Washington sentinel., 1900-02-03
Catholics In TTRnsYaal.
From the Irish Koyla,

VIII Ef@~ - 'N'E ~ ~ -'N'
The Etat General du Personnel de Ia
Congregation des Missionaries Obates
de Marie Immaculee ofthis year contains
the following religious statistics. The
Vicarate OF the Cransvaal has for its
chief director the Very Rev. Father
John Mary de Lacy, O.MI, superior,
and pro vicar, who reside at Johannes
burg, together with the following priests
Of the order; Rev, Fathers Isidore
Tresch, Etienne Hammer, Lou, Francis
Rousseau, and Leon Marchal Their
address is Mason de Johannesburg,
o Box AGO. At Pretoria reside Very
Rev. Superior Alexandra RaudrY, Very
Rev. Giles Van Laar, Alexandr, Proc
uratoT. with Rev. Messrs. Leopold
Trabaud and Alphonso Van Hecke.
Their address is Mason de Pretoria. P
O Box s74, At PotchestroOm are
stationed Very Rev. Charles Antoine
Serriere, director, and Rev. Eugene
Laurent. Their address IS Residence
de Potchefstroom, P o Box I36. At
LyGenburg is stationed Very Rev. los.
Dupays, director, and his address is
Lydenburg r. c. Mission. At Vleesch.
fontein are stationed Very Rev. Eugene
Neel, director, and Rev, Messrs. Caslmir
Paul Valette and Joseph Leon Kriss.
Their address is Vleeschionteiu, Dist,
Rustenburg. OF course, Transvaal,
South Africa, is added IN each particular
case. From the names it may be inferred
the priests are chiefly Dutch, German or
French, though the very first on the list
is that Of Very Rev. Father de Lacy, an
Irishman Father de Lacy has many
Irish priests with him whose names are
hidden IN religion, as Is the rule gener.
ally in religious orders. The numbers
OF the Catholics in the Transvaal are
roughly estimated to reach from 900
to 10000, for the most part engaged in
mining business or mechanical pursuits.
The greatest numbers were centered at
johannesburg, and with hardly an
exception preserved their fealty to the
Transvaal Republic, for which the
fighting men are now in camp. There
are only few scattered settlers, except
the Dutch element, on farms. and these
are visited at stated times by the Oblate
Fathers, who have charge Of the entire
State. The Ilustrious President Kruger
Is on the most friendly terms with the
Catholic missionaries, and especially
with those residing in Pretoria.
Like the Transvaal, the Orange Free
State is a missionary country, and
altogether under the religious charge Of
the Oblate Fathers. I he chief station
is at the Capital, Bloemfontein, where
reside Very Rev. Father Victor lean
Felix CUTLER and Victor Hechti address,
Maison de Bloemfontein, o +. S, South
Africa. This mission was established
February S, 1870, Next in point Of timess
at Iagersfontein, lives Very Rev.
Alloy sius Cretinon; address, Residence
de Isgersfontein, o. +. s., South Africa,
The mission here was established in
1891. Another station IS that Of Harri-
smith, where Very Rev. Father Andre
Tresch resides, aud this mission was
founded so late as December, 1895;
address, Residence de Harrismlth, o. F.
S, s, A. The Catholics are not over
100 in the Orange Free State, as
compared with about toO. 600 Of the
other denominations and they are very
much scattered throughout the country,
The system Of education IS national, but
small grants are also made to the
Episcopalian and Catholic churches,
The Independence Of the Orange Free
State was proclaimed on April 10, 1884.
The legislative assembly is vested IN a
popular assembly, the Volksraad, OF
sixty members, elected by suffrage OF the