The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-03-11
FROM CHINESE MISSIONS.

Rev. John M. Fraser, Catholic mis-
sionary in the district of Ming Pc,
China, and a native of Tornoto, who
was ordained for missionary service at
the Brignale Sale (Lazarist) Apostolic
College, at Genoa, in 1901, went to
China in 1902 and has been there ever
since. A few months ago, says Reg
ister-Extension of Toronto, he visited
his native city in order to secure some
advantages for his parish which a
great many people have been helping
and for the further supply of English
speaking priests to that great portion
of the Lords Vineyard. In CONVEX
sation he informed us that there were
already over two thousand priests, ma
tive and foreign, in the Chinese EN-
pire, and it's extent is so great that this
is very few indeed for the work that
must be done. There is practically
no danger. The Chinese like the priest.
In the district of Pekin there are five
hundred native Chinese secular priests
alone. Up to the present time there
has been but one Chinese bishop, and
gave a good administration, and his
memory is held in benediction. The
Bishops today are largely of French
origin, and belong to the religious or
ders. There are about 100000 Cath
olics in the Empire, and they are
served by forty-seven Bishops or Pre-
fects Apostolic. In the district in
which the Father labors, there are
about fifteen churches and two hun
dred thousand Catholics. Each one of
these Bishops get about $4,000 a year
from the Propagation of the Faith, and
they have a revenue largely secured
from investments in houses and land
ed property They are building
churches of good appearance and ca
,pacity, because it is necessary to make
an impression upon the Chinese peo-
pie in this way. Father Fraser says
that the Protestant missionaries in
China, with unlimited money at their
disposal, do not build churches at all
of any consequence, but put up good
houses and live life of comparative
luxury with their wives and children,
going off to the hills to summer resi-
dences during the hot months. The
Chinese take their gifts, they have no
regard for them. The Catholic priests,
however live lives of devotion to the
people, although they are not at all
subject to the privations that many be-
lieve. They are we'll nourished, the
Bishop supplying all his priests with
every comfort that can reasonably be
expected. Indeed" said Father Fra
ser, "the priests in China live as well
as the priests in Canada, not on a diet
of rice, but on full European diet, and
with all the conveniences which mod
ern living demands. Our great need
is more men, and We want to build
many more churches and schools so
that many of the children now ne
elected may be looked after" Father
Fraser says that in his district he
tib, in Ming Pc. They also have main
stations in the districts of Fenghua
and Ninghai but he travels all over
that immense district at regular pc.
RODS and with his companions gives
the people all the spiritual consola.
tions they require The Chinese con.
verts are exacting. They are good
Catholics and live up to their religion
thoroughly. Father Fraser praises the
country and the people in general, and
is fully satisfied that if the conditions
were only known that great many
more Catholic priests would take UP
the missionary service in China. He
has learned several Chinese dialects
and besides speaks seven languages
fiuently He is very Jealous and en-
ergetic priest, and a famous collector