The Catholic World

New Zealand Tablet, 10 December 1914, Page 55

The Catholic World

~ CHINA MISSIONARY AND ARCHITECT. A missionary paper from China, the Lozarist Bulletin of Pekin, reports the highly satisfactory results obtained by building churches of re-inforced concrete. An interesting incident in this connection is related by a correspondent from Swatow. He says; ‘From a distance I caught sight of a graceful church in course of construction. The vaulted roof supported by ‘columns, with arcades still open to the light, made a picture like to some scene from the Roman Campagna. Arriving at the mission, I found Father Constancis himself shaping the curved roof of the apse. He took me through the entire building, and while we walked over the solid platforms and firm arches, I drank in with fascinated eagerness the story of this beautiful church. It transpired that Father Constancis, by a sort of intuition, without previous help of training, had created for himself the process of re-inforced concrete. With his own hands he made the moulds for columns and capitals, arches and domes; and so exactly had he calculated the length and relative thickness of the steel supporters, that he himself .was amazed when I took from my valise a book on re-inforced concrete and showed him that it gave all his own figures.’ Father Constancis is not the only missionary now using this method of construction in Swatow, and the idea is sure to spread ; for besides being much less expensive than the old ways, it ensures protection against five of the most discouraging afflictions of that region—the destructive white ants, light- ■ ning (the metal re-inforcements making an ideal system of lightning rods), thieves, whose lightest step would be re-echoed throughout the whole structure, and, to a great extent, fire and earthquakes. FRANCE REVIVAL OF RELIGION. In France the. war has worked wonders. From the day of its outbreak the persecution of the Church ceased. Hundreds of French priests have returned from exile to join the colors, and each is vested with special faculties by his spiritual superior so that he can, as need arises, exercise his sacred ministry though serving in the ranks. The Jesuits are under the flag and also the Franciscans, while more than sixty Capuchins are amongst the troops of the army of the east. All the monks of the Grand Chartreuse have joined the colors, and many other religious over and above the chaplains who are serving with the army. Already several priests have been mentioned in dispatches. Another beautiful custom which France has started since the war is • the Mass of the children. This is said every Thursday morning throughout the archdiocese of Cardinal Andrieu, who recommends the devotion to the priests. ‘ Hundreds of children come and unite in supplication for France during the Holy Sacrifice. Several French bishops, including those of Mans, Montauban, and Poictiers, have organised special Red Cross committees and have made a point of being present to bless the local battalions when they leave to join the main army. PARIS FOREIGN MISSION REPORT. The annual report of the French Society for foreign missions has just come to hand. In the thirty-four missions confided to her care in various countries of the Far East the following results have been obtained. Baptisms ,of adults, 31,903; baptisms of children of heathens, 131,841; conversions of non-Catholics, 445. There are at present, including bishops and priests, 1400 members of this glorious society, the largest missionary body in the Church. The seminary in Paris dates back two hundred and fifty years. During that period more than 8000 priests were ordained within its sacred -walls ; and -went, forth to the ends, of .the earth to carry the Gospel message to heathen people. Last.

j year 24 missionaries went >to their reward, "among them • .Bishop Bottero -of Kimbakonam at the age of seventy - six and Bishop GuicHard, for twenty-eight years VicarApostolic in China and forty-eight years of uninterrupted residence in his mission. ;'V;;' ' ■ JAPAN JAPANESE TRAPPIST MONKS. 7> At Hokkaida, Japan, is the largest Trappist monastery in the Orient. The monks of this austere congregation have made the desert bloom like the rose though when they first went to the island Empire they were coldly received by the natives. In the last twelve years ten young Japanese, have been enrolled in the community, and seven at present are waiting for profession. There is also a convent of nuns, living under the same rule, called the Trappistines, who follow the hard life of tilling the fields and gathering the crops while observing the strictest-silence.-' There are eleven native Japanese Sisters in the community, and five in the novitiate. These are striking proofs that the grace of conversion will penetrate; even the hardest hearts, for among these same men and women now working for their own salvation and the good of others are the descendants of the persecutors of the early Christians. Rev. Father Le Couteur believes that the spiritual favors already given the Trappists in that part of Japan will be an encouragement not only to the monks but also to the people of the surrounding country, who are astonished to sec their people living so happy as Christians. Converts are on the increase, though the work is uniformly slow. He recently baptised a man who had been contemplating taking the Step for twelve years. NORWAY A MARKED CHANGE. 1 ' / The attitude of Norway toward th« Catholic Church has undergone a marked change within recent years. A century ago no Catholic priest was permitted -to remain in the country. Now, Catholics are allowed full liberty of conscience, and many Catholic schools have been founded by Bishop Fallize. These schools are entirely under his control, no government inspector having any authority over them. Catholic parents are exempt from the public school tax, and are expected to support their own schools only. •*’. . SOUTH AFRICA A FAMILIAR SOUND. ‘ A beautiful sight, indeed, is the Trappist Settlement in the Wild Lands of South,Africa,' writes Father Hewlett, 0.M.1. Everything speaks to you of peace and of work, too, for the monk - never ceases to impress upon the mind of the black man the dignity of labor. The river, idle for centuries past, ; now works the busy mill, grinds the wheat, and cuts - the great forest trees into planks of every size and shape. Here are native boys preparing the African mahogany, others are hewing stones, while still others are busy at the wine vaults, getting them ready for the vintage that will soon be gathered. In the orchard, filled with trees from every country, birds of gay plumage flit to and fro, while over the fields of snow-white lilies swarm the honeysuckers, robbing the plants of the sweetness which the ‘ monks had hoped to save, for their bees. And as you stand - admiring this beautiful picture, a sound comes to your ear which carries yon-back to the old : world , back to the Homeland. It brings before your mind the days of your youth, the friends of yore, the old parish church, and the grey-haired priest.’ Tt echoes o’er valley and hill ; the native rests from his work, and with the monk and nun bends i$ prayer for it is the Angel us bell, ringing out the angel’s greeting, the: sweet Avo Maria!’ — v ‘ W & & i