Page 29 Advertisements Column 1

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXII, Issue 46, 17 November 1904, Page 29

According to the most trustworthy statistics 1 (says the ' Aye Maria '), the i army of Catholic mission'aiies engaged in evangelising pagan lands numbers 15,000 priests, 5000 Brothers, and 45,000 Sisters. The number would undoubtedly be far. -larger if tbe,laity were made more familiar with the financial needs of the missions, and the small obstacles that hinder g, v <eat results to the Church and to the souls of men. According to a writer in ' Illustrated Catholic Missions ' the Yicariate of Fiji has a Catholic population of over 12,000 out of a total population of 122,000, of whom 98,000 are natives. The first Catholic mission station was founded in 1844, and there are now 16 central stations and 273 out-stations, with 65 churches and chapels, 28 Marfet priests, an equal number of Brothers, 49 Sisters, and 31 elementary schools with close on 2500 pupils. The establishment of the Catholic Church preceded by thirty years the British annexation, •which took place in 1874.

E>Yil A T»"a* ft "ftTT\ f**fS DRAPERS CHBISTCHUECH, respectfully rpr,uo«t yonr support and kind JS.WS#J VU,, recommendation