A Great Missionary Society

New Zealand Tablet, 1 June 1911, Page 1025

A Great Missionary Society

The largest body of men in the foreign field is that of the Foreign Missions of Paris, whose annual report is brimful of interesting details. For instance, they have over a. million and a-half of Catholics under their jurisdiction. Counting the Japanese, Korean, and Chinese priests they have 839 native missionaries assisting them in the work of evangelisation. There are 4534 "schools and 139.428 pupils are educated by European and native Sisters. The most notable figure, however, is that of the converts made during the past year. Not counting, of course, the children who were baptised when dying, the missionaries had 32,550 baptisms of pagan adults. There were 57,740 children of Catholic, parents baptised, and 138,551 children .of pagan parents whoi, received the regenerating waters when clyim*. In one province of China alone there were over 000 baptisms. Figures may prove anything, and statistics show nothing, but in the light of this strict accounting, things arc. going along pretty well with the Fathers of the Pans Foreign Mission Society. v f ,, ;•