The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-03-09

Baptized Christians .......- 10000
Cateehumens ............... 53,367
missionary priests II. ,..... 81.
Native priests ..as...=,..l-18
Lay Brothers, 10
oi9I0lo 0l
Oblates tnative sisters) s....e 10
Men catechistsN 49,. ... 81 $50
women catechists ....... $50
Churches and chapels .... 173
Prayer houses ......-........ 1,601
Semlnarians ............ 107
Have we not every reason to be
grateful to God the Holy Ghost under
whose benefeent( wings the mission
has produced so much unmerited
fruit? Many times during this period
OF twenty-five years heavy storms
arose and threatened the very exist
ence of the mission; I only mention
the terrible Boxer instruction some
twenty years ago. And also during
the last years the sky. has seldom
been cloudlesss Robher bands, floods,
drouths, contagious diseases visited
our mission, and last but not least the
world war; All the other things are
old acquaintance for US. We feared
great disturbances, but thank God,
here again | can report that up to
the present day all our missionaries
are at their post and all our institu-
tions are continuing. Officials and peo-
pie are generally quite ais friendly.
as before and occasionally show signs
Of heartiest benevolence. Our hospi-
tails are as much frequented as ever.
Here in Yenchowful we even have a
number of soldiers who have been
wounded in fights with the robbers.
Pagan pupils at our schools are just
as numerous as in the past years.
Nevertheless l must admit that the
missions suffer through the war. The
great college which we feared in the
beginning of the war has not come,
happily, and the missionary work has
been carried on everywhere, but the
number of converts in China was only
$4,000 instead of 100000 in 1915. In
our own mission the. number of con-
verts was even slightly in excess of
that OF the preceding year. How
ever, the continuation of the work is
getting harder from day to day We
cannot think of carrying out new
plans but must be glad to keep what
we have. Various factors force us
to be content with that:
First, the number of missionaries
instead Of growing is decreasing, be-
cause no young missionaries can be
sent from Europe and the few native
priests are not sufficient to fill the
gaps. We lost during the year two of
our most valuable missionaries, men.
who for thirty years had been work
ing in this field, Father Vilsterman,
provicar, and Father Erlemann, our
mission architect. One Chinese priest
was ordained this year
Secondly, all undertakings of the
Church are suffering under the pres
sure of the war Our own mission has
experienced the touching fidelity of
our former friends and benefactors,
and we are duly grateful, but the
value of money, also American money,
5000 sapekes for 81, now only about
1000, and of course we have to pay
for, everything in Chinese money! ="
AS to the appreciation and Talua-
ton of the mission by the pagan one
might think that the war would have
very disastrous effect since most
of those engaged in the war profess
the religion of love, Christianity, and
the heather would necessarily get the
impression that Christian ideals are
crushed out under the wheels of war.
No doubt such reflections must have
occurred to many thinking heathens,
but whether they made any, lasting
impression. remains to be seen.
Generally speaking the heather in
religious matters are very superficial
thinkers and observers. In many re-
spects the war has Widened the hori-
ZION of the people which formerly was
to- them limited by the boundaries of
China For the first time they have be-
come aware of the geographical and
political position Of other nations. Also
the idea of international law which
binds nations and individuals has
been brought home to them.
Besides, the mission and it's aims
are more clearly understood. The
people begin to get used to the idea
that it is the work Of love, of religion,
which is intended for the universal
betterment of all, instead of per-
haps mere appendix of European
politics. At any rate this thought is
more frequently expressed now than
before.
Most of all, the authority of the
Pope seems to have increased through
the latest events. Twenty years ago
a mandarin of high standing who for
years had been on good terms with the
mission, made the foolish remark that
the old Pope probably had nothing to-
do all day but to pray little" He
evidently had of him the notion of a
bronze who has nothing to do but to
carry his prayerbeads about. How diff
ferently the Chinese look upon the
Pope now. His noble efforts to heal
the wounds of the war, his endeavors1
to re-establish peace, his warnings to-
the whole world have shown the sig
nificance of the papacy in new light
The catholicy of the Church has. be-
no