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 MISSION 506 MISSION

the seminaries in France were closed by the Gov- Tien-tsin, is at present apostolic administrator. In cmment, and he was sent as superior to the semi- the autumn of 1921 the first American Lazarists to nary of Noto, Italy, remaining tnere for ten years; undertake mission work in the Celestial Empire elected superior general by an almost unanimous reached Kan-chow, the seat of the new vicariate, assembly. The congregation has accepted 80 new The first superior is Fr. John O^Shea, and his corn- houses within the last ten years. A few of these, panions are Frs. Daniel McGiUicuddy, Leo Cahill, however, are revivals of institutions suppre^ed dur- Francis Meade, Thomas Crossley, with four stuing various European revolutions. The new founda- dents, Messrs. Stauble, Colbert, McLaughlin, and tions are chiefly in countries outside of Europe, Erbe. As soon as the Americans are sufficiently and the restorations in France, Germany, and ro- acquainted with the language and customs of the land. Recently deceased notable members of the coimtry, one of them will be chosen vicar apostolic, congregation are the former assistants, Frs. Allou, In 1918 Bishop Jarlin of Peking invited the Irish Meout, and Forrestier. Province to take charge of St. Joseph's Church,

The canonical status of the Congregation of the Peking. IV. Patrick O'Gorman volunteered for that

Mission conforms to Book II, title XVII, De mission, and on his arrival in the capital at once

Religioffis. set about opening a school for natives and for

Europe. — In Europe the Congregation of the Mis- Europeans. That school is now flourishing, sion suffered serious losses during the great war. Perata.— The Province of Persia barely exists. Many priests, students, novices, and Brothers either Constant political changes, Mohammedan fanati- fell on the battlefield or died of wounds contracted cism, and fury render the existence of Catholic during military service. The dismemberment of missions in Persia extremely difficult. When in the Austro-Hungarian Empire brought on a national 1918 the Russians, who had held the Turks and crisis which had both civil and religious efifects. Kurds in check, abandoned Urmiah, these last were In fact, it became expedient to divide the Austrian determined to return and exterminate the Christ province of the congregation according to racial tians. On two different occasions they were re- groupings into Austrian, Hungarian, and Jugoslav, pulsed by the Assvrian Christians, but at length The restored nationality of Poland had a cor- forcing their way by superior numbers they suc- responding effect upon the religious and ecclesias- ceeded in capturins Urmiah, where they ruthlessly tical organization of the nation. In particular the massacred Arclibishop Sontag, Delegate Apostolic Priests of the Mission, who had been established, and Provincial of the Lazarist Province of Persia, in Warsaw by St. Vincent himself about the middle Frs. Dinkha, L'Hotellier, and Miraziz met with a of the seventeenth century, were, after long absence, like fate. Archbishop James Sontag was bom at recalled to that city by the present archbishop. Dinsheim, Diocese of Strasburg, in 1869. He made The Church of the Holy Cross, founded in Warsaw his early studies at Prime Combe, and was received in 1651, and twenty-two seminaries were under the into the congregation in 1887. Ordained priest in direction of the Priests of the Mission, when Russia 1895 he was sent first to Urmiah and afterwards to endeavored to quench the spirit of Polish nation- Teheran. After the death of Archbishop Lesne. ality and extinguish Catholicity in the country in Fr. Sontae was made Apostolic Delegate and Arch- 1864. Passports to return to Warsaw and take bishop of Ispahan, and was consecrated in the possession of Holy Cross Church were granted to chapel of the mother-house of the Lazarists in the Polish Lazarists by the German Government Pans in 1910 by Archbishop Amette. He was in 1918. The Missionaries have thus resumed the decorated by the Shah of Persia in 1917, and re- work first undertaken by St. Vincent de Paul in ceived the croix de guerre in the same year. At 1651. Yoimg priests who are taking graduate the cost of his life he remained with his afflicted courses in theology in the University of Warsaw flock when threatened by the Turks. The present are imder the direction of the Lazarists, one of superior of the Lazarist mission is Aristide Chatelet, whom is professor of Sacred Scripture and another appointed in 1919. Fr. Paul Bedjan, CM., the director of the diocesan seminary. The parish in distinguished Orientalist, who died at Cologne 9 Vilna has also been restored to the congregation. June, 1920, was bom at Kosrova, Persia, in 1840. The Province of Holland was constituted in 1920. He was of Chaldean origin and modest parentage. It embraces also the missions of Bolivia in South His early studies gave promise of his future suc- America and the Vicariate of Eastern Chi-li in cess in mastering Syriac and Neo-Aramaic. With China. indefatigable energy Fr. Bedjan edited some forty

Africa. — ^The Province of Algiers, to which is volumes upon every variety of ecclesiastical science,

attached Abyssinia, has been revived and the semi- and his work has been universally esteemed by

naries of Constantine and Oran are under the direc- Oriental scholars and by missionaries in Persia,

tion of the. Priests of the Mission. John Baptist India. — In 1920 the Province of Madrid, at the

Coulbeaux, who died at the mother-house in Paris request of Propaganda, sent four priests to Surada,

in 1921, had spent the greater part of his missionary district of Ganjan, Diocese of Vizagapatam, India,

life in Abyssinia, where, during his apostolic labors, that district to be made a vicariate within a few

he became proficient in the language of the coun- years.

try, and at the time of his death was preparing for America.— In 1913 Rt. Rev. Wm. Rojas, CM.,

publication a dictionary of the Amhara tongue. Bishop of Panama, requested the Visitor of the

Asia. — C/ima.— -The Lazarists now have eleven Eastern Province of the United States to send

vicariates in China. By Apostolic Brief of 27 April, some American priests to attend to the spiritual

1912, the Vicariate of Maritime Chi-li, with resi- needs of the Catholic employees of the United

dence at Tien-tsin, was created by division of the States Government in the Zone. Fr. Thomas Mc-

Vicariate of Northern Chi-li. Fr. Paul Dumond, Donald volunteered for that mission. Within a

C. M., was named its first Vicar Apostolic, and few years he built a church at Balboa and chapels

was consecrated Bishop of Curubis 30 June, 1912. at stations along the Canal. Fr. Peter Bums, his

The vicariate is territorially the smallest in China, assistant, has been equally active at Christobal and

but numerically one of the largest. In 1920 the Colon. The missions of Bocas del Toro and

Holy See created a new vicariate in Southern Almirante also have for some years been served

Kiang-si and entrusted it to the Eastern Province by Lazarists. At present seven priests are engaged

of the United States. Bishop Dumond, formerly of in the Panama mission. In Central America a new