The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-09-21
A Decade of Mission
Work.
PORTUGUESE PROTESTANTS
Ceremonies Which Wers Attended
by Many Friends of the
Cause.-The Addresses.

Ten years ago yesterday the first
Portuguese Protestant missionaries ar
rived in Honolulu and last evening the
event was celebrated with pleasing
ceremonies at the Portuguese Church
on the corner of PunchbowI and Miller
streets,
Besides the large congregation Of the I
church there were present numbers OF
others, leading members of the prom
inent churches of the city who have
ftuguese mission. The church had, been
| handsomely decorated with flowers and
vines, all the chandeliers being hung
with MALE and the platform and choir
strung with 1t, while palms had been
placed about the platform also. 2
The services began with the Doxolo-
gy sung in Portuguese by the choir and
the congregation and the opening pray<.
er was given by the Rev. Serene z.
Bishop. He asked the blessing of che
Almighty upon the members of the
congregation and gave thanks for the
success of the mission and for its con-
| tinued prosperity during the ten years
of its life and work among the Por-
tuguese people.
| A hymn in Portuguese Els os mil
i hoes que EN- treyas tao nedonhas" was
sung, and Rev. Leadingham read the
103rd Psalm in English. A chorus of
pretty little Portuguese girls. who sat.
all in white, in the choir, rendered
fsBeet religious song. and Rev. E. G.
lSilva gave Scripture reading in Por-
tuguese..
Mr.. j. B. Atherton then gave brief
history of the founding of the mission
and it's early days. He said that the
idea of taking up work among the Por-
tuguese people was first suggested by
Miss Eunice d. Knight. In June, 1887,
she first spoke of desiring to do some
thing for the advancement and religi-
Gus culture of that people. She sug-
gested particularly that work begin
among the little Portuguese children
: who were for the most part running
t wild about the streets. She found great
: need of missionary labor among them,
) for they were not attending any Sun
2 day Schools and were receiving no re-
), ligious instruction as far as she was
t able to learn. With Messrs. Basque
5 VILE and Martin to assist her a Sun
day School was founded with Mr.. Con-
salves as interpreter. A little native
chapel was secured and the first meet
ing was held with about thirty-nine
Ipresent. In a short time this number
j increased to over ninety. There were
Y some losses through the taking up of
work among the Portuguese by the
Catholics. Later B. F. Dillingham; be-
came interested and for several years
he was the superintendent of the Sun
day School. He was assisted by Frank
Cooke. In September of 1890 the first
missionaries arrived from Springfield.
4 H.. Rev. and Mrs. Soares and Rev. Mr..
Prizes, and the first meetings were held
at the Armory at Beretania and Punch
n bowl streets. Since then the work had
e progressed steadily until now the mis-
v sion had a fine church and an excellent
j. membership.
After another song by the chorus of
= little girls Rev. A. V. Soares, the pastor
: of the church, gave an address in Por-
Z tuguese of some length. Concluding he
y turned to the English-speaking portion
: of the congregation which had been
/ seated in an alcove at the side, and
: speaking in English, expressed his
pleasure at seeing them in attendance
: and his gratitude to many of them for
Tie MOEh Aildl lnSN Hdu ocl1t AOi tic
church. He spoke Of the difference
e which the mission had wrought among
Il the Portuguese people themselves A
IL few years ago the most of their child
g rem were growing up in ignorance of
Christianity and STEPPED in supersti-
g tion.
g "Our hearts are full Of gratitude for
W the work that has been done among the
n Portuguese people of this city By this
'e mission he said. ''The seed which has
been sown here will bring forth good
IL fruit in future years. The outlook for
J the mission is most hopeful. II has al
,e ready done great work and it is des-
IT tined to do more as the years go by
% If the next ten years result as wei
n for the cause of Christ as the last ter
d years have done we may congratulate
/ ourselves on accomplishing a grea'
work With our three school rooms
and our kindergarten we are daily do
ing good work and this will go or
through the years"
a A solo,. God That Madest Earth and
Heaven" was sung by Miss Hyde. and
ee a number of short addresses in Por'
u tuguese and English followed.
as Rev. r. K. Baptiste of Hilo described
ne very briefly how the work begun IN Ho
ye nolulu among the Portuguese had beer
of carried on at Paia, Maui. at Kohala
!, Hawaii and at Hiio. He said that thess