The Savannah morning news., 1902-08-14
MISSION OF SYRIANS
FIR. ANTHONY ASMAR TO ORGANIZE
ONE IN SAVANNAH.
BY PATRIARCH OF ANTIOCH
SENT TO MINISTER TO HIS PEOPLE
IN AMERICA.

Will Celebrate Mass mt the Cathe-
draI This Morning for the Syrian
Colony of savannah-The Mission
ary's Work Among His People in
This Country-Impressed with Sa-
vannnh and the South.
Very Rev. Anthony Asman. Maronite,
missionary from Syria, is in Savannah,
a guest at the Bishops house. His
mission is to look up all Syrians in the
United States who are of the Roman
Catholic faith, to organize them, as
far as possible, and to report to his
patriarch on his return to Syria. His
mission also is to effect a local or
ganization wherever priests of the
Maronite rite can be stationed. He
comes as a special missionary from the
Patriarch of Antioch and of all the
Orient, the Rt. Rev. Alias Kehouek.
The Maronite missionary arrived in
Savannah yesterday and began at once
his search for Syrians. During the
day he found nearly 100. He has just
been to Charleston, where he met many
of his countrymen, and succeeded in
accomplishing a good deal for them.
He was the guest of the Bishop of
South Carolina, who was so much i'm
pressed with his mission that he read
lily acquiesced in a proposition to build
a Syrian chapel in that state.
Came From the Orient.
Father Asmar arrived in this coun-
try about two months ago, after visit
ing Jerusalem. Lebanon, Beyrout,
Smyrna, Constantinople, Naples, Rome,
Marsailles and Paris. He has visited
New York, many Southern towns, in
Guiding Newberne, Charlotte, Belmont,
Columbia, Raleigh, Wilmington and
Charleston.
Father Asmar will celebrate mass at
the Cathedral this morning at o'clock
especially for the Syrian Catholics of
Savannah. On Sunday a special mass
will be celebrated for Syrians.
Father Asmar talked interestingly Of
his travels and his mission to a repre-
sentative of the Morning News last
night. Father Halpin acted as inter-
prefer, the conversation being held in
court language. He is favorably i'm
pressed with Savannah and said that
he hoped to accomplish much during
his stay here.
Your city," he said, us very
beautiful one. 1t is clearly and uulet.
The people appear serious, as though
giving much time to reflection. Their
manner of talking is very noticeable
to me after coming from the Oriental
cities where the people are given to
talking in a loud voice, almost
shrek. They are very generous, TOO
the American Syrians. l have re-
ceived large amount from them in
subscriptions to the movement which
| represent"
Recently From the Pope.
Father Asmar was in Jerusalem three
years. While at Rome he was grant
ed private audience with the Pope.
He said that he was very we'll and
affectionately received. He was sur
prised, he said, to see an old man so
vigorous both mentally and physically.
Speaking of his church, Father Asnlar
said:
The Syrian, or Maronite church is
the oldest church in the world The
Syrian, which is used in the Maronite
church as Latin is used in the Roman
Catholic church in this country, is the
same, with a few changes caused by
lapse Of time, as that spoken by
Christ. The Maronite church, founded
in the times of the apostles, has the
same rites as St. James, one of the
twelve apostles and Bishop of Jerusa-
lem instituted"
1T is remarkable that no heresy has
crept into the church. Because that
church was so faithful in the East,
where so many schisms and heresies
have abounded the Pope called the
Maronites the rose among thorns."
Father Asmar speaks four lam
guases, and though he can catch what
is being said in English, he has not
yet learned to talk the language with
any degree of accuracy. He said, how
ever that he considers English the
easiest of all the languages which he
had studied.
His Native Land.
When asked concerning his own
country, the Syrian's eyes sparkIed
and he told with animation of the
language, government, and occupa-
tons of the people.
Inc native tongue is the Arabian.
The richest men in Lebanon are the
SILK merchants: there is practically no
other industry there. At any rate
that is the most important. The low
classes till the soil to support the silk
worm. My country is mostly noun
famous. America 1 consider a. ter
rest1al paradise as far as scenery is
concerned"
Il wondered at the remarkable prog
ress OF this country in so short a. per-
lod OF existence. l am delighted with
the reception accorded me wherever l
go ana find the people very generous in
the matter of subscriptions l might
say here that they will be needed to
build the proposed Syrian Chapel in
South Carolina, and any who are in
cllned to subscribe to the work will
please send their subscriptions to the
Bishop of that state"
The public schools and the schools
generally in Syria are superior to those
in any other country in the East. In
Lebanon we have only the Catholic in
situations. 1 was educated at the COL
lege of the Archbishop of Cypress in
Lebanon. Mt. Lebanon" said FIR. Sa-
mar, lis but one nights journey from
Jerusalem by steamer, and but three
hours by rail-"
Father Asmar is about 81 years of
age He has the swarthy complexion
of the Syrian, a heavy black beard.
and bright black eyes. He is sanguine
over the prospects for extending the
movement which he represents. in the
South. He converses fiuently in
French, an added charm being given
TO his speech by his expressive gestures
and occasional shrug of the shoulders.
After his work in Savannah he Will
go to st. Augustine and other Florida
cities. 1t is his intention to travel
through all of the South Atlantic
states before returning to Syria, to re-
port on his mission.