The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-05-27
MISSIONS IN MEXICO.
what the Catholic Church has Done
for the Spiritual Welfare OF that
PeODle.

for the Spiritual Welfare of tina
People.
Editor Press and Bapner:
In lust weeks issue Of your pape
there was an article headed "Foreigl
Missions,n in which the Catholic re
Iigion and the Catholics of MeXic
were attacked in very unfair and un
charitable manner. Being membe
of that faith, may / be permitted
to enter q protest against the articl
and present some facts to show hov
misleading such statements are?
There seems to he an impression
abroad in this land Of ours that th'
MeXicans have no one to look afte
their spiritual welfare; that the Mex
lean clergy are STEPPED in vice an,
crime, and neglect the people.
know no better way of refutint
these oft-repeated charges, in such s
necessarily limited space, than by
quoting from the testimony of fair
minded Protestant gentleman who
has lived in Mexico many years, anC
speaks from personal knowledge. Mr.
w. F. Guernsey, the Mexican CORE
spondent of the Boston Herald is the
gentlemen referred to, and the letter tc
be quoted from, and which was print
ed in that paper less than four years
ago, is as applicable to the situation
now as then. This wrirer would wish
that it were possible to quote the letter
in full, but as it is qnite lengthy, [ will
have to be content with extracts.
Mr.. Guernsey's reasons for writ
ing the letter to his paper, as given by
himself, are as follows: Several read.
ers of the Boston Herald have sent me
the following extract from letter
printed in paper which is published
10 one of Boston's most attractive sub
urbs "Many are living together as
man and wife in Mexico because the
priestly marriage fee is so high, and
for the same reason many of the poor
people are buried without religious SER
vices. Civil marriage is now provided
for by law, but it and those who avail
themselves Of it are denounced by the
mercenary priests"
Here are the same old charges. Let
Mr.. Guernsey answer from personal
acknowledgement hearsay: mot hav.
ing taken brief for the Cath
olic Church in Mexico, 1 hardly know
what TO say in reply to the implied
questions of the readers Of the Herald.
All one can speak of with authority is
that which passes under his personal
notice, and L frankly assert that the
Catholic clergy, whom have the hon.
or to know, are devout and earnest, ut
terly incapable of a base action, as
Jealous as the best protestant pastors
in Boston, or any New England town.
II have heard of lazy, and careless,
and even greedy priests, but in some
what extended acquaintance with this
country, both here in the capital and
throughout the interior, / have had
only the good fortune to see priests of
noble and devoted lives, doing their
best to minister to their humble fiOcks.
The other day / had occasion
to 60 to an ancient church in the heart
of this city, venerable edifice, recent
ly piously restored by wealthy Span
lard. l found the three priests who
lodge in rooms there living in real
povesty, their bed frames of planks on
which few coarse blankets did duty
for mattresses and coverings as well.
Their breakfast consisted of dry bread
and chocolate, their suppers of the
he same, and their dinners infrequent.
Iy of meat, but usually of soup. rice
and stew, with tiny cup OF coffee
to finish off with.
"I know personally of the habits OF
these excellent and Jealous men, for
during several years | lived in large
old-fashioned mansion, lack of the
church. Other priests at the
same church lived like poor men,
church mice, I used to call them.
But they were ready to give of what
little they had to the poor Of their par
II call to mind, now that the Cath
olic clergy of Mexico are depicted as
greedy and luxurious men, some sub
urban clergymen hereabouts, frugal
livers, never properly fed, their homes
most plainly furnished, indeed scant-
lily, and not fit for men of culture,
such as they. :.
"One clergyman, young Spanish
priest, short, thin and phenomenally
active, has ten little chapels to look af-
ter; in five years he has been unable
TO get enough money together to buy
himself a horse, and has to depend on
all sorts and conditions of nags thai
are lent him for his parish work.
A most sensible, earnest and noble
young priest whom it is an honor to
know, he goes as do the clergy gener.
ally, to the homes of people sick with
infectious diseases; he is ready to an
swer calls for his spiritual services at
any time of night. Another young
priest, a sample of the lot, is minister,
ing to the people of small town /
know very well. He has been several
times sent on missions to the State OF
Guerrero, to point notoriously mias'
matte, and came back finally shattered
in health, but after a rest asked to be
sent back to labor among the poor anC
savage Indians.
And he is one of band of young
priests who visit not rich mems houses
who fare plainly, and who in times o
scarcity deny themselves meat fo
months to give their ration to the hun
cry poor. This I know.
I'm large suburb there is band o
Passionist Fathers, who literally worl
among the poor and degraded. They
wear the coarsest clothing. |
you give them money or clothing they
will not keep it, but hand it to tn,
poor. Eager to do good, sparely fed
poorly lodged, these are men of cul
furo mon Uh0 baya kpOwn refi nor