The Savannah morning news., 1902-09-06
STATE OF THE CHURCH
TO BE FATHER HALPIN'S STUDY IN
THE PHILIPPINES.
LETTERS TO NEWSPAPERS
WILL CONTAIN RESULTS OF HIS IN
VESTIGATIoNS.

Condition of Church Prime Object o.
Trip But other Matters of Interest
VIII Also Receive His Attention.
Six Months to Be Spent in Philip
pines Then n Similar Work Under
taken in Sandwich Islands, Porto
Rico and Cuba-Father HalPin,
Back Yesterday From New York,
Says Project Has Approval of
Archbishop Farley.
Rev. Father P. A. Halpin of the
Parish of the Cathedral of St. John
the Baptist, returned to Savannah
from New York yesterday, on the City
OF Memphis, after completing his plans
for his trip to the Philippines.
Father Halpin will leave for his new
field of labor sometime between Sept
Is and 20, sailing from Vancouver for
the Orient Oct. 6. He will go via Hon
olulu and expects to reach Manila, his
headquarters while in the Philippines.
about a month or five weeks after sail
ing.
Father Halpin's plans are to spend
the next six months in the Philippines
Tor the purpose of studying the con-
ditions of the Roman Catholic Church
there. The result of his observations
will be embodied in letters which he
will write weekly to one of the New
York papers. Possibly this letter will
be syndicated.
viii Visit Sandwich Islands.
Besides his expenses Father Halpin
will receive a handsome salary and
his contract further calls for a similar
work to be done in the Sandwich ISL
ands, Porto Rico and Cuba, these to
be taken up in the order named after
the Philippines. There will be no in
Permission between the conclusion of
the service in Manila and the begin
ming of that in the Sandwich Islands
and, in turn, the other islands as well,
and as some two months or so will be
needed in each of these it will be near
ly, If not quite a year, before Father
Halpin returns to this country. His
plans at the expiration of his contract,
are unsettled, but as he is fond of Sa-
vannah, it is not impossible that he
may return here. At any rate he
will pay it visit.
Not Going as Envoy.
In discussing the matter yesterday
Father Halpin said that, though his
project has the hearty approval of
Archbishop Farley of the Archdiocese
of New York, because of the value that
will accrue to the church thrugh a
complete understanding of the condi-
tons that obtain in the Philippines
and the other islands, yet he will not
go as an envoy in any sense of the
word. His letters will be made Up
| purely of the facts that he shall OBJ
tain, and will not contain any opin-
| ions or suggestions. In fact, though
the condition of the church in it's vari-
| Gus relations is the prime object of his
| visit, the letters will be purely news
| letters dealing with any and all mat
| tiers of interest.
Well Equipped for Trip.
Although Father Halpin has never
visited the Philippines he knows some
| thing of the conditions there. He mas
an excellent knowledge of the German,
French and Spanish languages which
| will be of invaluable assistance to him,
| while he is assured of every courtesy
| on the part of the American govern
ment and military officials by means
of letters of Introduction. Among the
| officials to whom he has letters are
| Judge Taft, civil governor of the ISL
| ands, and Gen. Davis. These letters
were furnished by Hon. Clarence Ed
wards of the Insular Bureau Wash
| ington. Another letter will be taken
! from Hon. Mr.. Squiers, minister to
| Cuba. Both Mr.. Edwards and Mr..
Squiers are close personal friends of
| Father IJaIpin