FOREIGN MISSIONS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1812, 26 July 1913, Page 11

FOREIGN MISSIONS.

The movement-commenced about a generation since for the segregation of men into separate organisations, more or less definitely religious, and meetings on Sundays, still continue in the Adult School, tho P.S.A., and tho Brotherhood. Accurate figures aro not available, nor can comparisons bo made of tho present with past years. Adult Schools originated with the Quakers, and have largely flourished under their control and support, though not confined to them. As a rule, the Adult school is educative on the religious and social side, without reference to party politics and sectarian influences, and has proved of great service in winning tho active and sympathetic co-op-, eration of mon usually averse to entering a church or chapel. P.S.A.s ■ and Brotherhoods aro still very attractive to thousands of men, but whether the programme can bo made more regularly and consistently educative is a problem that deserves greater attention from the local leaders. Summary. Tho Free Churches have passed , through another year of difficulty, but this testing time is proving most valuable in stimulating attention to defects in organisation and to departures from generally accepted standards. Many evidences are forthcoming that tho leaders of tho Free diuretics desiro to nro-inote-.in a wise mid zealous way the revival of religion in our towns nnd villages. Money does not seem wanting, but Nonconformity is at present requiringa larger percentage of its sons, who havo been educated at the public schools for the Christian ministry at Homo and abroad in the mission field.

WHAT TnE CIIUnCIT OF IRELAND IS DOING. i Canon Macbeth. w;riting in thlo Irish Church "Gazette," gives somo interesting information regarding the contributions of tho Church of Ireland to foreign missions. He states that at no period since "Tho Golden Ago" of tho Church of Irelend has the subject of foreign miesione received more attention than at tio dm...

sent day. When the Church was dieendowed in 1869 and started'on her.own career, despoiled and impoverished but hopeful and undismayed, it might have been thought by some that, in tlio efforts necessary to maintain her own ministrations, tho-causo of foreign missions must inevitably suffer; but the results of over forty years' experience have proved the contrary. More than 300 of the ems and daughters of (ho Irish Church are, says Canon Macbeth, working to-day in the overseas mission h\>lds, and the Church's monetary contributions arc practically sufficient to maintain then' there. The following: table, showing defiuitelj the increased practical interest .which notwithstanding many hindrances the Church of Ireland takesiiti missionary work, may prove- interesting to many. In it .tho writer has compared..the contributions given'to foreign, missions last year, with those,given in 1869, since when five new missionary societies have teen founded. The amounts contributed in 1911 are takon. from the report of tho .Board of Missions presented to the General Synod at its last meeting:— Contributions. 16G9. 1911. Missionary society. £ £ SP.G. >. 2,793 5,209 C.M.S 5,019 23,687 S.A.M.S 512 2,052 Jews' Society ..: 3,51i3 4,745 C.CC.S. 884 1,580 C.E'.Z.S. « 4,113 U.M. to Central Africa... .1 183 Mission to Seamen 412 1,223 Chota Nagpur - 2,421 Fuh-lCien - 3.085 Spanish and I'ortugueso C.A.S - 1,100 N. Queensland Bush Brotherhood - 219 Jerusalem and the East... . — 123

£13,257 £49,761 The Church population in 1809 may bo taken as 683,205, and that in. 1911 as 575,489, from which, it will be seen" that the contributions to foreign missions havo increased from fourpence per head in 1869 to one shilling and edghtpencoin 1911; and this notwithstanding the necessity of contributing also to the Pareohial Assessment Fund, which did not exist in the former year. SOCIETY OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL. CARDINAL BOURNE AND EMIGRATION. Tho members of tho Society of St. Vin< cent de Paul, which is u Soman. Catholic association, carrying om charitable work' among tho poor, held meetings in Manchester recently to celebrate the ceuteunry of the birth of tho Society's founder. Aiitoino Frederick Ozannm. , Cardinal Bourne presided at ono of tho. meetings and the Bishop of Salford (Dr. Casartelli) was with him on tho platform.', It was directed that tho--'following telegram should be sent' to tho Pope:—"National Ozanam celebration, Cardinul Bourne presiding, seven bishops present. "The members of tho Society of St. Vincent do Paul offer homage to his Holiness, rejoicci at his recovery, beg. his blessing for themselves, tho benefactors of the poor. A paper written by Mr. Archibald"]'. Dunn on "The early hibtory of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in England," drew attention to the port pluyed. by George Jonas Wigley in establishing the society in this country. AVigley was .a Lancashire man, and it is supposed that he was born in Manchester in -1825. Ho studied architecture at the Ecolo des Beaux Arts, and while in Paris became acquainted with Ozanam. It was Ozauain's idea that tho antidote to the spread of irreligion and anarchism was an apostolate of laymen, ami he gathered about him a band of young men to visit the poor in their homes. The first English' conference ,was held in 3514. It was Wigley also who in the days of Pius IX, advocated in "L'Univcrs" the revival of tho tribute to tho Papal See- which in England was known as Peter's Pence. The idea was taken up on the Continent and in England, and was made successful.. In tho course of «■ subsequent discussion Air. C. E. Marshal, of Manchester, suggested (is a future activity of tho society the care of emigrants to the colonies. • Cardinal Bourne, referring to'(his suggestion, said he hoped the Central Council of. the Society would take it into earnest consideration. The Catholic Emigration Society made provision ior tho emigration of, boys and girls to. Canada, and recently i tho Catholic Women's League had begun to look after woni™ emigrating to Ca'naila. No Catholic pAvision had been made for emigrants to other, parts of the Empire, and there, vas m. .Catholic society that looked- after the emigration of men. In the case of Canada tho great Ihing was to encourage the emigration of Catholics to particular centres. Jf Catholics went in twos and threes to places whore Catholics were not numerous thev were easily absorbed into tho non-Catholic community round them. If Catholic emigrants couid be persuaded either to go to places where there were Catholics already, or to arrange to emigrate in groups and to start Catholic centres they could bo protected to a. large eitent against the loss of their faith and be the means of building up the Catholio Church in Canada. (Oheors.) No greater work of charity conld be committed to the Society of St. Vincent.dc -Paul than this of looking after Catholic emigrants.