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KWANG-TXJNG

Jesuit Fathers o( the Belgian province. The late Father Emil van Hencxthoven (1S52-1906) was its first superior. He left Belgium 6 March, 1S93, with two fathers, one scholastic and two lay l^rothers, and reached the mission towards the end of May. Un- fortunately, owing to the hardships of the voyage, one of the fathers died on the way. By decree of 30 January, 1903, the Kwango mission was made a prefecture Apostolic (Prsefectura Apostolica Kwangen- sis), the first prefect Apostolic being Father Julian Banckaert, S.J., whose residence is at Kisantu, the chief mission station. The prefecture comprises the civil districts of Eastern Kwango and that of Stanley Pool as far to the north as the River Kassai. It is located between 4° to 8° S. latitude and 15° to 20° E. longitude. Its boundaries are to the north the River Kassai, to the east the range of hills between Rivers Loange and Jjuma; to the south Portuguese territory; to the west the River Inkisi and the rail- way to Leopoldville. The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur have two important institutions at Kisantu and at Nlemfu, where they provide for more than one thousand native girls. Julian Banckaert, S.J., was born at Bruges in 1847, entered the diocesan semi- nary, and was ordained in 1871. He joined the Society of Jesus in 1875, and was sent to Bengal in 1S78. There he was successively a missionary, superior of the mission, and military chaplain, till, in 1901, he was sent to the Kwango mission. Missiones CatholiccE (Rome, 1907).

J. Banckaeht.

Kwang-si, Prefecture Apostolic op. — The mis- sion of Kwang-si comprises the entire province of that name. As a country, it is very mountainous and ex- tremely poor. The province has a population of about ten million souls divided among several distinct races, the most remarkable of whom are the settlers from Canton, the Hakkas, and the wild Yao-tse and Miao- tse. The first missionary to Kwang-si was the Jesuit Father Ruggieri, who in 1583 endeavoured without success to establish himself at the capital, Kwei-lin. Fifty years later, the Franciscan, Francesco d'Esca- lone, arrived at Wu-chou. About the middle of the seventeenth century. Father Koffler built a church at Kwei-lin and baptized at Nan-ning, under the name of Constantine, a son of the Emperor Yung-li, a pretender of the Ming dynasty, who still combatted in the southern part of the empire the advancing Manchu conquerors. Father Boym laboured in company with Father Koffler. In 1692 Father Jacques Vidal en- deavoured to give further impulse to the work of his predecessors, and then came Fathers Chamaya and Lopez. At the same time the Spanish Augustinians established themselves at Kwei-lin and Wu-chou, and the Franciscans at Ping-lo-fu. All were expelled in 1724 by the Emperor Yung Cheng, and Kwang-si thenceforth remained without missionaries for a hun- dred and thirty years. In 1848 Kwang-si, united to the mission of Kwang-tung, was confided to the Paris Society of Foreign Missions. In 1854 Blessed Auguste Chapdelaine first entered the province from Kwei- chou, but was arrested and thrown into the prison of Si-lin-hien ten days after his arrival. Liberated after sixteen or eighteen days of captivity, he ministered until 1856. Up to this date he had baptized several hundred catechumens, but he was again arrested, taken to Si-lin, condemned to death, and executed on 29 February of the same year, with Blessed Laurence Pe-mu and Agnes Tsau-kong. In 1866 several mis- sionaries again penetrated Kwang-si, but were unable to stay long. In ISliS hatln r Mihiere was appointed superior to the mission oC Kwang-si, but died in 1871. Under his direction several missionaries were able to enter the province. Among them was Father Foucard, who evangehzed Shang-sze, while lal)0uring in the disguise of a wood-cutter to avoid arousing the suspicions of the mandarins.

On 6 August, 1875, Pius IX made Kwang-si a pre- fecture Apostolic, and placed it under the authority of Father Jolly, previously missionary in Kwang-tung. At this same period were founded the districts of Kwei-hien and of the "hundred thousand mountains" among the wild Yao-tse. Father Jolly died in 1878, and Mgr Foucard was made titular Bishop of Zela and Prefect Apostolic of Kwang-si. The Chinese author- ities placed many obstacles in the way of the free spread of the Gospel. Mgr Foucard was obliged to proceed personally to Pekin and demand justice, but he obtained no satisfaction. The Franco-Chinese War in 1884 served to increase the difficulties of this mis- sion. Fathers Lavest and Pernet were subjected to cruel treatment and several Christian commimities were uprooted. Only the communities established among the savages and at Si-lin enjoyed relative tran- quillity. Mgr Foucard died in 1889, and was succeeded by Mgr Chouzy. Under the direction of the new pre- fect, other communities were established, and finally a certain measure of liberty was accorded to the mission- aries. Often, however, sudden revolts seriously inter- fered with their labours. Two missionaries, Fathers Mazel and Bertholet, were massacred in different dis- tricts. In 1899 Mgr Chouzy died, and in the following year Mgr Lavest undertook the direction of the mission. During the Boxer troubles but three residences and a few other houses belonging to Christians were pillaged. Mgr Lavest subsequently moved his residence from Kwei-hien to Nan-ning, intending to erect a cathedral at the latter place. Two French schools have been established, one at Nan-ning and one at Kwei-lin, by the Little Brothers of Mary. Nuns of St. Paul of Chartres have established themselves at Nan-ning and Long-chau. During 1908 they have reheved 4300 sufTerers at their dispensary in Nan-ning and 4000 at that in Long-chau.

The following figures give the condition of the mis- sion at the various periods named: In 1889, 1 bishop, 11 missionaries, 1 seminary, 21 schools with 211 pu- pils, 16 churches and chapels, 1249 Catholics. In 1900, 1 bishop, 17 missionaries, 1 seminary with 16 students, 24 schools with 310 scholars, 32 churches and chapels, 110 baptisms of native adults and 61 baptisms of native children, 1536 Catholics. In 1908, 1 bishop, 27 missionaries, 4 native priests, 2 seminaries with 16 students, 34 schools with 379 pupils, 311 baptisms of adults and 113 baptisms of native children, 4214 Catholics.

Launay, Atl^s de la SocUie des Missions Elrangbres de Paris (P.aris, 1890). V. H. MONTANAK.

Kwang-tung, Prefecture Apostolic of. — This prefecture cuinpriscs the whole province of that name except the civil prefecture of Shin-hing, the three districts of lleung-shan, Yan-ping, and Yeung-tsun, which belong to the Diocese of Macao, and the three districts of San-on, Kwai-shin, and Hoi-fung, which belong to the Vicariate Apostolic of Hong-Kong.

St. Francis Xavier was the first missionary who attempted to penetrate the province of Kwang-tung (15.52), but he died in the Island of Shang-ch'wan (St. John's Island), south-west of Macao, before he was able to preach Christianity there. In 1556 Father Melchior Barreto penetrated as far as Canton, where he discussed science and moral theology with the mandarins; other Jesuits followed, and in 1581 Father Rvtggieri secured authorization to open a chapel. In 1582 the real foiuider of ('hristianity in China, Father Matteo Ricci, arrived at Canton. From Canton Father Ricci went to Shin-hing, then the capital of the province, and afterwards to Shin-ohou, where he met for the first time the celelirated Sin, a native of Kiang-nan. He then travelled towards Ki[nig-si and Nanking, establishing on the way ('hristi:ui settle- ments, which have persevered to the |)resent time. Until 1658 Kwang-tung was dependent on the Diocese of Macao. In that year it was confided to Mgr de la