Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 13.djvu/490

 SANDWICH ISLANDS

438

SANDWICH ISLANDS

Naval Academy from Maryland in 1859, from which he graduated four years later, he served with the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron during the Civil ^^'ar. \\'hile only an ensign he was twice recom- mended by boards of admirals to be advanced in grade for gallantry. After the war he had commands in the West India Squadron, and later had charge of the Brooklvn, Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington Navv Yards. He was made rear-admiral, 11 April, 1902", and commanded at the Naval Academy, 1906-07, introducing a much needed reform in spite of oppo.si- tion in many quarters. This was his last active duty as he retired in 1907 after a sea service of eighteen years and four months and a shore duty of twenty- two years. His example as a Catholic was a strong influence in the navy in developing a spirit of toler- ance towards Catholics in the service, and in making religious practices of whatever creed more respected His wife was Mary Ehzabeth Meade, of the famous Philadelphia family of that name, who became a con- vert. His son WiUiam Franklin was United States Minister to Guatemala, and two of his daughters, Clara and Hilda, became Rehgious of the Sacred Heart.

Am. Cath. Who's Who (St. Louis, 1911); Furey in U. S. Cath. Hist. Soc. Hist. Records and Studies (New York, 1911-12); Free- man's Journal (New York) files; U. S. Naval Register.

Thomas F. Meehan.

Saaidwich Islands, Vicariate Apostolic of the, comprises all the islands of the Hawaiian group. They he just within the northern tropic, between 18° 54' and 22° 15' north latitude, and between 154° 50' and 160° 30' of longitude west of Greenwich. These islands form the present Territory of Hawaii, and be- long to the United States. Honolulu, the capital, is on the Island of Oahu. Eight of the islands are inhab- ited, viz., Kauai, Niihau, Oahu, Molokai,Lanai, Maui, Kahoolawe, and Hawaii. Their population (1910) was 191,909.

The first Cathohc priests arrived at Honolulu on 9 July, 1827. They were the Rev. Alexis Bachelot, prefect Apostolic, the Rev. Abraham Armand, and the Rev. Patrick Short. The first two were natives of France, and the third of Ireland. All three were members of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, called also the Society of Picpus, from the name of the street in Paris in which its mother-house is situated. They had been sent by Pope Leo XII. Protestant missionaries had arrived from New England as early as 1820, and had gained the king and chiefs over to their cause. As soon as the priests began to make converts a fierce persecu- tion was raised against the natives who became Cath- olics. They were ill-treated, imprisoned, tortured, and forced to go to the Prote.stant churches, and the priests were banished. Fathers Bachelot and Short were taken to a solitary spot in Lower California, far removed from any human habitation. In 1836 the Rev. Piobert Walsh, an Irish priest of the same Con- gregation, arrived at Honolulu, and through the in- tervention of the British consul, was enabled to re- main on the islands in spite of the ill-will of the Protestant party, which wanted to send him back on the ves.sel in which he had come. In 1837 Fathers Bachelot and Short returned from California, but religious persecution still continued. In the same year there arrived from France the Rev. Louis Maigret, who afterwards became bi.shop, and first Vicar Apo.s- tolic of the Sandwich Islands. He was not permitted to land, but was obliged to leave the country, togr'ther with Father liachelot. who was in very ffel)h' lie.-Uth. The latter, worn out by labour and trials, dierl at sea shortly after (5 Dec, 1837). In the year 18.39 the French Government put an end to this persecution.

On 9 July the twelfth anniversary of the arrival of the first Catholic priests, the French frigate "Art<j- mise", Captain Laplace, arrived at Honolulu. A few

hours after anchoring, the captain dispatched one of his officers to present to the king the following sum- mary request: (1) that the Catholic religion be de- clared free; (2) that all Catholics imprisoned on account of their religion be set at liberty; (3) that the Government give a suitable site at Honolulu for a Catholic Church; (4) that the king place in the hands of the captain of the "Artemise" the sum of $20,000, as a guarantee of his good-will and peaceful mind, said sum to be restored when the I>ench Government should feel satisfied that the above conditions had been fulfilled. Hostilities were to commence if the king failed to comply within forty-eight hours with the terms of this manifesto. All the conditions were readily accepted, and peace was concluded. From this time the Catholic priests have enjoyed a tolerable amount of liberty; but the Protestant missionaries and their friends have been identified with the Govern- ment and have had the important positions, using their influence as well as the government emoluments for the advancement of their cause.

In the year 1840 there arrived at Honolulu the Rt. Rev. Bishop Rouchouze, first vicar Apostolic of Oriental Oceania, appointed to this oflfice in 1833, and having jurisdiction not only in Hawaii, but also in Tahiti, the Marquesas, and other islands. He was accompanied by three other priests, one of whom. Rev. Louis Maigret, had been refused a landing at Honolulu in 1837. On 9 July, 1840, ground was broken for the foundation of the present Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace. On the same day 280 catechumens received baptism and confirmation. In January, 1841, Bishop Rouchouze returned to France, in search of labourers and resources for his mission. He was successful in obtaining a number of priests and sisters of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts. They left France in 1841 with a cargo of supplies on the schooner "Mary- Joseph", owned by the mi.^sion; but, un- fortunately, the v(>ss(>l was lost with all on board, not one surviving to tell the tale. This was a .severe blow for the young mi.ssion, and retarded its progress- for many years. On 15 August, 1843, the newly-finished cathedral of Honolulu was solemnly dedicated, and 800 Catholics received Holy Communion.

About this time Oriental Oceania was divided into three vicariates Apostolic: Tahiti, Marquesas, and Sandwich Islands. On 11 July, 1847, Pius IX ap- pointed the then prefect of the mission, the Very Rev. Louis Maigret, vicar Apostolic, to succeed Bishop Rouchouze and take charge of the Sandwich Islands Mission as a separate vicariate. From this time on the mission made slow but steady progress, in spite of the odds it had to contend with. The Protestant minis- ters found the an(ient belief of the aborigines in their idols already shaken and partly discarded (owing, prohahly, to the fact tliat foreigners broke the dreaded taboos without incurring the wrath of tlic gods). They taught the Hawaiians to wear clotlies, an(l to read and write the Hawaiian language. After having translated the Bible and given it to the natives, they considered the latter civiHzed and Christianized, and proceeded forthwith to develop the resources of the country. But this Christianity was superficial. The life-phi- lo.sophy of the weak and inconstant natives was to shun work and enjoy all the pleasures within reach. If the foreigners had ofTerefl them but one form of Christian- ity and harl illustrated it by their good example; if, above all, tlu; efforts at educating these grown-up children had been direr;ted more towards correcting the evil tf^ndencies of their hearts than cramming their minds with knowledge, the aborigines would cer- tainly have received the blessings of Christianity, lived by it, and nnilti))lied. But it was quite other- wise. The mild climate; the inheritance from their fathers of an unrestrained, ea.sygoing, indolent char- acter; the bad example of all classes of foreigners, who brought and spread the germs of disease; the contra-