The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-11-08
FATHER O'SULl|VAN
IRISH PRIEST FROM THE AFRICAN
MISSION FIELD SEEKS AID FOR
DESTITUTE CHURCHES-WOR
OF CHURCH BADLY HAMPERED
BY WAR.

An Irish missionary who arrived
from Ireland and from France only
three weeks ago, the Rev. D. J. O'Sul-
Ivan of the Foreign Missionary Soci-
ETY. OF Lyons, France, preached in St.
Mlchaels Church on Sunday last and
lectured in the parish hall on Mon
day night to a crowded and a most
appreciative audience. Father O'Sul-
Ivan will preach next Sunday in st.
Luke's and st. Marks Churches. He
will deliver an illustrated lecture on
Sunday night, November 9, at O'Clock.
The admission to the lecture will be
free.
Previous to his return to Europe in
July last Father O'Sullivan's lectures
had been attracting considerable at
tention throughout the eastern do
ceses. The purpose of his mission to
America is to secure assistance for
his Society's missions which are now
reduced, as a consequence Of the Euro
pean war, to conditions of EXTREMIST
need. He makes no collections in
the church or at the homes of the peo-
pie. Neither is there any previous
sending of lecture tickets In this way
the possibility of hampering local
church work is reduced to a minimum.
The facts which follow will show
how disastrously recent happenings in
Europe have affected the foreign mis-
sions. Father O'Sullivan represents
and emphasizes the appeal he has
been sent to voice. During the past
five years the Central Seminary of the
Society at Lyons, on which the mis-
sions are dependent for their most
essential requirements, served the
purposes of a military barracks. The
French government also requisitioned
the services of nearly two hundred
IprleSts, Brothers and Seminarists for
the trenches or the ambulance depart
ment. Of these 33 have been killed
or died OF wounds, others MANNED for
life. AS consequence more than halt
of the Society's missions in Africa re,
manned during the five years dura-
ton of the war abandoned to the ten.
der mercies of non-Catholic propa
ganda, while their bases of supply in
France were practically paralyzed.
At the general assembly of the So
ciety recently held in Lyons a finan,
cial statement was made which inten.
SITES these desperate conditions. Some
six years ago the funds which the So
ciety possessed for its missionary pur.
poses were invested in Russian, Ger.
man Austrian and Ottoman securities
The investment in Russian securities
alone amounted to $4,000. One OF
the disastrous consequences of the
war has been that these investments
are now worthless, and the Central
House of the Society which supplies
the missions with their first and most
essential requirements stands reduced
to a helpless dependence for it's cur
rent expenses on outside aid.
Father O'Sullivan's work in the
Archdiocese will be conducted under
the auspices of the Propagation of
the Faith. The results of his lectures
will pass to their destination through
the diocesan office of Reverend Father
Byrnes in whose annual report each
parish in which a lecture has been
delivered will be credited with the
amount.
The Most Reverend Archbishop
wishes on the work every blessing,
and bespeaks for Father O'Sullivan a
courteous reception throughout the
diocese.