How do the missions stand?
This year St Columbans Mission Society celebrates its 90th year as a Catholic missionary organisation. In The Far East, March 1, 1930, Bishop Edward J Galvin wrote this letter to Columban missionaries. It indicates how dangerous and uncertain life was in China in the 1920s.
St Columban's Mission House, Han Yang
April 20, 1927
Dear Father __________,
There is a grave danger of war between the Powers and China; there is also danger of a clash between the Communists and the anti-Communists.
It is the opinion of all of us here that no matter what comes, we cannot desert our people. We can do nothing for them perhaps, but we can stay with the people that God gave us and we can die if it His Will. Our example will give them courage, perhaps, to face death or persecution or whatever it is God's Will to send. But whatever He sends the priest must meet and face it first.
In a critical time like this, when it is a question of a priest giving his life, I do not believe it is the proper thing for me, at present, to order him to remain with his people. If a man is being called upon to face death, I'd wish above all things that he himself would freely and willingly offer his life to the God who gave it to him. If he is willing to stay and make the supreme sacrifice then I will give him orders what to do and I will accept full responsibility.
Therefore, I ask the following: I ask the pastor first, to stay with his people. If he is unwilling to volunteer and remember, he is quite free - I ask the assistant who is senior by ordination to stay. If he should be unwilling, I ask the second assistant. I want only one priest to stay in each parish. If the pastor stays, I order, under obedience, the assistant or assistants to come to Hankow as quickly as possible. I ask them to bring as little baggage as possible - just their summer clothes and anything else they can pack into one grip. In a word, with the exception of one priest in each parish I order the others to come at once to Hankow.
To the priest who remains in each parish I give the following instructions: stay in your central residence as long as you think it is safe. If it becomes unsafe, hide where you can within your parish. If your parish becomes very dangerous, you might leave it for a little while but not for long. We cannot desert our posts. Of course, the priests who remain are quite free to visit one another at any time for any reason whatever, just as they did in the past.
May God be with you all.
Yours sincerely,
E.J. Galvin
(Every priest in the Vicariate volunteered to remain- Editor)
