South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-07-24
FIRST DELEGATION
FOR HOLY CROSS
AT NOTRE DAME
Only Bishop of Order Reaches
University For General
Chapter.


Among the first delegations % ar
rive az Notre Dame for the general
Chapter Of the Congregation OF Holy
Cross. O. the Indian representation.
headed By Mgr LeGrand. bishop OF
-Dacca. and vicar Of The province OF
eastern Bengal The only bishop
within the Holy Cross order. ne has
q marked career not often pressed
into the life OF a single Individual
Mgr LeGrand was born in Nor
mandy. France. Ga 1850. AT the age
81 20 he entered the seminary Of
the celebrated Paris Foreign mis-
Eionary society. founded in the 18th
century. At his ordination Pr.
LeGrand INN ediately Joined a band
OF missioners en- route 20 Japan. For
eight years he labored IN the noun
tains CT northern islands where the
climate IS almost directly opposite
OF the common conception. The har-
vest Of his labOrs among the Jap
sneSe peasants, was just ripe when
Broken health, the result OF the
vigorous weather. forced him 10 re-
turn 20 France. and leave the mis-
eionary order.
Joins Holy Gross.
After a Few years rest. he joined
the Congregation OF Holy Cross. and
was ordered 20 Rome. as professor
in a missionary school OF the COM
snunity. Following a short term at
teaching. he was appointed procur-
etor OF the Roman monastery OF the
order OF Holy Cross. as administra-
TOR OF the affairs OF the body. This
position he retained many years.
until, finally, his health returned,
he could no longer resist the mis-
sionary spirit. and enlisted with
Holy Cross mission band bound for
Bengal
Here he worked among the Mo-
hammedians. Buddhists Shintoists.
and innUmerable other pagan sects.
gathering IN an increasing harvest,
every year. When in 1915. the
death OF bishop Linneborn made
vacancy in the Bengalese sea, Mgr.
JeGrand was chosen the successor.
The diocese OF Dacca covers an area
OF approximately 1900 square
miles. and includes over 2O.000,000
souls. II Is situated in the fertile
delta or the hundred-mOuthed Can
ges. For the greater part OF the
year, the temperature in Bengal
ranges between 100 and 1O4. At no
period Of the year does il ever go
below TO-.
Is Intellectual Province.
According 10 the Indian mission
ary, Bengal is the most intellectual
province Of the Indies The entire
province has a population OF Al
900, 900, almost equal with that of
England. A curious fact, mentioned
by the priest, is, that while about
one in 10 OF the Bengalese can read
and write. there are more than 26,-
600 university students, a number
approximating the enrolment IN
Britain. The proportion OF young
men in Bengal who are taking full
time university courses Is almost 10
times as great as in the United
Kingdom The universities at Cal
cutta and Dacca, have branches in
hundreds OF small villages in Ben
gal.
The great majority OF the students
pursue purely literary courses,
which do not lit them for anything
but teaching and legal careers.
This fact which indicates that the
educated classes are thinkers. de-
clares the missionary. is the key 20
the surging discomfort which is
going on throughout the province.
''Sandeshi' IN Bengal is the same
as Sim Fein In Gaelic and India
IS feverishly awaiting the coming
! December when the Prince Of Wales
will open a national parliament in
India. The right reverend mission
Eary considers the Bengalese quite
capable OF governing themselves.