The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1890-09-06

tion, or, to speak more correctly, these
ports were the abiding places Of a
goodlv number Of Western Islanders
for our New England Portuguese gem
orally halls from the Azores-and the
same statement might be made Of Fox
Point, in Providence, whittier the ship.
ing and the steamers that come up
along the river: attracted these Portu
guese sailors. Long before the erection
Of Providence into q separate see,
Archbishop Williams sought to provide
for the spiritual needs of these people
in New Bedford and along the cape,
and ne managed to secure a Portuguese
priest, and being attached to st. Law
rence's church in that city, held services
there every Sunday for the Portuguese,
and responded to all calls for the min-
istrations, Whenever they were needed
elsewhere. When DR.. Hendricken sue
ceeded to the care Of this district he
early undertook to provide for the
wants of this constantly increasing
Portuguese population, and hit. first
step was to send one # his seminarians
to Portugal, IN order that be might be-
come thoroughly cony ersant in the
language Of that country, On the re-
turn of this seminarlan, after his ordi-
nation to the priesthood, the bishop
assigned him to Provinceto where
he labored with zeal and success for a
number of years, and suhseQ uently
Yielded his arduous mission to another
priest, educated. like himself, in Por-
tugal, who still mas charge of the parish,
and is accomplishing great good there.
Like all other people. however, these
Portuguese Catholics naturally prefer q
priest of their own nationality to all
others and DR.. Hendricken, who knew
and respected that preference on their
part, endeaYored TO secure such priests
for them. The result Of his labors III
that direction was the coming to New
Bedford Of Rev. Coma de Silva Nivez,
who was given charge Of st. John the
Baptist's Church, in that city, an edidce
that is used solely by the Portuguese
Catholics, who form quite a good CON.
gregation now, and require the services
of two priests, Father Nivez' curate
being another Western Islander, Rev.
Camille Martens, who has been station
ed in New Bedford some years now.
Both these clergymen are always ready
to attend any call for their services
made bv their countrymen in Bristol
and Barnstable counties and those other
portions of Massachusetts subject TO the
authority of the Providence diocesan,
and it is no uncommon occurrence Tor
them to find themselves summoned to
other places to minister to the spiritual
needs of some Portuguese family. Up
to the present time these New Bedford
priests have had charge Of the Por-
tugueso people of Fall River, in which
city there is quite a Western Island
colony, and where Portuguese church,
the Holy Name, is being built for their
accommodation. Hereafter they will
be relieved OF the management 3f this
church, as Bishop Harkins has lately
had an addition made to his Portuguese
clergy, in the person Of Rev. Manoel G..
da Terra, and he has assigned that
to tue Fall River church, Of
which he will take charge in few days
now.
After the mission preached several
years ago to the Portuguese Catholics
Of Fox Point, Providence. by che late
Father Hughes, the Western islanders
Of that locality met every SUNDAY after
noon in st. Joseph's church on Hope
street and held services in their own
language. 1t was not until several
years subsequently, however. that they
secured priest Of their nationality as q
pastor and set about the formation Of i
parish and the acquisition OF a church.
The coming to Providence Of Rev. a NJ.
Serpa, who is an uncle Of che pastor Of.
St. John the Baptist's, Boston, gave
them the Spiritual leader they wanted,
and they selected church by purchas-
ing from the Baptists an edifice for
which INSTRUMENTATION had no further
1se.. This building was remodelled and
to q more convenient site, and
Il is now known as the Church Of the
1nlu Rnaorv nna nf tt1n aiYEAan Cath