davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-11-23
AFRICAN cATEcHlsTs CALLED
TO THE WAR.

Father J. M. Bedel is new apostle
Catholics. One of the valiant army Of
Lyons African Missionaries working
at Koroko, on the Ivory Coast, he be-
gins his letter by laying stress on the
immense need of forming catechists
in his district.
Catechists are liable to draft for war
needs, as well as other men, and many
of the natives who were capable of
teaching Christian doctrine have left
the country to fight. Of the conse-
quent condition Father Bedel says:
ct is by dozens that we should be
forming our catechists in order to pre-
sent a solid block of Catholics to the
populace which is still largely given
to the worship of fetishes, although
some are followers of Islam. At the
present time / have just two cate
chists, and to each l pay the munifi-
cent salary of three dollars month.
AS they have families to support this
sum is insufficient.
r "'It was necessary to abandon this
mission post altogether for time,
but now, with another priest, 1 am
taking up the threads again; naturally
during this absence our works suf-
fered much, and it is no easy matter
to continue the apostolate without a
strong force of catechists.
81 am no longer a young man, and
/ must needs do much travelling on a
bicycle. The one / possess is also
afflicted with age, and fresh new
machine would be another help. BIZ
cycles are not luxury here, but a
necessity to the wearisome trails of
the African jungle" 49,,
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-11-23
AN IRISH COMMANDER AGAINST
5000, 600 ENEMIES.

In the erstwhile land OF the can.
nibals an Irish priest. with Is com.
apanions, Brothers, 5 Sisters and
500 native catechists is not only hold.
ing his own against heather popula-
ton of eight million, but is keeping
the Catholic cause in the very fore
front in spite of his steps being
logged by nine Protestant sects. This
supernatural warrior, Shanahan by
name, writes from Onitsha on the
Lower Niger:
i have the pleasure of sending you
the apostolic results of the year 1917
Our mission is still on it's feet. Not
one station has vet been closed. We
have been even able to increase the
number of catechists' posts from 338
to 5000. Our three Christian villages,
d'Aguleri, Nteje and LIBRARIAN, keep
on growing. The number of children
being taught the elementary truths of
our holy religion has risen from
slightly over fifteen thousand to TWEEN
ty-one thousand. The missionaries of
Nigeria are undergoing their share in
the suffering which the world is
bowed under. Although several OF
them have been on the point of death,
the work still goes on increasing with
time. Gods blessing is accompany
ing our efforts with this immense
population which is now in the dispo.
sltion OF accepting any form of Chris
fianitY.n
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-11-23
TOUCHING MANIFESTATIONS or
GRATITUDE AND
ATTACHMENT.

Owing to an unjust law number
of missionaries have been Obliged to
leave their missions and join the
colors of their native country. Among
them is the Rev. Joseph Bots, of the
Diocese of Nagasaki (Japan). Fir.
Bots was in charge of the Hirado mis-
sion where live the descendants of
those heroic faithful who for $50
years, in secret and without priest,
kept the faith and persevered in the
practice of their religion. Since his
return to Europe the faithful of Hi
RADIO have regularly communicated
with their pastor!
Since my return, my good people
have continued to think of me-" writes
Fir. Bots.
Il have received from them 1870
charming letters. A young man writes
me that on the anniversary of my de-
parture, despite the cold and the
snow, he walked an hour in the dark
in order to go to Confession and re-
ceiye Holy Communion for my inten-
ton. A Christian woman, baptized
not long since and who subsequently
became member of community of
native virgins whom she greatly edi-
fies, begs me on her knees and with
her head bowed to the ground to offer
to God some Of my sufferings for the
conversion of her mother and her own
perseverance in our holy religion
which she has come to know SO late.
AN old man of eighty begs me to
come back quickly because he suffers
a great deal in not being able to hear
holy Mass every morning, and he is
afraid of dying without the assistance
of a priest A venerable catechist,
who has devoted his whole life to in.
culcatipg the love Of God, asks me to
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-11-23
Continued from page 81
TWO MOTHERS.

about his Fathers business. And,
like Mary, should you not keep all
these things patiently in your heart?
True, you have rights, Mrs. Lee, and
cannot help feeling them. But God
has deeper ones; and, before His,
yours cease. He gave up His only
begotten Son. Dare we rebel at the
call of sacrifice?" I
Mrs. Lees finger tips played with
the hem of her sleeve. Her eye.
lashes fiickered, and a pout came to
her rather pretty lips:
IL think it's cruel of you, Fa-
Their O'Leary, to come here and
bully me with religion" she protested
''True religion was meant to heal
hearts and not to break them. Christ
spent His life in bringing consolation
to men. You, as His representative,
should do the same"
The color slightly mounted to Fa-
Their O'Leary's cheek. He was piqued
at the woman's inaccurate idea of the
Christian dispensation. Christianity
without a cross!-that was evidently
her desire and belief. But there is no
Christianity without a cross. The
priest shook his head.
Il came not to bring peace, but the
sword" he slowly quoted. IF any
one will come after Me, let him take
up his cross and follow Me. He who
loves father and mother more than
Me, is not worthy of Me"
Mrs. Lee gathered up her book
haughtily, and rose:
Kindly pardon me, Father" she
requested icily. My head is aching.
And, really, Scriptural on
slaught is too much for me. Good
morning"
Father O,Leary sighed and started
to go. But his love for Eddie, and
his desire to do his best for the boy
inspired him to make one last at
tempt:
sIf<you give your boy to God, Mrs.
Lee he spoke as gently as he could,
He will give him back to you a
priest"
1t was no use. She had turned
away from him. The priest was quiv-
.ering with Indignation
Good morning, Mrs. Lee"
Good morning"
But the brightness had gone out of
the morning for Father OLeary. He
was chilled at the unreasoning and
unreasonable sel6shness of the
woman. He was panied at the
thought of the disappointment which
the news would give Eddie. For the
son fully returned the mothers ex-
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-11-23
WORDS WORTH REMEMBERING.

At a meeting recently held for the
purpose of developing the missionary
spirit in our schools the Rev. M. D.
Connolly, of San Francisco, uttered
the following remarkable words:
There was never a time, perhaps,
in the history of the Church when the
world stood in greater need of the
Catholic missionary than today. And
in the order of Gods providence it
would seem that it is to America that
the Church must look for those who
are to take up the work that the now
exhausted European Catholics have
carried on so nobly and so success
fully in the past. In response to the
call of humanity, America has come
forth from the isolation that had made
her land apart. She has taken her
place in the forefront of the nations,
proclaiming the brotherhood of man
and the God-given right of all peoples
to life, liberty and the pursuit Of hap
piness. Does it not seem singularly
providential that it is at this time,
when our country has taken her new
and important position among the ma
tions of the earth, that the Sovereign
Pontiff has seen fit to raise the status
of the Church in America from that
of dependency to the dignity of an
elder, with all the duties, responsible
ties and privileges connected there
with? Not the least among these. be-
ing that of missionary endeavor; thus
our country may now extend to other
lands the blessings of which she her.
self has been the beneficiary" +
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-11-23
WHY HE LOVES THE CATHOLIC
CHURCH.

81 want to tell you in very simple
way why l love the Roman Catholic
Church, and why l believe it is the
duty of every Christian to love that
Church sincerely:
First. | love the Roman Catholic
Church because of what she has been
1t is the old mother church. Let me
emphasize that. Our churches are all
the offspring of that church. A few
ultra Protestants will try to claim
that they trace their genealogy
through some stray erratic movements
back to the Apostles, without touching
the Church of Rome, but this is
largely imaginary.
For more than thousand years
Rome preserved the integrity and
transmitted the vitality of the Chris.
tian gospel before ever anything like
Protestant secession was dreamed of;
and when the Protestant movement
came it was made possible as a
branch is made possible on the vine;
it grew out of the strong vitality of
the mother church.
Now | hold that it is matter of
simple deCency to be loyal to ones
mother. l could not respect myself if
could forget that as a Protestant
/ owe my very being as Christian,
owe all the light and Joy and liberty
in Christ l enjoy, to the mother
church. To her owe the very eXis-
tence of that Bible which | love; to
her owe the sacraments which are
the symbols of our faith; to her /
owe the lives of saints whose foot
steps have pressed the earth, making
il a holier and happier place because
they have lived here. l should be a
sad and vile migrate not to love a
church that has done all that and
much more for me as Christian.
For fifteen hundred years the preach
eTs and pastors, the hymn writer's
and the church builders, the social
refolmerS and the myStics, the theo-
1ogians and the poets of all Europe
west of Russia were Roman Catho-
lies. All our spiritual wealth as
Protestants is an inherited wealth:
inherited through the Roman Catho.
lie Church.
Secondly. / love the Roman Cath
Ollie Church for what she is. We dc
not know what beautiful Christians
there are among the Catholics, be-
cause we do not know them, and they
do not know how sincerely Prot
estants are trying to be followers of
the same Christ whom they serve
But is it not true that the Roman
Catholic Church is un-American, and
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-11-23
F. J. CAMITScH. Pres. and Treas.

ITS about the boy, Barney, I've
come" he announced.
HAS he got into any mischief
now, Father?' the mother asked
quickly.
mo, indeed. He's a very good
boy, Eileen"
Yes, that's true, Father. But We
never can be telling nowadays"
"Oh, you Irish mothers" laughed
the priest. eff your sons were verita
BILE angels, you'd want them to be yet
little more angelic
'Tis more of the divvil than the
angel that the young ones do be hav.
in in them, these days, Father.
Mickey, stop pullin' Moira's hair, and
all of We quit crowdin' around his
reverence, So"
Eileen, you've had rather a hard
struggle with life, haven't you? !
remember when you were an apple
checked, laughing-eyed little colleen
over the sea, with never care in the
world. Yet how bravely and we'll you
have borne all the trials that have
come to you since then. And now
I'm going to call on you to make one
last big sacrifice"
What, Father"
your boy, Eileen?"
''Barney?"
Eyes, Eileen. God wants him. Bar.
ney wants to be priest!"
The mothers eyes stared wide, and
trembling hand sought her breast,
grasping the folds of her cheap calico
wrapper. Suddenly she dropped into
a chair, flung her apron over her head,
and shook with deep sobs. The priest
was struck with pity. He rose, and
softly patted her on the heaving
shoulder:
Il didn't think you'd take. it so
hard as this, Eileen" he confessed,
with sadness. Il know it would be
hard for you to give Barney up, now
that he's old enough to get a Job
and tighten your labors for you"
'Tain't that-'tain't that, Father"
suffered the mother through her
emotion. faint grief at all that's
that's hurting me. The thought of
1.-THE thought of it! My boy-my
boy! standin' at the altar of the
Lord, sayin' his first Mass! Oh, Fa-
ther what hurts me and makes me
blubber away like-like an old fool
amt anything but pure joy-and
thankfulness!
Father O'Leary's eyes were wet.
The sun shed a shaft Of powdered
gold through the kitchen window
The birds, hopping on. the fragrant
blossomed boughs, filled the, morning
with a fairy melody. To the priest,
the beauty Of the day was richly re-
stored. He had found mother per-
fectly attuned with her Maker one
who, like the greatest and sweetest
Of Mothers, Mary, bowed her head in
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-11-23

thank my mother for having sent two
of her children to evangelize the pa
gans of Japan and beseeches her, de-
spite the pain of a fresh separation,
to send them back after the war.
"The little first communicates write
me that they had Mass said for me
at which they all received communion.
A little girl of thirteen counsels me
to spend myself for the honor of my
country and to offer to God my daily
trials.
Il will stop, because / should never
do so if l endeavored to describe for
you all the expressions of gratitude
that are worthy of reproduction"
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-11-23

is seeking to overthrow our govern
ment, and all that? I hesitate not to
say that l believe it is a foul and
hateful calumny. The people who
say these things have not one solid
fact upon which to base their mon
strous indictment. 1t is an utterly
unworthy frame of mind for brethren
of Christ to have towards each other.
We must get this miserable SANDER
out of our minds. By every test
which can be fairly applied, the Cath
Ollie citizen stands on a par with his
Protestant brother"
Rep E. E. Sneh (Consre00tfon0Iisf)
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-11-23
THE BLESSED VIRGIN DOES NOT
FORGET AFRICA.

Here is a strange true story about
Zanzibar:
Some years ago at the Welezo Leper
Hospital, few miles from the town
OF Zanzibar, one of the nuns of the
Order of st. Joseph who was nursing
there, in order to get a supply of
water for some of the inmates, went
to have a water hole dug as is the
custom in the island Water in Fan
zibar is always got in the sub-soil at
a varying depth
She went down the slope of the hill
on which one part of the hospital was
built. Before reaching the bottom
of the valley, she told her workmen
to dig at certain spot. They laughed
at her and said it was not a good
place, but she insisted. They set to
work, and at a depth of five feet or
more they came on small statue of
the Virgin Mary and the Child Jesus.
1t was the first sign that was OBJ
tanned of former Christian settle
ment in the island
On looking up old records, it was
found that, very shortly after the re-
turn of Vasco da Cana to Portugal
to announce the successful accom-
plishment of his voyage to India by
the newly discovered route, Angus
tinian Monks came out in the ships
of that nation and founded churches
and monasteries along the eastern
coast of Africa
They arrived in Zanzibar about 1910.
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-11-23
CHARITY REWARDED.

We are not surprised to hear mis-.
sionaries state that without the help
of their catechists they could accom-.
plish very little, when we learn what
really fervent Christians many of
these native teachers are.
Father Durand, of China, tells of a
man who canesto his mission not long
ago in search of work. A workman
was needed at the convent Of the Sis
tiers, so he was hired. In very
short while writes Father Durand,
'.he had endeared himself to every
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-11-23
ADOPT A NATIVE PRIEST.

IF a pious soul inspired by the
Holy Ghost would like to adopt the
native priest ordained a short time
ago in our Vicariate of the Upper Con-
go, the sum of one hundred and fifty
dollars a year will enable that per.
son to do so. The benefactor will
share in all the graces obtained and
the sum will allow the priest to pur.
sue his apostolate vigorously"
These words were written by Right
Rev. A. l.. Hugs, w. F., of Baudoin.
vile, and point out practical means
of charging the usefulness of the first
native priest to be ordained in that
district.
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-11-23

Address cancelled stamps only of
rare denominations, tin foil, old
jewelry and other donations to Ameri
can Headquarters of the Sodality Of
st. Peter Claver for the African Mis-
sions, Fullerton Bldg, Seventh and
Pine Streets, st. Louis, Mo.
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-11-23

Eleven years later, all roads led to
Northern France. Not satisfied with
his absolute rule on the Continent,
Mars was stretching his grim hand
across the Atlantic and Selling our
own young men for the fray Eddie
Lees mother, terrified, was graphing
her boy to her heart with hooks of
steel. But, just the same, the first
draft succeeded in tearing him away.
She who refused to give him to God,
now had no choice in surrendering
him to the State. Her soul was raw
and bleeding, the day he babe her
goodbye.
Three months later, in No Mans
Land, they met-Father McManus
and his pal of altar-boy days. Though
night had come on, German fire was
still tearing over the SCARED face of
the earth and, as the smoke here and
there lifted, the pale moon gleamingly
revealed pools of blood and-worse.
Eddie Lee, wounded, had crawled
back near enough to the trench to be
seen by Father McManus. Drawing
the danger of shells, the priest went
to the stricken mans aid. 1t was
when he had wound his right arm
protectingly around him that he rec
ognized him. A cry escaped him. Lee
opened his heavy eyes. The recogni.
ton was mutual.
Father McManus, heart-sick, man
aged to get him back into the trench;
and there the unfortunate private
lived long enough to make his Con-
fession.
Have you any message to send
back home to-her?" asked the
priest huskily
"Who?" murmured the dying sol.
der.
Your mother, Eddie"
It's not of-her-I'm thinking.
Somehow can't. It's of my Father
my heavenly Father-I'm thinking.
| ought to have been about His bust
ness long time ago. Barney,
ought to have been a priest like you!
But she wouldn't let me. And now
have to die, without my work in
life done-and I'm afraid, Barney, I'm
afraid. And my heart Island can't
help-accusing her. I haven't any
message for her. If sent one-it-
it would be cruel one. God help
mel"
And that night, as Father Nc
Manus knelt beside the lifeless form
OF his boyhood friend, he raised his
eyes to the stars that glimmered in
all their ancient loneliness high over
the field of blood. His heart beat
quickly as he fervently thanked God
that his mother was Eileen Nc
Manus, now departed, indeed. but
still spiritually at his side. praying
for him in his perils, emboldening
him to serve God and country splen.
didly.-a staunch Irishwoman who,
Mary-like, had allowed, and inspired,
and urged her son to be about his
Fathers BUSINESS
Edmund ST. HRaue. Ia TAs Orphan Mes.
sRH0eY
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-11-23
WET WASH LAUNDRY

an ecstacy of thrills and wonders at
the divine will, saying, BE it done
unto me according to Thy word" I'm
like Mrs. Lee, Eileen McManus was
amazed to be chosen, and delighted,
even at any sacrifice, to become the
mother of another Christ.
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-11-23

4, i
Into one of the meaner little cot
tages down the street he turned. II
had no lace curtains on the parlol
windows, nor an ell to the kitchen
1t needed paint badly, and {. new ROOF
worse. But a chestnut tree, snowy
with bloom, hung lovingly over it
and the sound of childish mirtl
tinkled gaily through it. 1t was the
McManus household
In. response to the priests knock a
dark-haired child with a Tipperary
twinkle in her eyes and a Tipperary
tilt to a mite of nose, opened the
door and sprang, with cry of glad
ness, into his arms. This was MORA
the eldest daughter of the family OF
eight; and she was only twelve The
rest Of the McManus children were
in the back yard or on the stairway
The lady of the castle-stout Mrs
McManus herself-was too busy to
bother where. There was no wet.
wash nor hired girl for her. Out in
the kitchen, her capable arms were
at present up to the elbows in soap
suds and the honest sweat was bead.
ing her red face. ~
&c mornin, Father" greeted the
voices from the stairway. as four
pairs of young feet scampered down
towards the visitor. a
In furry, Mrs. McManus dried
her hands in her apron and, as full
of apologies as excitement, hurried to
the entry:
'Oh, the cut of me, yer reverence"
she cried. But it's Monday morning,
and up to my eyes in work I am!
You'll pardon my looks, Father!"
"Of course, Child smiled the
priest. I'D have my own opinion of
you, Eileen McManus, if you weren't
busy on Monday morning" He was
thinking of the languid Mrs. Lee
won't We be havin' cup of tea,
Father O'Leary? Here, Patsy, run to
the store for a pound of sugar Mary,
dust off. that chair for his rever-
ence-''
With a sigh of satisfaction, the
clergyman seated himself near the
window. This was home, humble but
satisfying to one of simple, homely
tastes. Father OLeary was a peo-
pies priest. He loved the least OF his
children the most.
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-11-23
MISSION THOUGHTS.

There are lands where thousand
million unbelievers are roaming in In
tellectual night and in degradation, in
wretchedness and in peril. There are
lands where men are no more than
cattle; where the family has no mean
ing; where infants are left to perish
or are sold for a few cents; where
human sacrifices are offered on pagan
affairs; where ignorance and supersti
ton and vice are rife; where the race
is sunken to the lowest level.
Catholics must take the field against
the forces of darkness. We owe it to
ourselves; we owe it to the heather;
we owe it to the Giter of all things
November is the month of the holy
souls. How many, many dear ones
there are to be remembered this year
who were in the full flush of youth
and vigor last year Death has taken
a heavy toll the past twelve months
but those who remain have the sweet
consolation of offering Masses and
prayers for their beloved dead, and
the still sweeter joy of knowing that
their offerings are most acceptable to
Him Who is Master of life and death
Let the missionaries say some Masses
for you.
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-11-23
GROCERIES

travagant affection, and, for him, her
slightest wish had always been law.
; Main Street was bright and
fragrant with spring time. From the
many orchards on both sides, rosy
rain of apple blossoms would fall
with every gentle swoop of breeze,
and birds fluttered busily in every
direction. But the priests eye, we'll
trained to perceive. and appreciate
the beauties of nature, did not see
now, for his heart was sad.