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COCHIN

monastery, was spared by the conquerors and con- verted to their own rehgious use. When the Enghsh expelled the Dutch, 20 Oct., 179.5, they kept this church for the same ])urpose; it stands to-day a wit- ness to the events of the past four centuries, and is considered the oldest existing church in India. The magnificent cathedral was turned by the Dutch into a warehouse for merchandise. In 1806 it was blown up by the English.

From 1663 until the diocese was reorganized in 1886, the bishops of Cochin resided at Quilon. In 1896 work was begun on the Cathedral of the Holy Cross of Cocliin by Bishop Ferreira, amid great sacri- fices. In April, 1897, when almost complete, the building collapsed, entailing a heavy loss. Bishop Ferreira died at Goa, 4 May, the same year. Bishop Oliveira Xavier took charge of the diocese in March, 1898, removed the debris of the fallen building and successfully carried the work to completion. The cathedral was opened for Divine worship, 9 Aug., 1903. Brother Moscheni, the famous Italian jjainter of India, belonging to the Jesuit mission of Mangalore, was secured to decorate the cluirch, but had hardly finished the sanctuary when he died, 1 4 Nov. , 1905. The cathe- dral was consecrated 19 Nov., 1905, by Bishop Pereira of Damaun, Archbishop ad honorem of Cranganore.

II. Religious Conditions. — TheChurcliof Cochin has suffered some rigorous persecutions. The most severe was that of 1780, commenced by Nagam Pillay, Dewan of Travancore, in which 20,000 converts fled to the mountains, to escape his cruelties, and many died as martyrs. Father Joao Falcao, S. J., was the only priest left to console the sufferers. There were other less severe persecutions in 1787, 1809, and 1829 (Paulinus a S. Bartholoma"0, "India Orient. Chris- tiana", 165 sqq.; also "Church History of Travan- core", Madras, 1903, Introduction, 55). In a general way there has always been a kind of mild persecution or animosity on the part of Hindu Governments and authorities against Christians. Tiie growth of the Catholic Church is at present affected especially by the "Law of Disability" in force in the Native States of Malabar, by which a convert becomes a stranger to his family, and forfeits all rights of inheritance. The government schools, in which the young are reared in religious indifferent ism, form also a remarkable hin- drance to conversions, especially among the higher classes.

III. Statistics. — In all, twenty Bishops of Cochin have actually taken possession of the see ("Mitras Lusitanas noOriente", I, III; "Annuario da Arch, de Goa", 1907). The total population of the diocese is 398,000; Catholics, 97,259. The number of conver- sions averages 300 a year. The diocese contains 30 parishes, 9 missions, 77 churches and chapels, 62 secular priests (58 natives of India), 4 Jesuits; 8 Anglo-vernacular parochial schools, with an attend- ance of 480 boys and 128 girls, 77 vernacular paro- chial schools, with an attendance of 6592. The Sis- ters of the Canossian Congregation number 15 in two convents. The following educational and charitable institutions arc at Cochin: Santa Cruz High School for boys, under the Jesuit Fathers, and St. Mary's High School for girls under the Canossian Sisters, both of which prepare students for the Indian univer- sities; they have an average daily attendance respec- tively of 335 and 153; at Alleppi the Jesuit Fathers conduct the Leo XIII High School for boys, with an average daily attendance of 380; an orphanage with 16 orphans; a catechumcnate with 5 catechumens; a printing office; an industrial school. They also have cliarge of the preparatory seminary of the" diocese, in which 20 stvidents are now enrolled. For philosophy and theology students are sent either to the patri- archal seminary at Rachol, Goa, or to the papal sem- inary at Kandy, Ceylon; at the former there are now 6, at the latter 5, students from Cochin. The Canos-

sian Sisters at Alleppi conduct the following institu- tions for girls: St. Joseph's Intermediate School, at- tendance 160; a normal training school, attendance 7; a technical school, attendance 29; an orphanage with 56 orphans; a catechumcnate, attendance 21, and a dispensary for the benefit of the ]>oor. The religious associations of the diocese are as follows: confraterni- ties, 64; congregations of the Third Order of St. Fran- cis, 3; Association of the Holy Family, 1; Conferences of St. Vincent de Paul, 2; Society for the relief of the Souls in Purgatory, 2; Sodalities of the Children of Mary, 6; Misericordia Confraternity, 1; The Apostle- ship of Prayer is establislied in all the parish churches, and the Association of Christian Doctrine in all churches and chapels of the diocese. (See Goa; Portugal; Indi.\..)

Besides documents mentioned above see also Madras Cath. Directory (1908); Mullbauer. Kathol. Miss, in OsHndien (Frei- burg. 1852); DE SiLVA. The Calh. Ch. in India (Bombay, 1885); Werner, Orfc. Terrarum (Freiburg, 1890).

J. Monteiro d'Aguiar.

Cochin, Jacques-Denis, preacher and philanthro- pist, b. in Paris, 1 January, 1726; d. there 3 June, 1783. His father, Claude- Denis Cochin (d. 1786), Avas a famous botanist. Jacques-Denis followed a course of theo- logical studies in the Sorbonne and was graduated with the degree of Doctor. In 1755 he was ordained priest. The next year he was given charge of the par- ish of Saint-Jacques-du-Haut-Pas. There he spent his whole life working for the material as well as the spiritual betterment of his people. He won great fame for the unction and strength of his preaching. His pubhshed works include: Four books of Sunday sermons (Paris, 1786-1808); "Exhortations on the Feasts, Fasts and Ceremonies of the Church " (Paris, 1778); "Retreat Exercises" (Paris, 1778); "Spiritual Writings", a posthumous work pubhshed by his brother (Paris, 1784). Cocliin is noted especially for his philanthropy. The needs of his own parish suggested the foundation of a hospital. The idea, conceived in 1780, resulted in the completion of a building of which the Sisters of Charity took charge. The inscription on the building. Pauper clamavil et Dominus exaudint eum, is an index of Cocliin's intentions. He devoted his whole fortune to the work. The hospital was in- augurated with thirty-eight beds; to-day the number is nearly four hundred. It was originally called H6- pital Saint-Jacques. In 1801 the General Council of the Paris hospitals gave it the name of its charitable founder, which it still preserves.

J. B. Delaun-a-y.

Cochin, PiERRE-Suz.ANNE-.\uGUSTiN, b. in Paris, 12 Dec, 1823; d. at Versailles, 13 March, 1872. He took an early interest in economical and political questions and contributed articles to the "Annates de Charity" and "Le Correspondant ". In 1850 he was elected vice-mayor, and in 1853 mayor of the tenth district of Paris. His publications won for him membership in the Academic des sciences morales et politiques (1864). He was at that time prominent among the " Liberal Catholics", an ardent friend of Montalembert and Lacordaire, and was supported by his party for the office of deputy of Paris. He received 6000 votes, but his democratic opponent won by an over- whelming majority. Among his many religious, pedagogical, and sociological works we may name: Essai sur la vie, lesmethodes d'inst ruction et d'^du- cation, et les ^tablissements de Pestalozzi" (Paris, 1848); " Lettre sur I'^tat du pauperisrae en Angle- terre" (Paris, 1854); "Progres de la science et de I'industrie au point de vue chr^tien" (Paris, 1854); "Abolition de I'esclavage" (Paris, 1861), crowned by the French .\cademy; "Quelques mots sur la vie de J^sus de Renan" (1863); Condition des ouvriers frangais" f 18(32); " Espdrances chretiennes " (post- humous publication). J. B. Del.aunat.