The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-01-21
TRIUMPHs IN MANY LANDS.


In an account published in recent
issue of Etudes (Paris) Pere "A. Brou
tells of the successes attending on
Catholic missionary work in various
parts of the world during the past
few decades. In these days in which
it is said by enemies of the Church
that science from without and apathy
from within" are conspiring to destroy
the source of Christian civilization,
the figures given by the Jesuit afford
encouraging evidence Of vitality in
the advance-guard of the forces of the
Church militant.
The provinces of China served by
the Lazarists today number $4,000
Christians vast sum when it is con-
sidered that ten or fifteen years back
there we're fewer than 100000. With
in the past three years nearly 10000
natives have been baptized, the fig
ures being for 1908 $4,000, and for
1909 more than $4,000.
In the province of Kiang-Nan, the
number of baptisms increased from
174,OOO, in 1908, to $4,000 in 1909.
Altogether, for the whole of China
there has been an increase for the
Catholic Church of over $4,000 souls
during the last year.
In the vicariate of Madagascar, de-
spite the officially-sanctioned persecu-
ton of Catholic missionaries, acting
under orders from the Paris govern
ment, the number of Catholics has in
creased during the period 1900 to 1909
from 100000 to 100000
In Batavia Dutch Indies) the vicar
late last year celebrated the centenary
of the return of Catholicity into the
Malay Archipelago.
In 1900, there we're very fiourishing
stations in existence, an end to which
was forced by continued persecution
on the part of aggressive Calvinism.
Today, the Batavian vicariate is di-
vided into three missions, Borneo and
New Guinea are served by the Jesuits,
Capuchins and Missionaries of the
Sacred Heart.
There are 10000 Catholics, of whom
one-half is native.
Colombo, in Ceylon, is one of the
finest and most fiourishing missions
in the world. 1t is now twenty-five
years since the Oblates of Mary went
thither. There were then some Ill.,
900 Catholics, with ~ missionaries, in
that region. Today there are some
100000 souls with 106 priests.
Churches have been built to the num-
Der of 80; there are now 412 schools
in the island and 36,398 children are
registered for the Catholic faith. In
mainland India the diocese of Calcutta
has also celebrated it's jubilee. 1t
was in 1859 that the first Belgian
Jesuits landed there. In the succeed
ing half century they have won in this
fortress of paganism, says Pere Brou,
over 100000 adherents, according to
figures given out September, 1909.
It is understood, says the Jesuit,
that these conversions are but rarely
made among the higher castles, but
rather among the poorer natives of
the jungle-side and the hills.
At the Catholic Congress, held in
Australia last September, the silver
jubilee of Cardinal Moran's arrival on
that continent was appropriately cele-
brated. Between 1883 and 1899, the
progress of Catholicism in his arch
diocese was shown by the following
figures:
In 1883 there were 100 priests in
New South Wales; now there are 403.
There were 70 teaching Brothers in
1888; now there are 245. There are
now 2,379 religious, where there were
102 in 1888; 539 schools, instead of
81; $4,000 school children, instead of
IL 900; nearly 600 churches where
there were but 100; charitable insti-
tutions, 40 instead of 5. Altogether
in Australia there are 2,O66 churches,
9O3 secular priests, 606 Religious
priests, 7O5 Brothers, 500 Religious,
seminaries, 81 boys colleges, 179
for girls, 1876 high schools, 1853 pri-
mary schools, 1913 charitable institu-
tons, 136,495 children in the schools
and 1,052,S63 Catholics.