The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-04-05
LETTER FROM MISSIONARY OF
LEPERS.

The letter quoted below was re-
ceived recently by Ri. Rev. Peter
Engel, O. S. B., Abbot of st. Johns
Abbey, Collegeville, MINI. 1t is but
a little more evidence of the heroism
and self-sacriicing spirit of the nun
and the missionary priest. Father
Fuchs, O. S. b. was in the States some
years ago collecting funds for his mis-
sions in East Africa. His letter reads:
Daressalam, East Africa,
December IS, 1918.
Right Reverend Father Abbot:
Today l received your kind card Of
February 5, 1918. 1t gladdened my
heart with your precious gift of SYM
pathy which is so rare in these times.
am here at the coast of the In
dian ocean, hundreds of miles away
from my mission. Only a few days
after I had sent you the letter of Oc-
tober Is, 1917, we received orders to
leave the mission Our two nuns who
were in charge of the lepers were
given the choice to depart with us or
to remain in their charge. Needless
TO say, they stuck to their post al
though they foresaw very well that
they would be alone for many weary
months to come. We left them to the
protection of the Almighty and He
gave them stout hearts to look after
the mission and thes'lepers amid so
many trials and hardships. A good
many lepers and other Christians died
amid the prayers of these two nuns,
alas. without the comforting Sacra-
ments, their priests having been
brought far away as prisoners. In
August of this year two French priests
went to the mission. After stay OF
only three weeks they were called
away to join the army. Again the
Sisters and the Christians were alone
for two months and then-the Sisters
themselves were removed from the
mission and brought here. What af
Fiction to the lepers and to all of us!
Some time afterwards another French
priest went there and he is still stay
| ing. On November % he wrote:
The poor lepers, especially those
| who are no longer able to leave their
| miserable huts, are daily clamorine
| for their 'mammas' who looked sc
| we'll after them" In his latest letter
! of the 9th of the month he says:
This very moment l received dep
utation from the lepers, they com
plain that they are literally dying OF
| starvation" You can imagine how We
feel at the receipt of such reports
May the Merciful God hasten the rise
of better times!
A few days ago we were told that
we shall shortly be allowed to return
to our missions. How gladly ant
eagerly shall we retrace our steps tt
| our lonely missions! Alas, we shall
| find great misery and distress espe
cially among the lepers. Besides thu
hunger of which they complained tt
the French priest, they are sadly il
want of some clothing. True, cloth
ing has now been imported, but it i!
very expensive, so that only very few
of them could buy sheet; the great
er number are stilh clad with small
pieces of bark round their loins.
l am sorry l cannot give you an!
directions where to send the money
but this does not matter, your care
announcing the gift is as good as ;
check. May God bless the good fam
lily. l should be very grateful to sa!
Masses for your Intentions.
Believe me, Right Reverend Fathe
Abbot
Yours very sincerely,
EUSTACE FUCHS, o. S. B