The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-01-11
THE CATHOLIC BULLETIN, JANUARY ii, 1919

of one hundred dollars was sent him,
for which he acknowledged receipt
in a letter containing the following
statements: T have just received
your. welcome letter with the dona-
ton Of $780, Many, many thanks. $.
1t has helped me to realize my hearts
desire. | have bought three lots with
it.. There are still two left, but l am
sure Our Good Lady will help me find
another benefactor to buy the same.
Then have only to await the end of
this terrible war to build my convent
and to- have nuns here. This will be
a great blessing for my poor mission
The missionary, sufferer from
Black Water fever, tells some very in.
teresting things about the sufferings
endured BY himself ard his colleagues:
about the Spanish Influenza and it's
thousands of victims among the,
Hacks, and many alnoIfgthe whites;
about the indifferen co Off Catholic
missionaries, who guarded their homes
and alleged Illness .oE. their wives when
the natives called Tor aid and spir-
itual consolation. But the important
feature is the4faet that. with the one
gift OF only 500 the beginnings of
what will undoubtedly become a
source Of great blessing in the mis-
sions OF that district have been made
| possible.
Such instances should serve as en-
inspiration to charitable endeavor in.
| behalf of the missions. Bat while We
are considering the. obligation Of as
sistinS the messengers Of Christ labor
| ing among the pagans in Africa and
Asia, it is but proper that we should
/ bear in mind the needs of the Philip
pine missions. The missionaries there"
tare in sore need, and conditions are
moreover such that the priests.
are not only laboring under the
/. greatest difficulties and must over
come serious obstacles in making con-
verts among the pagans, but are also
4 much embarrassed in ministering to
the inhabitants of the Islands who
have long ago been brought into the
! fold Of the Church by missionaries Of
| former days. Just what circumstances
| hinder the. .labors of the. missionary in
| those islands may be learned from
| the following sentences, cleaned from
a letter Of a Bishop in the Philippines
to the organization above referred to.
/ The Bishop. acknowledges receipt of
| 500 for the support OF one sominarian,
describes conditions affecting the spir-
itnai life OF the islands, and continues
Il need not repeat what has been
stated SO often by practically all our
| Bishops that the Church in the Phil
iippines Except, of course, the Arch
| diocese of Manila) is poor, miserabIy
poor; that by far the greater majority
of our people have barely what coy
ers the necessities Of life: that many
Of cur churches are in ruins; that we
4 are trying to establish schools every,
! where higher schools where possi
1 bic, or. at; least primary schools,+&to
counteract the evils resulting from a
\ goddess education; that one OF the
4 urgent needs of the times is the estan
lishment of dorEaitories to save our
young men and women from the
clutches Of PROSECUTING Protestant so
cleties; and hospitals to protect our
sick who. in hospitals maintained by
Protestant sects iii our provincial
towns, are denied the assistance oil
their priests even at the hour oi
: death. Where are we to get the
means for all these crying needso ,
t. surely, such statement Oh con
ditiens and needs should awaken q
! satisfactory response on the part ot
many who are blessed with means
ana who are far removed from the
dangers to faith and the hardshiDs ts
which the Bishop refers. American
Catholics should realize that with the
assumption of political control of the
Ph1ilpplne Islands there has come &c
them the responsibility to protect ant
promote the spiritual life in those is
lands. We dare not shirk this duty
Nor should we neglect the missions
IN other countries; their appeal to us
brings responsibility with it. The
Society for the Propagation of the
Faith, 343 Lexington Ave-. New York
/ n T.. Maryknoll, at ossining, N. Y.
Ihe Fathers OF the Divine Word, a,
Iechny, H., the st. Peter Claver So
dahty, Fullerton Bldg, St. Louis, Mo.
and the Central Bureau of the Cen
tral Society, Temple Bldg, st. Louis
MO-, are some of the agencies through
which effective help can be granted
| needy missionaries. The coming ot
peace should mark the beginning Of
new period of intensive mission sup
port On the part of American Cath
: olics.