The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-06-05

tega, a Spaniard, started the hvst OF
the Paraguay Reductions. According
to Father Charlevoix the number OF
the Indian converts made by these two
Fathers reached 100000. The Irish
Jesuit lived to the ripe old age of sew
enty having been in the mission
field for over thirty years Another
Irish missionary, Father Mahony, also
labored in this country during the first
half of the eighteenth century.
The period of independence found a
small but strenuous colony of Irish
residents in Buenos Aires. Among
them was one of the greatest warriors
our history registers, William Brown,
whose exploits may be ranked like
those of Nelson "above Greek, above
all Roman fame" Born at Foxford,
County Mayo, in 1777, he came to this
country in 1910, and by his naval cam
lpaigns against Spain (1S14-16) and
against Brazil (1S26-28) made his
name a household word with all Argen-
tinians. Among his companions in
arms were enrolled many of his own
race. Peter Sheridan of Cavan, who
arrived early in the eighteenth CEN
fury, and Thomas Armstrong of Kings
County were among the founders OF
Argentina's wool industry 1t is to
them and to other Irishmen that Mr..
Cooper, the British consul at Buenos
Aires, referred to when he said, in an
official report that "the progress of
Buenos Aires is mainly due to the in
dustrious Irish sheep farmers" DR..
Hugh Sheridan, Peter Sheridan's
brother, served under Admiral Brown.
His son, who died here in 1861, was a
famous painter of South American
landscapes A friend of his, Bernard
Herman, native of Derry, discov-
cred a comet in the Magellan clouds,
on March 19, 1880.
A remarkable group of immigrants
came from Ireland during and after
the famine years, among them the
Rev. Anthony d. Fahy, who was born
at Loughrea, County Galway. No Hi
berno-Argentinian will ever forget the
apostolic zeal and paternal solicitude
of this great Dominican priest. His
memory holds hallowed place in
every heart, while those who knew
him personally speak of him after
many years with emotion. To him is
due in large measure the present pros
porous condition of his countrymen.
Take care first of all of your souls, y
he would say to the immigrant, then
learn the ways and language of the
country, and save your money to buy
land, for this is going to be one of the
greatest nations of the world" Many
who followed his advice now own large
tracts of pasture land in the best parts
of the country such as Santa Fe,
Buenos Aires and Cordoba. l have
never travelled in the Argentine rural
provinces without hearing of rich
Eestacieros with Celtic names. Some
of their ancestors came to this country
in the coffin ships during the famine
years, but already they have acquired
much of the richest pasture land, and
rank high in the progressive move
ment of the country. The Duggan
Banking Company some years ago was
said to be the fifth wealthiest banking
company in the world The Irish have
been conspicuous in other fields
was acknowledged to be the greatest
living statistician, started the Daily
Standard of Buenos Aires, which is
still the most influential English paper
on the Southern Continent William
Bulfin also attained prominence as a
writer of short stories. In 1882 he was
associated in literary work with
Michael Dineen and later became a
member of the staff of the Southern
Cross, a weekly review founded in
1874. Since 1905 another weekly, the
Hiberno-Argentine Review, has been
published. In the military world Gen
eral Donovan is considered one of the
lablest commanders of the modern Ar
gentine army; Vice-Admiral OConnor
by his tactful and diplomatic manage
ment of the Argentine fleet in Para
guayan waters, earned for himself q
most enthusiastic ovation from his
countrymen, and Doctor Santiago
IO'Farrell is distinguished among many
who have risen to an honorable place
in the walks of political, commercial
professional and social life.
The interests of religion among the
Irish have not been neglected. They
We're first looked after by Father
Burke, Dominican, who is mentioned
in 1920, as ''oyer seventy years of age
and much esteemed by the British as
we'll as by the natives" During the
second half of the past century, as
the acknowledgements flock was
greatly increasing, many priests were
brought from Ireland to take care OF
the Irish colonies. Among them were
the Irish Passionists who erected two
monasteries; Mgr. O'Reilly, who has
been working in this country for over
forty-eight years, and the Reverend
John Sheehy, who has been in charge
of the Irish colony at Rosario since
1887. Other names are equally beloved
and suggest clue to the material
and spiritual prosperity of the Irish
in this country. To these men must
be given the credit for keeping the
Irish here intensely Catholic, intensely
attached to "the old Sod and, at the
same time, intensely loyal and devoted
to the land of their adoption. In proof
of this it suffices to state that they
have Irish academies and colleges fol
the education of their children, Irish