The Irish standard., 1897-10-30

treasured 1t in her memory. They might
had learned its meaning and had the
unlearned words concealed. In this
way, with infinite patience and labor,
the old woman learned by heart The
5000 words of the Chinese cateehism.
When | visited her again she knew 1t by
rote but did not understand its mean
ing. | WAS so impressed with her thirs,
for knowledge that | had her taken TO
the mission school. where. after a few
weeks of marvellous progress in under
standing, she died in the faith"
Father MacNeigh is professor of phil
osophy and theology IT the Pckin &C.
clcsiastical college, an institution with
an enrolment of over eighty students.
The scholars arc all native Chinese ani
none Of them arc adults. The Catholi,
church has missions all over the coun-
try. There are in the Chinese empire
more than two millions and Il halt uf
Catholics. and the number is constantly
increasing. At the college in pckn be-
tween 800 and 900 grown PERSONS arc
baptized each year. Tho rite is per.
formed only after they lavc served Il
probationary term Of siN months in the
schools: and even before that they must
have attended services and conducted
themselves in becoming manner.
Tho Chinese all acknowledge the on.
istcnce of Il supreme being. but their
The prevailing religions are Confucian-
ism, Toaism. a branch of Confucianism
with somewhat more advanced iuras,
and Buddhism. This last, of course,
came originally from India. Mission
aries have little trouble with the relig-
iouS powers, but sometimes the civic
heads try to make them trouble This
is all dong privately, as they would not
dare to attack them in the open. The
provinces or districts ore governed by
mandarins. or these officials practical
ly all are corrupt, and they fear that
| missionaries will expos" their cXtortion
great cause of their hatred for Chris
tians; another is found in their unwill-
ingncss to have their country opened
up for foreign settlement
Last Sunday evening Fr MacNeign
preached for an hour at the Church of
the Immaculate Conception to an audi
: cncc that filled the cnpncious cdiiicc to
| overlooking. lie is an animated speak
| or. full of frrvor. and /" evidently well
fitted to gain souls to Christ. He told
how the missionaries went among the
Chinese people and adopted their Gus
toms, costumes and modes of living in
order to instill the love of God into their
hchthen hearts. The apostles of love
have taken up the language and hnhits
dresses, and talking In the tongue OF .hc
natives. They smbsist on the bowl of
rice and cup of water which the IA
| tvcs live on. They 20 from village to
disciples Of old, and thcy travel from
ono village to another on dOnkcys ns
| did the Saviour, oftcntimrs travelling
| three days with scarcely anything to
eat or drink. The missionaries 1.-Two in
the rude mud huts, having few friends
| to invite them to cat with them or to
| help them in any way.
Father MmVcigh told of how the
| heather eagerly questioned ne mission
aries, and of tho interest shown in he
| doctrine of the CROSS among the COM
mon people. Those who have been con-
vcrtcd are sincere. says Fr MacVcigh,
and they will suffer anything in life
| rather than give up or rcnOuncc their
faith. They have been prosecuted as
| much as the missionaries themselves,
and their blood has been split as a
sacrifice for their faith In God. The
work of the missionaries Is oftcntimcs
slow and discouraging and It takes all
! their earnest faith to stand fast and on.
dnrc all things. The mandnrins of the
! Chinese people hate the missionaries,
and do not like their presence. They
assume an air OF pOlitcncss toward
them, however, send them sacks OF rice
and wish them success with their lips
while hatred is burning in their hearts.
He gave II thrilling account of the
mnrtyrdom of eight Sisters of Charity
| hy a hOwling mob. One of them was
Irish, while the rest wnrn French. In
closing his address Father MacVciyh
said cIoGncntly: What have We done
| in China? We invaded That empire of
| 0,OOO,OOO souls with 2O solitary mis-
sionarics, and when We commenced our
work there were less than 1000 Chris
| tians in that country. To-day we have
80 bishops there; GOO missionaries pros
ccELc the work innIglIlatcd by the orig
iraI 20; and In place OF the 1000 Chris
tian people we now have a Christian
| population in the Chinese empire of
two and onc-half million of souls. Tia, s
what we've done"
| Father MacVeigh is the guest of his
cousin, Mrs. John J. Rcgan, 1916 lIaw-
thorn avenue, and will remain in Min
ncapolis for some time. He is accom-