The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-03-09
TAGUDIN, THE MOUNTAIN
PROVINCE.

| PROVINCE.
One of the most interesting missions
in the Philippine Islands is that at
Tagudin, the Mountain Province. It is
interesting not only from the general
| fact that wonderful things are being
done for the support of religion there;
but also from the fact that the mission
is in charge of Belgians, working under
an American Bishop, who have pushed
Christianity further than even the
Spaniards did; but the credit for win
ming this new field to Christ must
| largely go to Belgium, which not only
has contributed the missionaries, but
is also contributing largely to their
support.
We have received from The Catholic
Church Extension Society the follow
ing interesting letter: 1t is from the
Philippine Islands that send you an
instant request for our poor abandoned
Catholics of the country. Hundreds Of
years ago the Filipinos learned how
to serve God and many of them have
been faithful to the grace. But for
years these poor Catholics have been
quite abandoned, without priest, miles
and miles away from Catholic
Church, and they have forgotten the
religion of Christ, and many Filipino
does not know any more the name of
God. There is no other remedy to this
unspeakable evil than to found Cath
olic schools in the far away 'barrios. >"
This is our aim, and, in the surround
ings of 1agudin, we have already
established, at our own expense, two
schools, which are quite success,
thank God. But this is more than we
can support together with our town
school of three hundred children. Still
so many "barrios," after few of our
visits, wish to come back to the prac-
tice of our religion, and earnestly de-
sire Catholic School,
The Philippine Islands belong to
America now, and the Professionals of
the United States do not forget it.
They send enormous sums to their
missions. The Protestants of Tagudin
have thirteen families in more than
nine thousand inhabitants; they have
an American preacher; a nice great
church; they buy fields and have
plenty of money left for all kinds of
useless expenses. We have thousands
and thousands of Catholics and we
have no buildings yet for our schools.
Our house is school; the rest are
temporary. We have no land of our
own, and have to beg our Belgian
friends who have missions in all parts
of the world to help us to save so
many abandoned souls on American
territory. But all this is not known
in the States, and we have no friends
there yet.
Now that we have exposed the stu
alton, we are sure that the broad
minded and generous Catholics of the
United States will not refuse to help
us in the great work of the Salvation
of Souls. We cannot see the Protes-
tants always ready to help their ad-
herents, SO few in number, when we
| remain helpless before our poor Cath
olics, SO ready now to give us their
children. No, we will not be deceived
in our hope. The Catholic American
will save the Philippines and it's aban-
doned Catholics, as well as the more
than ten thousand pagans of the sur
rounding mountains. In each "bar-
rios" few dollars can save so many
souls! Who will refuse to give these
souls to God, and to assure, by this
act of charity, his own salvation? A
teacher can be sent to a "barrios" at
seven dollars a month.
Will there not be, in the United
States, so we'll known for their charity,
some generous hearts who will pity
our poor Filipino children? To pay for
teacher means to save a number of
little souls from vice and from the
lowest ignorance, it means to give
these little. souls with those of their
parents to God, to Jesus, who died for
them.
The Church Extension Society has
already extended help to these mis-
sionaries in the Mountain Province !;
but if any charitable and jealous
reader desires to help, the Society will
be glad to transmit their offerings to
this fertile missionary field Address
The Catholic Church Extension Society
of the U. S. A., 1888 Mccormick Bldg,
Chicago, Ill.