The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-05-13
THE MISSIONS IN GEORGIA.


There never was time when the
Catholic Church was wanting IN zeal
for the salvation of every human be-
ing born into the world. Each new
need has found her ready; fresh
hearts were ever prepared to go East
or West, North or South, asking no
earthly reward, expecting only the
encouragement of those left behind.
New orders of men and women have
been created out of the demand for
workers in distant parts of the vine
ward. One man has been inspired TO
found a congregation that would carry
the gospel to the heathens, another
to preach to those at home. the
Church has declared that the black
mans soul is as precious before Goa
as that of the white man. And she
has confirmed her pronouncement by
sending her sons and daughters to Ia
Dor among the colored race. In Am
erica, as further proof of the Church's
solicitude, the Hierarchy founded the
Catholic Board for Mission Work
Among the Colored People, of which
Rev. John E. Burke is the Director
General.
The Board is a new energy; but
it is a permanent one. 1t has estab-
lished headquarters at No. Madison
Avenue, New York, from which its
missionary efforts are directed. The
negro has come to look upon the
Church as his true mother, and with
the help of the religious bodies of
men and women the Board is convinc-
ing him, by degrees, that this conf
dence is not misplaced. Numerous
priests and sisters look to the Board
for encouragement and support, and
it is enabled to give these by the
zeal of Catholic men, women, and
children. Not the least of the mis-
sionaries among the negroes is the
Society for African Missions. The
Fathers of this order were invited
three years ago to take charge of the
negro missions in Georgia, a state
where the population is equally dl-
vided among the blacks and the
whites. The Catholic population is
about $4,000, and less than 500 of this
number are colored. Every colored
man and woman and child in Georgia
should belong to the Church. Father
Lissner, Provincial of the African
Missions, is not discouraged by the ex-
traordinary numbers to be converted.
And the record of three years is one
of the encouraging reports that the
Board gets now and again.
In 1907 there were but two priests
preaching Gods word to the colored
people of that State; now there are
8. In the schools the number OF
teachers has been increased from
to 10, and the attendance from 40
to 500. Where there was but one
school there are now five. This is
good work, but the activity must con-
tinue. There are only 8 churches for
the colored people in a State where
there ought to be not less than TWEEN
ty. There are above a million OF that
race in Georgia. Two of the churches
are in Savannah, and the third is
in Augusta. Father Lissner requested
yearly allowances for his priests and
the Board is doing all in it's power
Readers of Catholic papers can be CO.
workers with these Fathers by joining
the steadily increasing number of men
and women that have undertaken TIC
raise 100000 a year for these mis-
sions, to build schools, churches, etc
This branch of the Boards activity
is known as the One Hundred Thou
sand Dollar Fund. 1t is the chief de
sire, at present of the distinguished
prelates who compose the Board OF
Directors FIR Lissner sends this state
ment from his mission field: "Nortf
and South we hear intelligent people
declaring that the Catholic Church is
the only power to educate the negroes
Prominent judges and high officials
as a rule Professionals, have told me
that many time. have received offers
from them of land if I would estab
lish primary schools, connected witt
manual training. That the Protestan
propaganda with it's millions, ha:
failed to make the negro a law abiding
citizen, christian with pure morals
is a fact felt by many thinking
Professionals