Daily Republican., 1889-10-19
In the rn,ers., of tho colored Race.

| The arrival OF Father de Ruyter, tho
Josephite missi mary TO the colored peo-
pie, has diverted considerable attention
10 this people, somewhat neglected In the
past. This state OF Affairs has existed
principally In this country, owing TO its
large and pressing needs. This 10 pre-
eminently missionary land, where the
harvest Is great indeed, but where the
missionaries, great as II the number, are
few In comparison 10 the harvest TO BIZ
gathered. There 10 not n diocese IN tho
United States that Is not In need Of
priests, and In many di0ceses this need ID
very great. II was owing to this that the
colofed people were not better care fo--
It was simply imp 'ssible to provide them
with priests, and churches, and funerals
And not because the church did not re-
gard them with solcitude.
| Wherever IN this country Individual
priests could do anything for the colorcd
people living within their Jurisdiction
such assistance was invariably given, but
obviously there could have been no con-
certed action, and consequently not many
cOlored parishes were erected. In their
parent country, Africa, the church num-
bers Thousands OF her most devoted
children. There are In Africa to day 8
colored bishops, and 1900 eolored priests
laboring zeAlously among their fellow
men, whose lives in many cases arc re-
5uke TO thousands Of p,ler complexion,
and scarcely had the first ship load OF
slaves sailed up the James River In 1914
than generous missionaries left their
native lands to labor among them. These
men were often hampered In their work
by paucity OF means as well as by tho
greed and prejudice of the slave holders,
but their tender sollcitude never lost sight
OF the poor negro.
Accordingly, we find such noble, self
sacrificing men as sanity Peter Claver
aud his companions Of the society of
Jesus coming TO this continent in the
early part Of the seventeenth century to
work among the colored slaves. This
great mans proudast title was that he
was called the slave of the negroes. The
Spanish bnd French missionaries, as We
learn from Robinson the historian, con.
secrated their best labors TO the colored
mission, and In doing 90, often drew
upon their devoted heads the ill.will OF
their sovereigne. But the church knows
no race or color. The language of Pente.
cost was universal language, under
stood by representatives OF all tongues
and color. This IL the spirit of those
generous men, who labor for their fell
low-men under circumstance, humanity
speaking, very discouraging and least at
tractive. This 10 the spirit that prompt.
ed the nobly born Francis Kavlr to go 10
India, Peter Claver to South America,
and In our own time, Father Dameln and
Conrardy to the leper settlement at Mo-
lokai.
In antl-be!lum days the slaves OF
Catholic masters were we'll cared for, rs
we know from tho labors OF the Jesuit
Fathers In Maryland AMI Kentucky,
Now that the church Is able 10 send
specially adapted men among the colored
people, the labors of the great apos ties Of
the past will be omulated aud remain In
our midst.
This great desideratum the Josophite
Fathers are organized TO meet, and there.
fore we welcome Father de Ruyter to
our city and can bespeak for him cordial
reception amu-g race 10 which he has
vowed his exclusive services.
The reverend father VIII preach to-
morrow morning in the Church OF the
Sacred Heart, at 10 O'Clock service, aud
tomorrow evening at 81. Paul's, where
the whole north aisle will be reserved for
the colored people.
Father dc Ruyter wishes to introduce
this great movement to the city, and to
show tho good success that has attended
the missions for the colored people else
where.