Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1871-12-07

THE Mission TO THE Mp. BLACKS
From the London correspondent of the
World, we learn, that the four missionaries
who are en- route for Maryland to labor for
the mental and moral elevation of the black
race in our midst, are Fathers Bowling.
Gore. Noonan and Vigneront. The World
correspondent speaks of these Rev. Faith
ers as priests of high culture. great learn
ing and personal refinement" and he goes
on to say. that they are of ''the metal out
of which martyrs and saints are made"
They are to be the vanguard" the wri-
ter continues. "of body OF Roman Cath
Ole priests who have received from the
propaganda at Rome the special and ex-
elusive mission Of converting to the Ro-
man Catholic faith the whole black pcpu-
lat;on of the United Statcs-who have
bound themselves bv solemn and irrcvo-
cable VOW to make themselves until death
the fathers and servants of the blacks
who will be followed ere long by forty 9TH
er priests who arc now preparing them
selves for the same work. and who have
already been given. by the Archbishop Of
Baltimore. house and grounds for the
headquarters ofthe mission. Great streams
from little fountains flow /; large oaks from
little acorns grow we are admonished by
igh authority. not to despise the day of
small things. The four priests who sail
to-day will soon be followed by forty the
forty perhaps ere long will be reinforced
BY four hundred, and the four hundred
may finally be swellcd to four thousand.
Every one knows that when the Roman
Catholic Church once gets fOothold any
where she never loses it: and those who
have studied the matter also know that
the peculiar machinery with which that
church works enables her 10 accomplish
very great works with very small expen-
6iture Of money. The four missionaries.
for instance, who will som begin their
work in Maryland, take with them Meth
err wives nor children, and scarcely two
coats 1t went cost much to keep them
their wants will be Of the fewcst and
the simplest. and. without exaggeration.
they will have nothing to do or think Of
but the work in which they will engage
If there are those in America who are un-
willing to look forward TO the prospect OF
seeing the black population converted to
Catholicism within the next quarter OF a
century, | warn them that they must be
up and doing. For Rome has made up
her mind TO win the FIVE millions of Amer
lean blacks to herself: and | should not
be surprised at her success"
In his address to the four missionaries on
the occasion of their departure from Eng
land, Archbishop Manning, according to
the World correspondent. spoke as follows.
More than thousand years ago, an
English monk, St. Bonitace, had gone
forth from his cloister and made himself
the apostle of Germany: bat the present
was the first occasion upon which the Ro-
man Catholic Church in England has sent
out an organized foreign mission. 1t was
most appropriately the first, because it was
n special mission to five millions of blacks
in the United States. who had been bu,
short time ago released from the yoke of
slavery which England had imposed on
their forefathc7s. OF all the nations on
the earth England had been the most
guilty in regard to slavery. and it was
most fitting that the repsraticn to the now
liberated slaves should proceed from Eng
land. The Missionary College ofSt. Joseph
had been founded no; for the education Of
priests for ordinary work. but for tue spe-
cial work of conducting a mission to Amer
lea. This was an exceptional work-for
in the heart Of Christian nation there
were to-day Eve millions of people with
on, pastors and without instruction. This
was a mission to a people who were in
decd within the warmth Of civilization.
but .; the same time Left out in the cold