returned to his post, his heart
filled with renewed zeal.
Alas! our joy was not of long duration. A short time after our
separation, we learned that war had been declared between Japan and
Russia. Our fears were great and the future seemed very sad. Hav-
ing recourse to prayer, our supplications touched the heart of our
divine Lord.
Until now, at least, our apprehensions have not been realized.
Bands of bri^nds have crossed some of our districts, but the Blessed
Virgin has watched over the apostles and disciples of her divine Son.
Whilst the pagans have been robbed and massacred by the terrible
" houng-hou-tse," our Christians have been spared. May the .poor
pagans, astonished by so extraordinary a protection, open their eyes
to the light, renounce their powerless divinities, and recognize the God
of the Christians, ever good to His children. Missionaries have prof-
ited by the unexpected peace God has granted them. The affairs of
178
Missions in Asia
admmistration are being conducted as usual. During Lent, the Chris-
tians faithfully fulfilled their Easter duty and the catechumens pre-
pared themselves for baptism with all possible care. 1454 souls became
children of God and His holy Church. The harvest is adimdant;
unfortunately, there are not enough laborers.
On my visit to Ou-ki'a-chan, last November, I was astonished to see
the progress of evangelization in a country entirely pagan but a year
before. It was a great pleasure to me to explain the truths of our
holy religion to the neoph3rtes, and I should have liked to prolong
\i
Manchuria. — Church Destroyed by Boxers.
my stay among them, but I was obliged to continue my pastoral jour-
ney. After my departure, by tlie grace of God, the number of cate-
chumens was perceptibly increased. The two scliools were soon filled
and Father Stoefller was obliged to refuse a large number who desired
to study catechism. Young girl and women catechumens manifest
an almost incredible zeal in learning Christian doctrine and prayers.
The native Sisters who have charge of the school have done so well in
Northern Manchuria IVJ
their instnictions that the number of women and girle baptized in
Ou-kia-chan exceeds that of the men. Two other schools for cate-
chumens were opened in the mddst of the winter at stations recently
foimded.
So many conversions could not fail to arouse the hatred of the devil
and the brigands, his accomplices, did not tarry long in traversing the
country, spreading terror and pillage everywhere. At two days' inter-
val, they entered the city of Souang-chang-pu and pillaged the large
town of Che-tu-chen-si. More than GOO soldiers set out to disperse .
them. Ijcss brave than the robbers, they beat a retreat after having
lost fifty of their number.
The bandits then planned to attack the post of Ou-kia-chan, but
the intervention of the missionary saved the young Christian settle-
ment. At the opening of the Chinese year, the catechumens, anxious
to see their families again and persuaded that the roads were safe,
left for their holidays. Several were captured by the brigands, but
afterwards released.
War having been declared, the situation became more critical and
most of the catechumens could not return to school. Bands of robbers
continued to devastate the country, killing men and insulting young
pagan girls and women.
The brigands had spared the Christians; the soldiers, however, found
it easier and less dangerous to attack peaceful men than the robbers
whom they should have fought. Our neophytes suffered much from
their cruelty. Some were put to most horrible torture; others were
robbed. It is said that one soldier seized a crucifix and broke it under
his feet. One Christian was suspended from a beam and cruelly
beaten. While they rained blows upon him, the soldiers mocked him,
saying that if his head were cut off he would go to Heaven. The
Christian only replied :
" Yes, I believe in God ; you want my head ; take it, but with my
last breath I shall proclaim myself a Christian.^^
A friend who knew the leader of the soldiers had the poor victim
liberated.
Father Stoeffier informed me of the doings of the Chinese soldiers,
so I advised the viceroy of the matter. He, at once, gave orders to sup-
press such outrages. Inquiries were made, and the culprits will be
severely punished. At the same time, an edict in favor of our holy
religion has been published throughout the province. I hope that
180
Missions in Asia
these energetic measures will restore peace. Our neophytes, feeling
themselves protected, will take courage and continue to fulfill their
religious duties ; the catechumens will return to school, and the pagans
will no longer fear to declare themselves Christians.
" In spite of all dif&culties/' writes Father Stoeffler, " I have experienced
great consolation during the past year; 144 catechumens have been regen-
erated by the waters of baptism. Send me sufficient resources to open
other schools and the number of Christians will be doubled.
" I have nothing but praise for my new Christians. In Ou-kia-chan,
where I reside, they grow in fervor day by day. They love their holy
NORTUEBN MaNCKUBIA. — RESIDENCE OF MiSSIONABIES AT I-T0UNQ-TCH60U.
religion which they know to be the truth and are anxious to approach
the sacraments of penance and Holy Eucharist with devotion nearly every
month. Since my arrival here, I have tried to inspire them with great
devotion to the Blessed Virgin. They love to go to confession and com-
munion on all her feasts.
** It is impossible for me to give you an account of all the miracles of
grace wrought in the souls of my beloved neophytes. I shall confine my-
self to the following:
*• A tradesman, a member of a large family, wanted to be converted,
but his faith left much to be desired. He studied Christian doctrine
earnestly and the better he understood the more lively his faith became.
Baptized in excellent dispositions, he arranged a small room as an oratory,
which he occupied alone so as to be able to perform his exercises of piety
Northern Manchuru 181
with less distraction. This fervent neophyte very soon was not content
with leading an ordinary Christian life, he desired to practice all the
Christian virtues. To accomplish his purpose, he began to read spiritual
works. Coming across a book of meditation one day, he began the prac-
tice of meditation. I thought at first that he would not persevere in his
fervor, but one year has passed and his piety continues to increase. He
goes to confession and communion very often and loves to read pious
books, making two meditations a day. Whilst he was superintending the
building of my residence he slept on my premises. How many times have
I not seen him in the evening spending a whole hour on his knees before
going to bed. I say not a word about his fasts and other practices of
devotion. Not to make my story too long, suffice it to say that every
body, not only at home but in all the posts of my district, speaks of him
as the ' saint ' of Ou-kia-chan.
" One thing saddened him. All his family remained pagans, despite his
earnest exhortations. He often confided to me the grief which he felt.
I admonished him to place his trust in God and promised him the help
of my prayers. Providence came to my assistance in the most extra-
ordinary manner. Last winter, his eldest brother, the head of the family,
was taken captive by the brigands and held for a ransom of twelve
hundred dollars. Such an amount meant ruin for the family. The pris-
oner had recourse to all his gods and promised them sacrifices, but in
vain. Then he turned to the God whom his brother adored.
" My neophyte, on his part, begged me to intercede for a reduction of
the amount of money demanded. Among my Christians there was a
former friend of the leader of the band. He went in my name to inter-
view him and returned with the answer:
" ' Out of consideration for the Father, I return the prisoner without
ransom.'
" Once delivered, the pagan came immediately to see me; falling at
my feet, weeping for joy, he said:
'"Now, spiritual Father, it is done; I understand that my gods can
do nothing. Without the protection of the true God whom my brother
adores and whom, until now, I would not acknowledge.*
" * Do you now believe in God? ' I asked him.
"*0h! Father,' he replied, *! believe in God. It is not only mysejf
who am converted, my whole family, 60 in number, whose chief I am,
will follow my example.'
" This brave man, faithful to his promise, went home and destroyed his
idols. Returning to Ou-kia-chan, he shut himself up in a room and there,
day and night, he studied the catechism and the prayers. In view of his
lively faith, I did not hesitate to baptize him, together with two young
girls and one boy of his household. He is now an excellent Christian.
One of the girls, baptized at the same time as himself, had taken the
vow of virginity some years previously according to the manner of the
pagans. As zealous a pagan as she was, so zealous a Christian has she
become. Being well instructed and very intelligent, she uses the talents
which God has given her to extend our holy religion."
MISSIONS IN AFRICA
VICARIATE APOSTOLIC OF ARABIA AND ENGLISH
SOMALILAND
The following interesting account sent to us by Bishop Clarke was
written by Father Lawrence, who spent several years in Berbera, and
Father Stephen, present superior of the mission.
The Mission of Berbera
(SINCE ITS foundation)
LETaT.R OF Fathers Lawrence and Stephen, 0. M. Cap.
I.
Berbera is the most important town of the
Oeographical English Somali. It is situated between 10°
Situation. — and 11° north latitude and about 45° east
Oasis. — longitude (Greenwich).
Berbera. One hundred and forty-four miles distant
from Aden, Berbera is the most beautiful port
on the eastern coast of Africa between Djibouti and Cape Gardafui.
The liarbor is naturally formed by a ridge of sand almost submerged
at high tide.
' Ijooking inland from the harbor, the view discloses an immense sand
plain that stretches about eight miles to the foot of the first chain of
mountains. A growth of coarse, thorny brush begins at some distance
from the shore and is tlie only sign of life in this desolate region.
One single green oasis, whose freshness forms a vivid contrast to the
surrounding country relieves the eye. This verdant spot is reclaimed
from the desert by a stream of water directed in its present channel
during Egyptian occuj)ation and improved and maintained by the
English government. Thanks to it, the whole city of Berbera is pro-
vided with drinking water somewhat brackish in taste as it is brought
from a hot spring -about nine miles southwest of the town.
182
Arabia and English Somaliland 183
This pleasant oasis, whose trees are carefully watered and whose
gardens are cultivated with jealous care, is the seat of the government
and all its functionaries.
After this pleasant site, the shore is barren for some distance. Then
we see Berbera proper, a pile of Arab houses with cupolas of shining
whiteness. To the west, the groups of Somali straw huts might be
confounded with hay stacks.
The mission extends to the edge of the native city. It is placed so
as if to take under its protection, in the name of Christ, these simple
and vigorous children of the desert, to preserve them against the cor-
ruption of the Arabs and the irreligion too common among Europeans.
The Church cherishes the holy desire of bringing these magnificent
tribes into her fold.
For how many years has the cross taken possession of this part of
Africa? What was the commencement of the mission, what were its
difficulties and how did it develop? These questions shall be briefly
answered.
4-
Who does not know the opposition which
Foundation of the encounters Christian action in a Mohammedan
Mission. — ^Father country! An African savage who is a Mo-
Evangeliste. — Sad hammedan seems, at first, more difficult of
Beginnings. approach, more prejudiced against all Christian
teaching than the Arab fanatic, polished,
agreeable, hypocritical. Therefore, it was not until after the wisest
deliberations that Bishop Lasserre, vicar apostolic of Arabia at that
time, decided, June 21, 1892, to establish a post at Berbera among the
Somali.
Keverend Father Evangeliste Larajasse was chosen for this most
important enterprise. Four months of preparation were given him,
during which time he devoted himself to the study of the language.
As soon as he felt himself sufficiently prepared, he ventured the trip
from Aden to Berbera ; upon safe arrival, he rented an humble dwell-
ing, avoiding anything that might prove the least cause of hostility on
the part of the civil authorities.
On the 4th of October, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the first
Holy Sacrifice was offered in this promised land. The very day
augured the successful future. The altar used upon this occasion con-
sisted of two miserable boards, furnished by an Arab who demanded
two dollars for the favor.
4-
184 Missions in Africa
At first the duty of a missionary is to form a class of Arab and
Indian children, and distribute medicines to the sick who ask his aid.
A pioneer of the Gospel must be versed, to some extent, in medical
knowledge to gain respect and confidence.
Every day, at noon, boiled rice is distributed among about sixty
children. The rest of the time is employed in prayer and a deeper
study of the language. In general, the Somalis are very hostile to
priests and regard the residence of a " padri " among them with an
evil eye. Deceived by the Arabs and their own priests, " Wadad," they
continue to believe for a long time that Catholic priests come only to
conduct a lucrative slave trade. The Mohammedans readily attribute
to them the scandal and baseness of which they alone are capable.
Mr. Hugues le Roux writes in his account of Africa, that a merchant
of Hodeidah (Red Sea) told him in 1899, that he had seen a trader
sell a young Somali girl in Arabia for the enormous sum of $1360,
and a young man for $1700.
So it is, when an Arab sailor secretly leaves the port of Berbera dur-
ing the night with his cargo of human freight, the people come to the
poor missionary the next day begging in tears, for their lost children.
Of course, it is the " padri " of the Christians who has abducted them,
it is he who has suggested the means for the pitiful kidnapping. The
priest is obliged to allow them to search his house.
The missionary does not enjoy even a comparative peace in his own
room. The "Wadads" and children, at their instigation, give him
unenviable distraction by throwing all kinds of missiles through his
windows.
Whether because of prudence or of the im-
First Pupils. — possible conditions, no child was admitted to
Poverty. — Tribute the mission before a year's residence in
to the English Berbera. Twelve little Somalis were admitted
Oovemment. in 1893. Brother Cyprian commenced by
teaching them English. After a few months
all but one left. Added to this discouragement, the Mohammedans
redoubled their painful harassing.
However, other children were received, and in 1894 fourteen names
were on the register. All these have since become Christians; several
of them have died, and in the most edifying dispositions.
We should have made earlier mention of the accommodations and
mode of life of the missionary. Nothing else offers a more touching
reminder of Franciscan chronicles. Simplicity and poverty prevail.
The same room serves as dormitory, study, and church. Bamboo reeds
Arabia and English Somaliland 185
serve as candlesticks ; the censer is an earthen pot ; there are no chairs
nor tables. The cruets, to be had for so little, are replaced by shells.
Nevertheless, the visible satisfaction of the missionary and the deeply
rooted joviality of his companioji made up for all deficiencies. The
wretched residence, so badly situated, costs $9 a month.
4-
For some time, the English governor remained indifferent to the
humble quarters of the Catholic priest. However, upright and philan-
thropic by nature, he began to realize how much good missionaries
could accomplish among this people, so he gave them his support and
helped them by his good counsels.
The Somalis, Chtistians and civilized, owe a deep debt of gratitude
to this gentleman. And for this reason: parents, moved by a good
impulse, would confide their children to the mission; after a few
months, however, their savage and vacillating dispositions would re-
assert themselves and, at the instigation of certain fanatics, they
would return and loudly demand their offspring. The children hardly
had time to know and love the missionary before they were brutally
taken away from him, and so his devotion bore no fruit.' The
governor then advised, not to accept any child without a written
agreem.ent signed by missionary and parents and legalized by the stamp
of the royal seal. He himself kindly drew up the first contracts.
Meanwhile, the disposition of the people perceptibly changed. Intel-
ligent and endowed with good sense, they soon learned to discern
between the Christian conduct of missionaries and the stupid outbursts
of a few unknown fanatics.
Seeing the good seed grow and triumph over
Definite Establish- all obstacles. Bishop Lasserre decided to give
ment. — ^Lord Dela- a permanent and more suitable location to the
mere— Third order of mission. A site was requested of the gover-
Saint Francis. nor, and, in June, 1895, a simple, but comfort-
able, residence was ready to receive the priest.
At the beginning of the same year. Lord Delamere arrived in the
country for a lion and elephant hunt; on a visit to the missionaries,
he learned what work they had done for the language and, later on,
offered to pay all the expenses of printing a Somali dictionary and
grammar. His disinterestedness is deserving of the highest praise.
The same year eleven new children came to be educated at the
mission.
In 1896 there were only three new applications. In 1897, a single
186 Missions in Africa
one. Two yeare afterwards, none. Was the source drying up ! What
were missionaries to do in a station with no future promise? With
so sad a prospect before him, the priest continued to work, day after
day, doing his best with the few children and adults whom he sup-
ported and instructed, and whose conversion to Christianity was still
problematical.
Moreover, admitted thUt they would be converted, they must needs
.have Christian wives of the same nationality, a most important neces-
sity to save their faith. A similar institution for girls must be
founded. The bishop made provision. Three Sisters of the Third
Missionary in Somalilanu.
Order were stationed in Berbera. I shall not speak of the difficulties
they encountered to keep a few girls with them.
Nevertheless, relying upon Divine Goodness, a house was built, more
comfortable than the wretched, infected hovel rented from a native.
Only three girls were with them and these did not persevere. It was
just as well they did not, because every one saw that the children that
had entered the house of the " padriad '' (Sisters), left of their own
free will and had not been sold.
One of the Sisters ventured to visit the people in their own homes,
taking with her a box of medicine and offering to dress their wounds.
She was well received. After a few visits of this nature, the sympathy
of the natives was gained and she could go about at will, always re-
Arabia and English Somaliland 187
spected. Not one bit timid, she knew how to force the refractory into
respect and obedience by a well intended blow of the hand. The
natives, who have a talent for coining new expressions, say of her:
"There goes the woman who is a man/^ They readily forgive her
audacity, although as a usual thing, no Somali allows himself to be
struck by a woman without taking redress.
In 1898, 1 think, all the young men came to
Toucliing Proceed- Father Evangeliste in a body. Their appear-
ing.— On the ance caused him some disquiet. One of them
Watch. — The Prince began :
of lichtenstein. " Father, we have come into your house with
a single purpose : to leam how to read, write,
and know all that is necessary for taking a position. We all intended
to leave after we have learned suflSciently; but. Father, conquered by
grace, we see that we are obliged to change our manner of life. After
the explanation of the commandments of God and the example which
you have given us we understand very well that the Christian religion
is the only true one, and we ask to embrace it at once.^'
Nine of the most worthy were baptized.
Jesus Christ had conquered.
The following year events happened which jeopardized all. Mullah,
who has since become a terror to the country, began to make himself
feared by his crimes and his pride. It was even feared that he would
descend upon the city. The alarm was given every day. The garri-
son numbered only fifty soldiers. The vice-consul consulted with us
about placing a Maxim gun on our terrace; owing to its position, the
house of the Sisters was likewise to serve as a fortress.
In the semi-obscurity of the night, the outline of a Capuchin could
be detected as he walked up and down with regular tread. With his
beads in his hand, he kept the watch. The young men, who knew
how to handle a gun, succeeded one another, every hour on the watch,
before the improvised arsenal. A hundred natives, with hands on
their lances, slept in the yard, ready for any emergency. One fine
morning, a large man-of-war appeared in the harbor. All fears were
dispelled. Afterwards the Brother often laughed at himself for his
unnecessary fright and preparations for war.
In 1900, the missionaries had the consolation of recording eleven
solemn baptisms. The same year, 44 new names were inscribed on
the register.
The room on the ground floor of our dwelling, which had served as
188 Missions in Africa
a sanctuary, became too small. It was necessary to build a chapel
large enough to accommodate 150 persons. The cost would be about
$840.
Just at this time, Prince Henri de Lichtenstein was visiting this
region. The missionaries made known their necessities to him. He
promised to remember them and interest his friends. When he re-
turned to Europe, he sent us the generous offering of $400 from him-
self and his relative. Count Hoyos.
The year of 1901 came. Troubles broke out
In 1901. — ^Want of in the interior. Several English expeditions
Resources. hardly succeeded in stemming the devastating
flood. At the close of this sad year, unfor-
tunate refugees who escaped the general carnage arrived by hundreds,
exhausted and dying of hunger. Many never lived to see us. Their
skeletons marked the pathway of the desert.
In their hour of distress, the Somalis remembered the " padri " ; the
fame of his goodness had penetrated into the remotest parts and the
most hidden jungles. Petitioners arrived at the door of the mission
in crowds, or sent special messengers, to beg for help in their misery,
promising to be instructed in the religion which moulded a compas-
sionate heart. Alas! Having no resources, we were compelled to
send them away; they went in silence and we never saw them again.
In other missions, better provided for, advantage has been taken
of such extraordinary occasions, and nearly in every instance a whole
country has been converted. But we in Somaliland must bear the
sorrow of confessing our loss, forgotten, as we are, by all the great
souls who, in other countries, support the honor of the Church by their
alms.
4-
Nevertheless, we have gained one advantage. Seeing the " padri ^'
so well disposed toward children, a large number have been entrusted
to us. Mistrust of parents is gradually being dispelled.
Alas! When missionaries think they may rejoice, then sorrow is
meted out unto them. How shall we nourish and clothe all these chil-
dren? So we must suffer the bitter sadness of turning them away
again and again. Only those are received that it is morally impossible
to refuse. The people are already reporting that the Fathers no longer
accept children Are they going to retire into their impene-
trable desert, never to come back again? In point of fact, requests
for admission are beginning to be less and less frequent. If we do
Arabia and English Somaliland 189
not get speedy help, our annals will chronicle a deplorable defeat
which will retard the conversion of the country for years.
We now number 175 boys and girls. To support them and the
missionaries and to pay costs of repairs took $2502.40 the past year
and we are not out of debt. Annual expenses amount to $3430.00.
Such is our present position. Let us give a little attention to
spiritual results which are the essential purpose for which we have
come among this infidel and barbarous people.
II.
Despite the care we have taken to record all
Baptisms. — The the baptisms administered in extremis, we have
Dispensary. — registered only 140. We are indebted to our
Christian Education dispensaries for these. Their being only two
of Children. of us, we have no time to visit the people in
their homes, otherwise we might number bap-
tisms by the thousands. The more favored Sisters have been able to.
attend several eick beds and so have baptized a great number; even
adults have requested or willingly received the sacrament of regenera-
tion. Between 16,000 and 17,000 sick oome to our dispensary every
year. The women (9000 to 10,000 a year) go to the Sisters. With
them, as with us, the remedies are free. If we had the means to build
an hospital what an immense amount of good we could do!
The principal work which we have at heart, however, is the Chris-
tian education of the children that God sends to us. They will be the
future heads of families and will contribute largely to the civilization
of their country.
Those which have been admitted during the last eight years are
already Christians, or are learning the truths of religion. Those that
have been baptized and are preparing for their first communion ask
to go to confession every week.
Twenty girls are preparing for baptism with the same zeal.
The Somali are one of the most beautiful
The Somali. — and intelligent of African tribes. It is a real
Edifying Traits, — pleasure to sow the seed upon so rich a soil.
Fanaticism of Arabs. Nothing is more interesting than to hear an
argument between one of our young Christians
and a Mohammedan. First of all, the latter tries to insist upon the
formula of his profession of faith. The positive response is :
" God is God and Jesus Christ is the Son of God."
190 Missions in Africa
The error is pointed out and the Christian is informed of the
canonical formula : " God is God, and Mohammed is his Prophet/'
The effort is rain ; no ground is gained. At the close of the contest
the vanquished cries out:
" The padri has given vou a medicine which makes you invulner-
able."
These people have somewhat a feeling of aversi<m toward the
prophet of the Arabs. Their apparent exactness in the observance of
certain ceremonies proceeds, more or less, from a motive of ostenta-
tion. This holds out the hope to us that one day the harvest will be
abundant.
Our converts need fear neither sword nor poison. They arc free
to become Christians. Moreover, one who is faithful to his vows of
baptism is very much respected by his companions.
Notwithstanding all the efforts made, Arab fanaticism has not been
able to penetrate the country. Arabs never pray in a Somali mosque.
Though they are few in number, they are more to be feared by our
Christians than all the Somali. Our neophytes are often compelled
to resort to extraordinary means to keep these aggressors at bay.
One day, one of our young men was attacked by several Arab mer-
chants in a secluded bazaar. He was told to acknowledge Mohammed,
and, when he refused, they laid violent hands on him. Fortunately,
he was a man of Herculean strength, and could hold his own. In the
struggle, he hit one of his antagonists a violent blow on the nose with
his fist. " Father," he afterwards said to me, frankly, " I am sorry
.... I hurt the nose of my neighbor. Did I strike too hard ? "
Another suffered a martyr's trial under assaults of all kinds. His
comrades could not help but admire his virtue and publish it abroad.
He himself writes the following:
" Beloved Father, all that you taught me when I was with you has
taken root in my soul. I shall never forget it. I thank you. How
many obstacles have I not encountered in the few months that I have
been with this expedition. All come to me every day to discuss reli-
gion and inform me that I am on the wrong way and shall go directly
to hell if I do not return to Mohammedanism. But what can I expect
from them ! How happy I am to have studied the Christian religion
thoroughly ! I thank you, my God, for having drawn me forth from
darkness."
Arabia and English Somaliland 191
With very rare exceptions, all the young
Admirable Examples men who have left Berbera are giving a most
of Christians. satisfactory example. When we consider
their surroundings, we are astonished that they
were even converted.
From their infancy, their eyes have seen nothing but manifestations
of the grossest superstitions joined to an inexpressible depravity of
manners. I am speaking of the coast in particular. When Provi-
dence brings them into the mission, their hearts are filled with the
sublime principles of the Gospel, but scarcely have they returned to
the city when they hear and see nothing but what is opposed to the
teaching of our Lord. They are even reproached and ridiculed for be-
ing " Kof ri " and " Gall '^ apostates. If European Christian residents
were worthy of the name our children would, at least, be supported
by their example. Such is not the case. They often come to us
saying: "Why do not the Europeans do as you teach? They are
Christians. Is the Gospel only for the ^padri'?^* Let us admire
tlie unfathomable designs of God, Who makes lilies of purity grow
amid heaps of corruption and preserves them unstained for the eternal
harvest.
What means must be adopted for efficacious
Means to be Adopted work of evangelization among the Somali ?
for Evangelization. — Shall institutions like those in Berbera be
Difficnlties of Country established along the coast? If we could do
and Olimate. — ^Pene- only this it would be a great deal. The Somali
trating the Jungle, the would come to us in Bulbar and Karem as
Work of the Future, they have come to us here. Obstacles almost
insurmountable face this project. The ex-
penses of maintaining a settlement on this arid coast are appalling.
The climate is injurious to missionaries and children. If winter,
although damp and favorable to mosquitoes, is bearable; the same can
not be said of summer. A fonn of paralysis prostrates many and
renders them inert and incapable of study; all who can flee to the
mountains. Berbera numbers 30,000 inhabitants in winter and
scarcely half of that number in summer.
What pen can descril>e the horrors of tlie monsoon which, for four
months, blows uninterruptedly dnto the face of poor creatures its
fumes of heat, blinding and suffocating them with clouds of burning
sand and dust that defy all means of protection. I refrain from
saying any more.
192
Missions in Africa
For food, no fruits, no vegetables at all, nothing but rice, goat's
and camel's meat. The only variety is a change of sauce. Moreover,
it is impossible for some to digest the meat of the camel.
If the climate were less severe, we could manage to live. But the
question remains, what is to become of our Christians? Some could
fill positions which we might get for them in Aden. But are we
civilizing this country if we expel the best of her children ? Besides,
SOMALIS IN THE JUNGLE.
experience has proved that all who are thus sent away from home lose
their simplicity and the frankness of their faith.
Any cultivation of soil in Berbera is out of the question. Not even
a herd of goats could be raised on a sandy tract without water.
Could we make merchants of our pupils? To establish them in
trade would require a large sum of money, and tlien only a few could
enjoy such a privileged station.
A large workshop ? It would never succeed in a country where the
inhabitants are living in most primitive fashion.
Arabia and English Somaliland 193
To penetrate into the jungle is the only solution for the problem.
There the climate is good, a great advantage to missionaries. There
the children are found in their native element. I have forgotten to
mention that all our children come from the interior.
In pursuance of the corruption which the Arabs and Indians have
spread in the populous localities of the coast, there is not a child that
escapes degradation. Whereas, in the interior, despite the introduc-
tion of Mohammedanism, the Somali lead a nomadic, pastoral life,
and have preserved their manners simple and austere. They live on
little and generally have but one wife. Morality is held in esteem
among them.
It remains then to obtain some concession from them and to choose
a healthy tract, large and fertile; healthy, so that the fevers may
be avoided and missionaries at hard stations may regain their strength
there; large and fertile, so that a Christian village may be founded
and support itself by the raising of herds. Several stations, estab-
lished under such conditions, would, one day, be self-supporting.
Prom the information men, competent to judge, have given us,
there is a tract of land, suitable for our project, two or three days*
journey from Berbera to the southwest, in the direction of Abyssinia.
We have no need to fear " Mullah ** ; the English keep him at a safe
distance from their protectorate.
Finally, a line of stations, at a reasonable distance apart, would lead
into the heart of the country, to Ogaden, the terrestrial paradise of
the Somali.
Nothing remains hut for us to rely upon
An Appeal to Christian charity. God will inspire our breth-
Charity. — ^Toticliing ren dn Europe and America with an interest
Death of a Child. in the conversion of the Somali.
Christian fathers and mothers, let me sug-
gest to you that you admit another into your family. Add a dear
little Somali son to the number of your children and, if you are
blessed with worldly goods, remember also an innocent little girl.
We will educate them for you with great care. Each will cost
between eighteen and twenty dollars a year; this sum includes food,
clothing, and all other costs. The little, black, young lady will even
be allowed some rancid butter to beautify herself for especial feast
days. The little boy will be content to anoint his well-formed supple
limbs with fat. He will learn to use the lance and the shield with
skill, as he will be called upon to repel the attacks of lions and other
wild beasts that roam at large through these unexplored regions.
194 Missions in Africa
I have stated that you may adopt them. They will bear the name of
their benefactor or benefactress and will transmit it with honor to their
descendants.
4-
Hear how a little child died and see whether your benefactions will
not carry blessings with them.
One day, a man came to our mission with a pretty little boy.
" What do you want? " asked the missionary.
" I have brought you my son, Mahmud, and I confide him to you.''
" Is he your only child ? "
" No, I have another.''
" And why have you not brought us both ? "
" No, ^ padri ' ; I want to give one to Mohammed and the other to
Issa (Jesus Christ)."
The little black, given to Jesus Christ, grew up at the mission; but,
whilst the others improved, he remained a savage. His only good
quality was a certain kindness of heart.
One day, he was taken sick, and the Father saw that he would die.
It was impossible to baptize any one in such contrary disposition.
Besides, he had refused to be a Christian. Here was a soul to save.
Having invoked the aid of Heaven, the missionary approaclied the
dying boy. " My dear child," said he, " I believe that God is going to
call you to eternity."
" Father," answered the little savage, " T heg of you, do not let me
die without baptism."
The priest, vc^ry much console<l, spoke to him concerning the great
Christian truths and baptized him. The poor child suffered horribly.-
When asked, what we could do to help him, he murmured: " Father,
I cannot move my paralyzed limbs. I beg of you, turn me so that I
can see the chureh, I want to die looking at the house of God."
The Father granted his wish, and Mahmud, still wet with the waters
of baptism died, fervently repeating the last ejaculatory prayer that
had been suggested to him.
MISSIONS IN OCEANICA
VICARIATE APOSTOLIC OF THE MARQUESAS
ISLANDS
The Mission of the Marquesas Islands, founded in 1838, and in charge
of the Fathers of the Sacred Heart of Picpus, is suffering from the reli-
gious persecution in France. The archipelago forms a part of French
Oceanica, whose governor resides in Tahiti. According to the latest news
from Bishop Martin, vicar apostolic, all the schools of the mission must
be closed. The Brothers of Ploermel have already left the islands, the
Sisters of St. Joseph are about to follow their example, and it is feared
that extreme measures will force the abandonment of the mission. The
vicariate apostolic of the Marquesas Islands possesses 40 churches and
chapels and 7 schools. Its personnel includes one bishop, 9 priests of
the Sacred Heart of Picpus. 3 Brothers of the same society, and 12 native
catechists. There were besides 4 Brothers of Ploermel and 12 Sisters of
St. Joseph.
Our readers will unite with us in prayer to beg God to spare this little
-nission so cruelly tried and not to permit the ruin of works which have
cost sixty years of labor and tears. The Fathers of Picpus have not failed
to inspire their neophytes with devotion to the Sacred Heart. As the
following account testifies, the Sacred Heart has not failed to bestow His
consolations in the fulfillment of His promises made known to Blessed
Margaret Mary.
Leti'er of Father Orens Saint-C-riq, 8. 11. Pic.
Missionary in the Island of Tahuata.
Vaitahu (Tahuata), Soptcmbor 1, 1904.
In one of the valleys of the island of
How Our Lord Tahuata, or Saint Christine, there lived a
Keeps His Promises. family, who having received baptism aposta-
tized. One of this im fortunate household,
however, Rotaria (Rosalie) did not deny her faith. She was fourteen
years old and had just left the Sisters' school where she was conspicuous
for her application and her piety. In her family circle, where all had
195
196 Missions in Oceanica
returned to their old superstitions, she showed a fidelity and zeal
beyond her years ; they might do violence to her body, they could not
bind her will.
Alas! In consequence of the incessant struggle, she fell a victim
to the incurable disease of consumption. The grief of her parents
knew no control and they resorted to all possible and imaginary sor-
ceries to save her. All efforts availed nothing, and the disease
developed to such a point, that Eotaria gradually lost the use of her
reason..
About this time, I received charge of the island of Tahuata. The
relatives of tlie sick girl came to me as soon as I arrived, and begged
me to go to see lier. I followed the mother who, all in tears, recounted
the different phases of the malady and all that had been done for her
daughter's relief.
" Look,'' said she to me, as we crossed the threshold of her house,
and pointed to a corner of the room where an emaciated form tossed
in agony, " she has been that way for over a month."
Rotaria was lying on a mat. At sight of her thin, little body burn-
ing with fever, I surmised that the end was drawing near. She kept
on talking to imaginary creatures; at times calm, at times excited,
now pleading, again commanding. Her conversation was not at all
connected. " Poor child," I said to myself, " she is out of her mind ;
there is nothing for me to do but give her absolution in extremis/'
"Rotaria, Rotaria," cried her mother, "here is Father Orens who
has come to see you."
Regarding her mother with a vacant stare, she continued in her
delirium.
Until now, I had not spoken a word. With the natives of these
islands, it is best not to hurry matters. I knelt down and was pleased
to see that those around me did the same. After saying a "Hail
Mary " in the vernacular, I took the sick girl's hand.
" Rotaria," I said to her.
At the sound of my voice, her feverish agitation ceased ; she fixed
her eyes on me in astonishment, like one aroused from a dream, and
slowly articulated these words :
" 0 ai oef Who are you ? "
" Father Orens."
" Father Orens ! Kaoha nui, how do you do ? "
At these words, a feeble smile passed over her lips and her face
assumed an expression of contentment.
"How are you, Rotaria?"
The Marquesas Islands 197
" Very ill, Father, I am going to die."
She had hardly uttered these words, when she suddenly raised her-
self, stretched out her arras toward some one invisible and cried out
in a strong and indignant voice :
" Look at the one who has brought me where I am/'
I thought that another attack of delirium had come on and tried to
calm her. She lay back very calm, then, turning to me she added in
a sad, though positive^ voice :
" Nevertheless, what I have said is true."
" Even so, did our Lord return evil for evil ? "
"You are right. Father. . . . Will God pardon me?"
" You know that God pardons all those who repent."
" Yes, I know, and I want to go to confession."
" At once."
" Yes, right now."
The poor child had anticipated my desires. Seeing that her mind
was clear, and fearing that she might again become delirious, I granted
her request without delay.
Those who were present at our conversation could not conceal their
astonishment. She whose mind had wondered was now in full posses-
sion of her senses. This new wonder deserved to be known, and when
she had made her confession, half of the inhabitants of the valley
came to witness the astonishing change. She was now very quiet,
listened to my advice with fixed attention, answered every one of my
questions, promised to pray to God that she might not give any trouble
to her parents — in a word, acted, in every way, like one in full posses-
sion of her mental faculties. I went away, promising to return the
next day.
Scarcely had I left the house, when the mother called me back;
" She is out of her mind again ! " In point of fact, when I returned,
I found Rotaria as she was on my first arrival, with wild eyes, distorted
features, her arms extended to thrust back invisible beings, whilst she
uttered nothing but incoherent phrases. Her delirium had suddenly
returned. It seemed very strange, but, as I had done all I could do
as a priest of God, I withdrew thanking Him for the great grace of
having given this poor child a few moments of normal thought.
The next morning, I inquired about her; she had not regained her
senses for a single instant.
198 Missions in Oceanica
To keep my word, I went to sec her in the evening, nevertheless.
I found her as on the night before, gesticulating wildly, and uttering
meaningless phrases, without showing the least signs of consciousness.
I knelt down as did all present and repeated " Kaoha oe, e Maria/'
" Hail Mary," three times. At the third " Hail Mary " Rotaria made
the responses with the others. We made the sign of the cross, so did
she.
" Rotaria," said T to her.
" Good-day, Father, how good you are to come ! "
She continued to speak to me of her illness, the Sisters of Atuona,
her companions at school, her parents, her first communion, etc., listen-
ing and responding exactly like a person in her right mind. After a
long half hour spent thus, I said good-bye.
" You will come back, to-morrow,*' she asked.
" Yes, I will come back."
I had not gone out of the house*, when her delirium came on again.
Every day for a week, the same proceedings were repeated. The
astonishment of the people knew no bounds.
In the meantime, her disease made rapid progress. It was evident
that the little girl's last hour was approaching and she had not yet
received the last sacraments. To take Holy Communion to one half
demented did not se(!m to me to be prudent; therefore, I had delayed.
Now the moment for decision luid come; and what should T do?
It was Friday evening, the day dedicated, in a special manner, to
the Sacred Heart. I went to see Rotaria and found her in her usual
state of frenzy.
At the sound of my voice, however, she answered with a feeble:
'' Kalioa Oraii, good-day. Father."
" You are not better ? "
" No, Father; I am going to die."
"If you are going to die, would you not like to receive Holy Com-
munion before passing into eternity."
" Certainly, Father, but . . . ."
"What is it?"
" Will I be able to go to church ? "
" No ; but since you cannot go to church, I will })ring the Blessed
Sacrament to you."
" Here ! In this house, where no one loves God ? "
" No one ! And you Rotaria, do you not love Him ? "
" Oh ! yes, I love Him."
" You have all heard her say so," I said to those present, " she
The Marquesas Islands 199
wants to receive the last sacraments. Make haste and clean the house ;
sweep it."
Without waiting for a reply, I set to work, knowing, from experience,
that the quickest way to have anything clone in these parts is to do it
yourself. Still, the mother and sister of Eotaria, seemed to feel some
sense of shame on seeing me do all, so thanks to their assistance,
everything was ready in a few minutes.
I left. A few minutes later, and I returned bringing the Blessed
Sacrament and accompanied by a catechist.
Rotaria was making the most frantic gestures. Her voice was very
weak and all that we could hear were unintelligible sounds. What was
to be done!
I placed the Blessed Eucharist on a box serving as a table and covered
with a clean, white linen cloth, before a crucifix with two lighted can-
dles brought by my catechist. I began the prayers of the ritual, turn-
ing toward the sick child from time to time to see whether she noticed
what was going on.
" Rotaria," said I to her ; " here is our Lord ; He is here by you ;
do you not wish to receive Him ? "
Astonished, the poor little one turned her eyes from the Blessed
Sacrament to me, then to those about her. Without saying a word,
she made a sign for her eldest sister to come nearer to her.
I must acknowledge that, at this ^loment, my heart beat faster than
usual. What was going to happen ?
" Help me to sit up," she said.
Alas! she was too feeble; they tried to help her by putting two
pillows back of her head.
" Xow, my white dress," she added. They brought her the white
robe which she had not wanted a few minutes before. She examined
it and then put it on, her mother and sister helping her.
" Now," she said, turning her eyes toward me, " I am ready to receive
my God."
What a joy and what a relief to my heart !
I continued reciting the prayers of the ritual. She herself said all
the acts before and after Communion which she had learned from the
Sisters. Poor child, there was but a breath of life left in her; after
each word,* she was compelled to stop for breath. Nothing could be
sadder and more touching than that scene. I could not repress my
own tears, and I was not surprised to see all around me weeping.
200
Missions in Oceanica
When she had finished her preparation, she received Communion with
angelic piety. Afterwards, she asked to receive Extreme Unction.
When I finished the last prayers, the agony began and she never
regained consciousness. She died Sunday evening.
Hers was not an ordinary death. A few days afterwards, I had
occasion to see Bishop Martin, and could not help but speak to him of
my astonishment.
" Rotaria," said he to me, " is one of the children who went to Com-
munion the first Friday of nine successive months/' •
We know that one of the promises revealed to Blessed Margaret
Mary by our Lord is :
" I promise, in the excess of the mercy of my heart, that my all
powerful love shall give to all those who communicate the first Friday
of nine consecutive months the grace of fmal repentance; they shall
not die in my disfavor, without receiving tlie sacraments, and I shall
be their assured refuge at this last hour."
I had seen this promise realized. It explained Rotaria's death.
May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be ever thanked and praised !
NEWS OF THE MISSIONS
ASIA
Apostolic Labors of the Fathers of the Foreign Missions
of Paris
The annual report of the Society for Foreign Missions of Paris has
just appeared. In the introduction we read :
" Although our beloved missions have suffered no irreparable loss,
nevertheless the year 1904 has been a very trying one for some of them.
" Southern Manchuria has borne a large share of the calamities
which follow upon war. The youngest missionary of this vicariate.
Father Tr6cul, fell by the ball of a brigand, October IG, whilst defend-
ing the life of one of his Christians. Great agitation continues to
prevail in Korea and seriously impedes the action of apostolic laborers.
The missions of Japan have suffered much from the war which cannot
be prolonged without doing them much harm.
"Western Cochin China was ravaged by the terrible typhoon of
May 1, which devastated the whole western region of this vicariate;
Northern Cochin China, by that of September 11, which caused the
death of its pro-vicar. Father Dangelzer.
" Other vicariates apostolic have been tried by cholera pestilence,
famine, fire and piracy.
" In spite of war, typhoons, epidemics and difficulties of all kinds
• which the evil one puts in the way of missionaries, our work has not
been fruitless. The following figures are not discouraging:
36,470 adult baptisms ;
517 conversions from heresy;
130,871 baptisms of pagan children.
" We coud not hope for better results even in less tried times.
201
202 News of the Missions
" In the missions under our charge, we number : 680 native priests,
2598 catechists, 5116 churches or chapels, 39 seminaries or colleges,
with 2224 students, 3610 schools with 99,842 boys and girls, 330
infant or orphan asylums with 27,011 children of both sexes, 489
dispensaries, and 116 hospitals or leper asylums.
" The personnel of our society numbers 1340, bishops and mission-
aries, and they have charge of 1,340,346 Christian souls/'
The Situation in China
Bishop Marc Chatagnon, P. F. M., vicar apostolic of Southern Si-
chuan, writes from Sin-fu, January 22, 1905 :
" In the evil times in which we live, it is necessary for us to know
our bearings. I shall soon call a meeting of my missionaries.
"I always take advantage of those feast days of the New Year,
February 4, at which time no one does any work in China for two
weeks, to call together our own missionaries : the Chinese priests meet
later. This year we must make haste. Who knows what *is reserved
for the year 1905. Will we be able to come together later? We ought
to number forty-five missionaries, but some will be prevented from
coming by sickness or pressing business. When we assemble we make
our annual retreat, discuss the plans of action for the new year, dis-
tribute our arms, that is to say, the alms of the Propagation of the
Faith and of the Holy Childhood, and each returas to his post re-
inforced, morally and physically, for another year. To do all this
requires from ten to fifteen days.
" I have said that we must make haste. In fact, the situation is
waxing very hot. Eyes are turned in every direction to see where the
bomb is going to burst. The Japanese, furious at not having settled
matters with Russia, are trying with all their might to excite the
Chinese to help them. We may be sure that, if the Chinese mix in
affairs, they will not distinguish between Russians, English, and
French. They will even sacrifice the interests of their compatriots,
the native Christians. Pillage, fire and massacres will begin afresh.
The Boxer persecution, which has never been completely suppressed,
will break out more violently than in 1900.
" All signs of an approaching storm are in evidence ; pamphlets and
incendiary proclamations are pouring in from all sides. Symptoms
of the ' yellow f ever,^ which is, in truth, the yellow peril, are prevalent.
Asia 203
The Japanese who work China in every sense of the word and Chinese
students returning from Japan contribute not a little toward dissemi-
nating the germs. Our province is not protected from contagion.
"Very lately, one of my oldest missionaries stationed about two
days' travel from here, very nearly lost his life in an attack similar to
that which caused the death of Bishop Theotime, of Hu-peh, last year
He only escaped through a bonze who made known the plot. The con-
spirators met at his house without permission. A pagoda somewhat
secluded, on the top of a wooded hill near the residence of the mission-
ary, seemed to them a favorable spot for a bold stroke. The bonze who
was frightened at the consequences which any such action might have
for him and his pagoda, secretly notified the mandarins who seized
and dispersed the offenders. Others are ready for a fresh attempt,
however, and the matter is only delayed.
" You can understand that these times of trouble are not favorable
for the preaching of the Gospel. Still, we have never before numbered
so many conversions. It seems that all the scourges of the past ten
years have fallen on China; pestilence in some provinces, famine in
others; civil and foreign wars together with all their accompanying
evils are beginning to arouse the Chinese from their lethargy and open
their eyes. God, Who desires the salvation of all, is not content with
inviting men to the banquet of the Gospel; He invites them, urges
them and forces them to partake of it by every possible means. To
compel men to think of a future life, nothing is more efficacious than
to disgust them with life on this earth. Misery is a more successful
sermon on detachment than any we can preach. That is the reason
why there is so much of it. It is not hard for us to admit the pagans
who apply to us; provided their motives are good, we do not require
them to be highly supernatural. Besides, suffering is one of the most
powerful and valued motives.
" But without the grace of God, trials harden rather than convert
sinners. The Chinese, though so far rebellious to the preaching of the
Gospel, have not abused the grace of God like the apostates of Europe.
That is why God seems to grant them more abundant and powerful
graces which lead to their conversion. All my missionaries are im-
ploring me for assistants to share their labors or, at least, for catechists
to distribute the bread of the word to the crowds that gather at the
doors of the churches. They come from all parts, the most secluded
204 News of the Missions
spots where no missionary has yet set foot and no preacher of the
Gospel has yet been heard. You can imagine what thirty or forty
missionaries can do in a country larger than New England, numbering
twenty million inhabitants. They have begun by establishing them-
selves in the large cities, but now they are obliged to penetrate into the
mountains and the most remote regions. It is the virgin soil free from
all bad seed that usually chokes the good which holds out the fairest
promise for richest harvests/^
A Solemn Procession of the Sovereigns of the Celestial
Empire
The following extract is taken from the letter of Rev. Van de Welde,
a Belgian missionary in Mongolia, who witnessed the interesting cere-
mony described, while on a short visit to Pekin :
" On Sunday, November 13, 1904, the emperor, young empress, and
empress dowager went to the summer palace for a sojourn of three
days to celebrate the seventieth birthday anniversary of the aged
sovereign. I enjoyed a very close view of the cortege as it passed
along the boulevard, from which a broad street leads to the cathedral.
" From nine o'clock on, all entrance to the residence was forbidden
for the whole day. Soldiers stretched large pieces of canvas at the end
of the avenue to prevent the gaze of the curious that lived along the
route of procession.
^^ About ten o'clock I heard the sound of trumpets announcing the
approach of the imperial party. Everybody on the boulevard at once
fled into the houses or the adjacent streets. One straggler, a wagon
driver, was brutally driven off, before my very eyes, by the mandarins
and soldiers, for the command not to look upon the emperor is absolute.
All window blinds were lowered ; ours too. But blinds are sometimes
very accommodating, and ours afforded a narrow opening sufficient for
me to see the interesting sight.
" The mandarins in the lead wore magnificent robes witii a moon
embroidered in different colors on the back. Twenty men followed
bearing glistening banners on each of which a dragon, the emblem of
the empire, stood prominently forth. Next in line came a strong
escort of soldiers, with guns on their shoulders in true European
fashion ; between the two lines rode the great mandarins.
" Then came the emperor. He was seated in a superb palanquin.
Asia
205
borae by eight men in costumes of varied color. To see him better,
I ventured to raise the curtain a little. Although he is thirty years
of age, he did not bok to me over twenty. His countenance, very pale,
wore an expression of gentleness. His skin is much fairer than that
of his countrymen in general. That may be due to his state of ill
health. When he passed before my window, our eyes met; I did not
let the curtain fall, however, and could easily have exchanged a
friendly glance with him; any such act would have been altogether
contrary to Chinese custom and, as well disposed as the emperor might
have been, some mandarin wouH have found serious objection to the
liberty of a ' western devil.*
" Immediately after His Majesty, came a number of horsemen and
wagons with packages, most probably the commissary division. The
curious came out from their retreats and the boulevard was instantly
thronged with people.
" About half -past ten o'clock a second call of trumpets again put
the crowd to flight. The cortege of the empress-mother set in motion ;
it was organized like the first, but was much more magnificent.
" The empress dowager is, by no means, as ugly as Europeans repre-
sent her. She does not look over fifty; but, it may be, that powder
and paint concealed some of her years.
" Other vehicles, soldiers and mandarins closed the procession ; after
they had passed, the people again took possession of the street."
DESTINATION OF MISSIONARIES
Reported since the April Annals
NORTH AMERICA
Unitid States
Uev.Si^smond Uydlew8kI,C.S.Sp.
SOUTH AMERICA
Chili
Rev. Flavien Prat, S.H.Pic.
♦» D. H. de Mendoza, S.H.Pic.
Amazon
Rev. Henri Maurice, C.S.Sp.
AFRICA
Freiich Congo
Rev. Cyrille Moulin, C.S.Sp.
dmhehasia
Rev. Aufiruste Muller. C.S.Sp.
*' Goepp, C.S.Sp.
Cunene
Rev. Jean Steinmetz, C.S.Sp.
** Joaquin Pereira, C.S.Sp.
•* Felix Villain, C.S.Sp.
" J. Le Borgne, C.S.Sp.
Sierra Leon^
Rev. F. J. Sinner. C.S.Sp.
Rev
Gold Coast
Fr. Riber, L.A.M.
** Mutscheler, L.A.M.
" Schmitt, L.A.M.
Ivory Coattt
Rev. Fr. Meheupt, L.A.M.
•♦ ** Moly, UA.M.
Dahomey
Rev. Fr. Gagnaire, L.A.M.
Sencgambia
Rev. Alexandre Alaux, C.S.Sp.
'* Joseph Cosson, C.S.Sp.
Br. F. Defi-anc, C.S.Sp.
Lower Niger
Rev. Jean Feral, C.S.Sp.
Benin
Rev. Prosper Cartal, L.A.M.
" Joseph Ferrerio, L.A.M.
Gabon
Rev. Leon Girod, C.S.Sp.
" P. Bailly-Comptc, C.S.Sp.
ASIA
China.
Kwann-tung
Rev. J. A. Genty, P.F.M.
Western Tonkin
Rev. J. J. Marty. P.F.M.
Northern Manchuria
Rev. Louis Biarill, P.F.M.
SoulTiem Manchurta
Rev. J. B. Goytino, P.F.M.
Eastern Cochin China
Rev. E. J. J. Decrouille, P.F.M.
Korea
Rev. M. C. Julien, P.F.M.
India
Pondicherry
Rev. G. E. Boyer. P.F.M.
Southern Burma.
Rev. Joseph Mourlanne, P.F.M.
Kumbakonam
Rev. C. A. J. Dovin. P.F.M.
OCEANICA
Sandwich Islands
Rev. F. P. Steffen, S.H.Pic.
206
SUPPLEMENT
AMERICAN EDITION
Annals of the Propagation of the Faith
IRISH MISSIONARIES AT THE UPPER NILE
(equatorial AFRICA.)
Letter of Bishop Hanlon,
Vicar Apostolic of the Upper Nile.
To THE Society for the Propagation of the Faith.
The history of the vicariate of the Upper Nile is one more proof of
the goodness of God in* encouraging the zeal and sacrifices of mis-
sionaries.
The Society for the Propagation of the Faith has been the especial
instrument in the designs of God to help us support missions already
established, develop works of piety, charity, and education, clothe the
poor, make Ohristian marriages possible, distribute books, found mis-
sion stations in populous villages, open schools, educate catechists,
support dispensaries, care for the sick, lay out roads, erect buildings,
and cultivate the soil.
After having established seven stations in Uganda we entered the
neighboring country to the east, Busoga, whose inhabitants are inferior
in intelligence and civilization to the Bagandas. We now have three
stations there.
From there we passed into Buhedi, a country even more barbarous
207
208 Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals
than Busoga^ and have founded two stations. Recently, we traversed
the whole of Kavirondo, hounded on the north hy Mt. Elgar and on
the south by the Anglo-German protectorate. The natives of Kavi-
rondo are the most barbarous tribe we know. We have stationed mis-
sionaries in Port Florence, in the south of Kavirondo, and have lately
tried to establish ourselves in Mumia in northern Kavirondo.
Although we have not enough money to provide for ordinary neces-
sities, we may not delay fresh undertakings, otherwise Protestant error
will advance before truth, and the minds of the natives be prejudiced
against our Church.
The work of conversion among natives is making fine progress.
However, in Uganda and Busoga the frightful epidemic of the sleep-
ing sickness has laid thousands of victims low and greatly reduced the
number of our Christians.
The White Fathers know it well. This terrible diseajse has raged
longest and most fatally in the vicariate of the Upper Nile. As for
Busoga, we were obliged to recall the missionaries from St. Francis
Xavier station because our people had died of the plague; thousands
died; the others had flecf.
The flourishing station of Our Lady Immaculate, situated on Kome
Island in Lake Victoria, experienced the same fate. This station
comprised Kome, the island of Damba, and other neighboring isles,
where we were instructing a number of promising catechumens. Alas !
nearly all the natives are dead; the islands are almost depopulated.
Silence and desolation reign where before thousands led a life of sim-
plicity, fishing or cultivating the soil. Our missionaries were com-
pelled to seek other fields.
■ On the large island of Buvuma, the population has decreased from
12,000 families to 4000 within the space of two years ; in other words,
two-thirds of the people have died. The disease is still prevalent
there. It is said that more than 300 deaths occurred dn January and
350 in February, 1905. We have an important station in Buvuma,
founded four years ago ; last September we numbered 1000 Christians
and the report for last year stated 162 baptisms, besides 313 baptisms^
of catechumens in articulo mortis. Such are the severe trials which
our missionaries are bearing; their mission, so full of promise, seems
on the verge of destruction.
This horrible epidemic has claimed thousands of victims among the
catechumens and Christians in our most important stations of Uganda.
All have suffered; the principal station in the capital, Nsambya;
Mulajje, a very important one, and Nyenga, near the Nile. In each
Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals 209
of these districts dozens of settlements along the shores of the lake
have been devastated like the others; the islands are almost depopu-
lated. Catechumens and catechists are dead. In traveling over these
districts the saddest sight meets the eye; gardens and banana fields
are neglected and covered with brush, the houses are in ruins. Not a
human being is to be seen as far as the eye can reach ; the silence and
solemnity of the grave reign. Though the disaster is enormous, our
missionaries have not lost courage. The disease is carried by the fly
" tsetse,'^ which is fortunately confined to lake regions.
The interior of the country suffers comparatively little from the
epidemic. The statistics of the mission of Nagalama, about six hours^
Uganda. — Franciscan Nuns and Natives before Their Hut.
walk from Xsambya, furnish a striking proof. At Xagalama sleep-
ing sickness has not yet made its appearance and all is going along
smoothly. We are doing our best to alleviate the distressing condition
of the people.
In consequence of the sad havoc wrought, we have been obliged to
direct our steps to healthier localities and begin our labors anew.
In Busoga, a neighboring country, superstition and idleness thwart
the missionaries' efforts and have rendered thoir labor of years almost
210 Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals
futile. However, a change seems to have taken place. Thanks be
to God ! we are able to see some good results. Formerly only children
came to our schools; now their parents come with them and bring
other adult members of the family; we are even instructing several
chiefs, some of whom are of important rank, besides a few petty
princes. All are anxious to leam. What we need now above all
things else are good and faithful catechists.
In the savage country of Bukedi, to the north of Busoga, where the
initial labors were extremely difficult, the kindly influence of mis-
Uqanda. — A Group of Native Men.
sionaries has at last gained recognition. Last year, in the district of
Budaka, we numbered 122 baptisms, of which 109 were adult; there
are now 300 Christians, 500 catechumens, and 50 boys at school.
These figures are especially consoling to me, for they indicate enor-
mous sacrifices and unheard-of patience on the part of the mission-
aries who are laboring among this most barbarous people.
As for the natives of Kavi rondo, they live in so savage a state that
they have not adopted the least vestige of clothing; the stations of
^lumia and Port Florence Kesumu demand the greatest sacrifices be-
fore any results can be hoped for. The priests are content to get the
boys to attend school. Adults are beginning to come for instruction.
Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals 211
The railroad from Mombassa to Grand Lake has opened a country
heretofore forbidden to us on account of the great distances of travel.
At present, we have three missionary posts along the road and the
Fathers from Port Florence, the terminus of the line, visit the country
at different times. We hope to become acquainted with the various
tribes and establish missions so that the influence of the priests may
extend to the natives in the interior.
We mourn the loss of one of our priests who died of fever; three
others have returned to Eupope to regain their health.
4-
Uganda. — The King's Lake, where in Fobmeb Times He Caused Prisoners
TO be Fastened to a Stake, to be Devoured Piece-meal
BY the Crocodiles.
From a material point of view, our missions have lost much during
the year 1904. For example : last April, the church in the principal
station, Nsambya, was destroyed by a storm and we have no resources
for rebuilding. In the meantime, we have tried to erect some kind
of a structure from the ruins of the first. At Port Florence, on the
shore of the lake, a stone house was almost overthrown ; the iron roof
was carried away and the house almost demolished. It had to be
repaired as soon as possible. A new and beautiful brick church which
the Fathers were building in Mulaj je was struck by lightning in June ;
a large part had to be rebuilt ; it is now finished, has been blessed and
opened to the faithful. At Nyenga, close to the Nile, the church
212 Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals
caught fire during a thunderstorm, in December ; it has been replaced
by a tempoi*ary structure.
I am happy to say that, with the means at our disposal, we have
been able to maintain our missionaries at their stations and have been
able to provide six stations with better dwellings for the Fathers.
This precaution is necessary for the preservation of their health.
The latest news from them is that all are well.
In the vicariate apostolic of the Upper Nile conditions are com-
pletely changed. The English civil authorities demand a good price
of- missionaries as of merchants and colonists for the little ground
they need to build their dwellings. This change of affairs is of serious
import to us; heretofore we always received the ground for our sta-
tions from native chiefs. Our rights to these tracts were examined
by the English government and ratified under certain restrictive condi-
tions. We only owned the ground for the exclusive use of the mission.
For example, we were forbidden to rent or sell it; if, for any reason
whatever, we left any locality, the ground belonged, ipso facto, to the
government. Now we are obliged to buy the ground we need at the
market price and it becomes our property. We have no capital in
money, but live from day to day. At the beginning of this year I
sent all that I could, which was $2500, to support 32 priests and
all the institutions in our stations; this amount must suffice them
until I can obtain the resources they need to carry on their work. I
have the greatest desire to build a church in Nsambya; it would cost
$t5000. I can not carry out that idea because I must give immediate
aid to the missionaries in Busoga, Bukedi, and Kavirondo.
THE CHINESE SEMINARY OF CANTON
Letter of the Right Rev. John Merel,
Prefect Apostolic of Canton,
To the Rev. Joseph Freri,
Director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith.
Canton, China^ April, 1905.
Rev. and Dear Father:
You are desirous of securing some data as to our native seminary,
the important part it has played in our mission, its development, and
its present condition, and I cheerfully give whatever I can gather
with the hope that these lines will secure a sympathetic interest which
will be practically helpful to our young levites.
Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals 213
The native Seminary of the Prefecture of Canton was established
in 1850, and was placed at first in the Island of Hong Kong, at a place
called Tang Lang Chau. In 1848, the Sovereign Pontiff Pius IX of
holy memory, seeing that the old Christians of the province of Canton
were slowly disappearing because of the small number of the mis-
sionaries, and the Chinese priests from Macao, who were then in
charge, sent to them some of the Fathers of the Foreign Missions of
Paris. Five years later he gave to our Fathers, to the exclusion of
all others, full jurisdiction, not only over the province of Canton, but
also over the neighboring province, both of which at that time com-
prised more than fifty millions of inhabitants.
These missionaries were under the direction of Father Libois, the
procurator of the Foreign Mission Society establishment at Hong
Kong. He was firmly convinced that the only practical way, and a
plan in accordance with the will of the Holy Father, was to establish
a native Seminary where, the young *men might be trained and sent
forth to preach the Gospel to their own people. Bishop Guillemin,
the first Prefect Apostolic of Kwang Tung, who had the singular priv-
ilege of being consecrated by Pius IX himself, devoted himself to the
development of the Seminary over which he himself had formerly
presided as superior. His plan for the work was twofold : First, to
transfer the establishment from Hong Kong to Canton itself, but
this he was unable to do for many years, circumstances were in truth
very unfavorable. Not to speak of those who were already imprisoned,
or were threatened with it, two of the Fathers from Paris had shed
their blood upon the soil where they had hoped to plant the Gospel.
One of these glorious victims, Chapdelaine, was condemned to death
by the sub-prefect Kwang-di, and was beheaded on the 26th day of
February, 1856.
It was not until 1869 that the Canton students were recalled from
Tang Lang Chau and came to Canton to live. Not to their own house
did they come, not to an establishment which should have been erected
for the purpose, did the resources of the mission permit, but to quarters
set aside for them in the Orphanage of the Holy Infancy.
The second proposition that Bishop Guillemin desired was that all
the rudimentary studies, as well as theology and the general formation
of the student's character, should be had under the direction of the
missionaries and the supervision of the Bishop himself. The latter
the venerable Prelate did not live to see accomplished. He felt that
at no time should it ever be necessary for a student to leave his country
214 Supplement to the American Edition op the Annals
for any part of his clerical training. There he was to spend his
priestly life and there all his needs should be supplied.
Two very strong reasons were opposed to the plan. In the first
place, the expenses for such a foundation, and the necessity of giving,
as far as possible, all the material help that could be gathered to the
missionaries working in the field, made this impracticable.
Moreover, his Grace as a missionary Bishop had given unqualified
support to the foundation of a native college of the Foreign Missions
established in 1807 in the Island of Pinang near Malacca, a college
Canton. — Bishop Mesel and European Missionabies.
wheret the students of the Paris Society were trained. It was in 1860
that the first departure took place from Tang Lang Chau for Pinang.
From Hong Kong were sent all those boys who had studied the first
elements of Latin grammar and whose conduct gave promise of their
future usefulness and reliability. At Pinang they remained six or
seven years. The seminarians, after they had finished their theological
studies, were sent to Canton, there to receive instruction in preaching
from one of the missionaries, and afterwards ordination from their
Bishop. This plan of sending the seminarians to Pinang had this
to recommend it, namely, the mission was spared the expense of pay-
ing for the education of the students, an expense which was quite an
Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals 215
item. Burses had been established at the college, and thus the candi-
dates from the different stations could be educated free both at Pinang
and at the Seminary of Tang Lang Chau. Fourteen native priests,
of whom nine are still living, passed through this course, and either
alone or under the direction of the older Fathers, exercised a fruitful
ministry. We may add that very efficient help was given by our
catechists who, after being, instructed for some time in latin and
Canton. — Chinese Catholic Pbiests.
theology, and finding that they were not called to the Holy Priest-
hood, gave themselves as helpers to the Fathers.
Meantime Bishop Guillemin received as co-adjutor, in 1881, Bishop
Chausse, an old superior of the mission, who succeeded the former in
1886. Then, and for many years afterwards, the zealous labors of
the missionaries bore abundant fruit ; our converts had been increased
from two to forty thousand. Each year we were able to count thou-
sands of baptisms both of children and adults; our Priests had
216 Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals
increased from fifty to two hundred. " listen," writes Bishop
Chausse, " not to the clash of arms but to the voice of the Holy Spirit.
Listen to the footsteps of our people hurrying to our churches to hear
the glad tidings ; listen to the crowds of catechumens surrounding our
residences, demanding the grace of baptism. 0 blessed days, a thou-
sand times blessed ! '^
The missionaries, though they had increased in numbers each suc-
ceeding year, were not sufficient to minister to the wants of the people,
and it was necessary as well as advisable to provide for more native
priests. About this time it was found expedient to give up the old plan
of sending our students to the college at Pinang, because this estab-
lishment could not receive the increasing number, and as the orphan-
age could not accommodate the children and students, it was decided
to erect a separate building. This was done in the year 1894, on the
site of the old cathedral, and on the ground owned by the mission
itself. The following year it was finished and the new seminary
opened its doors for work in October, 1895. In a few years it gave
to the mission four new Priests, and at the present writing it is
training sixty students, of whom forty are finishing their theological
studies. Soon the number of our native Priests will be doubled.
On the day that the new institution was opened, the mission de-
prived of the help given by the college at Pinang, was compelled to
face a new and trying condition. The pertinent question arose, how
to care for sixty young men, all dependent on the resources which the
mission would have to pro^dde. In less than two years Bishop
Chausse, alarmed at the growing expenses, made an appeal to the
Catholics of the world for his seminary, through the organ of the
Society for the Propagation of the Faith, called " IjCs Missions Cath-
oliques."
About this time a severe blow fell on the vicariate in the loss of
Bishop Chausse, whom God called to Himself on the 12th of October,
1900.
We having been chosen to succeed him, one of our first thoughts
was to find a solution to the problem, which could no longer be delayed
without increasing the already heavy expenses of the mission or
forcing us to dismiss a number of our dear seminarians. This latter
would mean of course that native Priests could not be educated,
although there was a sad need of them at the time.
Following the example of our venerable and lamented predecessor,
we also published in "Les Missions Catholiques ^^ an appeal to the
Catholics of the world to come to our assistance. " It is impossible,^^
Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals 217
we wrote in our first letter in 1902, " to depend on the parents of our
students to relieve the burden resting on the mission. Our Christians
are poor, for the most part, and those who are blessed with some
wordlj goods have, as a rule, large families which must be provided
for. All our students are therefore dependent on us, who, besides
educating them, must clothe and house them."
The sum necessary to support a student is not very large it is true,
but if this is multiplied by sixty, representing the number of students
! 1'! 1
MM
V* • ^ ^ - ^^ ' ' * *ii "
5f* * '*■•-* ^
*}J^ ■ i— «..-.'^-''"
Canton. — College Students.
we have, the amount is considerably increased. The mission is abso-
lutely unable to meet the running expenses for the year through the
allowance received from the Society for the Propagation of the
Faith. From it we receive each year the sum of $9974, to be divided
among more than eighty missionaries and native priests. The sum
allotted to the former is from $70 to $140, and to the latter only $50,
for the entire year. We may say to those charitably disposed to help
us that we will receive offerings, no matter how small, with the deep-
est gratitude. May we suggest two very practical methods, namely,
either to establish a burse outright or to pay the expenses of a student
218 Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals
for a year or several years. To those who may be surprised that $25
will suffice to support a college boy for a year, let me say that the price
of food in China is very much less than in other countries. Five cents
will purchase enough rice meat and vegetables for a person for one
day and $3 will buy him enough clothing to last for an entire year.
The price varies, of course; for an older student in the seminary a
larger sum is naturally required.
Through the generous offerings we have already received, we have
now t\^'enty such burses, but we are very anxious to make provision for
the forty others. In return for the help granted us, either by the indi-
vidual or by several together, we can promise a. perpetual memento in
the prayers of our poor students. When one of these young men, edu-
cated by such generosity, has been ordained a Priest, he, as well as the
one who is in course of preparation, will be mindful of the benefactor
who made it possible for them to minister at God's altar. And so the
number will be constantly increased, and their prayers and Masses will
ascend before the Great White Throne for the spiritual and temporal
welfare of those who so generously helped them.
Moreover, besides the prayers offered for our benefactors, a share is
offered in the merits of four Masses offered on the four great festivals
of the year, likewise a share in four general communions of our
community.
Lastly, the names of our kind helpers are engraved on a marble
tablet, which is placed in the chapel, to recall to succeeding genera-
tions the generosity of our benefactors and to ask a prayer for their
souls.
Let me kdd that our young men are all of excellent families and, as
a rule, are full of faith and piety. For instance, the Father who has
been in charge of the house for the past ten years can give many
examples of their devotion, which would sound as strange as they
are true.
" Not long ago," he says, " there was a young student here who had
an intense love for the Blessed Sacrament. Often I have seen him
kneeling before the tabernacle oblivious of everything but the Sacred
Presence before him. Every spare moment he had he spent in the
chapel, and I have known him to remain wrapt in his devotions for
hours at a time, yes I have known him to remain until midnight
when the other students had retired to their rooms after the customary
night prayers."
This is of. course exceptional and cannot be said of all, but in gen-
Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals 219
eral our young men are a great consolation to their superiors and a
source of edification to one another.
To sum it all up, let me say in conclusion that there are in the
Seminary of Canton forty students whom we cannot provide for with-
out increasing the already heavy debt of the mission. We need help
and unless it is forthcoming sooner or later we will be forced to send
some of our young men home to their people, despite the great need
there is for native Priests.
We do not exaggerate when we say that the choicest blessings must
fall on those who help this most worthy charity. " More blessed is it
to give than to receive,^' says the Apostle ; how blessed it must be to
give to Him from whom every gift -comes — the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
SPECIAL DONATIONS
Eeceived since the June Number.
For Archbishop Meulkman, S. J., Calcutta.
Per Rev. James Anthony Walsh (Diocese of Boston) f 25.00
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Per Rev. James Anthony Walsh (Diocese of Boston) ^?X^
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For Bishop Maqubt, S. J., S. B. Chili. ^ ^^
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For Bishop Coqset, C. M., So. Kianosi.
Per Rev. J. Frerl (Diocese of New York) 2.00
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Per Rev. James Anthony Walsh (Diocese of Boston) ?^-x2
Mr. J. A. Patterson (Diocese of Mobile) 10.00
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For Father Price, N. Carolina.
Per Rev. John J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 2.o0
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Per Rev. James Anthony Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 3.00
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Per Rev. James Anthony Walsh (Diocese of Bo«ton) 500
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Anonymous (Diocese of New York) ».00
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Per Rev. J. Frerl (Diocese of New York) 2.00
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Per Rev. John J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 2.25
For Father Corrb, P. F. M., Nagasaki. ,^,vr.
A Priest (Diocese of St. Cloud) 10-00
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FOR Father Dupin, P. F. M., Tongking. , „ , , oo qt
Per Rev. James Anthony Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 22.87
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Per Rev. J. Frerl (Diocese of New York) -200
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Per Rev. J. Frerl (Diocese of New York) -fiOO
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Per Rev. J. Frerl (Diocese of New York) 2.00
For Father Gorbas, P. F. M., Upper Burma. ^ „ ^ ^ ,^ ^
Per Rev. James Anthonv Walsh ( Diocese of Boston) 10,00
For Father Clement, P. F. M.. Pondicherry „ ^ ^ . _ _ ^
Per Rev. James Anthony Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 30.00
For Father Mayr, Natal. . ^. ,- . v o nn
Per Rev. John J. Dunn (Diocese of New \ork) 2.00
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For Father Ignaci, S. J.. Trichinopoli.
Per Rev. J. Frerl (Diocese of New York) 2.00
Per Rev. John J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 1.00
For Father Fraser. Che-Kiang.
Mr. C. Casey (Diocese of Hartford) 1.00
For Father Conrad, O. M. I., Ceylon.
Per Rev. J. Frerl (Diocese of New York) -.00
For Father Cota. C. M.. Madagascar.
Per Rev. J. Frerl (Diocese of New York) 2.00
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Per Rev. J. Frerl (Diocese of New York) 2.00
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Per Rev. J. Frerl (Diocese of New York) 2.00
220
Obituary 221
For Bbothes Serafion Van Hoof, S. H. Pic, Molokai.
Per Rev. James Anthony Walsh (Diocese of Boston) $ 1.00
Fob Sister St. Andrew, Osaka.
Per Rev. John J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 7. 27.00
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For Armenian Orphans.
Per Rev. John J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) • 5.00
Anonymous (Diocese of Detroit) 1.00
For Leper Missions.
Per Rev. James Anthony Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 10.00
For Various Missions.
A Priest (Diocese of San Francisco) 300.00
OBITUARY
The following deceased persons are recommended to the charitable
prayers of our Associates :
Right Eev. A. Usse, P. P. M., Vicar Apostolic of Northern Burma;
Right Rev. L. A. Dartois, L. A. M., Vicar Apostolic of Dahomey;
Right Rev. Geo. Eich^ S. H. Pic, (Jo-adjutor Bishop of Tahiti;
Very Rev. A. Martin, Superior General of the Society of Mary;
Rev. Ignatius Delveaux, Rev. John F. Lynch, Rev. Father
KiELY, of the Diocese of New York.
Mr. C. O'Leary, Diocese of Kerry, Ireland; Mr. Edw. V. Wingard,
Diocese of Baltimore; Mr. Nicholas Burke, Diocese of New Orleans;
Mr. Mohat, Diocese of Omaha; Miss Hannah O'Donnell, Diocese of
Portland.
Of the Diocese of New York the following: Mary Campbell, Catharine
McDevitt, John MuUoy, John Hayes, Patrick Moran, Patrick Toohey, Mrs.
Alice Mulgrew, Michael Kiely, Margaret Roache, Thomas Murray, John V.
Harris, Mary Burns, Bernard McKeon, Robert Mullen, Daniel Reidy, Mr.
Hennessey, Patrick Mannix, James Everard, Margaret Corcoran, Mary Mc-
Manus, Edward Eagan, Alfred Nugent, Mrs. B. Barnes, George Barnes,
Mrs. George Austin, John Pennessy, James Lantry, Edward Dean, Thomas
Murray, Delia Sweeny, Mrs. Julia Hayes, Luke Noone, Mary O'Malley,
Daniel Smith, Mrs. M. Dempsey, Anna Britt, Timothy F. O'Brien, Edward
Murphy, John Gorman, Frank Trabold, Catherine Mooney, Jennie Mulligan,
Johannah Jordan, Ellen Mannix, Margaret Creeden, Catharine Missing,
Bridget Welsh, Margaret Denis, Timothy Clarke, Patrick Flynn, Margaret
Barnes, Cecelia Hogan, Patrick Tierney, John Brooks, Mrs. Rose McCourt,
Elizabeth Cronin, Mary Hatton, Patrick Tierney, Mr. James O'Brien, Mrs.
James O'Brien, Owen Traynor, John Traynor, Edward T. Divine, Mrs. Mary
Coyle, Mrs. John H. Maguire, Thomas Quinn, Mrs. Elizabeth Mulcahey,
John Fergus, Catharine Baldwin, Mary Hanrahan, Bridget O'Donnell, James
Donohue. Miss Bamberg, James King, James Harrington, Patrick King
Laura Cullen, Catharine Walsh, James Larkin, Ellen McAniney, William
Gilluley, Richard M. Comerford, Maurice A. Casey, James King, Thomas J.
Millmore, Mary Mulgrew, Lizzie Duggan, James Coughlin, Patrick Dono-
222 OBITUARY
hue, Edward T. Divine, Mary McGrade, Cecelia Traynor, Owen Donohue,
Martin C. Monaghan, William Sheridan, Michael Walsh, Mary Quinn, Mrs.
Brasch, John Duddy, Margaret Delehaut, Delia Carroll, William Creegan,
William Leahy, Mary Lachbach, Bernard Woods, William Jordan, John
Charles Beales, Mortlmore Murphy, J. J. Leonard, Mrs. Logan, Alice Burke,
Michael Stanley, Katharine Cody, Thomas M. O'Neill, Catharine Bergen,
Joseph R. Kelly, Delia Sheridan, Annie McCormack, Francis Markey, Julia
Carey, Eliza Brady, Mrs. Anna Kavanagh, Joseph P. Bantley.
'Of the Diocese of Boston the following: Ida B. Jackson, Walter Tulte,
Mrs. Bridget Bowler, Mary Sharp, Malcolm McLean, Marion McDonald,
Mrs. Ellen Kelley, Mrs. Mary McLean, Mrs. Mary Fitzsimmons, James
Dunn, William Dunn, Michael Fitzpatrick, Mrs. McNamara, Katherine
Hourihan, Mrs. Mary Moran, Mary E. O'Rourke, James Walsh, John
McLaughlin, Qulnlan Sullivan, Katherine McLean, Jno. Fitzsimmons, Wil-
liam Feeley, Mrs. Jno. McDonald, Mrs. Margt. Cotter, Mrs. Madigan, Patrick
Corbett, James Downey, William Kennedy, John Naughton, Mrs. Jos. Sulli-
van, Mrs. Mary G. O'Neill, Thos. Walsh, Catherine Welsh, Jas. Burke, Thos.
Snee, Prosper Young, Jno. F. Sullivan, Jane Corbett, Lena Casey, Mrs.
Joseph Sullivan, Michael Gilday, Jeremiah Sullivan, Margaret McGarty,
Catherine King, Mr. Edwards, Johanna Sullivan, William Leddy, Mary
Larkln, Mrs. Elizabeth Doyle, Mary Coyne, Simon P. Sullivan, Mrs. Mar-
garet Scully, Mrs. Eliz. Burns, Lena Casey, Sarah Gilday, Mrs. Ellen Rear-
don, John F. Connolly, Mrs. John Eagan, Winifred McPhee, Bridget Leddy,
Peter Scott, William McNamara, Charles Keenan, Mary A. Roache, Mrs.
Helen Hosman, Michael J. O'Connell.
(We shall be glad to recommend all deceased associates whose
names are sent us to the prayers of our readers.)
Publications of the Society for tlie Propagation of the Faith
71he Society far the Propagation of the Faith and the Catholic Missions^ 1822-
1900. Postpaid, lo cents.
Mishap Favier's Diary of the Siege of Fehin, May-August^ 2900. Postpaid,
ID cents.
Origin and Causes of the Chinese Crisis. By Rev. J. Fkeri, D. C. L. Post-
paid, 5 cents.
The Propaganda. (A Sketch.) ByRsv. J.Frew,D.C.L. Postpaid, id cents.
The Catholic Foreign Mission Field. Two papers by the Revs. J. Fbs&i and
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ADDRESS
80CISX7 70S THE PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH
627 LEXINQTON AVE., NEW YORK, N. V.
An Appeal For Missionary Students
ST. JOSEPIFS SOCIETY FOR COLORED MISSIONS OF
THE SOUTH
BALTIMOBE, MD.
To our Brother Priests :
In the past our work among: the colored people has found favor
in the eyes of g:ood priests ; this encourages us now to appeal to
their g:oodness of heart and ask them to kindly consider our work
and speak of it to our Catholic young men.
If they should know of any good soul, likely suitable for our
Colored Missionary Work, and willing to make an effort to pre-
pare himself for the same, we would appreciate their kindness in
drawing his attention to this missionary work.
The age preferable for our college students is between fifteen and
twenty, since the college studies and seminary course completed,
will make their ordination between twenty-five and thirty years
of age.
Since we can only receive a limited number of students each
September, we desire to have all applications in and decided upon
as soon as possible.
Any one desiring further information about the work or the con-
dition for admission to our Seminary or College for the colored
missions kindly write to :
Rev. THOS. B. DONA VON,
Epiphany Apostolic College,
Walbrook, Baltimore, Md.
"THY KINGDOM COME.
ft
*' May God*i kingdom come I
" May it come for thoie infidel peoplei stiU living in
daf knais and in the shadow of death !
^^May it come for those idolatrous races who know not
Jesys Christ, who are deprived of the light and the conjo*
lations of Faith ; who have not. like us« those divine rem-
edies against sin that the Church offers to her children I
*' May it come for those countries in the East, which for
centuries have been detached by schism from the trunk of
the Catholic unity!
•* And, Gnally* may it come for our separated brethren
in both the old and new world who have retained but a
few shreds of doctrine and some semblance of Christian
life!
^^Adveniat regnum tiium I
"Then, when that glorious day shall have dawned upon
the world, that day of spiritual birth for some and of resur*
rection for others, if we would wish to know the source of
these divine blessings* we shall find» as the principal in^
strument in God's right hand, the Society for the Prop.
AGAnoN or THE Faith, This kingdom of God on earth
will be its terrestrial crown » whilst awaiting the time when
it shall please God to grant its active and zealous members
their eternal reward/*
— Bishop FreppeL
Vol. LXVIB, No. 462
Cs2i^i^*S
h t^J
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ANN.
^^^***^^\?
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A.LS
OCTOBER, 1 90s
'^^
(/ /
OF THE
PROPAGATION
OF THE FAITH
Published bi-monthly by the
Society for the Propagation
of the Faiths Baltimore and
New York. /• .\ .% a K
a»ti«r*
•^f OTHER SHfEF I HAVf THAT j1|j
^ARff NOT 01- THJf FOLD T'Ht]±ALU
Uhall hear my voice andT^'I'
iTHeaC SHALL B£ ONE F0Lb)\3^'
AK0 ONE SMEPHERD
/•
CONTENTS.
PAOB
THE SOCIETIES OF CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES. VII Article 22S
THE MARIST FATHERS AND THEIR MISSIONS 233
Missions in Asia.
SOUTHERN TONQUIN.
Utter of Father Belleville, P. F. M 236
A Wedding at Mo-Vlnh.— An Episode of the Peraecntion of 1885.
Missions in Africa.
UPPER l«IGER.
Letter of Father Zappa L.A.M 241
The Apostolate of Two Catechists.
N. VICTORIA NYAMZA.
Letter of Sister Mary Claver 249
The Sleeping Sickness.
Missions in Oceanica.
GILBERT ISLANDS.
Letter of Bishop Leroy,M.S.C 253
Blessing of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart
News of the Missions.
ASIA.
The Jubilee of Bishop Abeis, B. F. M 259
AFRICA.
Devotion to the Sacred Heart among the Kaffirs 260
First Fruits of the New Mission of Shire 260
OCEANICA.
An Hawaiian Missionary Honored 261
Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals*
THE ICELAND MISSION.
Letter of Father Servaes, Missionary 262
RECOLLECTIONS OF THE PERSECUTION OF THE YEAR 1900 IN CENTRAL
MONGOLIA. (Pathetic Story of an AposUte Child.)
Letter of Father Rutten, B. F. M 268
COLORED NUNS IN AFRICA.
Letter of Bishop Kunemann, C. S. Sp 278
SPECIAL DONATIONS 276
OBITUARY 277
Entered at the Post Office, Baltimore, Md., as second class matter.
ANNALS
OF THE
Propagation of the Faith
Vol. LXVIII, No. 462. October, 1905.
THE SOCIETIES OF CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES
The following article from the pen of Rev. Fr. Aubry, S. M., Is the
seventh in order of the series published by us on religious communities
whose members consecrate themselves to apostolic work in foreign coun-
tries. The congregation whose history it outlines was founded in 1836
by Very Rev. Fr. Colin.
VII.
THE MISSIONS OF THE SOCIETY OF MARY
By the Rev. Fr. Aubry, S. M.
In 1836, the Holy See asked Bishop de Pins whether Lyons, a
diocese always rich in religions vocations, had any men to give to the
missions of western Oceanica. The bishop mentioned this to the So-
ciety of Mary recently founded.
Very Rev. Father Colin and his colleagues saw only the will of
Heaven in the request of the Holy See and complied without hesita-
tion. Father Pompallier, presented by the archbishop administrator
of Lyons, was appointed by Rome vicar apostolic of central Oceanica.
On their departure, the new missionaries could say with truth:
" The harvest, indeed, is great, hut the laborers are few." From the
twenty priests that formed the modest beginning of the Society, four
were selected to commence the evangelization of a district comprising
the half of Polynesia and numbering about 1200 islands, some very
populous, and scattered over an area of nearly 10,000 square miles.
Different in form according to local conditions, the difficulties of
every mission in its foundation were, as in the time of St. Paul : '' In
journeying often, in perils of waters, in perils of rollers, in perils from
my owit nation, in perils from the Oentiles, in perils in the city, in
223
224
The Missions op the Society of Mary
perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils from false breth-
ren; in labor and painfviness, in much watchings, in hunger and thirsty
in fastings often, in cold and nakedness."
To this full and varied list of trials, the missionary on tropical
islands might add : " Perils in heat and fevers/* as he might also men-
The Very Rev. Fb. Colin, Founder or the Societt of Mabt.
tion the number of his shipwrecks and the days and nights spent on
the depths of the sea.
In the multiplicity of languages, none of which are written, he also
finds a difficulty unknown to the great apostle: that of not being able
to explain the purpose of his coming or to refute calumnies, upon his
arrival.
The Missions op the Society op Mary 225
However, it has pleased the Holy Ghost to bless the efforts of mis-
sionaries. If they do not, as yet, enjoy the consolation of an abundant
harvest, the little seed, has, nevertheless, already grown into a large
tree. Earnest movements of conversion recorded of whole tribes hold
out the fulfilled promise of the words of Isaias : '* And I will set a
sign among them, and I wUl send of them that shall "be jsaved to the
Gentiles into the sea , ... to the islands afar off, to them that have
not heard of me, and have not seen my glory. . . . And they shall
bring all your brethren out of all nations for a gift to the Lord.**
4-
West Oobanica. — ^The portion of the Pacific given in charge of the
Society of Mary in 1836, under the name of vicariate apostolic of
west Oceanica, covers, as we have said, an area of about 10,000 square
miles. It comprises twenty large archipelagoes and a number of
islands situated on both sides of the equator. They are as follows:
1st, New Zealand and Chatham and Kermadec Islands;
2ndly, The Friendly Islands, including the groups of Tonga, Vavau,
Haapai, Niua, Wallis, and Futuna;
3rdly, Navigators Islands, including Samoa and Tokelau ;
4thly, The Gilbert and Marshall Islands ;
5thly, The Fiji Islands, including Rotumah;
6thly, New Caledonia, including the Loyalty Islands, the New He-
brides, and Banks and Santa Cruz Islands ;
7thly, New Guinea and the neighboring islands ;
8thly, The Solomon Islands ;
9thly, The Caroline Islands.
4-
The first apostolic band sailed from Havre and took one year to
reach their destination.
In 1837, they arrived at the farthest outlying of the Friendly
Islands from which they were repulsed by the Methodists. On No-
vember 1, they landed on Wallis, the king of the island receiving
them with favor. Father Bataillon and Brother Joseph Xavier
remained.
A few days later. Father Chanel landed at Futuna together with
Brother Marie Nizier. Bishop Pompallier, accompanied by two broth-
ers, went to New Zealand, where, in 1838, he fixed his residence at
Bay of Islands. The fourth priest who left Lyons with them, Father
Bret, had died during the voyage.
•I-
226 The Missions op the Society of Mary
In 1841, Father Bataillon had the consolation of numbering 2000
catechumens among the 2300 inhabitants of the island; on his first
visit in 1842, Bishop Pompallier baptized and confirmed the whole
population. That up to that time, they had been one of the most
ferocious tribes of Oceanica is proved by the fact that thirty Methodist
teachers were massacred just before the arrival of the Marists.
Father Chanel was not so successful in Futuna. After thirty
months of trials and privations, he had won over only a small num-
ber of neophytes, among them the king^s son. The chief was so in-
furiated at the news of his own son's conversion, that he ordered the
missionary to be executed April 28, 1841.
What he was not able to accomplish during his life has been effected
by his prayers and martyrdom. In the course of one year, Father
Chevron, his successor, enjoyed the happiness of seeing all the natives
converted, even the murderer himself.
Forty-eight years later, Father Chanel received the honors of
beatification.
4-
The Marist missionaries very soon realized that it would be an im-
possibility for one vicar apostolic to preside successfully over so vast
a territory, especially at a time when travel was both expensive and
uncertain. Therefore, in 1842, Very Rev. Father Colin submitted a
detailed account to the Propaganda on the nature of the field confided
to the Society of Mary and on the evident necessity of dividing it into
several vicariates apostolic, at the same time designating favorable
centers.
The statements were so clear and conclusive that Propaganda de-
creed the erection of the vicariate of central Oceanica without taking
the time to consult Bishop Pompallier.
On October 3, the bishop received authority to appoint a coadjutor.
Father Viard, a simple missionary in New Caledonia at the time,
was selected. A few years later, in 1848, New Zealand was divided
into two distinct dioceses. Bishop Pompallier remained in charge of
the northern part with the episcopal see at Auckland and Rt. Rev.
Viard fixed his residence at Wellington, as administrator apostolic.
In 1860, he was named titulary bishop. In 1869, the diocese of Dune-
din, and in 1887, that of Christchurch were formed and Wellington
was raised to an archbishopric.
4-
New Zealand. — This province comprises the mission of the natives,
called Maori, and that of the white population.
The Missions op the Society of Mary
227
The Maori Mission. — During the first few years, the great extent of
territory and the limited number of missionaries considerably retarded
the progress of evangelization. Nevertheless, in 1857, Governor Sir
John Grey, in his oflScial report, pays a high tribute of praise to Catho-
lic schools and institutions. In 1860, the mission, then firmly estab-
lished, suffered a severe trial in the insurrection of the natives against
the English government. For several years the country was closed
The Cbadle of the Society of Mabt at Bellet (Fbance).
to any foreigner, priest or layman. Gradually, however, the work of
the mission was resumed and the Society of Mary now numbers nine
priests who attend five churches with residences and visit a large
number of villages with chapels. The Sisters of Notre Dame of Mis-
sions have charge of a boarding school in Napier and conduct a school
for the natives. The Sisters of Compassion conduct an orphan asylum
and several primary schools in Hiruharoa.
The Maoris, much more numerous in the north, form another mis-
sion successfully administered by the Fathers of Mill Hill, London,
established in the diocese of Auckland.
228 The Missions of the Society of Maby
The Mission of the Whites. — The chief object of this sketch being
missions among the natives^ it suffices to give the following data :
In the dioceses of Welline^ton and Chrlstchurch, the Society of Mary
numbers 71 priests, 17 scholastics and 15 lay brothers. Their Institu-
tions include 21 missions, 1 college, 1 novitiate and seminary. Each mis-
sion is provided with schools directed by 24 Little Brothers of Mary,
about 80 Sisters of Notre Dame of Missions, and 60 Sisters of Saint
Joseph, not to mention lay assistants. This province possesses, besides,
flourishing boarding schools in charge of the Ladies of the Sacred Heart,
the Sisters of Notre Dame of Missions, of Mary, and of St. Joseph.
Among the charitable institutions we may mention the houses of the
Sisters of Good Shepherd and of the Sisters of Nazareth and the orphan
asylums conducted by all the congregations that have charge of schools.
The two dioceses number a Catholic population of about 30,000 souls.
Central Oceai^ica. — This vicariate, created, as we have said, in
1842, at first comprised the whole of western Oeeanica, excepting New
Zealand. We shall refer, successively, to the different vicariates or
prefectures that have been formed from this province.
Central Oeeanica, at present, comprises the islands of Wallis, Fu-
tnna, Vavau, Haapai, Niua, and Tonga, the see of the Rt. Bev. Vicar
Apostolic.
Wallis and Futuna are the glory and the joy of the mission. Once
only, in 1850, the attempt was made to profit by the rivalry of two
chiefs to introduce heresy into Wallis and break the religious unity.
The effort was unsuccessful.
Since the conversion of the two islands to the Catholic religion, the
population, which wars and cannibalism had before reduced to 2000
souls in Wallis and 950 in Futuna has risen, respectively, to over 4000
and more than 1500. Under the direction of the missionaries, the
people, all Catholic, have erected 9 churches. The schools attached
to each of the 6 residences are conducted by 10 European Sisters of
the Third Order of Mary, assisted by 15 native Sisters. The clergy
include 8 Marist Fathers and 3 native secular priests. Wallis pos-
sesses, besides, one seminary with 30 ecclesiastical students and
catechists.
Vavcm, Haapai, Niua, — For a* long time Methodist opposition
prevented the establishment of missions on these islands. To-day,
each one of them is provided with churches, residences, and schools.
Tongatdbou. — Tongatabou is the center of Methodist influence in
central Oeeanica. King George I, having been won over to this sect
at an early age, imposed its belief by force on all his subjects. Under
The Missions of the Society op Mary 229
protection of the royal authority. Rev. S. Baker gave to the country a
miniature English constitution with divorce and compulsory education.
Having gained the taste for power from his success, he separated him-
self from the sect of which he was the accredited representative and
founded a new church. He constituted himself the head and, at the
same time, renounced none of the emolument connected with the
ofBce of first minister to the crown. In this double capacity he pro-
claimed a code of laws, as severe as Dracoes, whose fines never enriched
the public treasury and whose corporal punishments led to an attempt
upon his own life. This attempt, followed by the speedy execution of
six rebels, opened the eyes of superior authority to the fact that Baker
was not the man for the place. One fine day, it was reported, to the
satisfaction of the public at large, that the ex- Premier had just been
transported to New Zealand in charge of the High Commissary of
Great Britain.
Prom his residence in Auckland, Baker continued, in a more or less
indirect way to exercise his influence over the political and religious
affairs of the country. After the death of George I, he believed him-
self able to regain his former authority and returned to Tonga, first
as a physician, later as an Anglican minister. Receiving a cold wel-
come from George II, he retired to Haapai, where he tried a new schism
without avail. His movement died with him.
Catholics, for a long time despised and persecuted, now occupy an
honorable position. Natives and foreigners alike esteem them. Dur-
ing the latter part of his life, George I himself felt less hostile toward
them, and his successor permitted the establishment of a residence in
the capital.
Tongatabou is the residence of the vicar apostolic of central Ocean-
ica. The island is divided into four missions with six resident priests
who visit a large number of chapels regularly. In all the stations
there are primary schools, conducted by the Sisters of the Third Or-
der of Mary or catechists. English schools and a college for natives
are flourishing in the capital; they stand very high in government
opinion because of their repeated success at public examinations.
New Caledonia. — This vicariate comprises New Caledonia and ad-
jacent islands, the Loyalty Islands, the Isle of Pines, and Belep.
This mission was begun in 1843 by Bishop Dovarre, coadjutor of
Bishop Bataillon. Its foundation was laid with great difficuliy. At
different times the missionaries, besieged and blockaded in their little
230 The Missions of the Society of Mary
dwelling, came very near starving to death and, for several years, their
life was in constant danger. One of them, Brother Blase, was killed
by the savages.
Little, by little, however, the faith made headway and, in 1847,
New Caledonia was made a vicariate.
The history of this mission, which escaped the fury of the natives,
is from first to last, an almost nnintemipted series of mean harassings
on the part of the colonial government. After the fall of Napoleon
III, there was a term of peace; but progress had been considerably
jeopardized by the force exerted over the natives by the first governor.
" Embrace the religion of the soldier and have nothing to do with the
black robes " was his advice to all the tribes. He was obeyed only too
well and, until recently, many remained in a state of stubborn oppo-
sition to the Gospel. When, finally, they realized that the Atheist
civilization imposed upon them only tended toward their own self-
destruction, these tribes, of their own accord, requested missionaries
to come to them. Then the governor did all in his power to impede
the efforts of Catholics.
The transportation of communists and convicts and free immigra-
tion has greatly altered the character of this mission. The natives,
dying of vice and the poverty necessarily resulting from the confisca-
tion of their property, are rapidly decreasing in number. The civiliza-
tion which is supposed to develop from the conditions engendered will
not alas ! help to lift them.
Loyalty Islands. — In no other part of the Pacific is the Church
more bitterly hated by heretics; several times they have profited by
their numerical superiority to attack or banish Catholics. On Mare
Island, in 1880, they burned six villages, robbed churches, profaned
objects of worship, and went so far as even to kill little children.
Only a few years since, a chief openly boasted of his intention to kill
every single Papist. Without the prompt intervention of the resident
magistrate there would have been war. Can we count long upon the
protection of colonial authority? Past events are alas! only too evi-
dent a proof of the contrary. Missionaries, however, have not lost
courage and the work of God has been steadily progressing as the fol-
lowing report will show :
Clergy. — 1 bishop, 52 priests, and 3 brothers of the Society of Mary.
Education. — Before lay teachers took charge, 42 brothers of the commu-
nity of the Little Brothers of Mary conducted 5 primary schools, 2 indus-
trial schools, a boarding school, and an orphanage.
The Missions op the Society op Mary 231
19 Sisters of the Third Order of Mary and 30 catechists instruct the
young girls attending the primary schools for natives, attached to Its
station. The Sisters of St. Joseph conduct several free schools and two
boarding schools. Until recently, they also had charge of the hospitals
of Noumea and the Isle of Pines and of the prison. They have been
replaced by a personnel selected from among convicts
Within the past few years the Little Sisters of the Poor have opened a
home for the aged in Noumea.
Establishments. — 21 residences, 38 churches, 43 chapels, 4 high schools,
primary schools in each station, 2 orphanages, 4 industrial schools, 2
homes (for the aged and for convicts), and 1 leper hospital.
Nbw Hebrides. — In 1850, two Marist priests left New Caledonia
for the New Hebrides. They were never heard from. Natives in
service at Noumea said that they were killed and eaten in Maliknla.
The limited number of missionaries and the necessities consequent
upon immigration and transportation have not allowed any new foun-
dation for a long time. In the New Hebrides the effort has been made
to instruct the numerous natives employed in Caledonia. The indif-
ference and even the opposition of .their patrons has prevented this
work from bearing all the fruit that might be expected.
In 18'86, the Marists made a fresh attempt. Protestants had already
occupied important points, but not all the desirable sites had by any
means been claimed and Catholic missions could be established.
The fevers have claimed many victims and poveriy has paralyzed
devotion; but, by force of patience and courage, this mission made
such progress, that, in 1901, it was created a prefecture and, in 1904,
a vicariate apostolic.
Clergy. — 1 bishop and 27 Fathers of the Society of Mary.
Primary schools in all the residences. They are conducted by the
Sisters of the Third Order of Mary and by native catechists.
The Little Brothers of Mary have recently established a school In
Port Vila.
The missionaries conduct a school for catechists in Montmartre, and
the Sisters of the Third Order of Mary, a hospital in Port Vila.
Vicariate of the Navigatohs^ Islands. — This vicariate, created
in 1851 and comprising the groups of Samoa and Tokelau, remained
under the jurisdiction of the vicariate apostolic of central Oceanica
until 1896 when it was entirely separated from the latter.
The first Catholic missionaries landed at Samoa in 1845. The
Protestants who had arrived ten years before do not seem to have
232 The Missions op the Society op Maby
gained the same influence that they enjoy in other parts. But one doc-
trine has made its way here as everywhere else : hatred of the Catholic
religion. Our missionaries, therefore, received a very cold welcome;
neveriiieless, they succeeded in founding a mission. Very frequent
dvil wars have impeded progress. The last of these, directed by
Protestant sects, was sustained against all justice by America and Eng-
land against the heroic Mataafa; the result was the annexation of
Upolu and Savai by Germany and of Tutuila by the United States.
The number of churches and residences, schools and convents are
an eloquent testimony of the zeal and success of our missionaries. The
Catholic church, despite all the obstacles to be overcome is firmly
established in Samoa. The cathedral of Apia, begun about fifteen
years ago and open for worship for twelve, has just been finished.
Toksla/ti. — ^In 1863, some of the native^ of one of the Tokelau group
of islands, having received the usual instruction given to catechumens,
undertook a voyage of 350 miles to get to Samoa in order to receive
the sacraments. Their faith merited a reward; they arrived safe and
sound, requested baptism and confirmation and made their first com-
munion. Then, in a safer fieet, they returned home, accompanied by
several catechists. In 1876, the inhabitants of another island under-
took even a longer voyage for the same pious purpose. So great a
zeal has deserved to have the visit of a priest several times a year.
Since 1877, a Father has been attending them and they have built two
beautiful churches of coral where they assemble morning and evening
for prayers and instruction by catechists.
The present status of the vicariate is :
Clergy.— 1 bishop, 22 priests of the Society of Mary, and 3 native
secular priests.
Eatdblishments. — 15 churches with residences and 92 stations with
chapels.
Education. — Primary schools for foreigners and natives, a school for
catechists, and an industrial school, in charge of the Sisters of the Third
Order of Mary, the Little Brothers of Mary, and catechists.
Vicariate Apostolic of' Fiji. — In 1844, Bishop Bataillon at-
tempted the foundation of a mission in Fiji. He was repulsed by
King Thakombau, a ferocious cannibal who called his subjects ''his
oxen and his sheep,^^ and who, it is said, has eaten not fewer than 800
himself.
In 1853, the Methodists gained this chief to their cause and relied
upon his authority to force his subjects to accept their doctrine. Cath-
The Missions op the Society op Mabt 233
olics, as yet but few, were persecuted; but, despite all opposition, their
number increased to 1700 in 1863. At this time the mission was
made a prefecture apostolic ; in 1887, it became a vicariate.
Since then progress has been rapid in spite of a period of bitter
opposition on the part of one of the governors. At present there is a
great movement of conversion among tribes heretofore the most re-
fractory. Liberty of conscience has been granted to the natives so
long intimidated by the chiefs under the domination of the Methodists.
A fine stone cathedral, consecrated last year in the capital, numerous
schools, convents, and residences, and a flourishing college for cate-
chists tell in loud terms that the Catholic religion is firmly rooted on
these islands so long tyrannized over by barbarous and heretic chiefs.
Rotumah, — In 1854, Bishop Bataillon, for want of priests, felt him-
self obliged to recall the missionary from Eotumah. About 30 or 40
neophytes followed him to Futuna and Wallis. The others, left with-
out a priest, continued,. nevertheless, to persevere in the practice of
their faith and assembled every day in their little chapel. In 1859, a
catechist, sent from the center of the mission, found a hundred Cath-
olics. In 1868, there were 6 chapels and 800 Catholics among a popu-
lation of 2400 souls. At this time a religious war was incited by the
Methodists, who deposed Catholic chiefs and scattered their villages.
Heresy seemed to triumph ; but the Protestant chiefs who would cede
nothing to one another finished by giving up their country to England.
Religious peace has never since been disturbed.
Botumah possesses two beautiful churches with residences and
schools conducted by the Sisters of the Third Order of Mary and
catechists.
The present condition of the vicariate is shown by the following
statement :
1 bishop, 32 missionaries, 11 European and IS native Brothers, 37
European and 35 native Sisters, 20 stations, 35 schools with an attendance
of 1200—12,000 Catholics.
4-
The Solomon Islands. — In 1844, Gregory XVI detached the vi-
cariates of Melanesia and Micronesia from western Oceanica and
placed them under the jurisdiction of Bishop Epalle. Melanesia com-
prised New Guinea, New Britain, New Ireland, the Solomon and
Admiralty Islands. Micronesia was formed of the Caroline, Marshall,
and Gilbert Islands.
After his consecration in Rome, Bishop Epalle left for his mission,
accompanied by seven priests and six Brothers. The bishop was killed
234 The Missions op the Society of Mary
upon his landing at Isabella Island and^ a short time afterwards, all
his companions died either of fever or at the hands of the natives.
His successor, Bishop Colomb, survived him little more than a
year. He and one of his priests died of. fever on Book Island.
The Society of Mary, founded only ten years, and finding it im-
possible to attend to the needs of a territory since divided into fifteen
bishoprics, vicariates, and prefectures, received orders from the Holy
See to concentrate its efforts in the missions already established.
The Fathers of Foreign Missions of Milan took charge of Melanesia,
where, in 1852, they sent five priests and two Brothers. Like the
Marist Fathers, they fell victims to the barbarity of the natives or the
unhealthfulness of the climate and, for a time, the work of evangeli-
zation on these islands seemed suspended.
In 1881, it was again undertaken by the Fathers of Notre Dame of
the Sacred Heart of Issoudun in New Guinea, New Britain, the Gil-
bert and Marshall Islands ; by the Spanish Franciscans in the Caroline
Islands, and by the Fathers of the Holy Cross in German Guinea.
The Solomon Islands alone remaining without a missionary, the
Holy See again gave them in charge of the Society of Mary in 1898.
They form two prefectures : the German or northern and the Englibh
or southern part. This double mission has not changed since the
time of Bishop Epalle because of the many difiSculties encountered ;
particularly the climate and the savagery of the natives. Several
missionaries have already fallen victims to fever; others have died at
sea and neophytes have been massacred. Those who survive cannot
rely upon the people, who are most treacherous by nature.
The mission, however, has been definitely founded and numbers
16 priests, 6 Sisters, and 11 catechists. The natives willingly send
their children to school and the villages are asking for missionaries.
Everything points to the hope that, little by little, the natives, here
as elsewhere, will give the joy of reaping in peace what has been sown
in blood and tears.
4-
General Summary.
I. Missions in Oceanica:
5 vicariates; 2 prefectures.
Marist Fathers, 186; native priests, 7.
Little Brothers of Mary, 113; establishments, 25.
Sisters of the Third Order of Mary, 89 not including a large number of
native Sisters.
The MissioKs o^ the SootEtr op Maby
235
Catechists, about 666.
Catholics, 41,885.
Marist Fathers deceased, 106.
Little Brothers of Mary deceased, 25.
II. Estahliahments in Countries not Miaaiont in tJie Strict Sense of the
Term:
Marist Fathers, 316.
Italy: a procurator station and novitiate.
Ireland and England: 6 missions and 3 colleges.
Belgium: a seminary, apostolic school, and mission.
Spain: a residence, mission, and French college.
United States and Mexico: 18 missions, 4 colleges, 1 novitiate, and 1
seminary.
Australia: a procurator station and 3 missions.
New Zealand: 21 missions, 1 college, a novitiate, and seminary.
Germany: an apostolic school.
In conclusion^ we may repeat what missionaries of all times have
said again and again in the words of our Lord: ^^The harvest^ in-
deed^ is great, but the laborers are f ew.'^ To the eonls interested in the
apostolate, aiding us by prayers and alms to multiply the means of
evangelization for this vast field, above all to obtain from God many
missionaries filled with the spirit of Jesus Christ, we may say : ^'And
they shall bring all your brethren out of all nations for a gift to the
MISSIONS IN ASIA
VICARIATE APOSTOLIC OF SOUTH TONGKING
Father Mollard, director of the Seminary of Foreign Missions of Paris,
has sent us the following letter which cannot be read without emotion.
It gives an episode of the terrible persecution of 1885 which, as old as it
may be, has filled the country with ruins still visible and has left a hor-
rible and ineffaceable recollection in the minds of old Christians.
Letter of Father Bsllevills^ P. F. M.
On January 29, 1906, I was in Mo-Vinh, the chief town of the
parish situated on a tributary of the Song Ca. To mention in passing,
it was near the mouth of this stream that the zealous Father Tortu-
yaux, seized with an attack of vertigo, fell from his boat and was
drowned while on a visit to his district.
My duties of administration were about over; the Christian settle-
ment was |)lessed. The mayor of the village, Ly Khoa, came to see
me. Tall and dark, his eyes burning with a strange fire, he is en-
dowed with the rare gift of a deep rich voice.
" Father/' said he, " I have come to see you and invite you to the
marriage of my daughter.^'
" That is very good news; whom is she going to many ? '*
" A young man from. Ngoe Lam, called Khie Loi.*^
"How old is she?''
" It is easy to remember her age; she was bom during the year of
massacres, 1885; and we must thank the Blessed Virgin that she is
still among the living."
" How is that I tell me about it."
Ly Khoa then related the following:
" Father, although I live here, I am originally from the province of
Thanh Hoa. My father was mandarin of the province of Nghe An.
His second wife from the village of Khoa Trang was my mother. At
the death of my father, a native priest, Father Quang, took charge of
236
South Tongking 237
me. Seeing the Christians at work about me, I was converted after
mature reflection. I then went with Father Thong, the stone-breaker
(the learned Father Monrouzids who was making a study of the min-
erals in the mission), and, finally, I settled down here.
''My relatives, rich and learned, have remained pagans. Several
are mandarins. My brother is prefect. They have exhorted me to
return to them, promising to help me; so, to sustain me, the Blessed
Virgin has always protected me in a special manner.
** When the Christians were massaered in 1885, 1 first concealed my-
self for two months in the house of an honest pagan. His brother was
the leader of the rebels and, one day, came to search his house. I
climbed to the top of a high and leafy tree. From there I could eee
the brigands searching the house and garden. Th^y even stood under
the tree on which I was; to add to my fright, a large flock of crows
circled above me croaking: 'It is all over,' I said to myself, 'these
crows are going to give me away.' Fortunately, thanks to the Blessed
Virgin, the brigands did not look up and, since they could find noth-
ing, left.
"However, I could no longer stay and expose my compassionate
host himself to danger. Together with other Christians, I fled to the
mountains. The tigers were less cruel than men. The rebels came
and attacked us; we resisted them half a d^y and repulsed them;
but they would have returned in larger numbers and better armed.
To stay there meant death; so we IdK before they came back. We
intended to go towards Vinh, the chief town of the province; there, at
least, we wotdd find priests who would have pity on us and the mis-
sion would save us from starvation.
" Our going away was not in the nature of a triumph. We remained
concealed on the mountain, in the forests, and in the thickets. One
of xis would act as advance guard and, if he saw no one, we would ad-
vance. We ate what we could find, berries and wild bananas.
"Thus we proceeded very slowly. The third day we were near
Luong Dien on the confines of the parish. Seeing a few women, we
asked them whether there were any robbers about and whether the
road was clear.
"'Come with me,' one of them said; 'there are already several
Christians in my house.'
" We followed her without mistrust.
" ' Do not go with her,' said another in a low tone to one of us; 'she
is deceiving you ; if you go with her it means death.'
238 Missions in Asia
"We retraced our steps; it was already too late. A band of rob-
bers rushed down upon us from the village. We fled as fast as we
were able to run, but alas I we were weakened and our strength failed
us. There were twenty-two of us; sixteen, successively, fell into the
hands of the robbers and were all put to death.
" I myself, though burdened with the charge of our little girl that
I carried in my arms, managed to keep some distance between them
and me for quite a while. When I could no longer hold out, I gave
her to one of my companions in flight, Pho Quyen of Ngoc Lam. Ex-
hausted in his turn, he, after a while, gave her to her mother. Weighted
down by her precious burden, my wife soon lost her way ; the brigands
redoubled their efforts and succeeded in overtaking her. Taking
hold of her, they bound her at once. In the moment of flight, my
wife and I had promised each other not to forsake each other in life
or death.
*' When I saw my wife in the hands of the enemy, therefore, I also
stopped. Seeing me stand still, she addressed me :
"*What are you doing? I am captured, that is my affair; as for
you, save yourself; I wish it.*
" Absolved from my promise by these words, I again took to flight,
death in my soul. At the end of some time, despairing of catching
up with us, the robbers ceased to follow.
" Alas ! very few were able to escape them. Dying of hunger and
fatigue we, one day, came across an isolated house. We asked an alms
of a few grains of rice; the pagan had none and, out of compassion
for us, he cooked some sweet potatoes. A little farther on we ven-
tured to enter another house. Whilst we were taking a little rest,
a band of robbers rushed in. We concealed ourselves as best we could.
One of us hid in a crib of rice (a large bamboo trellis built like a
vat to preserve rice) ; another under the furniture; a third climbed
on the roof. The robbers entered, looked around, rummaged here
and there; by a special protection of Providence they did not discover
us and withdrew.
"Finally, the fifth day of our flight, we arrived at the Christian
village of Tho Ninh, which the enemy was unable to take.
" Tho Ninh is a large village on the shores of a river. .On the right
bank opposite is another Christian village, Nghe Yen, the seat of the
central establishment of the Holy Childhood and the residence of the
South Tonokino 239
missionary. These settlements, together with the neighboring vil-
lages. Fathers Gallon and Arsac at their head, organized resistance;
they were assisted by the Christians of Ngan Sau and Ngan Pho who
had been driven from home and sought refuge among them. The atr
tack lasted several months and the brigands were finally repulsed by
a French detachment
"Arriving there was like coming from death to life. Seeing the
waters of the river, I said to Pho Quyen : ' It is two months since I
have washed my face,' and I stooped to the edge of the water.
" Whilst I was washing myself, Pho Quyen called to me :
'* ' There is your wife coming with your child/
"'It is impossible,* I said to myself; *Pho Quyen is surely mis-
taken ; it is a woman who looks like her/
" I arose. It was really my wife and my child.
"'What a happiness,' I cried out; 'but how is it that you are
here?'
" ' Well, this is how it was. When I was captured and bound, the
robbers left me a minute to continue their hunt. I prayed to the
Blessed Virgin. I was on the edge of a thicket and, as I moved, I
and my child fell into a ditch that had been dug among the bushes.
I examined the child and myself; neither one of us had been hurt
in the least. I was afraid the baby might cry and betray us; but I
nursed her and she went to sleep. I was thirsty. A spring at the
end of the ditch relieved me.
"'The brigands came back shortly and looked for me everywhere;
they passed and repassed the side of the ditch ; they yelled and stormed ;
shepherds were near by tending their flocks; the robbers asked them
whether they had seen me. Upon their replying in the negative, they
suffered torrents of abuse. Finally, realizing that their search was
in vain, the robbers abandoned the place. I stayed in my hiding place
imtil night; imder cover of the darkness I continued my way and
here I am.'
"So you see Father, the Blessed Virgin not only saved my wife
and child but she brought them to the same village as myself. I do
not know how to thank her."
This was the story Mayor Khoa had to tell.
+
A few days afterwards, when my work was done, I left the village.
Beaching the last house on the heights, the mayor, who accompanied
me, invited me to enter. It was his home. The wedding breakfast
240
Missions in Asia
was being given. On the verandas, seated four by four aroimd tables
laden with little dishes. Christians and pagans together were making
use of their chop sticks. Mother and daughter came forward and
courtesied deeply, as is the custom. The infant, several months old,
miraculously saved from death by Mary has changed into a tall young
lady nineteen years of age, adorned with bridal ornaments and clothed
in a gown of violet silk. I congratulated her and exhorted her to be
ever grateful to her Mother in Heaven by a faithful observance of
the. laws of her Divine Son. When I left the most important guests
at the wedding accompanied me to my bark.
MISSIONS IN AFRICA
PREFECTURE APOSTOLIC OF UPPER NIGER
The prefecture apostolic of Upper Niger was created in 1884 and given
in charge of the African Missions of Lyons. It numbers 18 priests, 10
churches. and chapels, 3 hospitals and dispensaries, 5 orphan asylums con-
ducted by 9 European Sisters, 6 schools, and a thousand faithful. The
principal stations are Lokodja, at the confluence of the Niger and Benoue,
Assaba, Illah, and Issele.
Letter of Veky Eev. Father Zappa, L. A. M.,
Prefect Apostolic.
Saint Joseph of Assaba, May 10, 1905.
Any one who desires to enlarge his ideas on the subject of the
heavens need not go to the Blacks for the purpose; if there is one
branch of study to which they are perfectly indifferent, it is astronomy.
The most learned in these parts are still perfectly convinced that the
firmament is a large, solid vault which is in no risk of falling soon
and will be broken only at the end of the world. The stars have not
altogether escaped their n'otice, but these are too small a matter to
occupy their serious thought. Of all the planets, the moon attracts their
attention most, for it serves them as an almanac. The succession of
its phases is very easily explained. When it is on the increase it simply
swallows up the stars in its path, and when it is on the decrease, the
reverse takes place. Nothing new is created, nothing is lost. As for
the sun, when we feel its heat the greatest, it is evident that it is much
nearer to us than the moon ; no objection can be made to that fact.
Back of the celestial vault which, according to their notion, is going
to fall some day, there 'is another heaven, more beautiful and more
lasting which, by the leave of the semi-savants of the old and new
worlds, is not so false ^ judgment.
Astronomers, therefore, will not leam much from the Blacks.
Nevertheless, one is not a little surprised to find traces of the ancient
241
242 Missions in Afbioa
and even modem classification of the constellations in their perempiory
theories. Thus^ for instance^ the Great Bear is known in these parts
by the &ame of the '^ Great Beast/' the bear being an animal nnknown
in the country. Sagittarius^ Leo^ and the Goat have not been for-
gotten. The Pleiades are known by the name of ^' the hen and her
chicks'' and so on.
Of all the stars in the heavens^ however, Venus has made the great-
est impression on them; they, however, prefer to call her by the more
poetic or more prosaic term, as you will : " she who missed royalty be-
cause of a cowry/' She came very near being a rival of the moon and
the queen of the heavens.
This discovery and this appellation, so ridiculous that they could
originate only in the brain and inexhaustible imagination of a Black,
have inspired these lines; for such as they are, they remii^d me so
forcibly of our situation that I cannot look at the planet without think-
ing of the analogy.
A cowry here means a cent, though their value is not identical. If
the planet needed a cent to become queen of the heavens, we need one
to become kings of the country; or, rather^ in more truthful language,
God needs a cent to be King here, to answer the prayer which we send
up to Him daily in the Our Father. Let me explain how.
The experience of recent years has proved one thing: we must in-
crease the number of catechists to triple the number of conversions,
nay, we might even multiply them tenfold; it is owing to our cate-
chists that the baptisms of adults reached sixty for Easter; I do not
include among these, children that are attending schools; I am speak-
ing of neophytes who have been evangelized, so to speak, in the midst
of their fields, bent over their work, covered with that healthy sweat
of labor which may become a ferment of revolt without hope; dried by
faith, such sweat is changed into precious pearls and is certainly more
agreeable to God than all the perfumes which the half civilized Blacks
so greedily absorb from the customs borrowed from a Europe returning
to paganism.
It is to place catechists among tribes not yet affected by the breath
of modem civilization that I Want resources given expressly for that
purpose. The placing of catechists does not entail any great expense,
it is tme; nevertheless, it cannot be done for nothing. Therefore, it
is for want of a cent that our Lord cannot reign as king in this land.
That God Himself attaches the same importance as ourselves to the
Uppbe Niger 243
work of assistants chosen from among the natives is substantiated by
abundant proofs. He has given us palpable evidence that He can
make of them apostles, prophets, and doctors, as Saint Paul tells us
of the early Christians. You can judge for yourself.
Among those who formed the first group of adults baptized at Ibouzo,
in 1901, there was a poor father of a family, Ayaeze by name. For two
years he came regularly from his village of Okpanam to be instructed
by the Father residing at the station of Ibouzo; several times a week
he traveled five miles, going and coming, for no other purpose than to
hear the word of God. To ask why he was determined to come, what
sustained his constancy despite his feebleness, despite tropical rains,
is to ask why the Spirit breathes here rather than there. The answer
must come from the other side of the vault of the heavens, or rather
when it shall be broken. All that we know is that this catechumen
persevered till the day of his baptism when he received the name of
Peter; he not only imitated the resolute force of his patron, but what
is better still, he persevered with the same energy.
Even more; God never does things by halves; the new Christian,
once enrolled under the standard of Jesus Christ, never thought that by
so doing his work was done; on the contrary, from the very day on
which he was admitted to the ranks, obedient to the advice of the
missionary who had instructed and baptized him, he constituted him-
self the apostle of the Good Tidings in his village; as every rule has
an exception, contrary to the well-known adage, he became ^*a pro-
phet in his own country,^' as the apostles were in theirs. His very
name was prophetic, for it signifies "the war of the king," little did
his father surmise what king his son would serve when he so named
him.
Poor and without the least spark of worldly knowledge, yet superior
to many of the educated and so-called civilized of his tribe, knowing
nothing but the catechism which the missionary had been teaching
him for two years, he set himself to hard work and soon assembled
about him, morning and evening, a small number of men of good-will ;
to these he began to teach the sign of the cross and prayers. The
commencement was not a brilliant success ; ridicule, the cause of dis-
couragement to so many Christians, was not lacking; there were even
cases of desertion; a union was formed in the village and the little
band of catechumens was exposed to all kinds of annoyances; and, as
upon renouncing the cult of idols, our people had, at the same time,
244
Missions in Africa
given up the practice of throwing charms against thieves, an expedient
much in vogue among pagans, it became an easy matter and very
tempting to single them out for victims.
" Courage/^ Peter would say to his little flock at every fresh trial .
" Courage; iron cannot be forged without beating it on the anvil/'
One day, his poor little goat disappeared never to return; it hcui
been stolen ; his little flock was much distressed ; he himself comforted
them.
" That goat,*' said he, " was stolen because I am teaching you the
Upper Niger. — A Catechist and His Son.
commandments of God ; far from saddening, it rejoices me, for I know
that I shall find my goat on the other side and many little ones besides ;
if the thieves think they are going to close my lips in this way, they
are making a mistake.
Meanwhile, God showed that He was watching over His servants and
that in a very evident manner. Peter and his flock of catechumens
Upper Niger 245
conceived the thought of building a little chapel ; once it had entered
their minds to do so, they thought they could take their clay from a bed,
the common property of the people. A few influential chiefs pre-
sented a strong opposition. Take the earth that was property in com-
mon to build a church? Never should this be done. The catechist
implored, protested, and showed himself ready to accept all kinds of
conditions; all his efforts were futile.
*'Well,'' he said, after he had exhausted all his resources, "the
chapel which we want to build is not our dwelling ; it is the house of
God. You refuse to let us have the earth which everybody may use
for building. Very good ; God knows what He will do."
You may easily guess with what raillery this declaration was re-
ceived. Only three days had passed when, one evening, on his return
from the fields, Peter heard loud cries in the direction of the village,
such as are uttered when a chief dies. When he arrived home he soon
learned their cause; the chief who had been most stubborn to resist
the building of the chapel had finished his sneer ; a sudden death had
overtaken him. This occurred less than two years ago; to-day, only
two of the eight chiefs who refused the earth are living. Since then,
everybody is afraid of Peter.
" Please do not speak the name of God among us,'' they often say ;
*' your God has two many ears.*'
God who makes an apostle of one man and a doctor of another has
endowed our neophyte with such a facility of speech and repartee, that
it is hard for anyone else to get in the last word. It is a real pleas-
ure for us to hear some of his smart replies. One day, somebody
gave him the usual excuse for not going to*church.
''When all Okpanam goes, then I shall go, too."
The answer was not long coming.
" Did you wait for your son to introduce you into the world ? "
" I," another said with greater candor, " I shall never be one of you."
" Still," answered Peter, *' you never throw away the sauce before
tasting it; look at us; do you see any of us with chains on our feet?
Come and taste the sauce; then, if it does not suit you, throw it away."
"It is all very well to pray to God," another said; "but too many
things are forbidden by your church; it is too hard to have only one
wife."
" The woman who gives birth to her first child is anxious about it a
long time before; when her child is bom, however, she sees that she
246 Missions in Africa
was wrong to be so troubled. You have never tried to keep the com-
mandments ; try and you will see/'
*' Oh ! I have plenty of time," the father of a family once said to
him; " later on I will think about it."
" When you are at work and notice the shadows of the trees getting
longer, you say to yourself that you must hurry to finish what you
have to do ; look, your shadow is already longer than that of your son,
so the evening is not far off and the arm of God will lengthen slowly
to draw you in."
Another time he tried to increase his little fold by pressing exhor-
tations.
" I will be your horse," he said to two women who had come to see
him ; '* I myself will carry you to church ; that is my work ; my broth-
ers do not want to listen to me and shun me ; you will be my brothers
and my sisters."
+
With sermons of this nature, and, particularly, by giving nn ex-
ample of strong hope and firm faith, he has succeeded in' collecting a
fiock which will do anything for him.
Until now, their church has been the porch of his house ; it is there
the missionary celebrates mass from time to time. In the evening,
when the weather permits, they assemble in the yard, and, on their
knees, heedless of passers-by, with eyes turned toward Ibouzo, where
the Blessed Sacrament is kept, they say all their prayers; then,
seated on the ground, the men on one side, the women on the other,
as in church, they listen to the explanation of the catechism.
Some time ago they asked for a chapel. When they had presented
their commendable petition and given the strongest reasons to plead
their cause, I looked from one to the other and then asked which one
of them needed a doctor.
" Why, none of us is sick."
" Very well; if you are all in good health, go, bake the earth, make
bricks, and prepare the mortar; then I will answer you."
They did as I had told them and the missionary of Ibouzo gave
them masons to help them build, iron and carpenters to cover it. The
structure is not exactly a cathedral, but it sufiices for the time and is
dear to them because it is the fruit of their own labor, and because, on
the day of its blessing, eleven adults, most of them married, will receive
the grace of baptism. Peter will be radiant with joy on that day when
he shall see the first group of his catechumens enter the fold of the
church.
Upper Niger 247
One word about the little sacristan; for, although there was neither
church nor bell, Okpanam had a sacristan. Prom the very beginning
some means had to be found to call the people to prayers and cate-
chism, morning and night; they could never be behind Ibouzo, their
parish church, where they attend mass and instructions every Sunday,
whatever the weather may be; they, too, must hear the sound of the
Angelus in the morning, at noon, and in the evening. Peter found
the means ; having no bells, a hoe served the purpose. A child, Olu
by name, gave the signals by striking the hoe with a hammer; he
quickly learned how to manage his instruments and was appointed
sacristan without drawing any too large a salary. All the recompense
he received were the tokens of admiration which were showered upon
him for his skill from one party and the mockeries heaped upon him
by the other. He goes about with the most indifferent air, seem-
ingly; but how many times has he not dreamed of the happiness, the
incomparable pleasure of pulling the ropes of a bell or what he might
call his bell; his ambition does not rise very high; ah ! no; a little bell
would suffice to make him happy.
We might mention similar traits of another catechist. Although
he could neither read nor write and was not even unusually well in-
structed in his catechism, because of his advanced years, he neverthe-
less laid the foundations of what might be called, to speak in the
language of the apostles, the Church of Ugnashi, which is also de-
pendent upon Ibouzo, from which it is about nine miles distant.
His name was Umunna ; his 4abors over, he was called to his eternal
reward about two months since; but the fruit of his work and the
memory of his life will not so soon be forgotten by his fellow citizens
five times fewer in number than the inhabitants of Okpanam. All
that I might say in his behalf would be eclipsed by the authentic report
which was made known to me two weeks ago.
The following are the circumstances : The catechumens of Okpanam
were one day assembled on the farm of their catechist where they had
gone to lend a helping hand, when a man from Ugnashi passed along
the road that led by their fields; according to the custom of the
country, they exchanged greetings and engaged in conversation. Ihe
Blacks, who have neither newspapers nor telegraph, have always some
news to transmit. After talking a little while, the stranger wanted
to know to what family in Okpanam they belonged. The catechumens
and Christians, who were of different families and did not even belong
248 Missions in Africa
to the same quarter of the village, were, at first, at a loss to know how
to answer; finally, however, they made him understand that, although
they did not belong to the same family exactly, they were all members
of one body, the Church. At the word Church, the stranger startled,
and made a motion as if to go. Our little band, at once, knew that
they were dealing with a man afraid of holy water.
"We belong to one band/' said Peter, "but it is not a band of
thieves.*'
"I know,'' answered the stranger; "but there is something about
you of which I am afraid. Umunna, who belongs to my coimtry and
is also one of your society, has done what no one else has ever dared to
do ; he knows the way to cabins where there are sick ; he does not feel
torrents of rain and does not fear to stir the fire for the lepers; he
buries the dead that are thrown into the jungle; nothing holds him
back. We do not understand such actions and what you fellows do
inspires us with fear."
Thereupon, fearing, if he stayed longer, that we might exert some
charm upon, him, he promptly withdrew. This testimony from a
pagan who was far from being favorable to religion spoke volumes on
the faith and works of our aged catechist.
I have tried to show how the natives can assist us in evangelizing the
country, and how many souls would receive the good tidings if we
could station Christians of this stamp in the many cities round about
us; we should soon be rulers of the land. To revert to my beginning,
for lack of a cent, this kingdom does not belong to us; for, in many
cases, to attain this end, we should be compelled to move entire families
away from their relatives and, consequently, provide them with a
dwelling and food. It is out of the question for us to meet the ex-
penses thus entailed.
See, my beloved members of the Society for the Propagation of the
Faith, why I conceived the thought of writing to you. I have taken
the liberty in the hope that you will plead our cause so that, more
fortunate than the poor planet Venus, we may take possession of the
kingdom so much desired.
VICARIATE APOSTOLIC OF NORTH VICTORIA
NYANZA
The following letter, taken from Lea Missions Catholiques, the illus-
trated weekly of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, contains
sad and curious details concerning a strange plague that is making great
ravages in equatorial Africa.
Letter of Sister Mary Claver,
Of the Congregation of Notre Dame of Africa.
THE sleeping SICKNESS.
RuBAQA, May 4, 1905.
Permit me to address you from the shores of Lake Nyanza in be-
half of a work which, though two years old, acquires a fresh demand
every day. I speak of patients afflicted with the sleeping sickness and
the hospital reserved especially for them at Kisoubi in Uganda. It is
about three years since the terrible sleeping sickness, called mongota
by the natives, first appeared in Uganda. For more than two years
the Fathers have been caring for a hundred " sleepers " in Kisoubi,
situated between Entebbe, the capital of the English government, and
Rubaga, the native capital.
When I reached Kisoubi in October, 1904, and visited its asylum
for the wretched for the first time, two things especially impressed me :
the admirable devotion of the missionaries who were caring for their
unfortunate brethren and the Christian resignation full of faith and
hope manifested by those in their agony.
The missionaries requested the help of Sisters for the care which
their unfortunate patients needed; better provisions for the hospital
were made, permission was granted and Sisters were stationed in
Kisoubi.
It is not sufficient that additional workers have been installed; the
ever increasing number of victims of the terrible scourge must be pro-
249
250
Missions in Africa
vided for, and the institution has no other resource than the riches of
charity. .
I return to my bamongota "sleepers/^ -A few details concerning
this odd and dread disease may interest your readers; so I shall tell
you simply what I myself have seen during the past few months, for in
Rubaga, as in Kisoubi, we have charge of the bamongota.
I believe that the cause of the evil has been found out. It is sup-
posed to be transmitted by the fly kivou, sixth species of the tsetse.
SUFFESINO FBOM THE SLEEPING SiCKNESS.
which is found only on the water, on the lake or rivers. The sickness
has been almost proven not to be contagious. Negroes from the in-
terior who have visited the shores of Nyanza and have been stung by
the insect have carried the germ of the mon^ota back to their hearths ;
they have lived in the same house with their family ; the disease devel-
oped and they have never communicated it to others. Moreover, all
those who are afflicted have been on the shores of the lake at one time
or other; the germ remains latent for sometime, even as long as five
or six years, before it develops.
No positive remedy has yet been found; young men of strong and
North Victoria Nyanza 261
robust frame come to us struck b}' the mongota. Slowly and surely
their physical force ebbs away and their intellect becomes impaired
until death ensues.
The name " sleeping sickness '* suggests that the unfortunate victims
suflFer none or little; but it is a mistake to think that they sleep much
or that their torpor is a peaceful and quiet sleep.
In the beginning, they usually suffer great pain in all parts of the
body, especially in the bowels and on the breast; some complain par-
ticularly of pains in the head. The symptoms of the malady are
swollen neck glands, a yellow color, tired eyes, and, especially, an offen-
sive odor. As the disease progresses there are nervous contortions of
the mouth and nose and spasmodic twitching of the facial muscles.
The patients scratch their arms and breasts in fits of desperation.
Some sleep very seldom and are very excited ; some go insane, at times
to such a degree that they must be bound. Nearly all lose their mem-
ory; but the intellect, except in cases of insanity, remains normal till
the very last; when torpor seizes the patient, he often seems to experi-
ence sensations of suffering.
The blood starts to decompose; patients have come to the hospital
full of youthful vigor and, in a few months, they have become living
skeletons. Sometimes, but seldom, sores appear; they can no longer
stand, but lie down in their huts; their bodies emit a horrible odor; the
decomposed blood gushes from the mouth, and sometimes from the
nose and eyes.
A long and terrible agony commences, some lie motionless ; we can
scarcely see them breathe, and yet, when we speak to them, they show
signs of consciousness; they live in this state six or seven days unable
to swallow even a drop of water. A large number suffer ever greater
agony ; their nerves excited, they cannot lie quiet for an instant ; some
beat their heads on the ground as though they would crush the earth ;
others crawl on their hands and feet along the edge of the walls,
sometimes wedging themselves into holes from which it is hard to
extricate them.
A curious symptom which I have asserted several times is a veritable
sweat of blood which breaks out during the last three or four days; as
a usual thing, it is confined to the face and brow ; but I have seen cases
when, for three days, the patients sweat blood from head to foot; from
each pore of the skin drops of blood oozed.
+
The good dispositions of the victims form a striking contrast to the
sight of the horrible malady. In point of fact, very few Catholics
252 Missions in Africa
come to the hospital for the hamongota, as our Christian care for their
sick with a tender devotion. 'We receive a large number of Protes-
tants, pagans, and Mohammedans who are cast out by their relatives.
They are not blind to the charity which cares for them and all receive
baptism and extreme unction before death. Every Sunday a mission-
ary celebrates mass in their modest chapel and some go to Holy Com-
munion every week. Those who are able attend catechism every day.
One aged Protestant, alone, stood aloof. He had been instructed
and baptized by Mr. Mackay, who had come to Uganda after the arrival
of the first English ministers and, though a simple layman, instructed
with incredible zeal.
"Mackay suffices for me,'^ the old man would always say; "I am
waiting for the Kagombe/^
It was a long time before we understood what the Kagombe meant.
It seems that Mr. Mackay had told him: "At the resurrection of
the dead, when God shall sound the great trumpet, I shall come with a
little trumpet and all the Baganda who have heard my voice and
believed my words shall rise and follow me into Heaven.*'
So it was Mackay's trumpet that poor Moussa was waiting for. His
agony came on without his wanting to hear of anything else, and so we
left him to his good faith and the mercy of God.
However, we had recourse to the great remedy of prayer, and began
a novena to Saint Peter Claver. For three days we had heard the
death rattle when Moussa, seemingly returned to life, rose from his
bed on the ground and left his hut. What had been the work of grace
in his soul during that time ? It is a mystery to us. Be the case as it
may, he arose transformed:
" You are too good," he said to his nurses ; " the truth is with you,
I want to go to Heaven with you."
He asked for the priest whom he had so often repulsed. It was
exactly the ninth day of the novena to Saint Peter Claver. After his
admission into the Catholic church, Moussa, baptized Joseph, again fell
into a stupor and the following Saturday his soul took flight to Heaven.
+
I have finished. I have just exposed one of the saddest physical
miseries that afflicts mankind. May pity open hearts and hands in
favor of these poor Blacks ! If God rewards a hundredfold a cup of
water given in His name, what will He not render unto those who,
relieving the most afflicted of His suffering members, bear to souls
faith and consolation, helping them to sleep in the peace of the Lord!
MISSIONS IN OCEANICA
VICARIATE APOSTOLIC OF THE GILBERT ISLANDS
It is only eight years ago that the mission of the Gilbert Islands in-
cluded in the vicariate apostolic of Melanesia was made a distinct vicar-
iate apostolic and placed under the episcopal Jurisdiction of Bishop Leray.
The number of Catholics distributed over the eighteen islands is esti-
mated at 11,000. 23 missionaries (11 priests, 12 lay Brothers) of the
Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Issoudun and 9 Sisters 'of the Sacred
Heart form the little apostolic army that is laboring to extend the king-
dom of God in these distant parts.
Letter of Bishop Leray, M. S. C.
In my last report, I mentioned that our pro-cathedral would be
blessed very soon. I shall now tell yon about the event. I am sure
that you will rejoice with us and communicate the cause of our joy
to the readers of the Annals of the Propagation of the Faith,
many of whom have been signal benefactors to us.
What more beautiful testimony of our filial affection could we offer
to our good Mother in Heaven, during the jubilee year of the defini-
tion of the dogma of her Immaculate Conception, than this temple
dedicated to the Heart of her Divine Son, which rises firm and proud
at the head of the Gilbert Islands ?
Four years have passed since we came to Butaritari to fix our epis-
copal residence there ; at that time there was but one little dilapidated
church with a thatched roof to shelter Our Lord and the few faithful
brave enough to dare the anger of the king. He was a Protestant
fanatic who, for political reasons, as well as out of hatred for Cath-
olics, tried to impede the already slow progress of the truth.
He, too, has been vanquished by the conqueror of this world. His
throne has been cast down and his sceptre broken. What remains
253
254
Missions in Oceanica
to-day of the great Na Buremoa? He who dreamed of being the only
lawful king of all the Gilbert Islands and establishing the easy reli-
gion of Henry VIII on the ruins of Popedom is, by the law of Eng-
land, only a common land owner. And, in the midst of his capital,
rises, graceful in proportion, the Catholic church, surmounted by a
light tower that can be seen from all points. Every captain landing
on the island sees it and it is the beacon which guides his way among
Gilbert Islands. — Fatheb Lebeau and Some of His Pupils.
the thousand reefs that skirt the entrance to the lagoon. When a bril-
liant light shall shed its rays from the very top what a great help this
new lighthouse will be, lighting the bed of the ocean, a ray of hope to
vessels in distress, and to fishermen surprised at night by a squall.
4-
All the work being done, we had decided upon September 25 for
the ceremony of benediction. A week remained for the preparation.
Everybody set to work with a spirit and a will and these dispositions
The (Jilbbbt IsLAKbs
255
multiplied forces tenfold. The ornamentations for the exterior and
interior progressed rapidly. The recent gifts of the Poor Clares of
garlands of muslin^ flowers^ gilt shields^ banners; in a word, all the
riches taken from their blessed sanctuary of Notre Dame of the Sacred
Heart, will, after its baptism, find an appropriate place in our church
and produce a magic effect.
In the meantime, invitations have been taken by couriers to every
district and to all the chiefs who have promised to come to the feast
MiSBIONABT SiBTEBS OF THB SaGBED HEABT AHD SoMS OF ThKIB PUPILS.
with their people. Saturday, in the afternoon, they arrived and were
entertained in the houses prepared for them about the mission. All
turned out right. The little bell, suspended in the tower, sounded the
first vespers of the feast, its silver tongue could be heard from one end
of the village to the other, and its echoes came back from far out at
sea. The heavens were particularly beautiful; the Southern Cross
shone down upon the church and, as in days gone by, the star of Beth-
lehem seemed to indicate to men of good-will the dwelling place of the
Infant God.
266 Missions in Ooeanica
At six o'clock in the morning our bell sang forth the Angelus to
the Blessed Virgin Mary, the first time from its new abode. The sun
shone gloriously, a true sun of victory. Ah! we were celebrating a
brilliant victory, a double victory of the Church, our niother, over
heresy and paganism.
About eight o'clock, whilst the crowd began to assemble, we distin-
guished the smoke of a steamer on the horizon. It was the Brunnez,
of the Chinese Company, returning from its tour of the islands. Rev-
erend Mother Superioress, who had left a month ago to make her
annual visit to her Sisters, was one of the passengers, so she partici-
pated in the feast.
•!•
Surrounded by a host of acolytes, brilliant in their red gowns and
white surplices, we began the prayers and liturgical ceremonies of the
benediction. After the procession around the church, we entered to
bless the interior and commence the Holy Mysteries.
The church was filled. The front seats were occupied by the chief
foreign residents of the islands; in the transept, were the members
of the royal family, the magistrates, and elders of the people. HUs
Majesty excused himself on account of his health. Only one Pro-
testant chief had refused the invitation. The spectacle was most im-
posing. Our little choir, composed of 160 voices, all children, sang in
remarkably good time, their full repertoire of hymns. We felt more and
more deeply moved as the solemnities proceeded. The statue of the
Sacred Heart above the altar is one of rare beauty. It is a special
gift from a generous soul, a great friend of the missions.
At the Gospel, we had an opportunity of preaching to this people,
as eager to hear the word of God as we are to expound it. They do not
all belong to us; but they are in sympathy with us I am sure.
•!•
On the Gilbert Islands, as everywhere else, no feast is complete with-
out a banquet. The body must receive its share to show its intimate
union with the soul. This was not a day to economize; we were more
than liberal in our poverty.
We read in the Scriptures that Solomon killed a large number of
oxen and heifers at the dedication of the temple of Jerusalem. We
also had a victim for the dedication of ours, A lamb, recently brought
from Sydney by boat, was slain, and formed the main delicacy of the
feast; fresh meat is not to be had here every day; we have it only two
or three times a year at most.
The Gilbert Ihlands
257
GiLBEST Islands. — Cathedral of the Sacbed Heabt at Butabitabi.
258 Missions in Ogeanica
An immense table was set in the class-room, so laden and burdened
that it made one think of Baltassar's feast. The stomachs of the
natives are cavities that cannot be filled with one cut of chicken; we
know this from experience. The king's son presided ; his two children
sat at his side. The other dignitaries followed according to their rank
in the social scale. Perfect order reigned and all ate with a hearty
appetite.
The foreigners were entertained in a separate room.
In the evening, there were recitation of the rosary, benediction of
the Blessed Sacrament, and the singing of the Te Deum. A few fire-
works, which greatly pleased the children, little and big, closed the
entertainment.
The day was over, but it is recorded in the annals of the mission.
May it be the dawn of a new era for the beloved church of the Gilbert
Islands sorely tried in so many ways.
Dear Associates of the Propagation of the Faith, once more rejoice
with us and help us to thank the Sacred Heart of Jesus who has
accomplished such great things. As in the past, continue your alms
and your prayers. Our needs will always be many and pressing. Will
you allow me to draw your kind attention to one feature: to ensure
the stability of our works we must possess some land in all parts of
the vicariate. The new law respecting the purchase of ground is most
satisfactory. The sooner we profit by it, the better. May we hope
for some extraordinary help for this purpose next year ? Despite the
great trials of the present moment, we know that the generosity of the
faithful will not fail. Is not almsgiving the true means for drawing
down upon us the mercy of God? It is in this hope that I repeat my
expression of gratitude and affection.
NEWS OF THE MISSIONS
Sacerdotal Jubilee of a Bishop in Mongolia
Rev. Joseph Jansen, of the Belgian missionaries of Schent, writes
from Notre Dame des Pins :
^^ There is something in the missions besides work, fatigne, trials,
fears, shots to be avoided, as in the siege of Notre Dames des Pins in
1900, by the Boxers. Last Sunday we celebrated the jubilee of our
beloved Bishop Abels in Chinese fashion with much noise and racket.
"The event took place a few days after the annual retreat; thirty-
three missionaries were present at the pontifical mass; ten priests as-
sisted the bishop. At the Gloria, guns were fired ; at the consecration,
three cannon shots. A beautiful mass was sung by our seminarians;
Chinese played the interludes. •
"About noon, the reception and presentation of gifts took place;
both were accompanied by music and fire arms. The Christians came
forward, two by two, kissed the episcopal ring, and made their offering.
One district sent a carriage; another, two horses. Small towns sent a
pair of shoes ; some, butter ; some, cakes. The people were delighted
at the bishop's smile of pleasure to receive these gifts of their love.
The climax was reached when, at the end of the solemn reception, a
banquet was served. Fatliers will transmit the memory of it to their
great-great-grandchildren. Even after my long stay in the country, I
never before knew the capacity of a Chinese stomach, or the joyful
expression their usually placid countenances can wear.
" Two days afterwards, priests returned to their respective homes
with renewed ardor for the conquest of souls. At the Pins, likewise,
affairs resumed their regular routine.
" If the peace which we enjoy continues, the harvest of souls will
be rich. This year we baptized 1300 adults. The college is pros-
perous and numbers an attendance of fifty, the hope of the mission.
Very soon three new native priests will be ordained.^'
259
260 News of the Missions
The Devotion to the Sacred Heart among the Kaffirs
Father Mathieu, 0. M. I., missionary at Oakford, writes :
"Work on the church of the Sacred Heart is progressing. I am
glad in anticipation. Everybody admires it and my beloved Kaffirs are
as happy as I am. Many thanks to the generous benefactors whose
gifts have permitted me to undertake this necessary building. It is
with a heart overflowing with gratitude that I write these lines.
" I thought a few details concerning the mission of Oakford, dedi-
cated to the Sacred Heart, might interest you.
" When it was possible for me to establish this mission, the object of
my ardent desires, I first assembled a few native families that I had
evangelized and baptized and gave them a small piece of ground to
build their huts. On those who were willing to join this group, I im-
posed two conditions : to renounce polygamy and to instruct and bap-
tize their children.
"My Christians are already very numerous. Their happiness will
be great when they can assemble in the temple prepared for them by
your charity. They have suffered so much from not having a proper
place to pray. How happy they will be to accept my invitation, when,
on Saturday, I shall announce that the next day is God's day, and I
will say holy mass for them. If T did not tell them, they would not
come; they do not know when Sunday comes.
" Every year there are adult baptisms and first communions. I have
entrusted their preparation to some Sisters who are willing to live
among these poor natives, away from all dear to them, deprived of all
consolation, having but the one comfort of sacrificing themselves daily
for the salvation of souls.^^
First Fruits of Evangelization in Shire', Central Africa
The following is the first letter which we have received from Shire,
a mission three years old and a prefecture apostolic for two. It is
situated between the southern part of the vicariate apostolic of Nyassa
and the Portuguese possessions of Mozambique.
Father Winnen, of the Company of Mary, writes from St. Marie du
Nzama, January 25, 1905 :
" For three years we have been working, sowing, and planting in our
yoimg mission, the hope of the harvest sustaining our courage and
zeal. A little more than a year and we shall reap the first results — our
first baptized adults. This year, on Christmas day, more than a
hundred catechumens began their fourth and last year of preparation
OCEANIOA 261
for the sacrament of regeneration. Our brave catechumens are sighing
for the day of baptism.
" The missionary, accustomed to all kinds of labor and occupation,
feels the pleasant emotion that, after all, he has not left home only to
make bricks, build bridges, and erect houses. How much greater will
be our joy next Christmas, when, by the grace of God and the help of
the true friends of the mission of Shir6, our catechumens, little and
big, will be baptized.
"Undoubtedly, prayer does much; it protects, nourishes, and sus-
tains the soul, it is true ; but our little negroes have a body, too. Their
appetites cannot be appeased by a simple prayer. It is good that the
friends of our mission think of this and that the future go(J,-parents
attend to the material interests of their god-children. Their prayers
will be repaid with usury; their money, that is another matter; they
must wait till our Blacks are millionaires.^^
OCEANICA
A Missionary Honored
In the Hawaii Herald we read an interesting account of the farewell
ceremonies attending the* departure of the Rev. Ulrich Taube, mis-
sionary in the Hawaiian Islands, called from Puna to Honolulu, the
capital. After the celebration of Mass, during which Father Ulrich
bade farewell to his Christians, a grand Luau (native banquet) was
served in his honor. At the close of the feast. Judge Kamau, a native,
made the following eloquent address:
"We are gathered here to say good-bye to Father Ulrich, who is
called to a higher post, where his talents will have a wider scope.
While bitterly regretting his leaving us, we, nevertheless, congratulate
him upon his promotion. We all know and fully appreciate his work
among the Hawaiians of Puna, and we regard with admiration the
results which he has achieved. He has been a master and guide to the
young, a blessing and comfort to the old and afflicted, a friend and
companion to all. He has taught our young folk music, and orgaa-
ized an excellent orchestra out of the most impromising material. He
opened his house to our young men, encouraging them to consider it
a club whither they might come to recreate themselves; and has thus
saved them from wasting their time and money in drinking saloons.
No distance has ever been too great and no storm too violent to keep
him from visiting the sick and the poor. Many of us will never see
him again, but we shall always cherish his memory; and, go where he
will, our hearts will accompany him.'^
SUPPLEMENT
TO THE
AMERICAN EDITION
OF THE
Annals of the Propagation of the Faith
THE ICELAND MISSION
We take pleasure In publishing the following brief but Interesting report
. from Ultima Thule, the Ice-bound island situated in the extreme north of
the Atlantic. The earnest zeal of the devoted missionary, who Is laboring
to re-establish the true religion in that distant land so long deprived of
the blessings of the Catholic Faith certainly commends him to the sym-
pathy of our readers.
Letter of the Rev. M. J. Servaes, Missionary,
vTo the Society for the Propagation of the Faith.
June 24, A. D. 1000, is a memorable day in the annals of Iceland.
On that day the Icelanders renounced their false gods and embraced
the Christian faith. Christ then began to reign as Master in the
hearts of those who had bent the knee and oflEered sacrifice to Thor
and Odin. For five and a half centuries the Catholic religion flour-
ished in that bleak island and during this period fifty-four Catholic
bishops successively occupied the Sees of Skalholt and Holar. A very
remarkable fact is the number of poems written in honor of the Im-
maculate Virgin Mother during the reign of the ancient faith. More
than fifty such tributes to the glory of Mary are still extant, showing
that in all ages and in every land Christ's children know how to pay
homage to the Queen of Heaven. In old chronicles, several places are
mentioned to which pilgrimages were made, such as Notre Dame de
Hofsstadur near Skagaf jordur.
262
Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals 263
But, alas ! the tidal wave of persecution that deluged Europe in the
16th century swept over the land of the midnight sun and Iceland's
houses of Catholic worship were wrecked and ruined. Her altars were
overturned and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass ceased to be offered to
the Supreme (Jod. On November 7, 1550, the head of the last Cath-
olic bishop fell under the axe of the reformer. Catholic Iceland had
passed away and for three hundred years no Catholic priest dared set
foot on her soil.
Thus, for three centuries the light of Chrises religion could not
penetrate that benighted land of error. Their pastors in exile, the
flock of Jesus Christ fell an easy prey to wolves in sheep's clothing,
The Pibst Catholic Church in Iceland since the Reformation.
(Built by Father Boudoin in 1875.)
but, by the mercy of God, the blood of the martyred bishops was not
shed in vain for their flocks. That blood has won from God an
apostle for Iceland in the 19th century. It was in the year 1858 that
the brave and intrepid Frenchman, Father Boudoin, from the Diocese
of Eeims, began the heroic task of reclaiming the inhabitants of Ice-
land to the faith of their forefathers. Alone in the desolate land for
sixteen years, this truly apostolic man devoted with indomitable cour-
age his energies and talents to the accomplishment of his holy designs.
Prohibited by law from publicly exercising his ministry, his whole time
was spent in studying the history and literature of the people.
Patiently he waited and prayed for permission from the government to
open a church for Catholic worship. His petitions to the government
264 SUPPLBHENT TO THB AhEBIOAK EdIXION OF THE AnNALS
were steadily refused till the adoption of a new constitution, in 1874,
removed the ban against the Catholic faith and allowed freedom of
worship to all religions.
It was not, however, in the designs of Providence to allow good
Father Boudoin to enjoy very long the hard-earned fruits of many
years of patient toil and heroic sacrifice. Scarcely had he completed
the little edifice dedicated to the worship of God when the Father of
Light and Consolation called him to his reward. He had fought the
good fight and won the battle. The entering wedge had been driven
into the stronghold of heresy, and nothing remained bnt to continue
the work of this apostle of Iceland. Sad, however, to relate, the splen-
did example of Christian zeal and sacrifice of Father Boudoin found
no emulators, .and for twenty years after his death the faithful few,
whom his patience and zeal had won to the church, were left without
a pastor, with the consequence that not a single Catholic remained loyal
to his faith.
In 1892, Leo XIII erected the mission of Denmark and Iceland
into a vicariate apostolic, over which Bishop Von Euch was ap-
pointed to preside. This great dignity was a fitting reward for the
thirty-two years of untiring and splendid services which Mgr. Von
Euch had rendered to the mission of Denmark.
Vain, indeed, would be our efforts, were we to attempt any eulogy
of the great work done by this brave and holy missionary. Let his
deeds of charity speak for themselves. It is now twelve years since his
elevation to the episcopal dignity, and during the forty-four years of
his work on Danish soil, his flock has multiplied tenfold ; and to-day,
though nearly seventy years of age, he is laboring with indefatigable
zeal and energy for the conversion of those poor souls plunged in the
darkness of heresy. His soul is not that of the sluggard or the hireling
and, therefore, he could not calmly behold the priceless souls entrusted
to his care in Iceland to perish^ while it rested in his power to lead
them to salvation. Fired with the zeal of the apostles, he has spared
no efforts, faltered at no sacrifice, turned back from no obstacle placed
in his path by the powers of darkness, left no stone unturned to recon-
quer for Christ and His Holy Church that dark, dreary, and distant
land so important a part of his diocese. And, with what result? A
church was built, a Catholic school opened, and a hospital founded, all
in the short space of a few years.
While the church, the only one in this immense territory, is not a
large one, capable of holding about 300, still it is adequate for the
SUPPLEMEKT TO THE AmSBICAN EDITION OF THE ANNALS 265
requirements. It is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus with the
hope that that loving Heart will shed its light and graces upon this
unfortunate land afficted for so many centuries with the blight of
heresy and infidelity. Great, however, is the contrast which this little
edifice presents to the churches of our Catholic countries. The sanc-
tuary lamp, the tabernacle, and a very simple set of Stations of the
Cross are the only objects that remind us of a Catholic church. Thanks
to the generosity of a Munich priest, the Angelus bell has been heard
again within the past few months. It is a great consolation, both to
us and our people, to recognize once more the joyous, silvery tones of
our church bell, silenced for so many centuries. To none, perhaps.
Retkiavik, The Capital of Iceland.
are these same sounds more welcome and consoling than to the ears
of the courageous hearted Bretons, who visit our shores on their fish-
ing expeditions. In these happy sounds they recognize the sweet
voice of the Lord calling them to salute the Star of the Sea, their
watchful and loving patroness, and to assist at the services of their
holy faith. The love of Mary has found a generous response in the
hearts of her devoted children, so that she, too, possesses a modest
little altar in this humble chapel dedicated to the Sacred Heart of her
Divine Son.
Yet, notwithstanding these oflferings, the first a kind Providence has
bestowed upon us, our church is still very poor. It is our earnest
hope and trustful prayer that God will move others to imitate the
noble charity of these benefactors.
266 Supplement to the American Edition of the Annaijb
Although our Catholic congregation is small in numbers, you must
not conclude that our church remains empty. On Sundays and feast
days over two hundred Protestants attend our services and instructions.
It is gratifying and consoling to witness their eagerness to listen to
the exposition of Catholic doctrine. Are we not justified in hoping
and expecting that the bright light of the true faith will soon dispel
the fogs and mists of heretical errors implanted in their minds by
false teachers? Already our hopes have received confirmation in the
conversion of one Protestant, while five more are preparing for recep-
tion into the old fold.
Besides our few native islanders, we have the pleasure of welcom-
ing many European sailors during the course of the year. It is not
easy to describe the simple joy these poor stormed-tossed sea way-
farers feel on finding a Catholic church in a land so entirely Protes-
tant; to be able to kneel at the foot of God's altar and implore His
protection from the dangers of their perilous calling. Our school,
which is in charge of the Sisters of St. Joseph, surpasses in excellence^
even in the estimation of Protestants, aH others of its kind on the
island. As a proof, we may state that the governor and other state
officials send their children to our school. At present the number of
pupils is thirty-four, all children of Protestant parentage, and from
the best families in the ci4;y and vicinity, "which proves that the people
are favorably disposed toward uB. To the ordinary curriculum of
studies is added the study of French and German. No religious in-
struction is given ; still the fact that secular education is imparted by
Sisters gives a Catholic coloring to the atmosphere and will, no doubt,
remove early prejudice from the minds of the rising generation and
dispose the wills of the pupils for the reception of Catholic belief
later on.
The hospital, also under the direction of the Sisters, possesses every
modem convenience, both a surprise and a delight to the people. Not
only the poor but many members of the most distinguished families
pay homage to the skillful nursing of the devoted and sympathetic
angels of the sick room. They are loved and revered by all. Large,
indeed, is the number upon whom they lavish their entire attention
with a charity and disinterestedness, for which those who have come
under their care cannot sufficiently praise them. To the many poor
crippled sailors and fishermen of all nations and beliefs, who have
launched on these desolate shores, the good Sisters have proved them-
selves true angels of charity in extending a helping hand to the
afflicted.
Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals 267
Such are a few of the details concerning the hard, painfnl, and
difficult but hopeful mission of Iceland. Truly, it is an Iceland and
a snowland. The climate is severely severe. During the winter, which
lasts nine months, the land iff covered with snow and ice. But this
condition, though trying to human nature, is not the cause of our
The Present Chtjbch in Reykiavik.
(The Only Catholic Chubch in Iceland.)
greatest anxiety. What we fear most are the frequency and violence
of the storms which sweep over the country. Our little church is in
constant peril from these storms. Only last year two Protestant
churches were blown down and carried to the sea-coast by the wind.
And yet, besides cyclones, the extreme frosts of winter, together with
the long three months night, there is another source of danger to life
and property with which the missionary in Iceland must contend. It
268 Supplement to the American Edition op the Annals
is the numerous earthquakes that visit the land. On the 28th and
29th of January we felt at least twenty-eight shocks, causing great
terror and alarm to the inhabitants of the island.
Now, dear associates, we have tried to give you a brief outline of
the history of Iceland; of its difficulties, progress, and hopes. Its
needs, both spiritual and material, are many, but we feel confident
that God's Providence will not forsake this poor mission and we trust
that you, our associates in the Master's work, will generously come
to our assistance and with earnest prayer and abimdant alms and
offerings to help us continue the good work begun and prosecuted
under the most trying conditions.
RECOLLECTIONS OF THE PERSECUTION OF THE
YEAR 1900 IN CENTRAL MONGOLIA
(pathetic story of an apostate child.)
Letter of Father Rutten, B. F. M.
Let me give you an account of a visit which I have just made to the
Christian village of T'ie-ke-tan-keou in the high mountainous district
of Heou-pa. Sad to relate this spot no longer can be called a village.
There remains nothing but a heap of ruins that mark the former
existence of a town. The Boxer horde of vandals, with flaming sword
and scimitar, swept over it in 1900, pillaging and burning every home.
Two houses have been rebuilt and are occupied by twenty Christians,
the only survivors of a population of 200, the rest dying martyrs for
their faith.
This was my first visit, since I came to the mission, at this hallowed
place. I accompanied our Right Reverend Vicar Apostolic, Bishop
Van Aertselaer. Before us we saw the blackened walls of the house
once occupied by Father Dobbe. In this dwelling, together with
Fathers Abbeloos and Zylmans, he passed many days of torture. They
were his companions in martyrdom. These latter had been my fellow
students in the seminary at Louvain. On the day of my first Mass at
Scheut, I saw them leave in the bloom of health, full of zeal and joy.
To-day I am making a pilgrimage along the road watered with their
blood.
In front of the house are yet standing the ruin of walls indicating
the site of the church. It was in this church that they suffered
martyrdom. In the presence of all these objects, silent witnesses of
their agony, and among the only survivors of that glorious hecatomb,
I could vividly picture to myself the horrors of that scene.
Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals 269
On August 22^ 1900^ between two and three thousand pagans and
soldiers sent by the Mandarin of the Blue City took possession of the
hills which encircle the village. Then rose the dread cry, *' Death to
the Christians/^ and with furious yells and shouts they attacked the
defenseless people. The village soon fell into their hands. The faith-
ful sought refuge in the church where Father Dobbe gave them a last
absolution. While all were within, the Boxers piled oil-soaked mate-
rial around the church and set fire to it. An instant later the whole
building was a mass of flames. Those who tried to escape were killed
at the door. In about a quarter of an hour the church collapsed upon
a heap of nearly 200 dead bodies^ only a few Christians having man-
aged to escape. It is from them that I learned the details of the
massacre.
I met another eye-witness of the martyrdom, and a most remark-
able and interesting one, too, the principal subject of my letter. He
is a youth twelve years of age. His family, all Christian, which, be-
fore the outbreak^ numbered in its various branches about 200 mem-
bers, is now almost extinct; scarcely 30 are left.
For three years it was believed that this little boy had suiBfered mar-
tyrdom with his parents, but it was not so. He has just returned to
his native village. This is the sad story which he related to me while
out walking with him one evening.
4-
*' When the church was set on fire/' he began, ** I heard the Chris-
tians crying. My mother held me in her arms. Suddenly I could
see nothing more on account of the smoke, which filled the building.
An instant later there was a bright light and I saw that my mother's
head was a mass of flames. Her hair had caught fire. With the
words — * there is the door, run — save yourself,* she set me on the floor.
I felt myself carried along by those who were trying to escape and get
out of the church.
" When the smoke around us had cleared away, I saw guns and swords
everywhere about us. Suddenly a soldier seized me by the shoulders
and made me run along. A short distance from the village we were
joined by other soldiers, who had captured two Christian women.
They told us that if we were good we would be well treated, but if we
tried to escape they would shoot us. My head Was covered with bums,
the scars of which you can still see. The soldiers dressed them care-
fully and I was soon cured.
" After several days' travel we reached the banks of the Yellow
270 Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals
Eiver, where they placed us on board vessels that were going up the
stream. During this voyage I lost sight of the women, who were
taken with me. I do not know what became of them. After travelling
more than a month we arrived at the large city of Ning-hia-fou. It
was there, Father, I committed a great crime. I apostatized. This
is how it happened.
" The soldier, who had taken me with him, secured a position in the
service of a mandarin and kept me as his servant. One day the man-
darin met me and asked me who I was. I replied that I was a
Christian.
" * I do not want any of these people in my household,^ he said in
a great rage. Summoning me to the audience hall, he spoke to me
in a terrifying voice : ' We are to see whether you are a Christian or
not. Listen to me. I want you to make a cross on the ground and
walk on it. If you are a true Christian, if you refuse to despise the
Cross, we will punish you with those instruments of torture. If you
are not, do as I have commanded and you will be pardoned.'
"Then I thought to myself. Father, it would be very wicked to
trample on the Cross and to deny that I was a Christian, but I was
afraid of torture and I obeyed. I drew a cross on the ground and
walked over it.
" For several weeks I remained at the mandarin's. There they told
me that all the Christians in the world had been killed by the Boxers,
that there were no more priests or bishops, that the Pope himself had
been killed. As I was only a child at the time, I believed all they
told me.
" One day my master, after losing heavily at gambling, sold me for
eight dollars to a Chinese Mohammedan, who took me to his village,
about eight days' travel from the city. All the inhabitants were
Mohammedans. There 1 lived for two years. I committed my first
sin by trampling on the Cross, I again sinned by becoming a Moham-
medan. They compelled me to learn their prayers and go to the mosque
once a week. Nevertheless, there was no apostasy in my heart. I
said to myself when I am older I will run away and be converted.
" My duty was to care for the cows and horses of the village. Often,
while alone in the neighboring pastures, I cried while thinking of all
I had known, of the priests whom I had seen and whom I believed were
dead, of my mother whom I had left in the flames. I said to myself,
she is now in Heaven and I am no longer a Christian. I am serving
the devil. I would hj^ve done better by dying with her. Sometimes
^
Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals 271
I recited in secret the prayers she had taught me, the ' Our Father/
the * Hail Mary/ my morning and night prayers.
" One night I went to the window to listen to a conversation be-
tween some leading men of the village. What I heard made me cry
The Tchanq Bbothebs.
Native Priests in Central Mongolia.
from joy. The Boxers, they said, had been punished ; in the country
of Ning-hia-fou there were a bishop (Mgr. Bermyn, Vicar Apostolic
of Ortos) and some missionaries searching for captive women and chil-
dren. There were bishops and priests still living and from that
moment' I thought of nothing but flight.
27^ Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals
"I did not, however, dare to confide in any one or even enquire
where there was a Catholic mission. The men of the village declared
that they would kill the first Christian who would ofi!er any assistance
to Christians in their distress. Necessity forced me to conceal my
joyful feelings and wait. Alas I months and months passed and the
hope I had cherished began to die out/
*^ One day, I had, as usual, taken my herds to the fields along the
road leading to Ning-hia. When evening came, I was getting the ani-
mals ready to return to the village, when my attention was directed
toward a man whom I had met several days before. He was a pedler
going from house to house selling sundry household articles.
** * Where do you come from ? * he asked me.
" * Prom the village down there,' I replied, pointing toward it with
the hand.
*' * Oh ! ' he said, looking at me fixedly, ' I took you for another boy
of whom I have heard, who came from a very distant country. I see
that I am mistaken.'
" ^ No 1 ' I cried, ' I certainly am the boy you mean.'
^*'It may be. Do you know what this is,' said he, making the
Sign of the Cross ?
" At the sight of that sign I was beside myself with joy. ' You are
a Christian,' I said ? * I, too, am a Christian,' and I made the Sign
of the Cross five or six times. Then I repeated the ' Our Father ' and
* Hail Mary.' * Now do you believe me ? ' I asked.
'^ * Where do you come from ?' he enquired again.
"'From T'ie-ke-tan-keou in Heou-pa.'
" ' Who was your missionary ? '
"'Tong-chenn (Father Dobbe).'
*'' Who wus the bishop?'
" * Fang-tchou-kiao (Mgr.. Van Aertselaer) .'
" ' What is your Christian name? '
''' Joseph.'
*' * Now, I believe you, but do not let us stay together too long. Come
to this place to-morrow evening and I will take you back to the mis-
sion. Return to your master quickly and do not say a word to anyone.'
" I gathered my herds, which were beginning to stray again, and
* The child was ignorant of the difficulties encountered by the mission-
aries of Ortos in their efforts to rescue Christians from Mohammedans. In
1901, Fathers Van Merhaeghe and Bongaerts sacrificed their lives for these
unfortunate captives.
SUPPLBMENT TO THE AliBBlCAN EDITION OF THE AnNALS 273
returned to the village, trying my beat to conceal my happiness. The
next evening I was at the appointed place. Very soon a little cart
drawn by a good horse passed by. The driver asked me to get in.
I left my animals near the village and we drove off in all haste by un-
frequented routes. We travelled in this manner all night and part of
the next day and reached the house of a rich pagan, a friend of the
Christians. After journeying several days we arrived at a Christian
village of the mission of the Ortos. Finally, after several weeks, an
opportunity presented itself and I was enabled to visit the place of my
birth.
*^ When I came to Heou-pa, I recognized all the Christians, but most
of them did not know me.
" ' You are lying,' they said ; * it is not you.'
" Then I returned with them to my native village of T*ie-ke-tan-keou,
where I found the blackened ruins of our home. ' Here,' I said, ' I
lived, with my parents, here is the house of our neighbor, and there
is the church, in which my father and mother died and from which
they went to Heaven 1 ' All saw that I remembered everything cor-
rectly and declared that without doubt I must be the boy eight years
old belonging to the family of Menu."
The child had finished his story. The last rays of the setting sun
had vanished, and the deep shadows prevented my young companion
seeing my tears.
If such is the faith of a child, who in a moment of weakness, in
the presence of threats of horrible tortures, apostatized, what is to be
said of our heroic Christians of Mongolia, who gave up their lives so
generously amid agonizing suffering for their religion and their God !
COLORED NUNS IN AFRICA
Some years ago a man of some prominence In New Tork» in the
course of his travels, went to the Eternal City, and like all visitors was
deeply Impressed by the monuments of Christian faith and worship as
well as the priceless antiquities preserved there. What impressed him
most, however, was the hall of the college of Propaganda, not because of
its beauty or the historical associations connected with it, but because
of the students that filled its benches.
" I saw," he said, " in one line a giant black, from Senegambia I believe,
seated beside a fair-skinned English student, whose delicate features were
in striking contrast to the rugged, homely, shiny face of his seat-mate.
Men from the East and the West, black, white, red, and yellow, were
gathered there under the one professor, who was lecturing In the tongue
274 Supplement to the American Edition op the Annals
that all understood and on a topic that seemed to hold a mighty interest
for all. I saw that morning, I suppose, representatives of every race
under the sun, and though not a Catholic, I can appreciate the fact that
the Roman Communion has a perfect right to the title she clalma for
herself of * the World Church/ "
There is nothing surprising in this, and a little thought would have dis-
covered to him the reason for that gathering in the halls of that famous
college. " Go ye forth into the whole world and teach all nations " was
the commission given to the Church, a commission she has faithfully car-
ried out through the ages. Her footsteps have passed on every land, her
Influence on every people, and to-day she goes on her way carrying the
message of peace and good- will to those who have heard it not.
In the following photograph with its article we find the plan she has
always pursued, namely, to take the children she has won to her Faith,
train them in the work of saving others, and then send them among their
own people.
It may surprise some to know that Rev. Mother Iphigenla is a native
Senegambian, a member of a tribe that has within recent memory been
civilized and Christianized. The letter describing her election to her
high office is only an evidence of the blessed power of the " World Church,"
whose boundaries are being widened through the Society for the Propaga-
tion of the Faith.
Bishop A. Kunemann, C. S. Sp., writes from Dakar in Senegambia :
"Eecently more than usually important business has brought me
from St. Joseph de Ngazobil, not the least interesting of which was
the retreat of the native colored Sisters which preceded the profes-
sion and the investiture with the habit of several of the novices. The
election of the new Superior General took place at the same time.
As you know, the Rev. Mother Mary Josephine, who was for nearly
ten years in that responsible position, died April 16, 1904, mourned by
the community over which she presided with such success. She was
born in the little village of (Joree, in 1833, and was known in the
world as Theresa Sagna. With Louise St. John, afterwards Sr. Mary,
she received the habit from Bishop Kobe on July 9, 1858. Her years
were many and blessed with the most fruitful results. Just a word
about the election and installation which took place August 10, in
the community chapel after Mass.
" After a short address appropriate to the occasion, the nuns, one
after the other, on their knees, in the presence of the Blessed Sacra-
ment, wrote out their votes and deposited them in the little urn
placed there to receive them. When all were finished I counted the
votes and found that Mother Iphigenia had been elected almost unani-
mously. She was then proclaimed Superior General and I confirmed
her election according to the constitutions and followed it with solemn
benediction.
Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals 275
" These ceremonies have a peculiar and touching character here in
Africa^ and one feels here more than perhaps in other places the beauty
and solemnity of the religious life. The newly elected made her pro-
fession of faith and then, seated at the foot of the altar, she received
Rev. Motheb Iphioenia.
the electors who, on bended knees, repeated the form, * I promise you
reverence and obedience according to the rules and constitutions/
" At 10 o'clock we held the general chapter of the congregation of
the native Sisters, and in the evening the ceremony of the profession
and the investiture of the novices. The day, filled with so many con-
soling and beautiful incidents, ended with a solemn Te Deum in
thanksgiving to God for all His blessings."
SPECIAL DONATIONS
Received since the August Number.
Fob Abchbishop osouf, P. F. M.» Tokyo.
Per Rev. John J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) $50.00
Fob Bishop O'Gobman, Sioux Falls. (Indian Missions.)
Per Rev. John J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 10.00
Fob Bishop Shanlby, Fabgo. (Indian Missions.)
Per Rev. John J. Dr in (Diocese of New York) 1S.00
Fob Bishop Dontbnwil . O. M. I.» Nbw Wbstuinstbb.
Per Rev. John J. Du in (Diocese of New York) 10.00
Fob Bishop Chatbon, P. F. lUL, Osaka.
Per Rev. John J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 60.00
Fob Bishop Bbblioz, P. F. M.» Hakodatb.
Per Rev. John J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 65.0
Fob Bishop Cousin, P. F. M., Nagasaki.
Per Rev. John J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 55.0*
Fob Bishop Mbbbl, P. F. M., Camton Sbminaby.
A Priest (Diocese of Denver) 100.00
Per Rev. John J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 10.00
Per Rev. F. Barbier, 8. M. (Diocese of Boston) 5.00
Anonymous (Diocese of San Francisco) 40.00
Anonymous (Diocese of Dallas) 6.00
Anonymous (Diocese of Richmond) 1.00
Fob Bishop CIoqsbt, C. M., So. Kiangsi.
Anonymous (Diocese of Scranton) 2.00
Fob Bishop O'CSobman, C. S. Sp.* Sibbba Leonb.
Anonymous (Diocese of Scranton) 2.00
Fob Bishop Hanlon, B. F. M., Uppbb Nile.
Per Rev. John J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 10^00
Fob Fathbb Pbicb, Nobth CUbolixa.
Per Mr. N. W. Hans (Diocese of New York) 86.00
Fob Fathbb Mayb, Natal.
Per Rev. John J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 5.00
Fob Fathbb Lbcobbb, O. M. I., Saskatchewan.
Per Rev. John J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 18.00
Fob Fathbb Maxim, S. H. Pic, Sandwich Islands.
Per Father Dunn (Diocese of New York) 6.00
Fob Fathbb Dauphin, O. M. I., St. Albebt.
Per Rev. John J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 6.00
Fob St. Joseph's Society fob Colobbd Missions of thb South.
Per Rev. John J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 6.00
Fob Fathbb Cobbb, P. F. M., Nagasaki.
St Vincent Archabbey (Diocese of Pittsburg:) 20.00
Fob Fathbb Tignous, P. F. M., Coimbatore.
Per Rev. John J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 10.00
Fob Fathbb Dbbibb, O. M. Cap., Lahobe.
Per Rev. John J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 10.00
Fob Fathbb Fbaseb, Chb-kiano.
Per Rev. John J.- Dunn (Diocese of New York) 6.00
Fob the Education of two Children in Bbrbrra (Somaliland).
Anonymous (Diocese of San Francisco) 40.00
FOB MOTHEB Paul, O. S. F., Uganda.
Per Rev. John J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 15.00
Anonymous (Diocese of Tucson) 10.00
Anonymous (Diocese of Scranton) 2.00
Fob Sisteb Xavibb, Ning-po.
Anonymous (Diocese of Scranton) 2.00
Fob Sisteb St. Andrew, Osaka.
Per Rev. John J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 62.00
Anonymous (Diocese of Scranton) 2.00
FOB THE OBPHANAGB OF LAHORE.
Per Rev. John J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 26
Fob Japanese Missions.
Benedictine Nuns f Diocese of Pittsburg) 6.00
Fob Japanese Orphans.
Anonymous (Diocese of Philadelphia) 1.00
The Society gladly receives sums of money intended by the
donors for any particular mission or missionary, and forwards
the same at once to its destination in any part of the world.
276
r
pr— — -rnl
ll^inR **i@^[^^£Wt^
^m
Wl\
OBITUARY
The following deceased persons are recommended to the charitable
prayers of our Associates :
Most Eev. P. L. Chapelle, Archbishop of New Orleans; Most
Eev. Mgr. Melizan, 0. M. I., Archbishop of Colombo; Eight
Eev. 0. Eizzi, 0. P. M., Vic. Apos. of N. Shansi; Very Eev. D. F.
Grigolato, Director of the 8. P. F. in the Diocese of Adria Bovigo;
Eev. T. L. Kinkhead, Diocese of New York; Eev. E. P. Brennan,
Diocese of San Francisco; Eev. Jas. Conway, S. J., Diocese of New
York.
Mr. P. B. Casoli, Treasurer of the S. P. P. in the Diocese of Modena;
Mr. A. Eastoul, Diocese of Lyons; Mr. J. H. Prye, Diocese of St.
Louis; John Heron, Diocese of Brooklyn.
Of the Diocese of New York the following: Margaret Dermody, Thomas
O'Connor, Richard Bowles, Michael Tobin, Isaac Hitchins, Patrick Bergen,
Mrs. Connors, Edwin J. Parks, Frances M. Fitzgerald, Catharine Keller,
Cornelia O'Connor, Mary H. Bergen, John Branak, Mary B. Turner,
Thomas Gleason, Patrick Tafle, John Hamilton, Patrick Lanagan, James
Smith, James Devine, Peter McManus, Mrs. Ann McGinnis, G. O'Brien,
G. Meagher, Estell Dupell, Fanny Reilly, John B. Doyle, Mary Dittrich,
Mrs. Ellen Lee, William Owens, Fred. Schmidt, Edward McGowan, Cath-
arine Bannigan, William Lee, -Mary Noon, Mrs. Bridget Tully, Mrs.
Mary Gilfoyle, Mrs. Margaret Healy, John Heron, Anna Robins, Daniel
Connors, Patrick Nevill, Ann Gill, Willie Hanrahan, M. Neville, Bridget
Scullon, Catharine Blake, James Ryan, Luke Boyle, Mrs. Ann Buchanan,
Gerald O'Connell, Delia Kirkpatrick, Mrs. Margaret Cult, Patrick Mc-
Donnell, James F. Meehan, Catharine Dufty, Patrick Holland, Mrs. George
Austin, Mr. Branigan, Florence Farley, Annie Fitzpatrick, Mary Martin,
Mr. Nolan, Miss B. McSweeny, C. Moore, Winifred O'Gara, Mary Leonard,
John Batterton, Edward Cox, James Tonomey, John McCann, Augusta
Lane, Mrs. Mary Hanley, Mrs. Mary Ward, Mrs. Ellen Hayden, Edward
Gilfoyle, Mrs. Mary McDermott, Mrs. Ann Mulqueen, Mrs. Mary B. Mc-
Kenna, John Batterson, Mrs. Donley, William Stanton, James Gallagher,
Thomas O'Connor, John J. Barry, James Carroll, Catharine Kenny, Ter-
ence Dufty, William Monaghan, Michael Hassard, Mary T. Warren, Bridget
277
278 Obituary
Monaghan, Ellen Goodchild, Minnie Ooodchild, Edward Goodcfaild, Marj
Ann Harper, Richard Hart, Gertrude Connor, Mrs. John Byrnes, W. F.
Brady, Mrs. Michael Reilly, Mrs. Phoebe King, Henry A. Burke, Miss
M. A. Tracey, John Hayden, Joseph O'Connell, }/Ltb. Florence Fitzgerald,
Thomas Roche, Philip Doyle, Martin Laflerty, Joseph Kerling* Mrs. Mary
Harding, Matthew Harding, Patrick Leddy, Mrs. Margaret Mulligan,
Edward Williams, Arthur Williams, Mrs. Judith Williams.
Of the Diocese of Boston the following: Agnes Curry, W. Hills, Cath-
erine Murphy, Mrs. Margaret Daly, Mathew McCarthy, James Connors,
William McCue, James Connors, Lynn, Mrs. Annie Regan, James Mc-
Fadden, Edward McFadden, John McPike, Mrs. Martha FitzQerald, Mrs.
Sarah Hill, Mrs. Mary Sullivan, Mrs. Hannah Sullivan, Catherine Murphy,
Charles O'Connor, Mrs. Catherine O'Connor, Michael Gillow, Mrs. Sarah
Gillow, Frank Landry, Michael F. O'Hara, Nora McLaughlin, Catherine
McCarthy, Ellen Walsh, Louis Connors, Mr. Edwards, Mary O'Brien, Annie
Maloney, John Loughlin, Francis Thornton, Patrick Duran, Sarah Duran,
Katherine Devine, Thomas Peacock, James Fallon, Catherine Fallon, Mary
Evans, Alfred Peacock, Mary Sweet, Ellen Kelley, Patrick Fallon, Bridget
Peacock.
(We shall be glad to recommend all deceased associates whose
names are sent us to the prayers of our readers.)
ADVERTISEMENTS
With eich Roftry we furnish • titin-llned case
The Rosary in Fine Jewels
CHRISTIAN PSSSS ASSOCUTIOH
26 BARCUY STREET lOEW YORK
We liave In stook the following stones :
In Pure Quality, size of No. 1 : Amethyst, Topaz,
Crystal, Onyx,jri^r-eye, Smoked Crystal, Agate,
Camellan, and Garnet.
In the Imitation Jewels, sizes Nos. 1 and 8: Ame-
thyst, Topai^ Ckimet. Crystal, Bmerald, Toxqaoise,
Jade, Sapphue, and Moonstone.
PRICES
No.814fi. In Real Stone, mounted In Solid Gold, I2S.00
each.
No. 8146. In Real Stone, mounted In 14k. Rolled Gold
Plate, $8.00, $10.00, $12.00 and $14.00 each.
No. 8146. In Imitation Jewels, size of No. 1, mounted
in 14k. Rolled Gold PUte, $8.60 each. 10-year
guarantee.
No. 8146. In Imitation Jewels, size of No. 2, mounted
in 14k. RoUed Gold Plate, $2.00 each. 10-year
guarantee.
No.^46. In Imitation Jewels, size of No. L mounted
In 14k. Rolled Gold Plate, Decade Beads Capped,
Soldered Chain, Extra Heavy Cross, $6.00 each.
aO-year guarantee.
NEW BOOKS
The Church of God on Trial Before the Tribunal of Reason
By E. J. Maginnis.
A most interesting exposition of Catholic doctrine treated from a lawyer's stand-
point. Each statement in the Catholic creed is followed by the corresponding
Frotestant tenet, usually taken from the Thirty-nine Articles of the Anglican
Church, and under them are arrayed quotations from the Fathers, the Councils,
and other authorities, concluding with an argument in behalf of the Catholic view.
The book bears the imprimatur of the Archbishop of Philadelphia. Price, 8o cents.
The Sacrifice of the Mass
An historical and doctrinal inquiry into the nature of the Eucharistic sacrifice,
by Very Rev. A. MacDonald, D. D., V. G. Beautifully bound in fine cloth.
Price, postpaid 6o cents.
The Spiritual Consoler
or instructions to enlighten pious souls in their doubts and allay their fears.
Written originally in Italian by Father Quadrupani, Barnabite. Price 45 cents.
The Love of Our Lord Jesus Christ
reduced to practice. Addressed to those souls that are anxious to secure their
eternal salvation and to advance toward perfection. By St. Alphgnsus Liguori.
Price 45 cents.
The Catechism of the Council of Trent
Published by command of Pope Pius V. Translated into English by Rev. J.
DoNAVAN, Professor at the royal college, Maynooth. Recommended in kis latest
encyclical hy POPE PIUS X. Price $1.40, net, postpaid.
CHRISTIAN PRESS ASSOCIATION
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26 Barclay Street, New York City
Please mention "Annals" when writing to advertisers.
PRAY FOR THE MISSIONARY.
**Pny for the MIs»!onary who Is the representative
of your Fatth and Charity I
''Pray for the Missionary who sleeping or waking is
often at the mercy of savage peoples!
**Pray lor the Missionary who, with Cross in hand,
cUmbi the mountain passes, seeking the erring sheep I
"Pray for him when he sleeps 'neath the canopy of
heaven* exposed to the winter's cold and the summer's
heat I
**Pray for him when he offers the Holy Sacrifice for
you, surrounded by his converti in his humble chapel I
"Pray for him when struggling against the pride
and ignorance of uncivilised people he sees his sacred
ministry held up to ridicule I
" Pray for him when in hii lonely moments he goes
back in memory to his native land to which he will
never return I
"Pray for him finally, when sufferings and privations
having slowly sapped his strength, his eye% are closed
in death, and forgotten by all he finds a last resting
place in a faraway land I
"PIOUS ASSOCIATES Of THE PROPAGATION
or THE FAITH. PRAY FOR THE MISSIONARY,
AND IN RETURN HE WILL HELP YOU TO
HEAVEN I "
-A MISSiONARY.
Vol. LXVni. Na 4^3
lUr *jij^fci^
■jAJ^m^u J
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IHm^
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^
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■ ^nJM^fc'
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DECEMBER, 1905
s
■•^-i^'-
PROPAGATION
OF THE FAITH
Published W-monthly by the
Society iat the Propagation
of the Faith, Baltimore and
New York. •% •% •". /•
OTHEH SHCK? 1 HAVE THAT ^
yX^t NOT or THIS rotfj THeM^I-\<
I n05T &MNG ANOTHER
f 5WALL H^R HY VOJCC AMD
lT HERC SHALL tt ONE fCLD
AND 0N€ SMEPMEW
REPORT NUMBER
CONTENTS.
PAoa
REPORT OF THE ALLOCATIONS MADE TO THE MISSIONS BY THE SOCIETY
FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH IN 1906 379
/I FEW REFLECTIONS ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS 989
THE SOCIEHES OF CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES.-VIII Article .990
THE SOCIETY OF THE DIVINE WORD AND ITS MISSIONS 990
MISSIONS IN ASIA.
THIBET.
Letter of Bishop Giraudeaa, P. F. M., VIoar Apotlolic of Thibtt 803
Murder of Father SoTili6, P. F. M. at Yare-gong.
MISSIONS IN AMERICA.
SASKATCHEWAN.
Latter of Fathor JttlllM, 0. M. 1 80S
A first Tlsit to the SaskaC^hewan Indians. — The boarding school of
Prince Albert. — Difficulties at Lake Canard. — A first Conunnnion
ceremony. — Touching History of the « King of the Snmmer. '' —
Necessity of Schools.
LETTER OF THE RIGHT REV. BISHOP OF GALLOWAY (SCOTUND) COMMEND-
ING THE SOCIETY FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH 810
DESTINATION OF MISSIONARIES 818
Supplement to the American Edition of the Annak
IN THE PRISON CAMPS OF JAPAN.
Expt rlsncet of tbs Rsv. J. B. Castanlsr, P. F. M 815
CATHOUC PROGRESS IN INDIA.
Latter of ths Rsv. J. M. Louis, Missionary In ths DIocsso of Madras 8d0
SPECIAL DONATIONS 835
OBITUARY 827
CONTENTS OF VOL UVIII , 829
Bntexed at the Post Offloei Baltlmoxe» MiL, as second class mattei;
, ANNALS
OF THE
Propagation of the' Faith
Vol. LXVIII, No. 463. December, 1905
Report of the Allocations made to the Missions
by the Society for the Propagation of the
Faith in 1 905
RECEIPTS (1904)
Dioceses of Europe 11,100,746.16
Dioceses of Asia 1,156.26
Dioceses of Africa 4,774.44
Dioceses of America 243,887.42
Dioceses of Oceanica 1,462.79
Total for 1904 (as In May Report) $1,352,017.06
Sum remaining at the disposal of the Holy Father for his
Eastern works at the close of 1903 29,400.00
Balance brought forward from 1903 123.88
GsAND Total 11,381,540.94
EXPENSES (1905)
Apportioned to Missions In Europe | 130,760.67
Apportioned to Missions in Asia 633,363.64
Apportioned to Missions In Africa 281,265.52
Apportioned to Missions in America 74,707.71
Apportioned to Missions In Oceanica 143,862.26
Publication of the 17 editions of the Annals 69,559.98
Management 22,213.77
Total expenses 11,355,733.45
Sum at the disposal of the Holy Father for Oriental Rites 25,700.00
Balance carried forward 107.49
Sum equal to the foregoing grand total 11,381,540.94
S79
280 Report of Allocations Made in 1905
The Division of the Alms Collected in 1904 has been made
as follows :
MISSIONS IN EUROPE.
Diocese of Menevla — Bishop Mostyn I 300.00
Diocese of Lausanne-Greneva — Bishop Deruaz 4,800.00
Diocese of Chur— Bishop BattagUa 700.00
Diocese of Basel— Bishop Haas 2,000.00
To Missions depending upon the Diocese of Metz — Bishop Benzler. 3,000.00
To Missions depending upon the Diocese of Cologne — Cardinal
Fischer 800.00
To Missions del>endlng upon the Diocese of Treves — ^Bishop
Korum 800.00
To Missions depending upon the Diocese of Munster — ^Bishop Dln-
gelstadt 400.00
To Missions depending upon the Diocese of Paderhorn — ^Bishop
Schneider 3,200.00
To Missions of Northern Germany— Bishop Voss 7,000.00
To Missions depending upon the Diocese of Llmhurg — Bishop
Willi 400.00
To Missions depending upon the Diocese of Mainz — Bishop Klr-
steln 400.00
To Missions depending upon the Diocese of Fulda — Bishop Enders 400.00
Diocese of Hildesheim — Bishop Sommerwerk 2,400.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Saxony — Bishop Wuschanskl 800.00
Missions of Pomeranla and Brandenburg — Cardinal Kopp 6,200.00
To Missions depending upon the Diocese of Breslau — Cardinal
Kopp 900.00
Diocese of Posen and Gnesen — Archbishop Stablewskl 1,800.00
Diocese of Warmla (Brmeland)— 'Bishop Thlel 1,000.00
Vic. Apos. of Denmark and for the Nuns — Bishop Von Euch 8,200.00
Vic. Apos. of Sweden and for the Nuns— Bishop Bitter 2,700.00
Vic. Apos. of Norway and for the Nuns — Bishop Falllze 5.700.00
Diocese of Jassy— Bishop Camllll 1,200.00
Diocese of Bukharest — Archbishop de Hornsteln 3,500.00
Diocese of NlcopoUs — Bishop Doulcet, C. P.* 1,500.00
Diocese of Serajevo— Bishop Stadler 4,000.00
Diocese of Banlaluka— Bishop Markovlc, O. F. M 800.00
Diocese of Antlvarl — Archbishop Mlllnovlch, O. F. M 1,000.00
To the same, through His Holiness Pope Plus X 3,400.00
Diocese of Scutari — Archbishop Ouerlnl 500.00
Diocese of Scopia — Archbishop Troskl 1,400.00
Diocese of Durazzo — Archbishop Blanchl 600.00
V. A. of Phlllppopolis and for the Nuns — ^Bishop Mennlni, O. M.
Cap 800.00
> The following abbreylatlons hare been used in the report :
H. H. — HiB HoUdpss. Abp. — Archbishop. Bp. — ^Bishop. Dice. — ^Diocese. Vic.
Apost or V. A. — Vicariate Apostolic Pref. Apost. of P. A. — Prefecture AppBtoUc.
Adm. — Administrator. Al. M. — Algerian Missionaries (White Fathers), B. F. 11 —
Foreign Missions of Belgium. C. B. C. — Holy Cross Fathers. C. M. — ^Lazarlsti.
C. P.— Passionlsts. C. S. Sp.— Holy Ghost Fathers. C. 88. R.— Redemptorista.
B. F. M. — Foreign Missions of Bngland. C. I. H. M. — Children of the Immacalate
Heart of Mary. L. A. M. — African Missions of Lyons. M. C. — Company of Mary.
M. F. M. — Foreign Missions of Milan. M. 8. C— Missionaries of the Sacred Heart
of IssouduD. M. S. F. 8. — ^Missionaries of 8t. Francis de 8ales, of Annecj. O. C.
D. — Discalced Carmelites. O. P. M. — Franciscans. O. M. C. — Franciscans (Minor
Conventuals). O. M. Cap. — Capuchins. O. M. I. — Oblates of Mary Immacalate. O. P. —
Dominicans. O. Praem. — Premonstratenslans (Norbertins). O. 8. A. — Augostlniaiis.
O. 8. B. — Benedictines. O. 8. F. 8. — Oblates of 8t Francis de Sales. O. 88. T.— -
Trinitarians. P. F. M. — Foreign Missions of Paris. R. F. M. — Foreign ICIt-
slons of Rome. 8. D. 8. — Society of the Dlylne Saviour. 8. H. Pic. — Plepoalans.
p, 8. M.— Pious Society of Missions (Pallotins). 8. J.— Jesuits. B. M. — Mariata.
R. 8. F. 8. — Saleslans. 8. V. D. — Society of the Dlylne Word (Oermao-HoUand
Foreign Mlaalons). V. A. M. — African Missions of Verona.
Beport of Allocations Made in 1905 281
To the same, through His Holiness Pope Plus X $2,000.00
Apostolic Delegation of Constantinople, for Christian Brothers'
Schools and other works of the Latin Vicariate — Archbishop
Taccl, CM. 19,900.00
To the same, through His Holiness Pope Plus X 500.00
Armenian Catholics — Bishop Emmanuellan 4,000.00
To the same, through His Holiness Pope Pius X 4,200.00
Lazarist Missions and Houses of the Sisters of Charity in Turkey
in Europe 12,520.00
Apos. Del. of Greece and for the Nuns — Archbishop Delenda 3,000.00
Diocese of Corfu — ^Archbishop PoUto 1,200.00
To the same, through His Holiness Pope Pius X 600.00
Diocese of Zante— Archbishop PoUto 400.00
Diocese of Syria and for the Nuns — Bishop Darmanln 600.00
Diocese of l^ne and for the Nuns — Bishop Prlvlleglo 400.00
Diocese of Candla — Father da Pettineo, O. M. Cap 500.00
Jesuit Missions in Tyne and Syria 1,168.00
For the Sisters of Charity in Santorln 1,600.00
MISSIONS IN ASIA.
Diocese of Sclo and for the Nuns — ^Bishop Nlcolosi 500.00
Diocese of Smirma and for the Brothers and Nuns — Archbishop
Marengo 5,200.00
To the Sisters of Charity in Smyrna and Asia Minor 4,700.00
Jesuit Missions in Armenia 9,136.00
To the Apostolic Delegation of Mesopotamia, Kurdistan, and Ar-
menia Minor — Archbishop Drure 3,100.00
To the same, through His Holiness Pope Plus X 3,000.00
For the United Rites of the same Delegation 2,500.00
To Mgr. Thomas, Chaldean Patriarch, through His Holiness Pope
Pius X 5,000.00
To Mgr. Habra, Syrian Archbishop of Mossoul, through His Holi-
ness Pope Plus X 1,000.00
Dominican Missions in Mesopotamia and Kurdistan 8,000.00
Capuchin Missions in Mesopotamia 5,200.00
Carmelite Missions in Bagdad 1,900.00
Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem 7,000.00
To Mgr. Tumajan, Armenian Patriarchal Vicar of Jerusalem,
through His Holiness Pope Pius X 800.00
Greek Melchlte Seminary of St. Ann in Jerusalem, Al. M 4,000.00
For the Syrian Seminary of Jerusalem, through His Holiness
Pope Pius X 8,000.00
MUNSlomi in Cyprus and for the Nuns 400.00
Apostolic Delegation of Syria, for the Latin Vicariate and the
United Rites — Archbishop Glanninl 8,100.00
To Archbishop Rahmani, Syrian Archbishop of Antioch, through
His Holiness Pope Pius X 3,000.00
To Archbishop Geha, Greek Melchlte Archbishop of Antioch,
through His Holiness Pope Pius X 6,000.00
To Mgr. Doumanl, Greek Melchlte Bishop of Tripoli, through His
Holiness Pope Pius X 1,200.00
Capuchin Missions in Syria 2,000.00
Carmelite Missions in Syria 900.00
Lazarist Missions and houses of the Sisters of Charity in Syria. . 8,000.00
Jesuit Missions in Syria 10,070.00
Apostolic Delegation of Persia — Archbishop Lesne, C. M 8,500.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Arabia and for the Nuns — Bishop Clarke,
O. M. Cap 2,400.00
Diocese of Lahore — Bishop Estermans, O. M. Cap 2,200.00
Pret Apost of Rajputana— V. Rev. Fr. Fortunat, 0. M. Cap 1,700.00
282 Report of Allocations Made in 190*
To the Missions depending upon the Diocese of Bombay — Arch-
bishop Dalhoff, S. J $3,604.00
Diocese of Poona— Bishop Beider Linden, S. J 2,943.00
To Missions depending upon the Diocese of Calcutta — Archbishop
Meuleman, S. J 8.466.00
Pref. Apost. of Assam—Father Muenzloher, S. D. S 1,400.00
Diocese of Dacca— Bishop Hurth, C. S. C 4,800.00
Diocese of Krishnagar— Bishop Pozzl, M. P. M 2,600.00
Diocese of Colombo— Bishop Mellzan, O. M. 1 3,100.00
Diocese of Jaftna- Bishop Joulain, O. M. 1 5,800.00
Diocese of Kandy- Bishop Pagnani, O. S. B 600.00
Seminary in Kandy for the Missions in India 2,800.00
Jesuit Missions In Ceylon 4,504.00
Diocese of Madras— Archbishop Colgan, E. F. M 2,400.00
Diocese of Hyderabad — Bishop Vigano, M. F. M 3,200.00
Diocese of Nagpur— Bishop Bonaventure, M. S. F. S 3,200.00
Diocese of Vizagapatam— Bishop Clerc, M. S. F. S 2,400.00
To Missions depending upon the Diocese of Pondicherry — Arch-
bishop Oandy, P. F, M 12,050.81
Diocese of Kumbhakonain— Bishop Bottero, P. F. M 6,856.00
Diocese of Coimbatore — Bishop Roy, P. F. M 7,372.76
Diocese of Mysore— Bishop Kleiner, P. F. M 9,062.48
Diocese of Malacca— Bishop Burillon, P. F. M 7,125.13
Diocese of Mandura— Bishop Barthe. S. J 18,012.00
Diocese of Mangalore— Bishop Cavldini, S. J 11,318.00
Diocese of Verapoly — Bishop Bernard, O. C. D 1.000.00
Diocese of Quilon— Bishop Ossl, O. C. D 1,500.00
Diocese of Emaculam — Bishop Pareparambil 300.00
Vic. Apos. of North Burma— P. F. M 4,541.10
Vic. Apos. of Bast Burma — ^Bishop Tornatore, M. F. M 3,800.00
Vic. Apos. of South Burma— Bishop Cardot, P. F. M 8,214.16
Vicariate Apostolic of Slam— Bishop Vey, P. F. M 7,064.81
Vicariate Apostolic of Laos — Bishop Cuaz, P. F. M 5,756.19
College of Paris Foreign Missions, Pulo Pinang 1,000.00
House of Paris Foreign Missions in Singapore 2,100.00
Vic. Apos. of Cambodia— Bishop Bouchut, P. F. M. 7,777.00
Vic. Apos. of North Cochin China — Bishop Caspar, P. F. M 8,728.00
Vic. Apos. of East Cochin China — Bishop Grangeon, P. F. M 10,433.17
Vic. Apos. of West Cochin China— Bishop Mossard, P. F. M 10,674.59
Vic Apos. of North Tongking— Bishop Velasco, O. P 4,400.00
Vic. Apos. of East Tongking— Bishop Torres, O. P 4,100.00
Vic. Apos. of Central Tongking — Bishop Fernandez, O. P 6,600.00
Vic. Apos. of South Tongking— Bishop Pineau, P. F. M 7,776.29
Vic Apos. of West Tongking— Bishop Oendreau, P. F. M 8,724.61
Vic Apos. of Upper Tongking— Bishop Ramond, P. F. M 6,746.64
Vic Apos. of Maritime Tongking— Bishop Marcou, P. F. M 7.343.60
Vic Apos. of Borneo and Labuan — Father Dunne, E. F. M 2,800.00
Vic Apos. of North Chl-11— Bishop Jarlin, C. M 5,400.00
Vic Apos. of South-west Chi-11— Bishop Bruglere, C. M 4,400.00
Vic Apos. of Bast Chi-11— Bishop Geurts, C. M 1,600.00
Vic Apos. of South-east Chl-11— Bishop Maquet, S. J 3,000.00
Vic Apos. of North Honan— Bishop Scarella, M. F. M 3,200.00
Vic Apos. of South Manchuria— Bishop Choulet, P. F. M 4,758.70
Vic Apos. of North Manchuria — Bishop Lalouyer, P. F. M 3,294.28
Vic Apos. of Bast Mongolia— Bishop Abels, B. F. M 6,700.00
Vic Apos. of Central Mongolia — Bishop Van Aertselaer, B. F. M. 5,400.00
Vic Apos. of South-west Mongolia — Bishop Bermyn, B. F. M... 6,600.00
Mission of 111 (Kansu)— Fother Steeneman, B. F. M 1,600.00
Vic Apos. of Kansu— Bishop Otto, B. F. M 5,400.00
House of Belgian Foreign Missions in Shanghai 600.00
Vic. Apos. of North Shen-si— Bishop Rizzi, O. F. M 2,600.00
Rbpobt of Allooations Mad£ in 190S 283
Vic. Apos. of South Shen-8i— Bishop Passerini, R. F. M $8,200.00
Vic. Apo8. of North Shan-si— Bishop Fiorentini, O. F. M 2,300.00
Vic. Apos. of South Shan-si— Bishop Zimmer, O. F. M 3,000.00
Vic. Apos. of North Shantung— Bishop Giesen, O. F. M 3,800.00
Vic. Apos. of East Shan-tung— Bishop Schang, O. F. M 2,100.00
Vic Apos. of South Shan-tung— Bishop Henninghaus, S. V. D. . . 4,600.00
Vic. Apos. of Che-Kiang— Bishop Reynaud, CM 5,000.00
Vic. Apos. of South Ho-nan— Bishop Cattaneo, M. F. M 3,400.00
Vic. Apos. of North Hu-nan— Bishop Perez, O. S. A 1,200.00
Vic. Apos. of South Hu-nan— Bishop Mondaini, O. F. M 2,100.00
Vic Apos. of East Hu-peh — Bishop Carlassare, O. F. M 2,800.00
Mission House, Hankow (East Hu-peh) — Bishop Carlassare,
O. F. M 400.00
Vic Apos. of North-west Hu-peh — ^Bishop Landi, O. F. M 2,800.00
Vic. Apos. of South-west Hu-peh — Bishop Everaerst, O. F. M 3,300.00
Vic Apos. of Nanking— Bishop Paris, S. J 1,352.00
House of the Paris Foreign Missions in Shanghai 2,100.00
Vic Apos. of North Kiang-si — ^Bishop Bray, C. M 3,900.00
Vic. Apos. of South Kiang-si — Bishop Coqset, C. M 2,700.00
Vic. Apos. of East Kiang-si— Bishop Vic, C. M 3,800.00
Vic. Apos. of Kui-chau — Bishop Guichard, P. F. M 7,719.04
Vic Apos. of North-west Si-chuan— Bishop Dunand, P. F. M 7,067.16
Vic Apos. of East Sl-chuan— Bishop Chouvellon, P. F. M 8,022.07
Vic Apos. of South Si-chuan — Bishop Chatagnon, P. F. M 7,526.66
Vic. Apos. of Thibet- Bishop Giraudeau, P. F. M 4,049.10
Vic. Apos. of Yun-nan— Bishop Fenouil, P. F. M 5,300.13
Vic. Apos. of Amoy — Bishop Clemente, O. P 1,200.00
Vic. Apos. of Fuh-chow — Bishop Masot, O. P 3,200.00
Pref. Apos. of Kwang-si— Bishop Lavest, P. F. M 4,339.00
Pref . Apos. of Kwang-tung — Bishop Merel, P. F. M 10,639.25
Vic Apos. of Hong-Kong— Bishop Piazzoli, M. F. M 2,000.00
House of Italian Foreign Missions in Hong-Kong 600.00
House of Paris Foreign Missions in Hong-Kong 3,856.00
Vic Apos, of Corea— Bishop Mutel, P. F. M 7,695.29
Diocese of Tokio — Archbishop Osouf, P. F. M 7,070.19
Diocese of Osaka— Bishop Chatron, P. F. M 6,114.19
Diocese of Nagasaki — Bishop Cousin, P. F. M 7,026.19
Diocese of Hakodate — Bishop Berlioz, P. F. M 5,514.19
Pref. Apos. of Shikoku— Father Giner, O. P 1,000.00
MISSIONS IN AFRICA
Missions depending upon the Diocese of Algiers — Archbishop Oury 2,000.00
Kabyles Mission (Algeria) — Algerian Missionaries 4,700.00
Vic. Apos. of Ghardaia — Algerian Missionaries 2,800.00
V. A. of Sahara and French Soudan — Bishop Bazin, Al. M 4,400.00
Missions depending upon the Diocese of Constantine — Bishop
Gazaniol 2,200.00
Missions of the Diocese of Oran — Bishop Cantel 2,000.00
Missions on Tripoli — Father Barraf ranca, O. F. M 1,200.00
Vic. Apos. of Egypt for the Brothers, Nuns, and Apos. Delega-
tion— Bishop Briante 6,400.00 .
Pref. Apos. of the Delta of the Nile and for the Nuns — L. A. M. . . 4,300.00
Franciscan Missions in Upper Egypt 1,300.00
Jesuit Missions in Minleh, V. A. of Eg3rpt 2,726.00
Lazarist Missions and Sisters of Charity in Alexandria 4,000.00
Vic Apos. of Central Africa— Bishop Geyer, V. A. M 1,800.00
Pref. Apos. of Erythraea — Father Carbonara, O., M. Cap 2,000.00
Pref. Apos. of Abyssinia — Father Gruson, C. M 3,000.00
Vic Apos. of Galla — Bishop Jarosseau, O. M. Cap 3,000.00
Mission of Benadir— O. SS. T 1,200.00
284
Sepobt of Allocations Madb in 1905
Vic. Apo8, of South Victoria Nyanza— Bishop Hirth, Al. M $4,900.00
Vic. Apos. of North Victoria Nyanza— Bishop Streicher, Al. M. . 9,600.00
Vic. Apos. of Upper Nile— Bishop Hanlon, E. F. M 5,600.00
Vic. Apos. of Upper Congo— Bishop Roelens, Al. M 5,000.00
Vic. Apos. of Unyanyembe— Bishop Gerboin, Al. M 5,100.00
Vic. Apos. of Tanganyika— Bishop Lechaptols, Al. M 5,400.00
Vic. Apos. of Lake Nyassa— Bishop Dupont, Al. M 2,400.00
House of the Algerism Missionaries in Monbasa 600.00
Pref. Apos. of Shire — Father Prezeau, M. C 1,500.00
Vic. Apos. of North Zanzibar — Bishop Allgeyer, C. S. Sp 6,200.00
Vic Apos. of Southern Zanzibar — Bishop Spiss, O. S. B 1,000.00
Mission in Upper Zambesi— Father Gartland, S. J 3,600.00
Vic. Apos. of Natal— O. M. 1 3,760.00
Vic Apos. of Orange Free State— Bishop Gaughran, O. M 1 3,560.00
Pref. Apos. of Basutoland — Father Genez, O. M. 1 5^440.00
Pref. Apos. of the Transvaal — Bishop Miller, O. M. 1 2,900.00
Vic Apos. of East Cape — Bishop MacSherry 1,600.00
Vic. Apos. of West Gape and Pref. Apos. of the Cape of Good
Hope District — Bishop Leonard 1,000.00
Vic Apos. of Orange River— Bishop Simon, O. S. F. S 4,200.00
Pref. Apos. of Lower Cimbebasia — Father Nachtwey, O. M. I 1,400.00
Pref. Apos. of Upper Cimbebasia— Father Lecompte, C. S. Sp... 900.00
Mission of Cunene — Father Antunes, C. S. Sp 700.00
Pref. Apos. of Lower Congo — Father Magalhaes, C. S. Sp 3,200.00
Pref. Apoe. of Lounda— Father Wendling, C. S. Sp 400.00
Vic. Apos. of Belgian Congo — ^Bishop Van Ronsle, B. F. M 2,200.00
Pref. Apos. of Uelle — O. Praem 1,600.00
Pref. Apos. of Upper Kassal — Father Cambier 1,400.00
Pref. Apos. of Stanley-Falls— Father Grison 1,800.00
Vic. Apos. of Lower French Congo — Bishop Carrie, C. S. Sp 3,600.00
V. A. of Upper French Congo (Ubangi) — Bishop Augouard,
C. S. Sp 6,400.00
Vic Apos. of Gabon — Bishop Adam, C. S. Sp 5,800.00
Pref. Apos. of Lower Niger — Father Lejeune, C. S. Sp 3,600.00
Vic. Apos. of Fernando-Po ( Annoban) — Bishop Coll, C. I. H. M. . . 1,600.00
Vic. Apos. of Kamerun — Bishop Victor, P. S. M 1,500.00
Vic. Apos. of Benin — Bishop Lang, L. A. M 5,600.00
Pref. Apos. of Upper Niger — Father Zappa, L. A. M 2,400.00
Vic. Apos. of Dahomey — la. A. M 5,600.00
Vic. Apos. of Gold Coast— Bishop Klauss, L. A. M 3,900.00
Vic. Apos. of Ivory Coast — Father Homand, L. A. M 3,000.00
Pref. Apos. of Togoland— Father Bucking, S. V. D 2,000.00
Vic. Apos. of Sierra Leone — Bishop O'Gorman, C. S. Sp 2,200.00
Pref, Apos. of Liberia — Father Sarre, M. C 240.00
Pref. Apos. of French Guinea — Father Segala, C. S. Sp 3,000.00
Vic. Apos. of Senegambia — Bishop Kunemann, C. S. Sp 7,700.00
Vic. Apos. of Northern Madagascar — Bishop Corbet, C. S. Sp 2,800.00
V. A. of Central Madagascar and for Christian Brothers — Bishop
Cazet, S. J 21,720.00
Vic Apos. of Southern Madagascar — Bishop Crouzet, C. M 7,000.00
Indian and Chinese Missions in Reunion Island 300.00
mSSIONS IN AMERICA
Diocese of St. Boniface — Archbishop Langevin, O. M. I
Diocese of St Albert — Bishop Legal, O. M. I
Vic Apos. of Saskatchewan — Bishop Pascal, Q. M. I
Vic. Apos. of Athabasca — Bishop Grouard, O. M. I . .
Diocese of Victoria — ^Archbishop Orth
Vic. Apos. of Mackenzie — Bishop Breynat, O. M. I . . .
Diocese of New Westminster — Bishop Dontenwill, O. M. I
3,700.00
5,800.00
5,100.00
4,200.00
800.00
4,000.00
5,400.00
Bbport of Allooations Made ik 1905 285
Jesuit Indian Missions in Canada (St. Boniface) $1,762.00
Jesuit Missions in Alaska 4,154.00
Jesuit Missions in the Rocky Mountains, U. S 3,795.00
Diocese of Cheyenne— Bishop Keane 600.00
Diocese of Lead— Bishop Stariha 500.00
Diocese of Baker City— Bishop O'Reilly 800.00
Diocese of Charleston— Bishop Northrop 1,000.00
Via Apos. of North Carolina— Bishop Haid, O. S. B 1,000.00
Diocese of Savannah — ^Bishop Keiley 1,000.00
Diocese of St. Augustine — Bishop Kenny 1,000.00
Diocese of Tucson— Bishop^Qranjon 1,000.00
Diocese of Santa Fe — ^Archbishop Bourgade 1,000.00
Diocese of Oklahoma City — Bishop Meerschaert 3,000.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Brownsville — Bishop Verdaguer 1,000.00
Diocese of Natchitoches — Bishop Van de Ven 400.00
Diocese of Natchez — ^Bishop Heslin 400.00
Diocese of Roseau— Bishop Schelf haut, C. SS. R 2,000.00
Dominican Missions in Cuba 1,400.00
Vic. Apos. of Jamaica— Bishop Gordon, S. J 1,168.00
Diocese of Port of Spain — Archbishop Flood, O. P 500.00
Vic. Apos. of Curacao — Bishop Van Baars, O. P 1,800.00
Vic. Apos. of British Honduras — Bishop Hopkins, S. J 974.00
Vic. Apos. of Surinam — Bishop Wulflngh, C. SS. R 4,400.00
Diocese of St Peter and for the French Martinique — Bishop de
Cormont 400.00
Vic. Apos. of Northern Patagonia— Bishop Cagliero, S. S. F. S.. 600.00
Pref. Apos. of Southern Patagonia— Bishop Fagnano, S. S. F. S. . 1,200.00
Mission of Corrientes — Franciscan Fathers 200.00
Missions of Arauco in the Diocese of San Carlos de Ancud
(Chili)— Bishop Jara 600.00
Missions of Arauco in the Diocese of Conception (Chili) — Bishop
Labarca 400.00
MISSIONS IN OCEANICA
Vic. Apos. of Kimberley— P. S. M 800.00
Maori Mission, Diocese of Auckland — Bishop Lenihan 1,200.00
Maori Mission (Diocese of Wellington and Christchurch)— Father
Devoy. S. M 1,600.00
Jesuit Missions in the Philippines 2,200.00
Vic. Apos. of English New Guinea— Bishop Navarre, M. S. C 8,000.00
Pref. Apos. of New Dutch Guinea— Father Neyens, S. V. D 2,000.00
Pref. Apos. of Wilhelmsland (German New Guinea) — Father Lim-
brock, S. V. D 2,000.00
Capuchin Missions in the Caroline Islands 600.00
Vic. Apos. of New Pomerania— Bishop Coupp^, M. S. C 5,600.00
Marshall Islands (New Pomerania) — M. S. C 1,000.00
Vic Apos. of the Gilbert and EUice Islands — Bishop Leray, M. S. C 6,400.00
House of the Missionaries of the S. H. in Sydney 600.00
Vic. Apos. of Central Oceanica — Bishop Lamaze, S. M 5,700.00
Vic. Apos. of the Navigators Islands (Samoa)— Bishop Broyer,
S. M 6,600.00
Via Apos. of the Fiji Islands— Bishop Vidal, S. M 10,100.00
Vic. Apos. of New Caledonia— Bishop Fraysse, S. M 11,600.00
Vic. Apos. of New Hebrides— Bishop Doucer^, S. M 7,400.00
Pref. Apos. of the North Solomon Islands — Father Forestier, S. M 3,800.00
Pref. Apos. of the South Solomon Islands — Father Bertreux, S. M 4,200.00
House and Sanitarium of the Marist Fathers in Sydney 1,000.00
Vic Apos. of Mangareva and Tahiti— Bishop Verdier, S. H. Pic. . 10,000.00
Vic Apos. of the Sandwich Islands — Bishop Boeynaems, S. H. Pic 9,000.00
Vic Apos. of the Marauesas Islands — Bishop Martin, S. H. Pic. . . 4,600.00
286 Report op Allocations Made in 1905
Exceptional Subsidies to defray the Missionaries' Passages
on Board Ships and other Extraordinary Expenses
EUROPE
Vicariate Apostolic of Denmark $ 70.00
Lazarist Missions in Constantinople, Macedonia, and Bulgaria. . . 480.00
Sisters of Charity in Santorin 40.00
ASIA
Sisters of Charity in Smyrna and Asia Minor 200.00
Dominican Missions in Mesopotamia 100.00
Carmelite Missions in Bagdad 640.00
Lazarist Missions in Syria 340.00
Lazarist Missions in Persia 360.00
Prefecture Apostolic of Rajputana 960.00
Diocese of Krishnagar 190.00
Diocese of Colombo 900.00
Diocese of Jaffna 200.00
Diocese of Madras 120.00
Diocese of Hyderabad 160.00
Diocese of Nagpur 480.00
Diocese of Pondicherry 600.00
Diocese of Coimbatore 200.00
Diocese of Kumbhakonam 200.00
Diocese of Maissour 200.00
Diocese of Malacca 200.00
Diocese of Ernaculam 60.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Southern Burma 200.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Burma 300.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Bast Burma 200.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Siam 200.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Laos 400.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Cambodia 260.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Cochin China 140.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Eastern Cochin China 500.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Western Cochin China 300.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Southern Tongking 100.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Western Tongking 300.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Upper Tongking 300.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Maritime Tongking 400.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Chi-li 400.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Western Chi-li 160.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Eastern Chi-li 160.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Ho-nan 160.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Southern Ho-nan 800.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Southern Ho-nam 740.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Southern Hu-peh . 280.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Eastern Hu-peh * 620.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Hu-peh 140.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Southern Manchuria 100.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Manchuria 200.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Eastern Mongolia 640.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Central Mongolia 720.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Western Mongolia 1,000.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Shen-si 1,340.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Southern Shen-si 480.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Shan-sl 740.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Southern Shan-si 320.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Shantung 700.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Eastern Shan-tung « 280.00
Bbport of Allocations Made in 1905 287
vicariate Apostolic of Southern Shan-tung $320.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Che-Klang 180.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Kiang-sl ' 200.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Southern Kiang-si 160.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Eastern Kiang-si 260.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Kui-Chau 500.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Western Si-chuan 700.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Eastern Si-chuan 600.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Southern Si-chuan 600.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Thibet 300.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Yun-nan 100.00
Pref. Apostolic of Kwang-si 200.00
Pref. Apostolic of Kwang-tung 700.00
House of the Paris Foreign Missions in Hong-Kong 159.83
Vicariate Apostolic of Corea 60.00
Diocese of Tokio 200.00
Diocese of Hakodate 40.00
Diocese of Nagasaki 100.00
Diocese of Osaka • 100.00
AFRICA
Lazarist Missions in Egjrpt 200.00
Lazarist Missions in Abyssinia 240.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Central Africa 400.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Galla 120.00
Mission of Benadir 1,200.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Sahara and French Soudan 2,090.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Victoria Nyanza 3,530.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Southern Victoria Nyanza 2,160.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Upper Congo 2,520.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Unyanyembe 1,440.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Tanganyika 1,440.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Nyassa 1»680.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Zanzibar 894.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Natal 240.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Orange Free State 240.00
Prefecture Apostolic of Basutoland 360.00
Prefecture Apostolic of Transvaal 300.00
Vicariate Apostolic of the Orange River 660.00
Prefecture Apostolic of Lower Cimbebasia 400.00
Prefecture Apostolic of Upper Cimbebasia 140.00
Prefecture Apostolic of Kunene 65.00
Prefecture Apostolic of Lower Congo 90.00
Prefecture Apostolic of Lounda 860.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Belgian Congo * 270.00
Prefecture Apostolic of Upper Kassai 800.00
Prefecture Apostolic of Stanley Falls 1,560.00
Vicariate Apostolic of French Congo 585.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Ubangi 2,880.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Qabon 1,665.00
Prefecture Apostolic of Lower Niger 360.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Kamerun 1,200.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Benin 520.00
Prefecture Apostolic of Upper Niger 300.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Dahomey 320.00
Vicariate Apostolic of the Gold Coast 400.00
Prefecture Apostolic of the Ivory Coast 400.00
Prefecture Apostolic of Togoland 520.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Sierra Leone 735.00
Prefecture Apostolic of Liberia 160.00
288 Report of Allocations Made in 1905
Prefecture Apostolic of French Guinea $525.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Senegambla 650.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Madagascar 945,00
Vicariate Apostolic of Southern Madagascar 600.00
AMERICA
Diocese of St. Boniface , 600.00
Diocese of St. Albert 400.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Saskatchewan 300.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Athabasca 200.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Mackenzie 400.00
Diocese of New Westminster 400.00
Diocese of Charleston 40.00
Diocese of Tucson 80.00
Diocese of Santa Fe 240.00
Diocese of Oklahoma City 160.00
Diocese of Roseau 40.00
Dominican Missions In Cuba « 400.00
Prefecture Apostolic of Northern Patagonia 100.00
Prefecture Apostolic of Southern Patagonia 100.00
Mission of Mendes and Gualaqulza 100.00
Mission of Matto Orosso 100.00
OCEANICA
Pallotin Missions in Klmberley 840.00
Diocese of Lismore 100.00
Maori Missions In the Diocese of Auckland 240.00
Maori Missions In the Dioceses of Wellington and Christchurch . . 1.000.00
Vicariate Apostolic of New English Guinea 500.00
Prefecture Apostolic of New Dutch Guinea 1,320.00
Capuchin Missions in the Caroline Islands 980.00
Vicariate Apostolic of New Pomeranla 960.00
Vicariate Apostolic of the Gilbert and Elllce Islands 420.00
Vicariate Apostolic of Central Oceanlca 600.00
Vicariate Apostolic of the Navigators Islands 1,200.00
Vicariate Apostolic of the Fiji Islands 1,200.00
Vicariate Apostolic of New Caledonia 2,400.00
Vicariate Apostolic of the New Hebrides 2,400.00
Prefecture Apostolic of the Northern Solomon Islands 1,200.00
Prefecture Apostolic of the Southern Solomon Islands 1,200.00
House and Sanitarium of the Marist Fathers in Sydney 800.00
Vicariate Apostolic of the Sandwich Islands 560.00
SUMS FORWARDED TO THE MISSIONS ACCORDING TO THE
DONORS' WISHES
Europe I 5,082.57
Asia 39,090.64
Africa 21,265.52
America 4,102.71
Oceanlca 19,942.26
Total Allocations made to the Missions in 1905 $i»363,959.7o
A FEW RFFLECTIONS UPON THE
DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS
In our May issue, the oflferings of the Catholic world to the Society
for the Propagation of the Faith were set forth in detail, according to
the countries and dioceses from which they came. The result of the
year 1904 was certainly most gratifjring. But to-day. when we exam-
ine the sum allotted to each mission after a minute study by the Coun-
cils of the society ; when we look over the pressing needs which have
been called to our attention by Bishops and Vicars Apostolic, we feel,
with great regret, the necessity which imposes itself for more consid-
erable help.
We hasten to say that our observations are not prompted by a
spirit of complaint, for, if the Administrative Councils have multiplied
their appeals and their prayers, if they have sent to the American con-
tinent delegates to whose zeal we are pleased to render homage, our
diocesan directors have on their part increased their eflForts. Alas!
the unhappy circumstances which confronted and still confront to-day
a number of great Christian nations are one of the causes of the
immobility of our resources in presence of an ever increasing army of
missionaries.
And yet, we do not wish, we must not, appear discouraged by the
uncertainty of the future. We know that the work of the Propagation
of the Faith is of God, for it is one of the human agencies whereby
we see the divine command realized : " Go, and teach all nations.^'
We know that Jesus Christ gave the above command, not to a peaceful
and triumphant Church, but when subjected to the violent and per-
fidious persecutions of the synagogue she was entirely ignorant as to
what the morrow would bring forth. Let us be hopeful and keep in
mind the recent words of a distinguished publicist : *' Yes, iniquity is
prosperous. It is even said that Faith is dead! If so, then, long
live Faith ! Long live the works through which it is propagated !
Whatever may happen, let us give to them, with our money and a little
of our time, the best of our heart.^'
289
THE SOCIETIES OF CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES
Continuing our series of studies on the great missionary societies we
publish in this issue a very interesting article, in which is related the
work of the Society of the Divine Word, whose mother house is at Steyl,
Holland.
Founded in 1875 by Father Janssen, who is still at its head as Superior
General, this society has demonstrated in its divers missions a zeal and
devotion which the Divine grace has crowned with blessings and prosperity.
VIII.
THE SOCIETY OF THE DIVINE WORD AND ITS
MISSIONS
Foundation and First Establishments.
The zeal shown by a nation for the propagation of the faith is a fair
criterion of the intensity of its religious life. Already the conscience
of German Catholics had been awakened to this question by the im-
prisonment of Clement Augusta, Bishop-Confessor of Cologne. Al-
ready at the oriental boundary of France, the divine mission of the
Propagation of the Faith had found a warm champion in the person
of Dr. Hahn at Aix-la-Chapelle. At the same time the Catholics of
Germany had begun to recognize the necessity of a German semi-
nary for the foreign missions, for God requires that not only a deter-
mined nation, but that all catholic peoples, shall take part in the
spreading of His kingdom ! And yet it was not until some years later
that the man was found for the opportunity thus presented and felt
the vocation to begin this truly apostolic work.
He was Father Arnold Janssen, a priest of the diocese of Munster.
In 1874, he founded a monthly review called ''Kleiner Herz Jesu-
290
Thb Sooibtt of thb Divine Word
!^91
Bote'* (Little Messenger of the Sacred Heart of Jesus) with the
object of arousing the interest of its readers for the foreign missions
and give the impulse for the erection of a German missionary semi-
nary. At first he did not expect to execute himself his apostolic
Vest Rev. A. Janssen.
Founder and first Superior General of the Society of the Divine Word.
project. But surrendering to the pressing solicitations of Bishop
Raimondi, vicar apostolic of Hongkong, Father Janssen decided to
put his hand to the wheel. In the midst of the Kulturkampf cam-
paign, the plans of Father Janssen appeared to his friends to be not
only temerous but impossible of realization as well. The approbation
Thb Society of the Divine Word
of the episcopate of Germany, Austria, and Holland, however, gave
him the encouragement needed to pursue his chosen work.
The conflict then raging between Church and State did not permit
the idea of establishing such a society on German soil. This was the
reason that impelled Father Janssen to seek a locality in a foreign
country, which he found in the village of Steyl, near T^elen, on the
German frontier of Holland. September 8, 1875, is regarded as the
date of the foundation ,of St. Michael Seminary. The small and
poor house, situated on the shores of the Meuse, was far from being
in possession of the necessary accommodations. But the grace of God
was with it. In October, 1878, there were already 48 college students
and 6 who followed the theological course. A number of priests, ex-
pelled from Germany as a result of the Kulturkampf agitation, for
a time acted as professors until superseded by others whom they had
trained especially for that purpose.
The interior organization of the community assumed gradually the
forms of all religious congregations. Its rules and name, '^ Divine
Word,*^ were decided upon by its first general chapter in 1884. Its
constitution, however, did not receive the approval ^f the Holy See
until the year 1905.
In the meantime the increasing number of theological and lay can-
didates had required the foundation of other schools. Thus the San
Raphael College at Eome was opened in 1886, the San Gabriel House
at Modlin, near Vienna in 1889, that of Heiligkreuz, near Neisse,
Silesia, in 1892, that of St. Wendel in the diocese of Treves in 1898,
and finally the Bischofshofen House near Salzburg was opened in 1904.
On May 1, 1905, the society numbered 318 priests, 702 lay brothers,
and 1137 students. During the same year 35 priests and 15 brothers
departed for the foreign mission field.
The heavy expenses incidental to the running of such a large congre-
gation would have seriously impeded the rapid development of the
new society had it not been for an institution which, bom at about
the same time, grew up and prospered with her. This is the printing
establishment of the mission (MissionsdrucJcerei) , founded by Father
Janssen in January, 1876. Prom its presses were soon issued the
Herz lesurBote (now the Steyler Missionsbote) , the Stadt Oottes
(City of God), and the St. Michael Almanach. Through these pub-
Ths Sooibty of thb Diyikb Wobd 293
licatioii0 a great interest for the propagation of the faith has been
aroused in all GermanHspeaking countries.
In all apostolic works the missionaries receive a very effective
aid from the religions orders of women, especially in the apostolate
of the infidels belonging to the weaker sex. So^ Father Janssen
decided that he wonld like to found a congregation of mission-
ary sisters. Four virgins who felt a vocation to consecrate their
lives in the service of pagans, responded to the call, and in July,
1888, opened a small and modest house at Steyl. Some time
later this newest and youngest congregation adopted the name of
Servants of the Holy Ghost On May 1, 1905, it numbered 362
sisters and aspirants. During the same year 28 sisters were sent to
the missions of Steyl in which 145 sisters were already laboring.
Missions of thb Society in Asia.
Let us now take a bird's-eye view of the missions of the society
The first to be foimded and the one which may be said to have reaped
the greatest success is that of the southern district of S)iantung in
China. It is the land of Confucius and of his great disciple, Mungtse;
it is the Holy Land of the Chinese, numbering about twelve millions
of souls, all hard-laboring men who are not without the faults natural
to the Chinese character, but who, however, are not inaccessible to the
beneficent influence of the Christian religion.
It was on January 20, 1882, that Father Anzer, the first of the mis-
sionaries to be sent out by the mother house of Steyl, entered the
district of Shantung; up to this time the province was a part of the
territory which was under the jurisdiction of the Franciscan fathers.
The southern part of the district was erected as an independent Apos-
tolic Vicariate in 1885.
Father Anzer soon received a helper in the person of Father Freina-
demetz of the diocese of BrLxen. God visibly blessed their labors.
Upon their arrival, Puoli, the only Christian station, numbered 158
neophytes. At the end of the first year, the mission had 687 cate-
chumens. Besides Puoli in the west, the mission obtained a footing
at WoQg Shuang in the mountainous east. Three secondary stations,
two chapels, and two orphan asylums were also founded in the vicin-
ity of Puoli. On the following year, the mission reached far into the
southeast, among the rough inhabitants of the district of Zaochufu.
It was here that Father Anzer was cruelly ill-treated.
In 1886, there were about 3000 catechumens, scattered over 50
Christian villages and under the supervision of 5 missionaries and 30
294 Thb Society of the Divine Word
catechists. At the end of 1887, the miBsion numbered 1300 baptized
Christians.
The catechidts and the neophytes were subjected to, and are still the
victims of, many sufferings. Their old friends, their parents, for-
sake them; they are not allowed to use the village cistern, they are
falsely denounced before the courts of justice and are ill-treated when
the judge is not feared.
A certain number of those who present themselves in order to
secure some temporal advantage forsake their faith before they are
baptized. This is not to be regretted, however, as it is only through
low motives like the expectation of a subsidy, protection against their
enemies, or a defense before the courts, that they come to solicit the
support of the missionary. But it must be said that it is neither
impossible nor rare to succeed in- convincing these poor people of the
truth of the Christian religion and secure for them the grace of Jesus
Christ.
The mission progressing satisfactorily, the pro-vicar was, in 1885,
named Vicar Apostolic. He was consecrated at Steyl on January
24, 1886. Upon' his return the propagation of the faith received a
great impetus and paganism armed itself to oppose an energetic
resistance. The anti-European league was then organized. 800 pro-
fessors and learned men swore before the idols in the pagoda of Yent-
chufu to bring about the destruction of the Catholic religion, and a
price was placed upon the head of the Bishop.
November 15, 1887, was the day set for the killing of all the mis-
sionaries. A letter addressed to the governor of Shantung by the
Bishop, the death of two of the more hostile mandarins, a disastrous
flood, which the Chinese call the ** spite of China,'^ and the " plague
of the sons of Ham,'^ all this combined to lessen the danger; in some
districts of the province, however, the Christians suffered greatly.
The tireless zeal the missionaries manifested during the two follow-
ing years won many hitherto unfriendly hearts.
In 1890 a new era opened for the mission, the German government
having taken it imder its protection. Until that time no station could
be established in any of the chief cities with the result that the Cath-
olic religion was looked upon with contempt by the Chinese, and the
Catholic Chinese regarded as inferior to others. Now, however, a
change took place ; the gates of the cities opened. Even Tsinan, the
most important commercial city of Southern Shantung, situated on the
imperial canal, received the missionaries in 1891, and soon the mission
Thb Sooibty of the Divikb Word 1^95
became a very prosperous center. At Easter^ 1896, there were 6800
baptized Chriatiaiis, 3600 catechumens, 34 European priests, 3 Chinese
priests, 8 lay brothers, 6 high schools, and 48 grammar schools.
A city still remained closed to the mission : Yentchufu, the seat of
the goyemment of Shantimg, the oenter of Confucianism, called by
the celebrated Venitian, Marco Polo, seven centuries before, the
noblest city of the provinces. During ten years Bishop Anzer en-
deavored to enter it without any success. In 1896, thanks to the
personal intervention of the Emperor Kuangsu, the reform friend,
the intolerance of the paganism was at last vanquished. To-day re-
markable churches rise towards heaven at Yentchufu, Tsinan, and
Zautchufu, and the mission is on very friendly terms with the govern-
ment and the aristocratic classes.
An important event happened on the evening of All Saints Day:
Fathers Nies and Henle were set upon and killed by the Boxers.
Following rapidly came the occupation of the bay of Kiaotchaou by
the Qerman troops and that of Kwangchuwan by the French, the
annexation of Port Arthur by the Russians and the occupation of Wei-
hai-wai by the English. These successive blows produced the desired
effect upon the Chinese magistrates, and thereafter the missionaries
were treated with more respect and the rights of the Christians recog-
nized. As a result, Easter, 1898, arrived with the catechumens num-
bering 27,868.
•h
One year had not yet passed before the reaction began to be felt in
the German sphere of influence. The occupation of Chinese territory
by foreign powers, the outrageous conduct, it must be said, of Euro-
pen travelers, the desecration of graves (so sacred a thing for the
Chinese), due to the construction of railroads and the opening of
mines, all this had provoked a violent irritation. Very few Chinese
knew even then that the occupation of their chief strategic naval
points had been for a long time included in the plans of the foreign
powers which were awaiting only for a favorable opportunity to exe-
cute them. Although the murder of the two priests had caused only
the occupation of Kiaotchaou, the indignation of the Chinese was so
intense that they assigned all their woes to the two dead missionaries
and their hatred chose as its first victims the missionaries ai)d their
followers.
The imprisonment of Father Stenz and the indignities and brutali-
296
The Sooibty op the Divine Word
ties he was subjected to in November^ 1898^ marked the beginning
of the persecution which extended rapidly to the east of the mission
even into the districts of the (Jerman protectorate where Father Preina-
demetz was attacked and ill-treated. The west was still calm and
peaceful ; the mission was flourishing and progressing so well that the
total number of pagans baptized between Easter of 1898 to Easter of
1899 reached 5094. It was then that Governor Yuchien, the enemy
MOTHESHOUSE OF THE SOCIETY OF THE DiVINE WOBD.
Foreign Missions of Steyl, Holland.
of the Christians^ organized and inaugurated the persecution in his
district. The neophytes had to bear and suffer a good deal. Their
fidelity to the faith in those trying days is thus praised by a mis-
sionary: " I do not know what impresses me more; the joy I experi-
ence in witnessing the fidelity of the Christians or the pain I feel at
the abominations that take place, and the need and distress o;f the
neophytes.^*
Thb Society of the Divine Word ^QY
In December, 1899, Governor Yuehien was succeeded by Governor
Yuan Ghikai, who happily was imbued with better and more tolerant
sentiments. In the majority of the districts within his jurisdiction
there was peace and calm, whereas six months later a terrible persecu-
tion was making thousands of victims in all the other provinces.
Towards the end of June the mandarins, in accord with the viceroy,
ordered the immediate departure of all the missionaries for the reason
that they were unable to give them an efficacious protection. Acting
upon the order of their superiors the greatest number of missionaries
retired to the German district. Five missionaries and ten Chinese
priests, however, remained at their post. A new persecution fell
upon them and although the lives of Christians were generally re-
spected, their property was confiscated and everything of any value
stolen; some of them were tortured but, to their everlasting honor be
it said, they remained true and f aithfxd to the end.
During the winter of 1900-1901 the missionaries were permitted to
return to their Christians. They immediately began to gather the
scattered flock together and rebuild that which persecution had de-
stroyed. This task once accomplished, the zeal of the missionaries
was directed towards the enlargement of their field of labor. In a
number of districts a marked movement towards Christianity was
noticeable; the number of baptisms rose until at Easter, 1905, it
had reached 30,000, and that of catechumens at about 40,000. To-day
the southern district of Shantung with its 5000 annual baptisms — ^not
including those administered at the time of death — ^is the most prolific
of all the German missions, and if the necessary subsidies are fur-
nished, will enter into a oiill more flourishing epoch.
At the present time the mission numbers 46 European priests, 11
Chinese priests, 13 lay brothers, 3 Marianites, 11 Franciscan mission-
ary Sisters of Mary, and 6 Servants of the Holy Ghost.
A special mention is due to the Kiaotchaou district, which has been
occupied by Germany. During the summer of 1898 Kiaotchaou was
united to the Vicariate. It contains two million inhabitants and the
Catholic mission is opposed by three Protestant sects. In a short
period of time, and while the Chinese troubles were at their height,
the seven missionaries of Steyl who reside there have gathered about
them 864 baptized Christians, and 1756 catechumens; they conduct
several primary and secondary schools, give the religious instruction
at the German school of Tsingtaou, are in charge of a parish com-
398 The Society of thb Divine Word
posed of 605 Europeans^ aod publish a Chinese newspaper of which
they issue 1500 copies regularly, and other German and Chinese
books. Eleven Franciscan sisters are in charge of the young women
of Tsingtaou, the metropolis of German China, and conduct school
for European girls. 25 catechists and 13 women prepare the work of
the missionaries. On November 2^, 1903, in the death of Bishop
Anzer, the mission lost its founder and first Bishop. He was suc-
ceeded by Father Henninghaus, who was appointed to the vacant see
by the Holy Father.
Missions in Afbioa.
Less rich in dramatic incidents but not less interesting are the two
other territories evangelized by the Society of Steyl, Togo in Africa,
and Kaiser-Wilhelmsland in New Guinea.
The Togo mission was founded at the time when the movement
against slavery was inaugurated in Europe. Heretofore this country
formed a part of the Western African territory which had been con-
fided to the labors of the Lyons African Missions; it was detached
from their jurisdiction by the Propaganda in 1892 and entrusted to
the care of the Society of the Divine Word.
Togo, with its one and a half million inhabitants, is one of the
smallest of German colonies, but the well kept roads which have been
opened and taken care of by the German government lead far out into
the country and are a godsend to the entire colony. Twenty years ago
the colony belonged to the black belt or Coast of the Slaves. This
name reminds us of the crimes committed by English, Dutch, and
Portuguese slave merchants, who had an establishment in every im-
portant village. Alas! polygamy still retains the negro attached to
his religion as with an iron chain, and fetichism with its super-
stitions and immoral customs is a serious obstacle to the Catholic
apostolate.
The object of the mission then, under the circumstances, is to at-
tract and gain the youth, destroy superstition in the schools, and bring
about the disappearance of polygamy and immorality, and through all
this the Christian education and the Christian marriage. The insti-
tution of polygamy having its root in the social constitution of these
people, no one will be surprised to hear that relapses into it occur
among some of the first generation of converts. The hour of death
opens the eyes even of pagans, makes them regret their past life, and
induces them to throw themselves into the arms of the Saviour.
The Society of the Divine Word 299
During the first eeven years the zeal of the missionaries had the
coast for its only outlet; and Christianity has become a power in that
region. Lome, the seat of the government, and Anecho, the old com-
mercial city, have become very important Christian communities;
each of these cities is in possession of a large church, flourishing
schools for boys, with 180 and 300 pupils respectively, and girls*
schools conducted by the sisters with an attendance of 80 and 160
students. Nowhere is compulsory education in existence. The com-
paratively small number of girls attending school is to be attributed
to the influence that fetichism exerts upon the minds of women as
well as to their own lack of interest in higher education.
The third principal station on the coast, Porto Seguro, once an
exporting station of slaves, is situated between Lome and Anecho.
Here we find 80 boys and 20 girls attending school. Around the ciiy
are ten other schools and more will soon be opened. Lome numbers
seven similar stations and Anecho has at least five.
Following the energetic initiative of the Prefect Apostolic, Father
Bucking, the missionaries have, the past five years, penetrated into
the interior of the country.
The Atakpame station, six days' distant from the coast, is the
extreme outpost of Catholicity east of Togo. Palime and more re-
cently Kpandu are similarly situated to the west. It is proposed at
present to create a third central station in the west.
The Atakpame station was founded during May, 1900, and to-day
conducts three schools in the neighborhood. Palime did not exist
as a central station before 1902, yet in a short Time twenty schools were
erected in the immediate vicinity. The field is a vast one, and de-
mands for new schools are being received constantly. Alasl that
notwithstanding their anxiety and good-will the missionaries are un-
able to answer these demands satisfactorily. And the danger of these
villages being Protestantized is ever present, great and ominous !
For reasons isimilar to those given above we are not permitted to
give as satisfactory statistics as we were able to do in regard to
Shantung. It must be added that the prevailing climate is a power-
ful enemy of our missionaries. Already under the sod of Togo
repose 4 priests, 1 lay brother, and 4 sisters. Several years of experi-
ence, however, will result in an improvement of these sanitary condi-
tions. To-day 27 priests are laboring in that far-away mission field ;
they have valuable auxiliaries in the persons of 12 lay brothers, 14
300 The Socibty op the Divine Wobd
sisters, and 53 native teachers. They are in charge of 6 principal
stations, and 61 schools with an attendance at the close of 1904 of 2467
pupils. The baptized Christian population numbers 2697.
Missions in Oceanica.
The Papons' mission in Kaiser-Wilhelmsland is situated to the
northeast of New Guinea, which belongs to the English, Dutch, and
Germans. There are 200,000 inhabitants in the German district.
In February, 1896, the Steyl, or Divine Word Society, was assigned
this district, which until then had been a pait of the Vicariate of New
Pomerania in charge of the missionaries of the Sacred Heart (Issou-
dun).
On the 13th day of April, 1896, the first missionaries of Steyl,
Father Limbrock, Prefect Apostolic, and Fathers Erdweg and Vor-
mann, with three lay brothers, landed upon that colony, where the
Catholic religion had never been preached.
The interior of the country is still almost inaccessible and very
little explored. The civilization of the Papons is of the most primi-
tive; the dignity of a chief unknown. The villages numbering from
100 to 1000 inhabitants are, generally, isolated, and in continual war-
fare among themselves. For this reason^ and also for the killing of
children, which is nothing rare, the population is decreasing. Their
religion consists for the most part of the cult of spirits and of the
ancestors and contains a good amount of superstition. Inconstancy,
ridiculous ideas about dress, an untempered character, these are the
principal traits of the Papons. The influence of civilization has
penetrated into but a few villages. Its outside commerce is very slight
and the arrival of a small sailing vessel or of the regular Lloyd
steamer is always celebrated as a great event.
It is easily seen that the work of the first missionaries in that country
was that of pioneers. They had to suffer all the deceptions and
endure all the sacrifices usually pertaining to such an enterprise.
To-day, after nine years of heroic labor, the mission conducts 6 sta-
tions in the Kaiser-Wilhelmsland. Tumleo island, where was founded
the first station, has become entirely Christian. Without any objec-
tion from the government 120 children are attending daily the sister's
school, where they receive a good secular and religious education.
In Ali island, near Tumleo, where a station was opened in March,
1900, the missionary has seen his efforts crowned with such a success
that the station bids fair to surpass the older ones of Monumbo and
Leming. In regard to their intellectual capacities the inhabitants of
. The Society of the Divine Word 301
the contiiient are leoB apt than the islanders and consequently less
prepared to embrace the faith.
At a distance of two hours from Monnmbo, in the Bogia district, the
mission owns a large plantation upon which the natives may pursue
a steady, and methodic work. Some time since a new station was
erected at Heno, near Friedrich Wilhelmshafen, where a sawing and
planing mill will shortly be established, which is expected to do
away with the enormous transportation expenses that are occasioned by
the construction material which, at present, has to be bought at
Sidney.
If we take in consideration the great difSculties which continually
confront the mission, we must admit that the 980 baptized Christians
and the 320 school pupils constitute a fairly important success. The
personnel of the mission is made up of 16 priests, 17 lay brothers,
and 18 sisters. Already 3 priests, 3 brothers, and 1 sister have given
up their lives in the service of this people.
Missions in Ambbioa.
The American labor fields of the Society of the Divine Word are in
the Argentine Eepublic, in Chili, and in Brazil. The total number of
Catholics in South America, who are under the jurisdiction of the
missionaries of Steyl, is over 200,000, among whom are 30,000 Ger-
mans, 10,000 Italians, 14,000 Poles, and 3000 negroes.
In the United States the society is in charge of a parish at Shermer-
ville, near Chicago, where an industrial school has been erected.
It is seen now, how the seed planted thiriy years ago by Father
Janssen, founder of the Society, and its present Superior Qeneral, has
developed and grown into a tree of extraordinary proportions. It is
an immense tree, thanks to the generous and eflBcadous help given by
German Catholics and by the Society for the Propagation of the Faith.
May it please God to grant to the Society of the Divine Word a
prosperous future, for the greater honor of His Holy Church and the
good of the missions.
MISSIONS IN ASIA
A MAflTYR IN THIBET
Letter op Bishop Giraudbau, P. F. M.,
Vicar Apostolic of Thibet
On April 3, a troop of lamas of Bathang, escorting a party of sixty
soldiers, forcibly recruited in three villages, arrived at Yare-gong
shortly before the setting of the sun. Father Souli6, warned by the
red lamas of Yar^rong, had made preparations for an immediate de-
parture, and was getting ready to take away his effects. Ignoring
what was going on at Bathang, he was under the impression that pil-
lage was the only thing to be feared. So that when, stepping upon his
door, he saw his house surrounded by the lamas ^nd their warriors.
Father Souli6 promptly decided to surrender. He took a few steps
forward and called out to the chief : *^ Here I am, you may do with
me as you please, even to the extent of taking my life/' No one
daring to lay a hand upon him, the chief lama commanded a notori-
ous member of his party to capture the priest, promising him, at the
same time, a good reward.
The soldier obeyed the command of his chief, and seized Father
Souli6. Shackles were placed upon his feet, although his hands were
left free. While the shackling was being done. Father Souli6 re-
ceived a slight sabre blow upon the head, and a stone struck him on
the side, causing sufferings which he felt until the last. The lamas
of Bathang accused him of but one thing, preaching another doctrine
than that of the lamasery.
The chief lama entered the father's apartments, in which he found
a register containing a diary of everything that was going on in the
post, the whole written in Thibetean. This register gave him an
excuse to seize everything in sight. After all the provisions and
furniture of the mission and that belonging to the Christians had
been confiscated, the same ofiBcial detailed sixteen soldiers and ordered
them to execute the priest. They conducted him to a point a little
distant from the village and tied him to a tree. Immediately shots
begun to be fired at the human target, a bullet entering the back of
Father Souli6's head and going through it made its exit from the
forehead. Another shot fired at close range pierced his heart. The
murderers then untied the body and covered it with stones and
branches from neighboring trees. It was on the fourteenth day of
April, the feast of the transfixion of the Blessed Virgin, that Father
Souli6, who had been a missionary in Thibet since 1885, gave his life
for his God and his holy religion. He was a native of Rodez, France.
30?
MISSIONS IN AMERICA
VICARIATE APOSTOLIC OF SASKATCHEWAN
(CANADA)
Born in 1891 of a division of the diocese of St. Albert, the large Apos-
tolic Vicariate of the Saskatchewan is bounded in the North only by the
Hudson Bay and the Arctic Ocean; and in the South by the Alberta, As-
siniboia, and Manitoba. Its population is not numerous, there being only
16,000 inhabitants, one-half of whom are Catholics. Its 40 apostolic sta-
tions are served by 25 missionaries of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate
and 2 secular priests, all being under the direction of Right Rev. Albert
Pascal, Bishop of Mosynopolis, who, for the past fifteen years, presides
over the development of this important and far-away mission.
A Visit to the Saskatchewan Indians
Letter of the Kev. Fatheu Jullien, 0. M. I.
Arrived only a month ago at Prince Albert, the capital of the im-
mense diocese of Saskatchewan, over which presides Bishop Pascal,
I had often heard stories of the Indians. All the Fathers of my
acquaintance have served more or less time in the northern missions
or in the Indian reservations and each had stories to tell which inter-
ested me, far more perhaps than they supposed.
It was not difl&cult to see that all loved dearly their parishioners,
simple and upright souls, who make always good Christians when
they have been sufficiently instructed. So that if their paternal heart
is preoccupied with the future of these nomadic bands no one need be
surprised. The question, moreover, is one which is at the same time
important and timely.
303
304
Missions in Ambriga
Actual Situation of
the Indians. — The
boarding school of
Prince Albert.— IKf-
flculties at Lake
Canard.
For the past few years, especially the last
three, European colonists of every national-
ity have invaded the prairies, and according
to the laws of history, have produced their
always bad impression upon the natives.
Every one agrees that these peeple should be
made to enter upon the road that leds to
civilization, but to induce them to enter it by
the right door is the all important question.
A Saskatchewan Half-breed.
And the best and, without doubt, the only way to do so, is to take the
children when they are still young and give them a good moral and
Christian education.
Bishop Pascal and his missionaries well understand this and they
have done ever3^thing within their means to establish a boarding school
at Lake Canard. 40 miles from Prince Albert.
Saskatchewan 305
I had often heard many things about this school which is conducted
at present by Father Charlebois, 0. M. I. The young Indians of
both sexes spend there eleven years, from their seventh to their eigh-
teenth year, receiving therein a Christian education as well as a good
secular one. There are at present more than 100 young people at-
tending this school.
That this institution is necessary cannot be successfully contested.
"But/* said I to myself, "what sacrifices to make for such poor
results? Is it possible to civilize people who voluntarily despise
civilization ? *'
I had often seen Indians in camp around Prince Albert and in the
streets of the city. Generally more or less clean, and dressed accord-
ing to their peculiar style, they are easily recognized as much by their
reddish color as by the long hair which falls upon their shoulders even
in the case of a number of men. I remarked upon their faces, also, a
sad and pensive air. For these people have no longer that which
used to make all their life. The famous buffalo which used to roam
upon the plains by the hundred thousand has forever disappeared and
fields of wheat, to-day, have arisen there, where the chase used to
take place. Alas I the golden age of the great buffalo hunts has gone,
never to come again. And the intrepid and fearless Indians must
resign themselves to their lot, disappear also like the buffalo, or become
assimilated with the white race. "The day would be near for this
assimilation,'' I have been told, " and a large number of Indians would
soon give up their hereditary customs if we had several schools simi-
lar to that of Lake Canard. The Indians are as susceptible to the
influence of education as the whites are. Visit this first school and
you vrill become persuaded.*'
Bishop Pascal was scheduled to assist at the
First Communion First Communion of some of the children of
Ceremony. — Touch- the Lake Canard school and to confirm them
ing history of the on June 22. " Come and see " said his Lord-
" King of the sum- ship. I should not have dared to ask for this
mer." invitation, but having received it I was very
glad to accept it.
We arrived on the day preceding that set apart for the ceremonies.
All the children are in retreat, for even the oldest ones are preparing
to receive the Holy Communion on the next day. It was impossible
for me to observe these young men as I should have liked, but to
see them so well disciplined, gay and serious at the same time, I came
306 Missions in America
easily to the conclusion, that were it not for the distinctive racial
marks upon their faces, they would have passed anywhere for a school
of American children, and one of the best, at that.
During the evening Father Charlebois spoke to Bishop Pascal of
the Indians who live upon two reservations located a few miles from
Lake Canard and where he often visits them.
The good Father continues among them and with the same success
his ministry in the missions of Lake Pelican and Cumberland, where
he was successively located. In a few months he has already con-
verted and baptized about 30 adults.
One of these adults is particularly interesting. His name, in the
Cri tongue, is pronoimced N6pinekimoa and means "king of the
summer." He says that he is 78 years of age but readily recognizes
that he may be 80. A few months ago he was still a pagan.
Although well advanced in age, he has remained young in intelli-
gence and the Indians look upon him as one of those who judge all
things as they should be judged. So that the Father had no difficulty
in giving him the necessary instruction to fit him for the reception of
Baptism. And with what impatience he was awaiting the happy day
when he should become a child of God ! " And his joy was plainly
manifest," said Father Charlebois, " during the baptismal ceremo-
nies." When these were completed and the missionary was arranging
his vestments, the old man seated himself and began to weep abund-
antly. The Father hearing him went over to see what was the matter.
" Do you regret now that you have permitted yourself to be bap-
tized ? Tell me, frankly, what it is that makes you weep."
" You misjudge me, Father," answered the old Indian, " for I do
not regret what I have done. I am too happy in the knowledge that
I am a child of God. You have told me that the gates of heaven are
now open to me. It is a joy to my heart, for I shall die soon, and I
hope that that gate will never be closed again by any sin of mine.
But, Father, this happiness of mine, none of my ancestors has known.
God is so good for us and they have not known his goodness. That
is why I feel sad and weep."
These sublime words of the old Indian caused such surprise and joy
to the missionary that he found it impossible to keep back his own
tears.
" If you had heard him, Your Lordship," said Father Charlebois,
*' you would have acted like myself."
Saskatchewan
3or
I believe so myself for only the simple recital of the story had
moved the Bishop very deeply.
^^ I should like to see him," said the Bishop, then ; " will he come
to the ceremonies to-morrow ? ^*
" No," answered the Father; "he is too old to walk the entire dis-
tance and he has no horse at his disposal. But he should be very
happy, certainly, to see you ! "
" Well, let us go and see him/' retorted Bishop Pascal !
A few minutes later we are on our way to visit old Nepinekimoa.
The Chttbchill Rf^r.
Unfortunately, however, he is not at home, having gone to comfort a
family just then in mourning. The Bishop decides that this will not
interfere with his intentions and after Father Charlebois had left a
little tobacco and a few provisions in the old man's cabin, we pro-
ceeded on our way to see him at his friend's house.
We shortly arrive near a number of tepees. A crowd of Indians is
there for the same motive as Nepinekimoa. As soon as the Bishop
was recognized the women arose and imposing silence to an army of
dogs, advanced to salute him and greet him with a warm welcome.
The men were all in a tent disposing of their supper. They also arose,
it cannot be said from a table, but they arose and hastened to j)ay
308 Missions in America
their respects to the "great praying man/' They are all silent for
they would not speak in presence of a superior without his permission.
After they have it, however, they affirm their happiness at his presence
and some go so far as to say, with an air of charming sincerity, that
for them it is as if they had seen one of God's angels.
Bishop Pascal says a few consoling words to the aflBicted family and
bidding a cheery good-by to all we begin our return journey.
But instead of four travelers we are now five. The aged Nepine-
kimoa, without appearing to request it, has obtained permission to
return home in the carriage with the Bishop.
" Do you know that I have thought that perhaps the ' great praying
man ' is so good to his children he will probably take me home while
going back to his school ? "
His Lordship was so pleased at the ingenuity of the remark that he
promptly granted the hidden request and offered the old man a place
in the carriage.
All the way home the Bishop was engaged in a friendly conversa-
tion with the old man who, to show his appreciation, repeated every
once in a while the words :
" Ouinakoma ! Ouinakoma ! Thank you ! "
Before we left him at the door of his humble cabin he gave us his
parting sentiment :
" Hereafter, I shall never doubt again the existence of the good
God, for I have seen his high priest."
We hastened toward the school, for the night was falling fast.
The morrow is the great day, especially for those who will receive
their God for the first time. The Bishop oflSciates at the Com-
munion Mass. When the young people enter the chapel I am aston-
ished by the devotion and seriousness of everyone. It seems as if
they realize, even more than the whites do, that it is indeed the Holy
Communion. Their souls are pure and under their holiday attire
their faces seem to have lost the more or less distinctive features
of their race.
During the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass some of their number sing
melodiously in the French and English languages. Their voices are
very agreeable and just. Immediately before Communion, the
Bifihop addresses the children in a very simple and toucbing
Saskatchewan
309
exhortation. At last, the happy moment has arrived. The young
communicants accompanied by their elder brothers slowly march
towards the Communion rail. Everything is done with, I might say,
a military precision under the direction of the Mother Superior, with
which is mingled a certain calmness and modest demeanor. I think
myself justified in affirming that I have not seen anywhere young
children execute the same movements with such a precision.
It would be too long to narrate the divers incidents of the day.
A Saskatchewan Village.
Let it be sufficient to say that during the evening the ceremonies per-
taining to the conferring of the sacrament of Confirmation and the
renewing of the baptismal vows were in keeping with the morning
exercises. The singing of the psalms and hymns by the school chil-
dren was remarkably good. Some of these children will certainly
become good musicians some day, for beside the singing, a brass band
of from 15 to 20 pieces has been organized, the lack of instruments
being the only obstacle to their increase. It is conducted by an Oblate
Brother.
310 Missions in America
In the evening I took^ alone with my
Conclusion. — ^Nc- thoughts, the road of Prince Albert. And so,
cessity of more said I to myself, this is what may be obtained
numerous Schools. from these Indians in such a short period of
— ^A Prayer. time ! When they arrive at school, these chil-
dren know but their own language. One or
two years later they all speak and write English. When they leave the
establishment, the boys are capable in many ways but especially in
the tilling of the soil; and the girls in all household affairs. Ijovers
of independence, enemies of civilization's laws, which all Indians
regard as measures of oppression and an intolerable burden, in a few
years they become submissive to their superiors, accept their authority,
and obey all their directions. A momentous change takes place in
the atmosphere of the school, and when they finally go forth into the
world it would be a cruel injustice to call them savages.
The results are magnificent, and a good augury for the future of
the race. But other Lake Canard schools are needed. They would
soon be erected if Bishop Pascal had some resources. But what can
he do, that good Bishop, who is unable to help his missionaries in the
erection of their churches? Alas, these buildings sometimes do not
even deserve the appellation of churches ! Ah I if we had here a little
of that money that is being spent so recklessly in other countries !
Without doubt, a good director and good and devoted teachers are
also needed for these schools. But that is the least of our worries.
It will always be possible to find a director — although perhaps not a
second Father Charlebois — and other holy religious will come with
the courage and ability to follow in the steps of the good sisters of the
Presentation of Mary.
It is so easy to follow a trail that has been blazed away by devoted
and able predecessors !
Letter of the Bishop of Galloway 311
CIRCULAR LETTER OF THE BISHOP OF GALLOWAY
(SCOTLAND), RECOMMENDING THE WORK OF
THE PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH
The following letter has been sent by the Bishop of Galloway to all the
priests of his diocese:
"In regard to the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, of
which there has been mention in a recent pastoral letter, I woiild ask
you to read this circular on the Sunday following its reception. With
this letter I am sending you a copy of the Annals and an explanatory
leaflet. In these two publications you will find a few details upon
the nature and organization of the pious work, which will interest you
in the event that in your opinion, it is advisable to organize it in your
mission or increase its usefulness if already established.
This association for the Propagation of the Faith, enriched with
many indulgences and warmly recommended by the Holy See, is
one of these works which it seems -it is only necessary to make
known to make liked and established. And truly, he who will read
the declarations and precise explanations included in the annexed
circulars will admit readily that it would be difficult to name another
religious institution that has a greater right to our sympathy. It
attracts our attention in a special manner, for we can never forget
the generous aid given by it to our late Bishop during the almost entire
years of his episcopate ; it is to this society that we should attribute in
a great measure the reorganization of this diocese.
But, apart from these personal motives of gratitude, there is a singu-
lar attraction in the Sodety for the Propagation of the Faith, by its
double title of being essentially a work of apostolate and at the same
time a work of the greatest charity. This beautiful feature must
impress itself upon any one who reads the simple statement of the
object of the association, " to assist by prayers and alms the Catholic
missionaries who are engaged in preaching the Gospel in heathen and
non-Catholic countries." To add even a few words of comment to
such an object would be to weaken its naturally attractive strength
and suppose at the same time a lack of intelligence and religious senti-
ments in yourself and your faithful people. It is truly on account
of our poverty that this divine work has not been generally and actively
propagated in this diocese, for the repeated affirmation of the Divine
Word, in the Holy Scripture and the history of religion, abund-
antly proves that charity never fails to produce an equal recompense.
I know too well, that all have a great deal to do in their respective mis-
sions, but an active co-operation in this divine work will call down
312 Letter of the Bishop of Galloway
manifold blessings upon our own labors and will lessen the heaviness
of our personal troubles. This great work has been so sagely formed
and organized that it causes but a feeble expense to its members and
at the same time assures the perpetuity of its eflficacy.
Very earnestly, then, do I urge you to establish immediately this
pious association in your mission. I feel that this will be the cause
of many blessings to fall upon the entire diocese, and I am certain
that no one will think it a hardship to eay daily one " Our Father,"
one ^^ Hail Mary," and the invocation to " St. Francis Xavier," and
find a burden in the giving of a cent to the common treasury.
I would find it particularly good if the older children in each school
were to be formed in bands of associates. This would accustom them,
in their tender years, to regard it as a duty to take an interest in all
religious movements. Their parents may help greatly by inculcating
in the hearts of these children this Christian truth and advice of the
Scripture which consists in offering to God a portion of everything
that passes through our hands, and this excellent lesson would have a
considerable influence each time when, following the general custom,
they should make a monetary present to their children.
Through you, I address a similar request to the school teachers to
interest themselves in this work and to help you to establish and
propagate it. I engage you also to name the principal teacher as
the local collector. The duties of this office are : 1st, to see that the
promoters of all the bands have a supply of Annals proportionate to
their contribution ; to appoint a successor immediately to the promoter
of a band who has died or has removed to another place, or has tired
of the work, for, alas! it is extraordinary how one gets soon tired
when it is a question of religious work; 2d, to keep a record of the
names of all the associates and their addresses, the necessity and
advantage of such a record are apparent; 3d, to keep an exact account
of all the subscriptions received by the promoters and send the amount
thereof to the diocesan director at the end of each six months.
The publications I am sending you herewith will furnish you with
all the necessary information, and as soon as you notify me of the
number of bands formed in your mission, and the name of the local
director, I will see to it that a sufficient number of copies of the
Annals are sent you regularly. And, in conclusion, let me add that
for families or individual readers, there is no periodical or publica-
tion more interesting, more edifying, more instructive, than the
Annals of the Propagation of the Faith."
DESTINATION OF MISSIONARIES
Beported since the August Annals.
AFRICA
Motnbasia
Rev. I^on Langemeyer, A1.M.
Northern Npama
Rev. Joseph Bajard, Al. M.
" Pierre Vlel, Al.M.
•• Guillaume Van Ertryck,
Al.M.
" Ferdinand Seconds,
ALM.
*' Amedee Goulard, Al.M.
" Edoaard Lafleur, Al.M.
" Eugene Stephant, A1.M.
" Leon Vedrlnes, Al.M.
Sauthem Nyanza
Rev. Jean Durand, Al.M.
" Frangols Knoll, Al.M.
Vnpanyembe
Rev. Joseph Schmltt, Al.M.
'* Jean Joseph Brtllhman,
Al.M.
" Gaston Launay, A1.M.
" PIo Canonica, Al.M.
Dahomey
Rev. F. Vallee, L.A,M.
Ivory Coast
Rev. F. Berthelot, L.A.M.
Shire
Rev. Joseph Blouven, L.A.M.
Bclffian Congo
Rev. A. Esnard, B.F.M.
•• A. Mols, B.F.M.
" Jos.' Van Moorhem,
B.F.M.
'• A. Van Wynsberge,
" Jos.* Vaii Hove, B.F.M.
" Jean Verhoeven, B.F.M.
Upper Kasai
Rev. Rene Cromhe, B.F.M.
" Abel dc Mol, B.F.M.
" Eugene Potters, B.F.M.
" Emlle Van Thlelen,
B.F.M.
" Joseph Vermeersch,
B.F.M.
" Alois Audenaert, B.F.M.
" Francois Van der Wouw
B.F.M.
Congo Free State
Rev. G. Van Tilborg, S.J.
" J. B. Hanquet, S.J.
" R. Gothtgny. S.J.
" F. Allard. S.J.
" C. de Vrlege, S.J.
Brother A. Verdonok, S.J.
«* J. Festlens, S.J.
ASIA
Ghinju
South East Mongolia
Rev. G. Cappelle, B.F.M.
" C. Chabbe, B.F.M.
" M. d'Haene, B.F.M.
" C. Lefevere, B.F.M.
" A. Morel, B.F.M.
" A. Mostaert, B.F.M.
*' C. Van Lantschool,
B.F.M.
" A. Vlnck. B.F.M.
tlorthem Kan Su
Rev. V. de Neve, B.F.M.
*' E. Heiremans, B.F.M.
" P. Jadoul, B.F.M.
" F. Mortler, B.F.M.
Soutfiem Kan Su
Rev. R. Calbrecht, B.F.BC.
" C. Demaret, B.F.M.
" B. Jamart, B.F.M.
South East Chi-U
Rev. A. Anclaux, S.J.
" P. Perard, S.J.
Tun-Nan
Rev. Menlgot, P.F.M.
•* T. Mongellaz, P.F.M.
^ Si-chuan
Rev. M. Lamonnerie, P.F.M.
" F. Coron. P.F.M.
" J. Cadard, P.F.M.
Kui-cliau
Rev. A. Callo, P.F.M.
" G. Ruault, P.F.M.
KumhMkonam
Rev. J. P. Martin, P.F.M.
" A. Sovlgnet, P.F.M.
Central Mongolia
Rev. n. Coenen, B.F.M.
•* A. Bron, B.F.M.
" R. de Grotte, B.F.M.
" L. de Smedt, B.F.M.
E. Jonckheere, B.F.M.
A. Maes, B.F.M.
" H. Van de Waerde,
B.F.M.
" E. Vloeberghs, B.F.M.
Eastern Mongolia
Rev. E. Grosse, B.F.M.
" *L. Kervin, B.F.M.
" C. Mahlen, B.F.M.
" J. Poferrie, B.F.M.
• Manchuria
Rev. H. Darles, P.F.M.
" A. Obln, P.F.M.
Indo-China.
Cochin China
Rev. A. Ducateau, P.F.M.
" W. David. P.F.M.
" H. Bellemin Noel,
P.F.M.
Cambodia
Rev. P. Hallouz, P.F.M.
Laos
Rev. J. P. Martin, P.F.M.
" F. Chabanel, P.F.M.
Tongking.
Rev. P. Doquet, P.F.M.
" F. Chaize, P.F.M.
" L. Bretandeau, P.F.M.
" C. Fort, P.F.M.
" L. Comeille, P.F.M.
Corea
Rev. A. Sovlgnet, P.F.M.
" J. Bermond, P.F.M.
Japan
Rev. A. Breton, P.F.M.
India
Rev. B. Murchier, P.F.M.
*• M. Chaler, P.F.M.
" R. Beyls, P.F.M.
" B. Verlne, P.F.M.
" V. RenoUeau, P.F.M.
" A. Jouffrineau, P.F.M.
Malacca
Rev. E. Becheras, P.F.M.
Ceylon
Rev. G. Van Asten, S.J.
" C. Relchard, S.J.
Calcutta
Rev. P. Molitor, S.J.
" A. Berrewaerts, S.J.
" D. Truyen, S.J.
" G. Druart, S.J.
" J. B. Berteles, S.J.
" W. Temmerman, S.J.
" J. Van Neater, S.J.
313
1H ^^
314
lA'^dli
K
M
M
11
BS
^m
B
^
3^^
^
SUPPLEMENT
AMERICAN EDITION
OF THE
Annals of the Propagation of the Faith
IN THE PRISON CAMPS OF JAPAN
Experiences of Father Castanier, P. F. M., among the Polish
Prisoners of War, at the Prison Camp
of Fukuchiyama
One of the most striking incidents of the late Russo-Japanese war —
one that will, probably, live forever in the grateful hearts of the several
hundred Polish prisoners of war who witnessed it — occurred about
eight months ago at Fukuchiyama, where a big prison camp had been
established for the accommodation of the rapidly increasing number
of prisoners of war captured by the Japanese on the bloody battle-
fields of Manchuria.
The welcome these Russian soldiers received, the tender care with
which the sick and wounded among them were nursed back to life, the
toleration and respect of their religious beliefs — all these kindnesses
received at the hands of their former enemies made a deep impression
upon their astonished recipients and presented a striking contrast to
the treatment to which they are subjected in their native country.
Prisoners of war first begun to arrive at Fukuchiyama in Septem-
ber, 1904, after the great battle of Liao Yang had been fought in
which hundreds of Russians fell in the hands of the Japanese. Since
that memorable victory a continuous stream of prisoners has been
directed towards Fukuchiyama. They came from Shako, Mukden,
Port Arthur, these victims of a corrupt organization, and among them
315
316 Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals
were many unknown heroes from Finland, Poland, and other terri-
tories which for many years have felt the iron heel of the oppressor.
And yet they fought for their country and their Czar, as men who,
hoping for a better land, dared not falter in the face of death. They
forgot their wrongs and went forth at the command of duty to battle
for a common cause. And the world that sympathized with them in
their political struggles admires them none the less for that.
The nearest town to Fukuchiyama is the bustling, manufacturing
city of Maizuen, twenty miles distant. ^ A railroad uniting the two
places has been constructed within the last twelve months as a strategic
line for war purposes. It forms a capricious line, now following a
Burial of a Polish Prisoner in Japan.
serpentine course across rice and mulberry fields, at times into little
valleys, through which riverlets flow over a bed of pebbles, again
flying from hill to hill on fields of violets or eluding the freakish hill-
sides by a series of tunnels. This railroad crosses a picturesque
country and attracts many tourists thereto.
When I first learned that hundreds of Poles were among the Kus-
sian prisoners confined at Fukuchiyama, I entered into negotiations
with the Japanese authorities for the privilege of bearing to these
prisoners the ministrations and consolations of their faith. This priv-
ilege, which can be granted to foreigners by the Minister of War only,
was readily given to me, thanks to the kind assistance of Colonel
Umezaki, in command of the prison camp. Unfortunately, however,
Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals 317
circumstances do not permit me to make use of this privilege as often
as either the prisoners or myself desire. The duties and labors of a
missionary are manifold and traveling is an expensive luxury. So,
from the beginning it was arranged that I should say Mass three times
a month, and in case of any special or pressing need* of my ministry
I would go at the first notice.
My visits are determined for days when 1 anticipate more leisure
and I try, as far as possible, to make them coincide with the feast days
ever dear to the Polish heart. When I get off the train at Fuku-
chiyama I invariably fell into the hands of a sergeant whose duty it is
Catholic Nubses of Okatama — Red Cross Branch.
to size up every stranger coming near the prison camp. We have
become good friends, however, thanks to my mission of peace, so
that when I arrive he immediately conducts me to the officers' quarters
where I pay my respects to the Colonel in command and the other
officers on duty. These preliminary interviews are not in the least
annoying, as the officers are extremely kind and courteous and, so far,
have had nothing but words of praise for their Polish prisoners.
The Colonel has repeatedly told me that of all the prisoners of war
under his charge the Poles are the most intelligent, quiet, and sub-
missive. He also states that the letters sent by them to their families
are of a special character in their tone of sweet resignation to their
Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals 319
lot, and in the many words of consolation addressed to the loved ones
at home who are deploring their fate.
Another officer, who was as much astonished as his superior at the
admirable dispositions of the Poles, spoke to me of their absolute
union, so that they seem to form but one family and might all be
taken for brothers. He so far forgot himself one day as to confide
that the Poles very much resembled the Japanese. These words from
the lips of an enemy, flushed with prodigious success and believing his
race to be the greatest in the world, are not a mean compliment, and
express the admiration which these good soldiers have excited.
Whilst 1 have been conversing with the officers, the Poles have been
called together; my Japanese catechist, assisted by some soldiers, has
prepared the altar and the chief of' the detachment announces that
everything is ready. Accompanied by the Japanese officers and an
interpreter I proceed to the altar raised under a linen canopy and
made up of a strong prison table which has been thoroughly cleaned
and covered with white cloth. All around are pots of artificial fiowers
made by the prisoners. Abov.e the altar hangs a picture of the Holy
Family and a large crucifix.
After a short prayer I begin the service by addressing the prisoners.
This exhortation, which consists of a few words on the gospel of the
day accompanied with some consoling thoughts, is translated from
Japanese into Russian by an interpreter. The joy which brightens
their faces as they listen to my words is a pleasure to see; their atti-
tude plainly tells me that their hearts beat in unison with mine; that
they understand my mission, the language of their Faith, and the
sweet and strengthening consolations of God's Holy Truth. After
the instruction I begin Mass, during which I cannot help being deeply
moved by the fervent prayers of the assistants recited aloud and the
singing of hymns.
When the service is over, we engage in familiar conversation; they
tell me of the horrors of war, of the trials and pleasures of their
exile; they speak of their beloved Poland, and I relate some of my
experiences as missionary in the land of their conquerors. The time
passes quickly and when I am obliged to leave, all come to bid me
good-by and ask me to come again and as often as possible.
A memorable day in their experience as prisoners of war, however, ,
was that when the Right Rev. Jules Chatron, Bishop of Osaka,
journeyed to the prison camp to officiate pontifically at a communion
and confirmation service. The day was bright and warm and it
seemed as if the elements had entered into an agreement with the
320 Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals
promoters of the celebration to make it as successful as possible.
When His Lordship ascended the altar steps at the beginning of the
Mass and faced the congregation to invite it to join with him in
praises to the Almighty, he saw before him 1200 men wearing the
uniform of the Russian army and navy, men belonging to a number
of nationalities but who had fought under the same flag at the fright-
ful battles of Ldao-Yang, Mukden, Port Arthur, fought heroically for
a cause of which they were, are still ignorant, and for which they care
but little.
It was an impressive scene. At the communion, when the Bishop
raised the Host, and uttered the humble prayer, " Domine non sum
dignus," every man in that great congregation knelt there under the
blue canopy, of heaven, transported in spirit to scenes of their child-
hood days in their beloved Poland. Close at hand, Colonel Umezaki
of the Japanese army and his officers stood, reverent spectators of a
'scene such as was never before enacted in their country, and by far
the most impressive incident in their religious experience. 350 Poles
were confirmed by Bishop Chatron on that day.
The Japanese authorities are exerting themselves to improve the
conditions of their prisoners and to lessen the burden of their exile.
The Poles are verj' good Catholics and the Japanese officers are always
greatly surprised at their joy upon being able to assist at a religious
service, and at their fervor at prayer. And the Poles love the Japan-
ese— their former enemies but now their friends — for their sterling
qualities and for the political and religious liberty which prevails over
this empire. Alas! what a contrast with their native country where
they have suffered so much persecution for the sake of their religious
beliefs, and what a great example given by a " pagan '' to a ^' Chris-
tian " nation !
CATHOLIC PROGRESS IN INDIA
Letter of the Rev. J. M. Louis,
Missionary in the Diocese of Madras.
According to the last ecclesiastical census there are 6422 Catholics
under my charge in the parish of Viravanellore. They are scattered
over some 103 villages more or less distant from each other. During
the years 1903 and 1904 we have had thirty-five entire villages con-
verted from paganism, and at the present time there are one thousand
catechumens preparing themselves to receive the regenerating waters
of Baptism. These are all converts from paganism, although conver-
Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals 321
sions from Protestantism are by no means rare. In 1903, fifty-two
Protestants were received into the Church.
What are the causes leading to these conversions? Certainly not
the eloquence of the missionary, even though my only object, night
and day, is to bring the teeming millions of Hindus out of the dark-
ness of Satan into the light and knowledge of the living God. My
catechists who, also, are doing their utmost for the conversion of their
brethren, would meet, if left to their own efforts, with but a moderate
success. What then is it? Temporal miseries, persecution, loss of
property, preach far more eloquently than any skillful orator. " Come
ye all who labor and are burdened and I shall refresh you." These
Madras. — Chapel of the Immaculate (Conception.
consoling words once pronounced by heavenly wisdom attract the poor
and heavy laden Hindus of this country. Their pagan masters, hav-
ing no idea of justice and mercy, are very hard on their poor and help-
less neighbors. Daily petitions are received by me in which all kindfl
of persecution on the part of the Hindus are pathetically described
and help requested.
These poor unfortunates are often deprived of their rightful prop-
erty, driven from their own houses, hated by their nearest relatives —
in some cases by parents ; others become objects of derision and mock-
ery, are driven to despair and often, for self-protection, are compelled
to take their own lives. Tt may be objected that there is the govern-
322 Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals
ment to help and protect the oppressed. Which is undoubtedly true.
But a Hindu with his natural aptitudes for deceit and falsehood,
aided and abetted by unconscientious Brahman lawyers, will always
succeed in making truth appear a lie and what is false accepted as the
truth.
In such circumstances, when poor and helpless people have neither
consolation nor support from their own religion and government, to
whom shall they appeal but to Him who has invited those who are
burdened, weary, and despairing to come into His arms for shelter and
help? It is generally believed here that to get out of difficulties and
The Sacbed Falls of Courthalam,
In which millions of Hindoos wash themselves once a year to be purified
from their sins.
miseries one should go to the representatives of the Catholic Church.
Here is an example among others. The village of Senculam was
recently entirely converted, by what strange means we shall see. The
people of this village one day became possessed of the strange idea that
they could get some $7000 without interest with which to pay off the
heavy debt by which they were enslaved. In a word they wanted to
buy their freedom.
One fine day a number of them came to me petitioning me to lend
them $7000 and receive them into the Church. Of course I was
delighted with the latter proposition. But as to the former it was
Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals 323
entirely impossible to grant it, as I had neither the means nor the
authority to do so. However, the good God giving power to my
words they soon gave up their strange idea. The great and mysterious
change took also possession of their hearts, creating a desire in them to
become really and truly Christians. They numbered 92 and I imme-
diately began their instruction, which ended in May last, when they
were all baptized. They have a small hut for their chapel, which
they also use as a school. Their conversion was soon followed by that
of five other villages in the vicinity of Senculam. A catechist is ex-
clusively engaged to attend to their spiritual needs.
A Group of Newly Baptized Christians.
Some one will perhaps exclaim — that this is an odd way of con-
verting pagans. Money and temporary help are not the true means
of propagating the kingdom of Him who wished his followers to be
poor, humble, and suffering. This is all true, certainly, but the
Hindus should be taken as they are, not as what they ought to be.
They naturally abhor sufferings, humiliations, and miseries. They
have a remarkable propensity to believe that a true God will neces-
sarily make all his followers prosperous. And yet when those who are
attracted to the Catholic religion through their sufferings, which they
would like the missionary to relieve, become Christians, they undergo
a complete transformation and would endure boldly any trouble which
might follow their conversion.
'624 Supplement to the American Edition of the Annals
But one must not think that conversions of a purely spiritual char-
acter are rare among this people. Sometimes it is truly wonderful
how men are being brought to me by the all-powerful grace of God.
There is a town under my jurisdiction called Avadiamore. It is the
spiritual center for fifteen converted villages, and will one day be a
flourishing and prosperous station for our Faith.
The great enemy we must destroy is the superstition of paganism.
The field is white unto the harvest but the laborers are few. To
accomplish the desirable end I have only ten catechists who not only
must give instruction to pagans, but also to the new converts. And
A Hindoo Family.
how can they do effective work, these ten men, when they must attend
to the needs of the Catholic population scattered over some thirty-five
villages ?
Our expenses are so heavy that sometimes I am unable to meet them.
I am already in difficulties to pay my teachers, and how I am to
procure houses for them and buildings for schools is something beyond
me. Out of 20 schools only six have their own building; the rest meet
on the veranda of a church, or in a cattle shed, or in the priest's house,
when there is any.
Only the generosity of charitable souls can help us, and to that
ojenerosity T beg leave to appeal to-day.
SPECIAL DONATIONS
Received since the October Number.
POK Bishop Boetnaxm 8, C. SS. H., Lbpeb Mission Molokai.
Per Key. John T. Dunn (Diocese of New York) $ 14.50
PoB Bishop Chatron, P. P. M., Osaka.
Per Rev. James Anthony Walsh ( Diocese of Boston ) 89.70
POR Bishop Couppe. M. S. C, New Pomerania.
Per Key. James Anthony Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 10.00
PoR Bishop Merel, P. P. M., Canton Seminart.
Per Key. John J. Dunn (Diocese of New Tork) 112.45
Per Key. James Anthony Walsh (Diocese of Boston ) 17.00
A Priest (Diocese of San Francisco) 125.00
Mr. Wm. Noonan (Diocese of San Francisco) 40.00
PoR Bishop Hanlon, P. F. M., Upper Nile.
Per Key. John J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 5.00
PoR THE Right Reverend Bishop op Lahore, India.
Per Rev. John J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 5.00
PoR Bishop O'Oorman, C. 8. Sp., Sierra Leone.
Per Rev. James Anthony Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 21.00
Poe Father Dunne, E. F. M., Borneo.
Per Rev. James Anthony Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 34.00
PoR Father Ferrand, P. F. M., Tokio.
Per Rev. James Anthony Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 31.05
Anonymous (Diocese of Manchester) 15.00
A Priest (Diocese of Alton) 10.00
A Priest (Diocese of New Orleans) 10.00
PoR Father Ddpin, P. P. M., Tongking.
Per Rev. James Anthony Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 12.70
POR Father Dupe, O. M. I., Athabaska.
Per Rev. James Anthony Walsh ( Diocese of Boston ) 2.88
POR Father Boehu, O. 8. B.. Sioux Falls.
Per Rev. John J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 5.00
PoR Father Corrb, P. F. M., Japan.
A Priest (Diocese of Louisville) 2.00
A Priest (Diocese of La Crosse) 6.00
PoR Father Lucchesi, S. J., Alaska.
A Priest (Diocese of La Crosse) 6.00
A Friend (Diocese of Boston) 10.00
Poe Father Sauebt, P. F. M., Japan.
Per Rev. James Anthony Walsh ( Diocese of Boston ) 10.00
For Father Lindner, C. 88. R., Porto Rico.
Per Rev. John J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 118.00
For Father Tignods, P. F. M., Coimbatore.
Per Rev. James Anthony Walsh ( Diocese of Boston) 1.00
For Father Siol, C. 88. R., Porto Rico.
Per Rev. John J. Dunn (Diocese of New YorK) 6.00
For Father Morvan, S. M., New Caledonia.
Per Rev. James Anthony Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 17.60
For Father Clement, P. F. M., Pondichbrrt.
Per Rev. James Anthony Walsh ( Diocese of Boston ) 10.00
For Father Barrier, P. F. M., Tongking.
Per Rev. John J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 30.00
325
326 Special Donations
Fob Father Maocirb, O. Pbaem., Congo Free State.
Per Rev. John J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) $2.00
Foe Br. M. S. Costra, M. C. S. F., India.
Per Rev. John J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 32.76
Fob Leper Missions in China.
Anonymous (Diocese of Cincinnati) 12.00
Fob Franciscan Missions in China.
Anonymous (Diocese of Baltimore) 5.00
Fob the Pbepabation of Marist Missionaries.
Per Rev. James Anthony Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 100.00
Fob Sisteb Xavier, Ning-po.
Per Rev. James Anthony Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 37.00
Per Rev. John J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 2.00
Fob Mother M. Paul, O. S. F., Uganda.
Per Rev. John J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 12.00
Fob St. Joseph's Society por Colored Missions op the South.
Per Rev. John J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 5.00
For Indian Missions in the United States.
Per Rev. James Anthony Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 15.00
Fob Needy Japanese Missionaries (Tokio).
Per Rev. James Anthony Walsh ( Diocese of Boston) 50.00
Fob the Missionary Sisters of Notre Dame of Africa.
Per Rev. John J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 2.00
For African Missions.
Per Rev. John J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 2.00
For Missions in India.
Per Rev. John J. Dunn (Diocese of New York) 2.00
Fob the Somali land Mission.
A Priest (Diocese of Detroit) 2.00
Mr. Wm. Noonan (Diocese of San Francisco) 40.00
Foe the Schools of Putter and Borimas, Man galore.
Per Rev. James Anthony Walsh (Diocese of Boston) 50.00
For Missions in Norway and Sweden.
A Friend (Diocese of Buffalo) 2.00
For Various Missions.
A Priest (Diocese of San Francisco) 275.00
The Society gladly receives sums of money intended by the
donors for any particular mission or missionary, and forwards
the same at once to its destination in any part of the world.
OBITUARY
The following deceased persons are recomaiended to the charitable
prayers of our Associates :
Right Rev. Mgr. Fraysse, S. M., Vicar Apostolic of New Cede-
donia; Right Rev. Mgr. Potron, 0. F. M., Titular Bishop of Jericho;
Very Rev. Leon Lejeune, C. S. Sp., Prefect Apostolic of Lower
Niger; Very Rev. T. J. Smith, C. M., Diocese of St. Louis; Rev.
T. J. Lee, Diocese of Boston; Rev. Joseph Friedmann, Diocese of
New Orleans.
Sister M. Ignatia Baker, Diocese of Chicago; Sister Marie Antonie,
S. N. D., Diocese of Philadelphia; Sister M. Gmelda McEvoy, Diocese of
New Orleans.
Mrs. Lucia D. Pychowska, Diocese of Newark; Miss Helen Castleton,
Diocese of Trenton; Miss Lizzie Oalvin, Diocese of Little Rock; Mrs. Eliza
M. Doyle, Edward H. Doyle, and Paul Joseph O'Brien, Diocese of San
Francisco; Charles Depcinski, Diocese of Detroit.
Of the Diocese of Boston the following: John Dunn, Mrs. Ellen Kearney,
Mrs. Katharyn Hyde, Patrick Kenedy, Ann Cox, Edward Cox. William
Cox, John O'Brien, Nora McCarthy, David Murphy, Timothy McCarthy,
Michael Sullivan, James Kelly, Mrs. Margaret Mahan, Ellen Williams, Mrs.
Corkery, Patrick Chaplice, John Lorden, Mrs. Gilmore, Annie Duggan,
Nellie Sheehan, Margaret Mahan, John Duress, Mrs. Maria Aiken, Mrs.
Hanah Sweeney, Thomas Foley, Mrs. Mary Walsh, Hannah Killeen, Mrs.
Maria Whalen, John Gillon, Patrick Kenedy, Nellie Trombley, Mr. Marly,
Mrs. Fred Coombs, Mrs. J. J. Callahan, Margaret Mayers, Mrs. Ellen K.
Murphy, Mrs. Sarah Kelly. Patrick Martin, Ann Martin, Mary Martin, Denis
Martin, Patrick Martin, Jr., Kate Howe, Mrs. Margaret Gorman, Ann Eliza
Nicholson, Jeremiah Hagerty, Frank Landry, Michael F. O'Hara, Nora
McLaughlin, Katherlne McCarthy, Ellen Walsh, Louis Connors, Mr. Ed-
wards, Mary O'Brien, Annie Maloney, Mr. William O'Connor, Mr. Michael
Keating, Mr. Willis Bernard, Mrs. Mary Rich, Mrs. Bridget McGoqan,
William Sheen, Mr. William Daly, John J. Powers, Mr. John Eagin, Ellen
Morris, Mrs. Ann Martin, Jeremiah Hayes, Francis Thornton, Sarah Duran,
Thomas Peacock, Catherine Fallon, Alfred Peacock, Ellen Kelly, Bridget
Peacock, John F. Stanton, George Barmam, Timothy J)esmond, Michael
McPIke, Mary McPike, Michael Lynch, Wm. McDono^gh, John Curran,
Jeremiah McCarthy, Wm. J. McCarthy, James Lamb, Hugh Morgan, Fred-
erick Krohn, Elizabeth Morgan, Hannah Barry, John Keefe, Thomas
Keefe, Eugene Sullivan, Charles Burns, William Keefe, Catherine Keefe,
Mary Irwin, John Waldron, James Hart, Mary Conners, Mary Emerson,
Mrs. Johanna Carney, Mary Coyne, Robert M. Meehan, Mrs. Ellen McMul-
lin, Thomas H. Coughlan, Thomas W. Donnelly, Rev. Denis Sullivan, James
327
328 Obituary
Morris, Daniel J. Mahoney, John Laughlin, Patrick Duran, Katherine De-
vine, James Fallon, Mary Evans, Mary Sweet, Patrick Fallon.
Of the Diocese of New York the following: Mrs. Anna Mulqueen, Ed-
mund O'Shea, William McGroarty, Ellen and Francis Golden, Rosanna
Diodati, James Smith, Andrew Ledwith, Lulu M. Walsh, Anna Darcy,
Bridget Nolan, Edward Donnelly, Patrick Murphy, Agnes E. Fitzpatrick,
Matthew Cahill, James W. Kiernan, Joanna O'Connor, Patrick Fogarty,
Patrick Delany, James Campbell, Julia Conway, Francis Byrne, Peter Gal-
lagher, Bridget Tobin, Thomas Maloney, Miss D. Leitiser, Bridget and
Mary Gallagher, Michael Dowd, John J. Hannon, Nettie C. Sullivan, John
Molloy, Thomas F. Ryan, Michael H. Mulcahy, Mary C. Burke, Mrs. Ellen
O'Neill, Mary Kelly, Frank K. Doyle, Joseph Brown, George Murphy, Mrs.
Ellen Murphy, Elizabeth Hatton, Mary Gates, Thomas Fogarty, Daniel
O'Leary, William Callahan, Julia McNally, Matthew Corcoran, Michael
Higgins, Margaret McKenna, Mary Masterson, Patrick McGuire, Kath-
arine Corcoran, Patrick O'Rourke, Sarah O'Rourke, William Collins, James
Gordon, Mary Ward, Thomas Claffey, Mary and Jane Mullen, Frank Doyle,
Mrs. Thomas McDonough, William Stump, Mrs. Florence Kelly, Thomas
Ready, Margaret Ready, William Callahan, Mrs. Margaret Hopkins, Mary
Ready, William F. Ready, Louise Brown, Joseph Brown, James Slattery,
Michael J. Kelly, Mrs. Frank Smith, Patrick McNally, Catharine Shaugh-
nessy, Alice M. Gorman, Richard Hayes, Mrs. Catherine Richardson.
(We shall be glad to recommend all deceased associates
whose names are sent us to the prayers of our readers).
NOTICE
The PROMOTERS, MEMBERS, and BENEFACTORS of the
'^SOCIETY FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH^
are earnestly requested to remit their annual contribtstions before
December 3 J, J90S
The DIOCESAN DIRECTORS will please remit all receipts to
the General Director, the REV* J* FRERI, D*CL*, 627 LEXING-
TON AVENUE, NEW YORK, N- Y-, before January JO, J906;
on this d^e the account of receipts to be credited to the various
dioceses for the current year will be closed*
CONTENTS OF VOLUME LXVIII
Refobts of Receipts in 1904 109
Reports of Allocations made in 1905 279
The Societies of Catholic Mission abieb (Continued) 55
4. The Belgian Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mart
and the Seminary of Scheut-Lez-Brussels 56
5. The Society of African Missions of Lyons and its Missions,
BY THE Rev. E. Chautard, L. A. M 119
6. The Congregation of Lazarists and their Apostolate in Mis-
sionary Countries, by the Rev. A. Mhon, C. M 167
7. The Missions of the Society of Mary, by the Rev. B^. Aubry,
S. M 223
8. The Society of the Divine Word and its Missions 290
News of the Missions 37. 81, 201, 259
LdETTER OF THE BiSHOP OF GaLLOWAY (SCOTLAND) RECOMMENDING THE.
Society fob the Propagation of the Faith 311
Destination or Missionaries 38, 88, 206, 313
MISSIONS IN ASIA
Southern Manchuria — Letter of Father C. Monnier, P. F, M. — Mur-
der of a missionary of the Society of Foreign Missions of Paris. . 3
Upper Tongking. — Letter of Father Hue, P. F. M, — How a Christian
Settlement is established — Conversion of the Bonze of Phunghia. . 5
KuMBHAKONAM. — Letter of the Right Rev, Mgr. Bottero, P. F, if. — The
East and the West Ravaged. — Kumbhakonam Undisturbed. — The
Training of Catechlsts 66
Ceylon. — Letter of Father Aloys Kieger, 0. M. I. — From Genoa to
Ceylon. — In Colombo with Archbishop Melizan. — The College of
the Oblate Fathers. — First Efforts and Consolations 137
Thibet. — Letters of Bishop Oiraudeau, P. F. Jf. — ^Murder of Mission-
aries in Thibet 175, 302
Northern Manchuria. — Letter of Bishop Lalouyer, P. F. M. — Pastoral
Visit of the Province of Ghirin. — Progress of the Evangelization. . 176
Southern Tongking. — Letter of Father Belleville, P. F. M. — Wedding
at Mo-Vinh.— An Episode of the Persecution of 1885 236
MISSIONS IN AFRICA
Belgian Congo. — Letters of Father Sanden, B. F. M., and Father
Stock, B. F.M 18, 22
Gabon. — Letter of Rev. Fr. Mac6, C. 8. Sp. — The Missions of Lam-
baren6. — The Galoas and the Pahouins. — Slavery 74
SoMALiLAND. — Letters of Fathers Laiorence and Stephen, 0. M. Cap. —
Foundation of the Missions of Berbera. — Tribute to the English
Government. — Admirable examples of Christians 182
Upper Niger. — Letter of Father Zappa, L. A. M. — The Apostolate of
two Catechists 241
N. Victoria Nyanza. — Letter of Sister Mary Claver. — The Sleeping
Sickness 249
MISSIONS IN AMERICA
Saskatchewan. — Letter of Father Jullien, 0. M. 1 303
329
330 Contents of Volume LXVIII
MISSIONS IN OCEANICA
New Pomerania. — Letter of Bishop Coupp^., M. 8. C. — Two MissionarleB
Three Brothers, and Five Sisters Massacred in New Pomerania 30
The Marquesas Islands. — Letter of Father Or ens Saint-Criq, 8. H. Pic.
Touching Death of a Child.— How Our Lord Keeps His Promises. . 195
Gilbert Islands. — Letter of Bishop Leroy, M, 8. 0. — Blessing of the
Cathedral of the Sacred Heart at Butaritari 253
Contents of American Supplement
Editorials 39
Mission Notes and News. —
Father Corre'b Leper Mission, Japan 45
Ste. Marie's Mission, British Columbia 49
In the Steps of Damian. — ^Brother Serapion a Victim of Leprosy. 95
The Russo-Japanese War and the People of Japan. — By Father
Maeda, Japanese Priest 99
The Last Letter of Bishop Favier and Comparative Report of
THE Vicariate Apostolic of Pekin 143
An American Nun in the Heart of Africa. — Letter of Mother
Paul, O. S. F ^ 146
Need of Native Catechists and Nurses in Japan. — ^Letter or
Father Sauret, P. F. M 152
An Appeal for American Missionaries in China. — Letter of
Father Fraser, Missionary in Ning-Po 159
Irish Missionaries at the Upper Nile. — Letter of Bishop Han-
LON, E. F M 207
The Chinese Seminary of Canton. — Letter of Bishop Merel,
P. F. M 212
The Iceland Mission. — Letter of Father Servaes, Missionary.. 262
Recollections of the Persecutions of the Year 1900 in Central
Mongolia. (Pathetic 8tory of an Apostate Child.) — ^Letter.
OF Father Rutten, B. F. M 268
Colored Nuns in Africa. — Letter of Bishop Kunemann, C. S. Sp. . 273
In the Prison Camps of Japan. — Letter of the Rev. J. B. Cas-
tanier, p. F. M 315
Catholic Progress in India. — Letter of the Rev. J. M. Louis,
Missionary 320
Special Donations 53, 105, 164, 220, 276, 325
OBiruARY 54, 107, 165, 221, 277, 327
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been baptised; or, if they were, they live as if they never
had been. Here is our heathen world. Here b our mis-
sionary work. Why then send misaonaries into other
lands?* The answer is: If you wish to put out a fire you
have only to stifle it. Stifle the zeal of the Church, and
you extin{[uish it. Keep down the flame <yf the love of
God and of your neighbor, and it will soon die out. This
answer would be sufficient, but we have an ampler reply.
Our Divine Lord has promised *Give, and it shall be given
to you ' ; and, therefore, if I did not know how to find the
means even to build a school, I would not refuse alms to
send the Gospel to the heathen. Be assured that the
same Lord who is Almi|(hty is also generous. He is able
and willing to give us all we want. It is an axiom <yf faith,
that the Church was never yet made poor by ^ving its
last farthing for the salvation of souls.**
CARDINAL MANNING
on EcctoiiMtical S«bi«ctt
VoL L, p. 372
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