The San Francisco call., 1910-12-04
PRIESTS WORK
AMONG The LEPERS
Rev. Augustus Miller Devoted
Many Years of His Life to
the SOrely Afflicted
Sacrifices Made by Missionary
in India EntitIe Him
to VeneratiOn

NEW YORK, Dec. 3.-Rev. Augustus
Muller, S. J.. who died November l,
was well known to millions of Chris
dams and pagans in Europe and the
orient. His work among the lepers and
the sick forms q resplendent chapter,
while his heroic sacrifices recall to
many the sanity Damien OF Molokai.
During his many years as a mission
ary in India. his works OF charity
seemed almost beyond the strength OF
man TO accomplish. Beginning his ca
reer in India, with few homeopathic
medicines, his success in relieving
physical ailments induced friends to
aid him 10 open the Homeopathic Poor
dispensary in 1880. He next undertook
10 aid the lepers. and at great sacrifice
he built an asylum for them. Then
came hospital for general diseases.
and then poorhouse and plague hos
pital
IN the year 1891 Father Muller erect
ed a large dispensary at Kankanady'
70 which a new wing was added in 1905.
and another in the following year.
Every day he received applications for
advice from. patients from all parts
Of India. Ceylon and Burma. for whom
he prescribed gratis. According TO the
report for 1908. 40 clerks were kept
busy in the dispensary. while 10 car
penters We're regularly employed IN
preparing cases or chests for the dis
rribution OF medicines.
St. Joseph's leper asylum came un-
der Father Mullers mana cement IN
1890 He Immediately selected better
site and erected new building This
building has since been much en-
larged TO meet the demands upon II.
The leper ASYLUM has been open TO ali
castles and creeds. and its kindly shelter
has been a welcome boon 10 those
af7icted with this dread disease
In 1885 Father Muller opened a sman
hospital for the relief OF the poor Catn-
olfcs Of Mangalore and its suburbs. 80
MANY sick poor applied for admission
that in 1901 he resolved TO put up
new building. for which ne sought
contributions from all parts OF lndla.
In 1902. when the bubonic plague ap-
peared in Mangalore, the Catholics ap-
pealed to Father Muller and aided him
10 build another hospital. in which
the number OF plague patients treated
during the first five years after us
establishment was 118.
In 1907. on the outbreak Of cholera,
Father Muller opened cholera camp
and. within a year $50 cases were
treated Of which rs were restored TO
permanent health.
Father Muller had reached the age Of
three score and ten when he died.
That he should have done all this. and
much OF it in his advanced age, en-
titles him 10 the veneration of Chris
tiaus throughout the world.
A correspondent. writing from Dres-
den. SaNonv gives an interesting
sketch of the true character OF the
present king Of SaXony, against whom
so many malevolent shafts have been
directed recently. He states that "A
residence Of several years in SaXony
and an acquaintance with the king
and the other members Of the royal
family afford me absolute knowledge
upon this subject" He then writes in
part as follows:
King Frederick August Of SaXony
Is most devout and practical Catho-
lie He is an eNa mple 10 every mem
her Of our church in the consistency
with which he performs his religious
duties He is a daily attendant at
mass and q monthly communicate.
The king is on terms Of the great
est affection with his brother. Prince
Max who abandoned his royal rank
priest in the Catholic church King
Frederick is most devoted father,
and is constantly with his children,
whose education and training is en-
tireIE in charge of Catholics.
He divorced his wife for notorious
misconduct obtaining a decree Of sep
aration. which is as far al any Catho-
lfc can 70 in the case OF A valid mar
riage such a separation in the church
does not allow remarriage during the
life of the divorced wife, and the king
has never contemplated this or ap-
peaIed 10 Rome on the subject. He
did not adopt an aggressive attitude
upon the subject of the Borromeo en-
cyclical.
Lastly. it is rather amusing TO read
that it Is believed the king viii shortly
revert TO the faith Of his ancestors in
view OF the fact that, during the
thousand years the Victim dynasty
has ruled in Saxony, for only a century
and a half did II apostatize from the
ancient faith"
At the recent formal opening for
traffic Of the Mckinley electric bridge
Al ST Louis. No. the governors Of Illi-
nois and Missouri were on trains that
met in the center of the bridge and as
they did so, Archbishop Glennon blessed
the bridge according TO the Roman
ritual 1t is believed to be the first
time that such a public ceremonial took
place in the United States.
A recent visitor to Milan. italy. gives
q most edifying account of the deep
faith and enthusiastic piety of the pop
uIation in that part Of italy. The writer
adds:
We were also much edited by the
state Of religion in some of the dis
tricts around the Lombard capital.
I'VE visited, for instance, one large
manufacturing village of perhaps 5000
inhabitants, all being factory lands,
where the o'clock mass in the Ia~ge
handsome church is crowded every
morning and where the average of
daily communions IS no less than 3OO."
Recently published statistics OF the
Italian department of immigration show
clearly that within one century, If
present conditions continue the United
states viii be completely latinized. Now
ii so happens that we are fond of re-
ferring to the Latin nations as de-
cadent It would seem, however, that
the statistics reverse this statement.