The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1890-10-18
Il Ss sF ss5 "a fSakssssa
L lsS1l )NS in H.
Early work OF the Church A.
Ss the Hind os-
h. kA05 AAlAOOSs

Ssa Hts Fellow missionaries Nobin's Ptscul
g aar Plan to Accomplish the Great Gesod.
s Catholic missions have had to con
ssend in India with greater difhcas 7 ies
and obstacles than almost anysshere
elise. II We find in the earliest Chs ian
writers traditions that st. TIE mas
preached in India; on this point, the
testimony of st. Gregory Nazianzea,
i ST. jerome, Theodoret and others, is
quite clear, and the traces Of Christ
ianity found by the Porsugue7e con.
Arm the fact, and lead to the belief
that St. Thomas was killed by Brah-
min. After the .tlement of the Por-
tuguese in India, in the earlier part OF
the sixteenth century, whore they wore
first. and only missioners, Goa was
sracted into an archbishopric, with
several snffragan secs; but the progress
of Christianity was very slight till the
arrival of the great apostle OF
che Indies, St. Francis Xavier, one OF
she first associates of st. Iynatius. the
founder of the Society of Jesus. He
landed at Goa, May 6. 1912, and at once
devoted himself to the reformation OF
the nominal Christians whom he found
4hare wholly devoted to getting rioh,
esand neglected. Of the duties imposed
by their faith. St. Francis and hi.
ompanions then went to preach along
the coast of the fisheries on the south
weat extremity Of the Peninsula, on tae
Malabar and Travancore coasts, and al
most the whole nation was converted.
He maize an excursion into tho Madura
district, and on his return said the PEG
ole there were not yet fit for the king
dom of God.
t4E. The mission, of Madurs, which is in
the extreme south, of the peninsula,
was founded later by Robert del
Nobili, born in 1877, in Tuscany, OF
distinguished family, and nephew of
the O. lebrated Cardinal Bellarmine.
He entered among the Jesuits at
Naples, and, as soon as he had com
pleted his studies, offered himself to
prom ote the glory of God in India. tie
went there as a IN visionary in l6O3; Oh
reaching Goa was sent to the Malabar
coast, whence he proceeded into the
Kingdom Of Madura, where the King,
EN- ally Of the Portuguese, had allowed
4 Christian church to be built. Con
salve Fernandez, q most fervent and
Jealous missioner, had labored there
for fourteen years without making
single convert. The natives turned
oontemptuously away from the
Portuguese, because the latter ate
beef, drank wine, and com muni-
pated with the outcast pariahs. Del
t&Nohili discovered the obstacle and re-
solved ito become Hindoo to save
these Hindoos." He saw that the Brah-
Minis, the modest, most learned. and
most accomplished men in India, could
be successfully met and argued with
only by a Brahmin. For three years or
more he devoted himself in retirement
tohis silent work of acquiring In secret
" II t. 4 dialects Of Tamil and Telegu and
the language and literature of Sanskrlt
and the Vedas. After this ordeal OF
study and preparation was over, he, by
aermission of his superiors, presented
himself to the Brahmins, declar-
ing that he was not Portnges,
but Roman Rajah, or noble, and d
Suniassi--that is, penltens VINO mas
nents. He publicly appeared bearing
.he exclusive frontal mark, and ar
rayed in their costumes, conslrting OF
long robe Of yellowish cotton, covered
with surplice of the same; a, white or
ssd vail on his shoulders, cylindrical
Rap ON his head, and on his feet wooden
soles, resting on props TWO inches hlgh
md held on by ply passing between
She great toe and the next. 10 THIS he
added cord, the distinctive mark OF
the Brahmin and Rajah castles. his
differing from theirs, which consisted
pf three threads, by having three OF
gold and two of silver and supporting 4
,ross He explained to them that
4he golden threads denoted thu
three persons of the Blessed Trim
;ty, the silver ones the body
and soul of the adorable human nature
Of Christ. and the CT oss His passion and
death His sole food was milk, rice,
herbs and water once in the day, and
/ he observed the complicated require.
nents of the Brahmin caste. He separ-
sasted himself from Gonzales and built .
Srhureh aud a house in the Brahmil
quarter of the city, where he buried
himself in prayer and solitude, 1H's syel
quitting his house. and allowing
visits with great difficulty. Visitors,
when admission was at length OBJ
tanned, saw the father seated cross
legged, in Indian fashion, on dais,
swo feet high, covered with red cloth.
and with - carpet and fine mat before
aim. All saluted him by raising their
joined hands above their heads
and bowling them to the ground;
even the noblest did this, and thos.
who wished to become his disciples re-
peated it three times and then went
and stood behind him. His very ex-
kensive Tearing, the purity and per-.
feotion with which he spoke Tamil,
and his extensive acquaintance with
Sanskrit poetry and literature de-
lighted every one, and his tame sprs ad
widely. The King wished to see him,
but as then he did not think it yet
time to appear in public, the reply was