Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1871-12-21
CATHOEI ism.
= = : y II :, ? = ~. = -
A .Sctsnas to Conrert to THIS Faith, the South
ern Colered population, is

set on foot
An article in the Chicago Tribune COP
led from the London Morning Post, gives
an account of a movement upon the par,
OF the Catholic Church, in England, t,
convert the negro popu atiun Of. thu
south to its faith. Should this plan mee
with the success it promises, lit might
materially change the political and eccles
iastical aspect of America. Asysss
"Yesterlay afternoon the Foreign Mis-
sion College of st. Joseph, at Mill Hill
Middelsex, was the scene of highly in
teresting ecclesiastical ceremony, such a.
has never before been witnessed in The
country. The priests, Rev. G. Downing
j. Go-e, J. Nonan, and G.. Vigneront
who sailed tf :. lay for Maryland to devote
their lives to convert anl promote the
spiritual welfare of the negro population
of the United States They are the frs
missionaries who have left the college
only established Il few years ago. anG
they will be acco 4 ,anied to America b,
the Very Rev. Or. Vaughan, President
and founder of the college cha;el, VII eli
was inc0nveniently crowded. Archbishop
Manning Was the preaching prelate, and
delivered the address, in the course oi
which he remarked that as long as Eng
land was Catholic she had no colonies
and sent oat no missions, whereas. afeI
she left the unity of the faith she acauir-
ed vast colonial dominions. The prcsen;
was the first Catholic foreign mission
ever dispatched from the shores OF Eng
land, and it was most appropriately Ii
hrst, because it was a special mission to
i've millions of negroe; in the United
States, who, short time ago, we're re
leased from the bonds of slavery, which
England had imposed on their forefath
ers England had been the most guilty
VI all nations in regard to slavery, and
therefore, 1t was fitting that the rcpara
ton to the negroes should proceed from
England. The missionaries. atterwai d
kneeling in front of the altar, severaly
took VOW 10 undertake no other work
than The conversion of negroes, and the
salvation Of their souls. The Archbi, h.
op, then knoeling, embraced the feet OF
each one OF the missionaries. Then ris
ing, he exchanged with each the kiss OF
peace. Atterward all the clergy present
next the students of the college and final
ly the male portion of the laity went
through this ceremony, which was sol
emn and impressive !, The ceremonies
We're closed by the Benetfictionh. Of the
Blessed Sacrament In this city "promin
ent priests who have been interviewed to
day respecting their knowledge of the
movement and prosecution of the extra
or !lnary work, say that it is not, by any
means new idea. Four years ago. at a
meeting of the Bishops in Baltimore. il
was strongly rec )mended that some az
ton should be taken to relieve the spiri;
ual deotl,l'ion OF the freedmen. but the
Bishops We're too poor to undertake, the
work, and the schem. fell 10 the gronn /.
An arrangem mt was entered into be.
tween Archbishop Spaulding and Arch
bishop Manning at the E.In.nit.,
Council, the former Undertaking to Or,
vide house and grounds for the mis-
sionarieS, and the latter to furnish priests
and money. The Catholic clerrv. of
course, sympathize with the effort. but,
certain sense, the missionaries in ibeil
sphere OF Labor will o. illsl.aI.t visa
the exception Of the obeelieuce, Is priests.
they owe to their spiritual superior. Ii
originated with the Archbishop, but il
was necessary before any steps should be
taken to obtain the sanction of the Pope
which he willingly granted. 1t is an
English movement. The Church has
enough TO do il hi; County without ia
derjaking 4 work of suc1 magnitude. and
as English Catholics are piJls AMI
wealthy, We are willing to IL; tile.n Dcar
the expense. WhlteTtr all w4cta0slec
Wise render, ci colrse vii. BE- Willingly
gwen. y religions order viii 81 es.ab
llshed with Baltimore as its hea,lau1rterS
and branches in Southern States. and j.,
addition IA siSterhood will be formed to
Cooperate with the priests in various
ways Dir. Vaughn takes a prominent
part III the work. 1t is under its super
vision. fhs missionaries will come out
anu he will accompany them to thesif DIES
tina,ion.
The following explanatory letter of Dr.
Vaughn is taken from tie LONDON Tablet,
organ OF the Catholic Church in Eng
land:
To tie members Of St. JosepR's Socict,f fol
Forsign Missions
| have the hap, )iness to inform vou that
we have received mission to the negroes
OF North America, together with special
blessing for its success from the Soy.
erelgn Pontiff, and that this has been com.
munlcated to us through the sacted con
gregation de propaganda .Jiae 1t is well
known that for many years the Holy See
has been anxious to provide for the col
ored population of America, among VIII ON
the blessed Peter Claver wrought such
wonders, and was truly the first apostle
The seal of the American Bishop to co
operate as fully as they would with the
designs ofthe Holy See has been restrained
only by the paucity of priests. The prior
claims OF the whole population, arid diff.
hculties of various sorts. Nothing can
be imagined more deplorable than the re-
ligious and moral condition of the negroes
speaking fthc great mass ofthem, thaugh
a nucleus of good Catholics is to be found
among them, and some thousands of
nominal Catholics, though witheat in
struction: 1t is literally a mission to the
uubaDtiZed and To the h9nt hon th.,t ~.