THE CHURCH IN CEYLON.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2, 11 January 1900, Page 10

THE CHURCH IN CEYLON.

In the course of a review of the progress of the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Colombo, Ceylon, the Catholic Messenger sayß :— There has been a great increase in the number of missionaries, convents, orphanages, missions, and churches. An Ecclesiastical Seminary which numbers at present 32 students has been established. St. Joseph's College, which was opened on March 2, 1896, has already 610 boys on its roll ; its success has been marvellous. St. Benedict's Institute, conducted by the devoted and hardworking Brothers of Christian Schools, never had so many pupils — 645 boys aro attending their College. A large Orphanage for boys with a Training and Industrial Schools, directed by the native Brothers of St. Vincent de Paul and the European Oblate Lay Brothers, has been started at Maggona. This establishment and the Congregation of the native Brothers are in a very nourishing state. A Reformatory for youthful offenders, who number already 85, has been entrusted by Government to the Director of the said Orphanage. Two other Orphanages have been established, one at Negombo, and another at Moratuwa. In that last place the Franciscan Nuns, Missionary Ladies of Mary, have built also a large Convent, and have a good English School for girls. The Sisters of that Order have been put in charge of the nursing department at the Colombo General Hospital. The Little Sisters of the Poor opened ten years ago a Home for the Aged which has at present two wards and shelters 130 inmates. In less than six years the Sisters of the Holy Family have inaugurated in the North Western Province five Convents for the native Sisters of St. Peter, who count now 83 members in their Congregation.

In the educational returns from September 1, 1898, to August 31, 1891), we notice that the Archdiocese of Colombo possesses at present, besides St. Joseph's College and St. Benedict's Institute, and the Eotahena Convent High School, 11 English schools for boys, and 10 for girls ; 150 Vernacular schools for boys, and 151 for girls. Most of the girls' Vernacular schools in the Kalutara, Colombo, and Negombo Districts are conducted by the native Sisters of St. Francis Xavier ; whilst in the Districts of Nainamadama, Chilaw, and Kurune?ala almost all the girls in the Vernacular Schools are taught by the native Sisters of St Peter. The total number of schools in the Archdiocese amounts to 325, frequented, by 27,547 pupils. The following figures taken from the Ecclesiastical returns from September 1, 1898, to August 31, 1899, speak for themselves and need no comment on our part ; they show the enormous work done by the clergy of the Archdiocese. Nine hundred and ninetythree adults were received into the Church ; 9167 baptisms were administered ; and 1 728 marriages were solemnised.