The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-01-18
COMPREHENSIVE REPORT FROM
NlIGATA.

Japan is country that offers spe-
cial difficulties to the apostle. There
fore we are glad to get reports from
its missionaries.
Rev. Joseph Reiners, S. V. D., is Pre-
feet Apostolic of Niigata, and his lat
est communication is both interesting
and comprehensive:
1T will consolation to the friends
of our mission to learn that our work
is going on despite of the disfavor of
the time. Though the number of the
faithful has diminished by little,
mostly on account of deaths and mi
grafton into other missions, on the
other hand the noticeable increase of
the number of catechumens gives US
good hope for the new year.
"A special blessing was on the diff
ferent institutions of our mission.
The number of the pupils of the
Young Ladies' School of Akita showed
a considerable increase, so that we
were obliged to take recourse to the
rooms of the kindergarten, which we
had to give UP subsequently. The
school enjoys a good reputation The
children of the Orphan Asylum are
our joy and our hope. But from want
OF space we can hardly admit new
children. The Holy Ghost Hospital of
kanazawa does a work full of blessing
Here, too, the space is getting ineffi-
cient. Both in Kanazawa and in Aki-
ia the Sisters are lodged in part of
the buildings of the institutions, as
they have no, dwelling as yet.
But there is another question that
demands very much more urgently a
solution. That is the question of JAP
anese assistant workers. This touches
the very heart and life of our mis-.
sion. We have no more than six cate
chists in all for fourteen missionaries
whilst in a well established mission
every single missionary should have
seyeraf catechists. Anyone having an
idea of what mission work is must
admit that we can expect no great
success with just six catechists among
a population of six million souls. But
how to get good catechists?
Last year we founded st. Pauls
College in Niigata to which graduates
of Middle Schools, or such who had
at least finished the fourth year OF
Middle School, should be admitted
and trained in a three years course
But it soon appeared that of such
young men not many apply for the
profession of a catechist. So we de
termined to found a seminary for edu
eating such boys who feel in them
the vocation to become catechists OF
priests. Despite the hardships of the
time, we are going to open the sem
mary at Easter, 1919, trusting to Goo
and our benefactors, under the protec
ton of Saint John, the Apostle and
Evangelist, who will be the patron o.
the seminary: 90" ~"'s'''j 1'~ I"
The salvation of the souls entrust
ed to us depends on this seminary. Il
we get able japanese assistant work
ers, the success of our mission viii
be sure. That the Russian mission
was SO fourishing for some time il
the past, that the Protestant missions
have got so many adherents, is due
to the fact that they from the very
beginning turned their attention tt
the training of Japanese assistant
workers.. Dear reader, could you al
low the mission of the great Catholic
Church being forced to forego, fol
lack of resources, the indispensable
help of native assistant workers?
TO our friends and benefactors
who in the past year so faithfully
helped us through these hard times,
herewith render, in the name of al
our missionaries, my hearty thanks
and wish them Gods abundant bless
ings."