Mission Work Among the Negroes and the Indians: What Is Being Accomplished by Means of the Annual Collection Taken Up for Our Missions

The communications we publish from Bishops who receive aid from the annual collections for our Negro and Indian missions, show very simply and forcibly the importance and needs of this work. Passages from the letters of Archbishop Janssens, of New Orleans, of Bishop O’Sullivan, of Mobile and of Rev. Father Molony of the diocese of San Antonio, may help to answer a question as to the ultimate outcome of what is being done, that doubtless arises in many minds.

The Archbishop says:

“In another portion of the diocese, at Grossetete Bayou, there is a somewhat similar settlement of negroes, who before the war were sold in Maryland, to Louisiana Protestant planters. The history of their trials for religion, their constancy to the faith, would embellish a page in the history of the Martyrs of the Church. Much is said of the inconsistency of the negro, but my experience convinces me, that when the negro has been brought up in the knowledge and practice of religion, he is as constant as any white Catholic under the circumstances. Bad training and ignorance degenerate their mind and heart, as it does with the white population. We are trying to raise means to build a church for that settlement. I regret very much that the Commission has been obliged to diminish the allocation. Our work is increasing and the funds diminishing. May the Lord provide some other means.”