Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 17.djvu/169

 CANONS 153 CANTON

form the DefinUorium or general chapter. The upon the See of Sion. The superior general is called chapter is convened every six years, and besides provost, and is elected for life; other superiors are those mentioned all abbots of the Congregation elected every three years. The parish priests are have a vote in the election of the abbot general nominated by the provost, and the visitors. The principal local superiors,

whose office runs for three vears, are appointed in Canton (Kuam-tom), Vicariate Apostouc op, in this chapter. A diet is held at the period of three China. This territory, erected into the prefecture yeare between the chapters for the appointment of apostolic of Kwang-tung in 1848, was raised to a local superiors as well as to discuss matters relating vicariate apostolic, and its name changed to Canton to the whole congregation. The change is now (Kuam-tom), by a Decree of 6 April, 1914. At the contemplated of extending to each community the same time part of its territory was taken from it faculty of- electing its own superiors, as was the to erect the Vicariate Apostolic of Swatow (Chao- ancient custom in the Order. The actual member- Chiou). Rt. Rev. Jean-Marie Merel, of the Foreign ship of the Congregation (excluding the Austrian Missions of Paris, to whom this vicariate is en- Canons) is roughly 260. In Italy there are ten trusted, former prefect apostolic of Kwang-tung houses. The IVench province has one abbey in and titular Bishop of Orcistus, was promoted to France and four houses in Belgium. In England vicar apostolic by the decree of erection. In 1908 there are four, besides dependencies. The Spanish- Bishop Merel traveled to Canada and induced the American Province consists of one house in Spain Missionaries of the Immaculate Conception, a and two in South America. In Poland there is newly founded order in Montreal, to open a house • one house with several dependencies. at Canton. They established the school of the

For the most part the Canons are occupied in Holy Ghost which, like their other works, flourished parochial, ministerial, and liturgical work. In some under the zealous g;uidance of the first superior, instances a mother-house forms the center of a Rev. Mother Mane de Lourdes. In 1911 the group of parishes served by them. The communi- Chinese Revolution somewhat interfered with the ties of Verres (Val d'Aosta), Cracow (Poland), work of evangelisation. The Republican party, Salta (Argentina), Bodwin (England), have several however, favored religious freedom and the Gov- parishes on this eyetem. In Rome the two large emment confided to the missionaries the care of

g Irishes of Sant' Agnese fuori le mura and S. the lepers. Rev. Father Conrardy was made iuseppe at Porta Pia are in the charge of the the first director, and under his wise and prudent Canons. administration a small hospital was soon built,

A very flourishing college at Salta, in the Argen- which was later enlarged and united to the Govern- tine Republic, has been under the direction of the ment hospital. The institution cared for one thou- Oinons for some years. The students number some- sand lepers. The establishment planned by Fathers thing over 300, and the community in charge about Conrardy and Fourquet, and the director of Ho- fifteen or sixteen. A new f oimdation has recently Ko-tsun, was regulated by an agreement signed by been made at Buenos Aires. Bishop Merel and the superintendent of Police at

The Church of S. Agnese, Rome, is the head- Chang-King-Wa. Later on a similar contract gave quarters of the Primaria sodality of the Children to the missionaries the direction of the niirseries of Mary, which has affiliations in every part of the and Government orphanages. In 1921 Father worid, and at the Church of S. Pietro in Vincoli Fourquet was officiallv charged with the charitable the Canons direct the Confraternity of St. Peter's works of the city of Canton. Bishop Merel re- Chains, signed and became an humble missionary in a

Attbtrian Canons Reoulab of the Lateran (cf. Chinese parish in the Diocese of Malacca in 1914, C. E., ni-296a). — In Austria there exists a congre- and his successor, Bishop Gu^briant was not gation of six hbuses of Lateran Canons in no way appointed until February, 1917. During the interim connected with those whose abbot general resides the vicariate apostolic was ably administered by in Rome. According to the catalogues of this Father Fourquet and also by Father Rayssac, who ▼ear these Canons number altogether 336. All the later became vickr apostolic of Swatow. A Decree nouses have a number of parishes attached to them ; of 9 April, 1920, took another portion of this vast that of St. Florian has as many as thirty-three, territory to erect the vicariate apostolic of Shiu- When we mention that this house has 102 mem- Kow, entrusted to the Salesian Fathers of Dom beiB in community, it may be realized that it is Bosco, with Rt. Rev. Luigi Vcrsiglia as vicar apos- these Canons who have preserved something of the tolic. The erection of Kwang-tung and Hainan, ancient splendor of the Order, though it is to be with Bishop Gautier as administrator, took place feared that they also are now sharing the extreme the following August. The American Missionaries difficulties with which Ontral Europe is beset. Car- of Maryknoll have joined the Foreign Missionaries dinal Piffl was Abbot of this congregation before his of Paris, and are awaiting the time when the region elevation to the Archiepiscopal See of Vienna in entrusted to their care will be made a separate 1914. vicariate.

Since the proclamation of the Republic the

Canons Segnlar of St. Angnstlne (cf. C. E., educational system has been improved and dc- IU-288c) have under their charge the hospices of veloped. The Sisters of the Immaculate Concep- the Great St. Bernard and Simplon and the Abbey tion (Chinese), founded by Father Fourquet m Nullius of Agaunum (q.v.). 1897, have done splendid work in directing the

Canons Regular of the Great St. Bernard (cf. schools and in giving religious instruction to women. C. E, ni-295b), number about sixty. The tradition The Little Sisters of the Poor established them- of affording hospitality to travelers is still main- selves in the vicariate in 1913. After having sue- tained at the two hospices of the Great St. Bernard cessively served as apostolic visitor to China and and the Simplon, but besides this work they have Siberia, Bishop Guebriant was elected Superior of various activities to engage them, having charge of the Society of Foreign Missions of Paris, and left a school of agriculture for the district of the Valais, China to take up his residence in Paris; his suc- and nine parishes dependent upon their monasteries, cessor has not yet been appointed. During the They have besides the direction of a sanatorium for period between 1911 and the present time the peo- consumptives, and four other parishes dependent pie have often chosen the missionaries to act as