The Catholic Mission in Assam

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LI, Issue 45, 12 November 1924, Page 13

The Catholic Mission in Assam

Cm following letter lias just been received from the Eight Eev. Mgr. L. Mathias, S.C., D.D., Prefect Apestohe of Assam, Shillong: The Editor, N.Z. Tablet . Dear and Rev. Father,— do not know how to express my gratitude and to thank you for giving publicity in the 1 ablet to the circumstances of our Mission. It has caused great hearts in New Zealand to send us help, which we are m great need of. . Ve amvecl in -Assam in 1922, numbering then eleven missionaries young, full of life, and enthusiastic, and now we are 38 Salesians (priests, Brothers, clerics, and nuns), and are awaiting the arrival of a new contingent, of 14 °+. p, 1, W 6 first arrived, we Were struck by the s length of the Methodist Mission and the numbers of its pioselytes but we felt that with the grace of God, and help of onr Mother, the Help of Christians, we would do good work and so we started at once. It is needless to ccall all the difficulties we had in the beginning and work- 1 ‘we still have but we are trying to push forward the voik in our dear Mission, in spite of all adversities, com Varieties, poverty, sickness and death. A few weeks after our arrival, Father Carbery broke / * eg. A few days after, a school was completely burnt toTwith'M 1 Ttf a f dan S CTO ' lsl y sick. Going on re wit. Father LefeWe ;> Suffered so much that on our fV° headquarters (Shillong),- he got enteric fever and aftei a short week’s illness, died. Then I also got en enc ever, and all sorts of complications, and had to lie idle for five months. Now that we’ think that we have paid a good com tubution of suffering Father Deponti has got a very dan gerous sickness, and only by the help of our Lady, has he been saved, though he is still suffering and is "in pain “L 1 Fathar Mauber is laid up with maS; to fever. * f Gauhati is paying his contribute thorns we see the'lief beginning 1 to*'bud^lnd^’/to 1975 baPtiSmS ’ 71 ' 979 - We have opened in a shed a small Industrial School Shillong and if wo could manage to put up even a rough building wo could look forward to some means of support. We have also commenced with a Novitiate which counts all eady 12 young novices, some from Europe and some from India. Wo have 5 orphanages with Tout 800 v ted 44 schools, and about 190 different stations to bo visited by the missionaries, with about 50 churches of chapels. For the support of all these « depend^ Providence. depend upon • Our financial position is very strained. All alms com mg from France and Italy, are reduced to nothin- oil account of the low rate of exchange, and we have had to ask already twice for loans hoping to get them refunded tin ough good and zealous benefactors. Lately I have had o i educe considerably the stipend usually allotted for our missionaries who meet with such great difficulties • which nc u e lunger, sickness, and exposure to all kinds of weather - conditions, and occasionally even to wild animals! Being far away, and in a really poor province, we find t hard to get even Mass intentions, .which would greatly help our good missionaries. greatly As you have been so good as to give rinUi-c-A +«. needs in the Tablet , TaUet. may I ask you with all the strengthof my heart, to help ns in your own good way. Through your kindness God has inspired friends"' in ew Zealand to send us Mass stipends and in the name- of all who are working in Assam under these trying circum- - stances I do most heartily thank you and them, I £.

least offering means much where our needs are great, and to all who can help us to put up shelters and feed the orphans-who are totally dependent on us, we promise a regular offering of Masses every mouth. We shall daily recommend all kind friends in New Zealand, whence help has come miraculously and just when difficulties seemed overwhelming, to the loving protection of Our Lady Help of Christians. God bless them and especially you, dear Father, towards whom I feel to be, Very affectionately in J.C. L. Mathias, Prefect Apostolic of Assam. September 22, 1924.