The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-10-25
THE PARIS SEMINARY OF FOR
EIGN MISSIONS.

The Paris Foreign Mission Semi
nary is only one of many, but it is
the foremost in France for the train
ing of secular priests for foreign mis-
sions The course is four years, ex-
cept for men who enter it already
priests. In their case only one year
is required for training. From the
day a man enters until the day he
departs on his mission, he never
leaves it, never goes to his home and
people. They are as if dead to him
At frequent intervals little band is
sent out. These vary in numbers;
sometimes there are fifteen, twenty,
sometimes only three or four. They
are sent to Korea, to Thibet, to Japan,
to Indo-China Empire, to Oriental
China and to the East Indies. Some
of these stations are more or less set
tied centres of work and education.
Others are dangerous, wild, bloody
missions" being pushed further each
year into the enemy's country. Till
the day before he starts, the mission
airy does not know to which mission
he is to be sent, but whether he goes
to a bloody mission or to one of the
more peaceful stations, he is reason
ably sure that his life will not be a
long one, and that he will never see
his native land again. The climate
and the hardships will in no long time
do for him in the one what the arrow
and lance of the savage would do
quickly in the other
The little pamphlet which is sent
to any young man applying for adj
mission to the seminary contains SIM
pie and concise information. The
postulant comes empty-handed his
clothing, support, education, are all
the care of the society. By his adj
mission he becomes a son of the fami-
ly, and till his death it is charged
with providing for him. The plan of
studies and the internal regulation of
the seminary are similar to those in
all the great French seminaries, with
this difference, that the spiritual
training and the philosophic and the
theological training are specially
dudplCu W luC pAe1SIASC VI IAAO Se1NAO A
ministry in pagan countries. 1T is
required that the applicant have a
well-matured determination to con-
secrate himself totally to the serv-
ice, in a life of self-abnegation, of
poverty, of obedience; he must have
solid virtue, good judgment, no &C.
centricities of character, talents not
below the average and health sufficient
for the ordinary demands of life
At the end of his four years there
comes a retreat for a week, on the
final day of which he winds up, as il
were, his past life, and stands free
ready to depart on the morrow. On
that night his people and his friends
come to bid him goodbye. The chapel
is full. There is no pomp, there are
no ornaments on the altar, but every
where a poverty truly apostolic. II
the audience, too, there is not much
but poverty; among a few of the
higher class, one sees soldiers, serv
ants, workmen, some Christian Broth
ers, three or four priests.
The prayers are said and the even
ing Office is conducted according tC
the usage of the order,-prayers fol
benefactors, for enemies, for the poor
for travellers. for prisoners, for the
sick, for the dying, for all under op
preston or in sorrow-prayers fol
the examination of conscience
After the prayers the points of medi
tation are given, taken from the Cos
pei of the following day. When this
is ended the ceremony of leave-tak
ing begins. There is first a short