The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-08-09
A MISSIONARY IN PORTO RICO
CIRCULAR SIGNED JANE M'LIVER
CREATES A SzIR.

CREATES A STIR.
she Doesn't Approve Catholic Celebration
Of Holy Week IN Fajarde-ssmeoody
Draps the Circular In &c. Jsmess Parish
and Fsther Curry Gets Held OF n,
Father James b. Curry of Sc. James's
parish made public yesterday q circular
letter. to which the name Of Jane A.
McLiver. a Protestant missionary In Porto
Rico, 10 attached, attacking the Catholic
Holy Week celebration In the town OF Fa-
jardo. Porto Rico.
One Of the boys Of Father Curry'a parish
club found the typewriter letter In the
street and turned 1t over TO the priest. The
circular bears the heading. Field Of the
American Missionary Association. Fourth
avenue and Tw~enty-seoond street. New
York. Missionary letter. not for publica-
tion.' In a border was printed:
please take pains to have this letter
read. both In meetings and by individuals
who may become interested in the work.
1t Is not TO be printed. 1t Is for circulation
only. TO increase the support Of the A. NJ. A.
Missions
Bearing the date Of Fajardo. Porto Rico.
April. 1908. II read. g..
DEAR FRIENDS. Thia 10 Good Friday.
There 10 silence everywhere. Horses and
oxen are resting. carriages and carts have
not been seen or heard IN the streets to-day.
The stores are closed, with no back doors
OPEN; even the children In our streets are not
playing. but quiet.
Truly enough the dead is In our midst.
For their Roman Catholic celebration o new
casket wa made Of glass and oak--as the
old one vas small and shabby--and carried
to the church last night to put the body Of
our Lord In. and the tremendous procession
to-day was sacrtlesious and vulgar. 1 will
not attempt to describe II. It wes 30 disgust
ing. but 1t made my heart ache to see the
hundreds Of children following, not knowing
whsre or what. II only they were being
taught some truth instead Of lies. No wonder
the people here do not know what the truth
is. The church bells will not DO rung to-day
or tomorrow. In Loduillo last night boys
were going through the streets drumming
old tin pans announcing the fact that There
was mass In the church. but the bell could
not be touched.
Sunday morning very early there will be
two professions. coming from opposite d.
rections. one with the image of the Virgin
Maria robed In a black velvet gown, and In
the other an image OF our risen Lord. When
the professions meet the Mother and the
Son will embrace and then there will be .
great time: then they will have . Sunday
dance. ret drunk and do everything they
like because they kept Holy Week. \
Do you wonder that I had q peculiar shud-
der creep over me when some children said:
God IL dead" How do you knowH why.
the priest said 20 this morning. Christ 10
truly O dead Christ TO these people, and the
priest would have told the truth for once had
he said: Jesus is dead to us,- CAM you
imagine how weak and helpless we feel at
such timesf
I There was q good deal more Il the oircu-
lar letter. but this WIS enough to anger
thoroughly st. Jamess parish. Father
Curry wrote to the Right Rev. w. A. Jones.
o. s. A.. Bishop Of Porto Rico. and Bishop
Jones replied that Jane A. MoLiver's letter
ridioulously unfair 70 the Porto Roan
Catholics. who desired to keep Good Friday
Holy Week according 70 the traditions.
The functions were under the charge Of
Father. Berrios. aaid the Bishop. the best
and most nealous priest In the diocese. n
who is loved and venereted BY the people.
Ths nlshap rssres.ed ma the pfosestant
policy Of mud slinGing and suggested tt
was because the missionaries had not made
good their promise TO aProtestantixe' the
people OF Porto Rico.
Later. concerning Jane A. McIAver. the
missionary. the Bishop Of Porto Rico wrote
to Father Curry:
She resides in Fajardo : . and Is most
active and aggressive In her efforts to win a
following In Fajardo. Il is worthy Of notice
that the indication In reference to the habits
OF drunkenness charged to the people of
Faiardo BY Miss Mctdver Ia wholly unfounded.
These are a people who do not sin TO excess.
. . Such publications are injurious to
the people Of this country. who resent the
contained: hence the condition marked
the original. Not for publication"
I'm venture Jane A. MoLfver won't find
II 90 pleasant when she gets back to Porto
Rico said Father Curry yesterday after
noon at the parish house. - Oliver street.
It 10 amazing that in this day and age there
should be such things written. Tactics Of
this sort are not relished, ] am sure. by
honorable, fairminded Protestants.'
At 287 Fourth avenue, the headquarters Of
tho American Missionary Association. IL was
said yesterday afternoon that no such orr
,ular had been sent out by the association.
There was q missionary Of the name Of Jane
McLiver now In this country, but the
1oung woman In charge OF the headquarters
,ould not say whether or not she had written
he circular letter Father Curry has In his