The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1897-10-30


treasured 1t in her memory. They might
tear the single word from her, but she
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 catcchism.
When | visited her again she knew 1t by
rote, but did not understand it's mean
ing. WAS so impressed with her thirst
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 MacVcigh is professor of phil
osophy and theology NJ the Pckin CO.
clesiastral college, an institution with
| an enrolment of over eighty students
The scholars are all native Chinese ana
none of them are adults. The Catholic
church has missions all over the coun-
try. There are in the Chinese empire
more than two millions and Il half of
Catholics. and the number is constantly
tween 800 and 600 grown persons are
baptized each year. Tho rite is ucr.
formed only after they have served Il
| probationary term OF six months in the
have attended services and conducted
| themselves In Il becoming manner.
The Chinese all acknowledge the On"
| istcrcc of Il supreme being but their
i religions admit of the plurality Of gods.
| The prevailing religions are Confucian-
| ism. Toaism, a branch of Confuclanism
with somewhat more advanced ideas.
and Buddhism. This last. of course,
came originally from India. Mission-
aries have little trouble with the rclig-
| 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 are governed by
mandarins. or these officials practical
ly all are corrupt. and they fear that
missionaries will expos" their cXtortion
from the lower classes. This is the ono
great cause of their hatred for Chris
tians; another is found in their unwill-
ingness to have their country opened
up for foreign settlement
Last Sunday evening l'r. MacNeipn
preached for mn hour at the Church of
| the Immaculate Conception to an audi
! apIlap tInf Jn1 a.
| Overlooking. lie Is an animated speak
| CT. full of fcrvor. and is evidently well
| fitted to gain souls to Christ. lie 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
| heather hearts. The apostles of love
have taken up the language and habits
of the Chinese wearing queues Chinese
| dresses. and talking in the tongue OF .hc
natives. They subsist on the bowl of
| rice and cup of water which the r;-
tivcs live on. They 20 from village to
village, and from hut to hut, as did the
| disciples of old, and they travel from
ono village to another on dOnkcys as
| did tho Saviour, oftcnlimrs travelling
| TIN &c days with scarcely anything to
cat or drink. The missionaries live in
the rude mud huts, having few friends
| to invite them to cat with them or to
| help them In any way.
Father MacVcigh told of how the
heather eagerly questioned :nr 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. MncVcigh,
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 1t 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 Il thrilling account of the
martyrdOm of eight Sisters of Charity
| ny a bowling mob. One of them was
Irish, while the rest were French. In
closing his address Father MacVciyh
said cloqucnty: what have we done
| in China? We invaded that empire of
| 400, 100000 souls with 60 solitary mis-
| siOnarics, and when We commenced our
work there were less than 1000 Chris
tians in that country. To-day we have
30 bishops there; 600 missionaries pros
crltc the work innlIguratcd BY tho 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 That's
what we've done"
Father MacVeigh is the guest of his
cousin, Mrs. John J. Rcgan, 1916 IIaw-
thorn avenue, and will remain in Min
ncapolis for some time. He is accom-
| t,,,1 IT..