St Joseph's Advocate Scotland

2

Spring/Summer 2016

Contents

Editorial

Page 3 Editorial; Renewing the Vision

Page 5 How it all began; A remarkable family

Page 7 The wonderful mother

Page 9 The children of John and Eliza Vaughan

Page 11 Young Fr Vaughan and the Call to Mission

Page 15 The College at Mill Hill

Page 17 Silver Circle

Page 20 The first Missions

Page 25 Mill Hill in Africa

Page 27 Breaking new ground in Kapit

Page 29 Our Sisters

Page 31 Obituaries

The first issue of the original ‘St Joseph’s Foreign Missionary Advocate’ appeared in the Autumn of 1883. The front page had an engraving of the College at Mill Hill, above which in large letters the following words: “HELP! HELP! HELP! us to send Priests to the 900,000,000 HEATHEN.” It was announced that the new magazine would be issued quarterly, that it would cost one and a half pence per copy, two pence in Australia, and with the American supplement, 6 US cents. The Editor wrote: “In the name of St Joseph, the first Foreign Missioner to carry Jesus and Mary into the land of the heathen, we present to you the first number of our little Magazine, ST JOSEPH’S ADVOCATE.” He went on to promise that the Advocate would provide letters and news from the mission fields, not only those in which members of St Joseph’s Society were then working. The object of the magazine, he explained, was to “awaken a deeper and a wider sympathy for the souls that perish in millions among the unevangelized races, and to induce all English speaking Catholics to take part in the apostolate of Jesus Christ to the benighted heathen.”

CELEBRATING 150 YEARS OF LOVE AND SERVICE IN MISSION

Renewing the VisionAcknowledgmentsContributors:

Fons Eppink, mhmSr Anne Moore, fmsj

Photo Credits:Mill Hill ArchivesFons Eppink mhm

Cover photos:Front cover: Weaver, Sarawak.Back cover: St Joseph, Mill Hill

College.

St. Joseph’s Advocateis the magazine of the Mill Hill Missionaries in Scotland, published from St. Joseph’s House,

30 Lourdes Avenue, Cardonald, Glasgow G52 3QU.Tel: 0141 883 0139.

Email: [email protected]

Registered Charity Number: SCO39809

Produced by:Burns Morrison Print Management Ltd.,

Caledonia Business Centre,Thornliebank Industrial Estate, Glasgow G46 8JT

Tel: 07799 645 420Email: [email protected]

Fr. Bill Tollan, mhm,Editor

32

“We bless God for the example of St Joseph:

for his humility before the greatness of God’s plans;

for his love and loyalty to Mary and Jesus; for his willingness to

change and adapt his life so that the greatness of others might f lourish.

We pray for ourselves that, in our turn, we

might be attentive listeners to God’s word

and accomplish God’s will in our lives. Amen.”

Denis McBride

Carved stone ‘lunette’ above the main entrance to St Joseph’s College.

Crowned Statue, National Shrine to St Joseph.

Howbeganit all

A Remarkable Family

It was not easy to reach Courtfield by road, and this helped the Vaughans to avoid the attentions of those who were on the lookout for ‘missionary priests’ who frequently visited to provide Mass and the Sacraments. One of the Vaughan ancestors was Richard Vaughan whose life spanned the

eventful 17th century (1600 – 1697) that saw the execution of King Charles I, the rise of Oliver Cromwell, the Restoration of King Charles II. Known widely as “a Papist and Delinquent” Richard suffered endless fines and persecution. To sympathisers he was ‘the grand old man of Courtfield’.

The Vaughans of Courtfield were a family who maintained their Catholic faith through centuries of persecution. Their family home was situated on a bend of the

River Wye on the borders of Herefordshire and Wales.

4 5

In this same first issue there were articles on 19th century martyrs, and accounts of the Mill Hill missions in U.S.A. (to the Afro-Americans), India, and Borneo. Bishop Ullathorne of Birmingham wrote to encourage the work of the young missionary Society: “I believe our own future will be blessed with increase in proportion as we, with earnest faith, send help to them who cry to us...the mission to the heathen is the school of generous heroes, whose works of faith and sanctity will bless the country that sends them forth.” Cardinal Manning is quoted with similar thoughts: “It is quite true, that we have need of men and of means at home; and it is because we have need of men and means at home, and of more men and of more means by a great deal than we yet possess, that I am convinced that we ought to send both men and means abroad.”

For 150 years the members of St Joseph’s Missionary Society have been proclaiming the Gospel message in many parts of the world. They have been inspired by all those whose zeal and vision led to the formation of the Society – not least the founder, Cardinal Herbert Vaughan, and the remarkable family from which he came. Cardinal Vaughan insisted that the real founder was St Joseph, through whose inspiration so many obstacles were overcome. Remarkable in the early years were the many zealous lay people without whose help the Society could not have come into existence.

In this special issue of the Scottish Advocate the story of the Vaughan family is recalled, and short accounts provided of the main mission areas in which our missionaries have worked. Part of the early history of the Society are the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of St Joseph, who devoted themselves to work in our various Colleges, and also in our missions in Borneo and East Africa. Sr Anne Moore

from Glasgow describes the work of the Sisters today in Kenya and Uganda.

A major change in our missionary story in recent years is the arrival of the first African, Indian, and Filipino Mill Hill Missionaries. Already they are assuming positions of leadership in the Society, and are showing great initiative and enterprise in opening up new missionary ventures. One of these young men is Fr Matthews Olili whose work in the Malaysian forest is described.

Today we may no longer speak of the unevangelised as ‘the benighted heathen’; we no longer think of souls ‘perishing’ for lack of priests to convert them. However, we are still inspired by the self-sacrifice and generosity of our first missionaries, and of those who supported them. Today we are conscious of the lack of ‘men and means’ in our Church here in Scotland. The words quoted above of Bishop Ullathorne and Cardinal Manning should help us to look beyond our own needs, and remind us of the continuing urgency of our mission, and the blessings awaiting those who make it possible.

Fr John Fuellenbach addressed a recent General Chapter of the Society. He stated that there are three vital elements in any Missionary Society like our own that determine its viability. These are: the vision, the members, and the organisation. But ultimately, our strength does not depend on the way we organise ourselves or on our numbers, but on our vision and how deep this vision is burning in our hearts.

Dare we hope that there are still young men of today in Europe who glimpse that vision, whose hearts burn with the desire to “leave everything and follow” the Master in his mission of mercy to “those abandoned and in greatest need.”

Courtfield, the ancestral home of the Vaughan family since the 16th C until it was acquired

by the Mill Hill Missionary Society.

Courtfield as it stands today.

The Vaughan family motto was his inspiration: ‘Duw-a-Digon’, Welsh for ‘God is Sufficient.’ He continued to profess his faith openly, and won the admiration, respect, and assistance of many of his Protestant neighbours. One night in 1689 the local mob got wind that a Jesuit priest, a Fr Richardson, was staying at Courtfield. He managed to escape and hid for several weeks in a nearby lime kiln. Meanwhile, 89 year old Richard was tied to his bedpost and tortured to give information about the Jesuit’s whereabouts. The Jesuit was not captured, and Richard lived to age 97.

Richard’s younger brother Thomas Vaughan was ordained priest in France in 1627. He returned to England and began ministering in secret to the scattered Catholics in the

West country and South Wales. His mission was cut short when he was captured and imprisoned; he became ill and died in Cardiff in 1650. The historian Challoner says that though Fr Vaughan “did not suffer at the common place of execution he was nevertheless a martyr for his character and religion.”

Two of Richard Vaughan’s daughters became nuns: Clare became a Benedictine, and Mary joined the English Carmelites at Antwerp. Mary was renowned for her sanctity and dedication to the religious life and died in 1709 after 61 years as a nun.

Two later Vaughan brothers, Richard and William, were described as “the most romantic members of this quixotic family.” They heartily supported the Jacobite cause, and became deeply involved in trying to help Bonnie Prince Charlie to reclaim the throne. They joined the Prince’s forces as they retreated to Scotland in 1745, but shared in the defeat at Culloden. They then fled to Spain and joined the army of King Philip V;

William rose to the rank of Field Marshal. A son of Richard, another William, was able to take possession of Courtfield as heir to an uncle who had not been involved in the Jacobite uprising.

By the 19th century the anti-Catholic laws were gradually being repealed. Yet another William Vaughan was the heir to the Courtfield estate. He married Teresa Maria Weld of Lulworth, the Welds being one of the old Catholic families who had kept the faith through the centuries of persecution. They had eight children, five of whom chose religious vocations – two daughters becoming nuns, and three brothers priests. Of the priests, William became Bishop of Plymouth, Richard a Jesuit, and Edmund a Redemptorist. (The same Christian names keep appearing in successive generations.) The eldest son was John Francis: he was educated at the Jesuit College at Stonyhurst and in France, and became a man of strong religious principles and outlook. He eventually succeeded to the estate, and at the age of 22 married Louisa Eliza Rolls.

76

Richard Vaughan,‘The Grand Old Man of Courtfield’.

Bonnie Prince Charlie.

Colonel John Francis Vaughan.

The Founder’s Mother, Eliza Vaughan.

TheWonderfulMotherEliza Rolls came of a devout evangelical family. She was described as beautiful, charming, rich and talented, and deeply religious. During her education in France she had become acquainted with Catholic devotion and practice, and became a Catholic shortly after

her marriage to John Francis Vaughan. She wanted to dedicate all her children to God. At Courtfield there was an Oratory where the Blessed Sacrament was reserved, and it was there that every day she spent an hour in prayer, praying especially for her children.

8 9

Six of her eight sons became priests, and four of her five daughters became nuns. They grew up surrounded by love and laughter, and were taught to have a great concern for the poor. Eliza was known for her generous gifts to the needy in the neighbourhood, but also for helping the sick, washing the bed-ridden, and changing their sheets. In later life her eldest son Herbert recalled the profound effect she had on her offspring – and particularly about her example of prayer. He wrote, “For long years before her death, she used to talk to me about prayer and I remember how it was that she was so charmed by what I now know was divine love. I used often to watch her from the gravel walk in the flower garden and marvel to see her so absorbed in prayer.”

Sadly, Eliza died young on 24th January 1853 after the birth of her youngest child, John. It was a year before the ordination of Herbert. Two months after her death his father wrote to Herbert: “Today I was watching before the Blessed Sacrament and thanking God that I could offer him the sacrifice of her whom I so devotedly and truly loved. I poured out my heart in gratitude for His having given me Eliza as a model and as a guide – for having linked me to her in a still-subsisting spiritual connection, and for having taken her from me that my heart may follow her to Heaven....I see her constantly as I saw her before the Blessed Sacrament. Oh, I thought her exquisite in her pure human loveliness when I watched her beautiful face in prayer.”

Eliza was interred in a vault under the Chapel at Courtfield.John Francis Vaughan was much

involved in public life. He became a Magistrate for the counties of Hereford, Monmouth and Gloucester, and was a Colonel in the Royal Monmouth Militia Engineers. He was a brilliant public speaker, and used his skills in the debates surrounding the Restoration of the English and Welsh Hierarchy. There was much talk of “the hot days of papal aggression.” At a memorable public meeting he was recorded as saying: “I am happy and proud to take my stand today by my friend, Mr Herbert of Llanarth. We belong to two of the few Roman Catholic families in this neighbourhood who have survived three hundred years of persecution.” On another occasion he referred to “those happy times when wolves and priests alike were hunted as wild beasts and five pounds was the price per head for bagging either alive or dead.” Generally speaking John Francis won the respect and admiration of his neighbours.

Colonel J. F. Vaughan, pictured outside a tent in the Crimea, 1855.

The Children of Eliza and

John Francis VaughanOf the daughters born to Eliza and John Francis, Gwladys became a Visitation nun in France. Teresa became a Daughter of Charity. Clare became a Poor Clare. Mary joined the Canonesses of St Augustine and became the Prioress. Margaret tried her vocation in religious life, but left because of ill health; she died in 1936,Roger, the second son, became a

Benedictine monk and later Prior at

Belmont. He was then appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Sydney, Australia, and succeeded as Archbishop in 1877. Among many other achievements, he befriended Mary McKillop who was to be declared Australia’s first Saint. Kenelm tried his vocation with the

Cistercians but left because of ill health. He then was ordained for Plymouth Diocese, where his uncle

Clare Vaughan. Roger Vaughan.

10

was the Bishop. He developed a great love for Sacred Scripture, and promoted devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. He spent many years travelling in South America as a roving missionary – in Chile, Peru, and Ecuador. He was a man of great – some would say naive - idealism, passionately in love with God and the things of God. His elder brother Herbert said of him: “Kenelm impresses me more and more as a saint than anyone I know: and I find others receive the same impression.”

Bernard was the seventh son. In his youth he loved sport and dancing, and in later life was known for his wit and oratorical skills. He preached in the Jesuit Church in Mayfair to packed congregations. A series of sermons on ‘The Sins of Society’ aroused huge debates. He was also known for his work among the poor in London’s East End.

Joseph Vaughan became a Benedictine monk. It had been decided to establish a monastery in the Highlands of Scotland. Lord Lovat was a cousin of the Vaughans, and was instrumental in directing the Benedictines to the site at Fort Augustus which was part of the Lovat estates. The new monastery was opened in 1880, with Joseph (known as Dom Jerome) as the first Prior.

John, the youngest of the Vaughan children, grew up as a very quiet, thoughtful and deeply religious young man. He was ordained a secular priest and ministered for some years in Australia before returning to England to work with Cardinal Manning. He wrote a number of popular spiritual books. He was made Auxiliary Bishop of Salford in 1909. He died near Blackburn in 1925.

Two sons of John Francis and Eliza Vaughan, Francis and Reginald, both married and had families, and so the Vaughans continued to occupy Courtfield. In 1950, however, the Georgian house and about 50 acres of the Estate were acquired by the Mill Hill Missionaries. For a number of years Courtfield became the training centre for the Mill Hill Missionary Brothers. The brothers built an extension to the property. With the decline in vocations to the Brotherhood

Courtfield then became a Mission Animation and Retreat Centre. For many years hundreds of people enjoyed coming for retreats and conferences, in a place hallowed by the memory of the Vaughans of the past. Meanwhile however, Vaughan family members still lived and farmed in the vicinity. When, in the 1990’s it no longer became possible for the Mill Hill Missionaries to run Courtfield the Vaughan family took possession once more of their ancestral home.

Bernard Vaughan.

John Stephen Vaughan.

Herbert was the eldest son of John Francis and Eliza Vaughan. He was expected to inherit Courtfield and carry on the family name and tradition. He was a natural leader, with a bold adventurous spirit. He loved the countryside pursuits of hunting, shooting and fishing, and was a fine horseman. He was sent as a boy to the Jesuit College at Stonyhurst, and another Jesuit College in Belgium. His decision at the age of 16 to become a priest was not easily taken, and came as a shock to his father who had envisioned a brilliant career for his son. His mother,

YoungFr Herbert Vaughan

Mission

11

and the call to

12 13

however, saw this as an answer to her prayers. He thought at first of being a missionary in Wales – to bring back the Welsh people to the Catholic faith. Later, that vision was immeasurably broadened.

In 1851 he went to Rome to begin his studies for the priesthood. A colleague of this time wrote of his admiration for this young man “who renounces prospects as brilliant as almost any man in England can command, to be a priest...[he] seems as happy as the day is long in his studies

and devotions.” Two years later, however, he received a great blow on receiving news of the death of his beloved

mother.

After a spell at home with his grieving father he returned to Rome and was ordained priest in 1854. He had been suffering much ill health, and for this reason was allowed to be ordained at the early age of 22. It was in Rome that Herbert Vaughan established a long friendship with Henry, later Cardinal, Manning.

The Catholic Hierarchy had been restored in England and Wales in 1850, and Nicholas Wiseman became the first Archbishop of Westminster. Henry Manning was one of many distinguished converts received into the Church in this period; his wife had died, and he was ordained a priest. Wiseman and Manning had developed the idea of founding a missionary community of secular clergy. Manning founded a group of committed priests, the Oblates of St Charles Borromeo, who would be devoted to missionary work within the local Church. Fr Herbert Vaughan joined the Oblates, but was asked to help with the formation of apostolic priests who would be devoted to the work of the conversion of England. He was made

Vice-President of St Edmund’s College, Ware.

Typically, Vaughan set about his assignment with great thoroughness. He undertook a tour of the main European seminaries to acquaint himself with the current views concerning the formation of secular clergy. He was particularly impressed with the College of Propaganda in Rome “where men of all classes and nations, languages and climates dwell in one seminary.” This he thought should be the model for the work of formation in St Edmund’s. However, these new-fangled ‘romanizing’ ways were not to the liking of many of the senior clergy, and the Oblates were obliged to withdraw.

‘Foreign Missions’About this time Herbert Vaughan grew increasingly interested in ‘foreign missions.’ He was aware of the vast extent of the British Empire at that time, and of the various Protestant Missionary Societies involved in evangelizing work throughout the empire. He saw how explorers and traders were risking their lives in the pursuit of wealth and glory – and was saddened that Catholics did not seem to show the same kind of zeal for the spread of the Gospel. His wish now was to become himself a missionary and to gather like-minded men around him in the work of the foreign missions. Again he set off to explore models of a missionary-sending seminary that could be transplanted to England.

Eventually, while on a visit to the Isle of Wight with Cardinal Wiseman, Fr Vaughan raised the matter of ‘the foreign missions.’ Wiseman then confided that at the outset of his life as a Bishop, he had been counselled by an

Cardinal Wiseman gives a letter of introduction for the

missionary project 1863.

Cardinal Manning.

On 1 March 1866, Herbert Vaughan settled, with just one student, at Holcombe House, Mill Hill, London. There he intended to begin to fulfil the

missionary obligations of the Catholic English-speaking world.

The College at Mill HillThe Search for a House: St Joseph Plays his partOn his return journey across the Atlantic Herbert Vaughan was planning the next phase of his project; the missionary priests who would be

ordained from his College would be secular priests bound together by a common rule, and with a commitment to missionary work beyond Europe. He dreamed of new missions in Asia and Africa; perhaps Rome would assign a mission in Japan. The new missionaries

1514

Italian priest called Vincent Pallotti. This saintly priest (since then he has been canonized) told the future Cardinal that he would never know spiritual peace until he had established in England a college for foreign missions. With this encouragement, Herbert Vaughan went home to

Courtfield and for days prayed at the tomb of his mother, asking her guidance as to how he should begin. An answer came to him with the force of r e v e l a t i o n . “Begin very humbly and very quietly.”It took two more

years of prayer and discernment before Vaughan put before his Oblate superior, Fr Manning, his proposal for a foreign missionary seminary. Manning agreed, but the other Oblates did not. A period of ill health took Vaughan then to Spain where he received further advice about his plans from two Jesuits. Both encouraged him in his dreams – and he was persuaded to resubmit his plans to Manning. Eventually Manning agreed. Further advice from Jesuit advisers in London persuaded him to ask Cardinal Wiseman to present his plans for the approval of the English hierarchy. The young priest addressed a gathering of the Bishops in July 1863: all but one Bishop gave their blessing, though they could offer no material support. Further support came from the continental Congress of Catholics at Malines (Brussels).

Raising FundsVaughan then planned a journey to the Americas to raise funds for the establishment of his missionary College. Cardinal Wiseman supplied him with letters of introduction to Heads of State and others who might be of assistance in the Americas. In Rome he received the blessing of Pope Pius 1X and letters from the Cardinal Prefect of Propaganda to various Church leaders. He set sail from Southampton on 17th December 1863. Cardinal Wiseman, now an invalid, wrote to him, “Did I not feel the sublimity of your cause, I would hardly allow you to embark on the double ocean of this work and the Atlantic. But I feel an inexpressible confidence that God will prosper this work, such as I have never felt in any other.”

Fr Vaughan travelled through Panama to California, and from there to Ecuador, Peru, and Chile. It was painful for him to be in the position of a beggar, but his vision of the mission ahead emboldened him and overcame his misgivings. Having rounded the Cape he headed for Brazil, and then for home.

St. Vincent Pallotti.

The Grave of Cardinal Vaughan at Mill Hill.

(continued on page 18)

Congratulations to them all.

Silver Circle Winners

Many thanks to all who support the Silver Circle. Your help is greatly appreciated, and contributes to supporting our missionary work.

December 2015 (draw A) December 2015 (draw B) January 2016 February 2016

261 McGuinness £25 127 B. Dawson £25 329 R. McDonald £25 03 P. Ferns £25

198 P. Howie £15 256 B. Harkins £15 306 A. McQuade £15 50 Crossan £15

140 A. Hood £10 324 Meg Rafferty £10 347 A. McDonald £10 200 C. McKay £10

16 17

NovenaSt. Joseph

in honour of

Join us in our

Novena of Prayer to St JosephThe Novena Prayers will be said at the 9.00 a.m. Mass in St Joseph’s House (except Sunday), beginning on Thursday March 10th, ending on the eve of the Feast of St Joseph.Holy Mass for the Feast on March 19th, (the day the Society was founded in 1866) will be at 10.00 a.m. in St Joseph’s House.If you would like to receive a copy of the St Joseph Novena booklet: please send £1 plus 50 pence postage. This will be the version used in St Joseph’s House for the Novena.

Copies of the older (and shorter) version of the booklet are available FREE: phone or write.

• FirstFridaysofthemonth: Mass for the Sick with the Sacrament of the Sick

• Tuesdays:Meditation Group meets at 11.00 a.m.

• Wednesdays: Wednesday Talks 7.00 – 8.00

• March19th:150thanniversary of founding of St Joseph’s Missionary Society: Mass at 9.00 a.m.

• May13th:SpringTea: Speaker – Fr Mark Connolly mhm – 1.30 p.m.

• June4th:AnnualMissionDay (see opposite)

150th Anniversary of the Founding of St Joseph’s Missionary Society• 11.00a.m.TheCelebrationofHolyMass

willbeledinNazarethHouseChapelby

HisGraceArchbishopPhilipTartaglia• ReceptioninthehallofNazarethHouse

• FrMichaelCorcoranmhm,GeneralSuperioroftheMillHillMissionarieswillbeamongtheguestsandwillspeakaboutourmissionaryworkthroughouttheworld.

• Teasandsnackswillbeprovided

• TheAnnualPrizeDrawwillbemade:thisyeartheproceedswillgototheCommunityofCorpusChristiinSarawak,Malaysia-fortheformationoflaymissionariesinS.E.Asia.

Coming Events: Dates for your DiaryatSt.Joseph’sHouse,Cardonald

SATURDAY JUNE 4th

For all our friends and helpersA day to celebrate Mission

18 19

would work under the direction of the local Bishop. Friends at home began searching for a suitable property, and Vaughan went to Ireland in search of candidates for the new College. Eventually a property, Holcombe House, in the village of Mill Hill, near London, was located – but the owner was unwilling to sell. The intercession of St Joseph was once again invoked. After several refusals, Fr Vaughan bought a two-foot high statue of St Joseph and wrapped it in brown paper. He called at the house, and before he could be ejected, he asked if he could leave his parcel and call for it later. On the last day of a novena to St Joseph, word came that the owner would sell.

The New St Joseph’s College, Mill HillOn the 5th February 1866 Vaughan published a letter to the Catholics of England entitled ‘A Statement on Behalf of the College for Foreign Missions.’ In this he appealed for young men of any nationality with generous apostolic hearts who would work in overseas mission areas until a good local clergy was established. Aware of the myriad problems facing the local Church at that time (growing immigrant population, most of whom were converging on the big industrial cities and mining areas) he asserted

that making sacrifices for the ‘foreign missions’ would nonetheless bring great blessings on the Church at home. On 28th February 1866 he arrived at Mill Hill in a cart and some basic furniture, and with him his first student. Two weeks later the freehold on the property was sold to Vaughan for the sum of £5,000. On the 19th March, Feast of St Joseph, Archbishop Manning declared that St Joseph’s College had now opened. A few months later it was reported that there were four students, ‘and more coming.’ A few years later it was clear a bigger property was required, and a new purpose-built College was built in the

adjacent field. By now the students were of various nationalities. Vaughan sought out missionary vocations in Belgium, France, Tirol, and the Netherlands. On December 27th 1869 the first priest was ordained for the new Congregation, Fr Cornelius Dowling from County Cork.

The Lay Associates of the SocietyFrom the beginning lay people were deeply involved in supporting the work of the new missionary Society. The Vaughan family were connected to a network of old Catholic families who had kept the Faith through centuries of persecution. Then there were the zealous converts: among these was the

distinguished Lady Herbert of Lea. Her husband was Minister of War in the Crimean conflict, and she herself was a close friend of William Gladstone, Florence Nightingale, and Cardinal Manning. With the latter Lady

Herbert was responsible for having Florence Nightingale and her nurses sent to the Crimea to tend the wounded soldiers. From 1866 she supported Vaughan in many charitable and missionary activities. She gave thousands of pounds from her personal fortune to the new missionary Society, and encouraged her many influential friends to do likewise. In 1874 Herbert Vaughan wrote to her: “You know ... the great share of the merit of the work is yours. For without you, I should humanly speaking have failed in carrying it out.” Another convert supporter was Caroline Mary Hanmer, a friend of Manning, who came to live in

a cottage near the entrance to the College where she stayed for 40 years. She founded a group to supply missionaries with the material necessities for their apostolate, and cared for the health of the students. Both these ladies are buried in the College cemetery, near to where Herbert Vaughan was laid to rest.

‘The Zelators’In addition to support received from aristocrats and other

prominent Catholics were the vast number of ordinary Catholics who were fired with the missionary spirit of Herbert Vaughan, and rallied to the support of the Society. Particularly in the Northwest and Northeast of England, but also in Scotland, Wales, and Ireland – Catholics were recruited to become ‘Zelators’ to pray for the Missions, and raise funds through the ‘red boxes’ which were soon found in almost every Catholic home. It was the accumulation of ‘the pennies of the poor’ that raised the ongoing sums to ensure the survival of the College and the young missionary Society.

Statue of St Joseph that helped secure our

first College.

St Joseph’s, in Mill Hill.

Elizabeth Herbert,Baroness of Lea.

St Joseph adorns the top of the College Tower.

The First MissionsBaltimore, USAWith the ordination of the first members of St Joseph’s Missionary Society. Where were they to begin their missionary work? Fr Vaughan sought an answer from the Cardinal Prefect of Propaganda in Rome who was responsible for all ‘foreign missions.’ Surprisingly, he was asked to send his men to the USA, to the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Millions of Afro-Americans were being released from slavery. Among them were many people of African descent who had been exiled from Haiti, and these were predominantly Catholic. The Archbishop had appealed to Rome

for missionaries who would dedicate themselves to the Afro-American apostolate. On 5th December 1871 Vaughan and four young missionaries arrived in Baltimore and began their work in St Francis Xavier Parish. From there they spread out to other parts of the American south. Their work prospered, and eventually led to the formation of a new missionary society devoted exclusively to this apostolate: they became known as the Josephites – and look on Cardinal Herbert Vaughan as their founder.

Not long after his return from the United States Herbert Vaughan was appointed Bishop of Salford, where he

ministered for the next twenty years. However, he remained the Superior of the young missionary Society.

IndiaIn 1875 a group of Mill Hill missionaries were sent to the Archdiocese of Madras in South India where they were to work among the Telegu-speaking people. Eventually a new diocese was carved out in the Telegu area with a MHM as the first Bishop. Thousands of the region’s poorest people were given instruction and baptised. A seminary was opened to prepare the Telegu priests of the future. Projects were undertaken to alleviate poverty and provide education. The work prospered, and today there are now three new dioceses with Telegu bishops and priests.

In the more northern part of India the first MHM’s had been sent out as chaplains to the British Army; many of the soldiers were Irish or of Irish descent. Some were with the army during the invasion of Afghanistan. Later they were entrusted with the pastoral care of all troops in the Punjab, the North West Frontier regions, and the territory of Kashmir and Kafristan. A school was founded in Kashmir on

land granted by the Maharaja, and staffed by MHM’s.

PakistanIn 1947 British rule in the Indian subcontinent came to an end with partition and the creation of the new country of Pakistan. Pakistan was a predominantly Muslim country; however, for the work of evangelization there were new constraints. Missionary outreach was especially through the provision of schools and medical services. In both education and medicine the Presentation Sisters and Sisters of Jesus and Mary were faithful collaborators of the MHM’s. Missionaries were involved in reaching the poorest and most abandoned: Fr Frank O’Leary founded the Jospice movement in Rawalpindi to care for the terminally ill, and Fr James van de Klught a Drug Rehabilitation Centre in Peshawar. In 1977 MHM’s began working among the marginalised tribal peoples of the Province of Sindh. They were involved in channelling aid in various disaster situations, in credit unions, and in schemes to release indentured labourers from conditions of near-slavery.

20 21Baltimore Beginnings.

Arrival of first MHM’s in Kashmir.

Indian MHM Fr Yesudas rector of MH formation centre India

22 23

Indigenous PriestsA major concern of our missionaries was to establish an indigenous clergy; Cardinal Vaughan had always envisaged his men becoming superfluous as they gave way to local secular clergy. The Society was involved in the setting up

of the Major Regional Seminary in Hyderabad to form future priests to serve in the various dioceses of the State of Andhra Pradesh. This work grew and flourished. In 1988 a decision was taken to begin for the first time to recruit vocations for St Joseph’s Missionary Society. After some initial problems this project has now borne great fruit – with a large number of Indian Mill Hill Missionaries. Given the difficulty of non-Indians gaining visas to work in India, and the fact that there are huge unevangelized areas of the country, some of these young Indian MHM’s are now working among tribal people in their own country – places where they have to learn new languages and cultures. Their work, and that of other Indian MHM’s overseas, is supported by a network of lay mission helpers.

BorneoThe Borneo mission began in 1881: MHM’s were assigned to Sarawak and British North Borneo (today part of the Federation of Malaysia.) They also began work in the Sultanate of Brunei. They faced tremendous challenges in the equatorial climate, the dense forests,

huge rivers, and the variety of tribal peoples – some of them known as fierce ‘headhunters.’ In the early 20th century

there was an influx of Chinese labourers who were brought in to help exploit the many natural resources. The Mill Hill Sisters arrived to assist the MHM’s – especially in the work of education and health care. The Second World War saw the Japanese occupation, the internment of all the British and Dutch

missionaries, and the murder of eight Tirolese MHM’s. After independence the Muslim influence increased especially in the northern part of this mission area – in what is now known as the State of Sabah. This led to the expulsion of most of the missionaries. However, the maturity of the lay-people meant that the local Church grew

stronger. Today, there is a vibrant local Church with three dioceses in Sarawak, three in Sabah, and one in Brunei; only a handful of MHM’s remain, the clergy now being almost exclusively indigenous.

Our Other Missions Mill Hill Missionaries were first sent to Africa in 1895. Other missions were among the Maoris of New Zealand, in the Philippines, Chile, Ecuador, Brazil, Australia (among the aborigines), and the South Atlantic. It is hoped an account of these other missions will be

given in a later issue of the Advocate.

Fr Thomas Jackson MHM with officers at Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Indian mhms Congratulating Bp Patras Minj SJ of Ambikapur on his birthday.

Mgr. Wachter and fellow MHMs, Borneo.

Catholic pilgrims at a mountain shrine on the site of an early mission, Sarawak.

24 25

Mill Hill in AfricaEast AfricaIn 1895 the first group of MHM’s set off for Africa. The White Fathers had arrived in Uganda some years earlier, most of them French-speaking. Protestant missionaries from Britain were also active. It was popularly thought that Protestants were ‘the British mission’ (known locally as Bangareza). The Catholics were thought to belong to the French mission (Bafransa.) The MHM’s were meant to show that the British could also be Catholics! They landed in Mombasa on the Kenyan coast, and began their epic journey on foot to Kampala on the shores of Lake Victoria. Among them

were their leader, the Englishman Bishop Hanlon, Fr Thomas Matthews from Dumfries and Fr James Prendergast from Dundee. Mill Hill had been entrusted with a huge area known as the Upper Nile mission; the eastern part of this territory is today part of Western Kenya. Today there are several dioceses, four in Uganda and eight in Kenya covering this same area.

The mission in Uganda underwent the great upheaval of the Idi Amin years; many missionaries were expelled, but most of our MHM’s remained throughout the years of hardship and uncertainty. A new mission was undertaken in the far north among the

nomadic people of the Kotido region. In 1959

another new mission among nomads was

begun among the Maasai of Kenya. Later still MHM’s began working in the coastal area of Kenya.

Missions and Politics: Congo, Cameroon, SudanCongoAt the beginning of the 20th century, the Belgian colonial regime in the Congo Free State had acquired a reputation for extreme brutality to the native population. Reports of what was going on were widely circulated by Protestant missionaries. In response, King Leopold II of Belgium initiated some reforms, and also invited the ‘British’ missionaries of Mill Hill to work in his African colony. They were assigned to a remote part of this vast densely-forested country. Access to the new mission of Basankusu was only possible by river – many days travel up the Congo and then further up a tributary river. Disaster soon overtook the early missionaries – some dying of fever, others from drowning. Nonetheless, new missions were established, schools set up. Then came independence and the country sank into chaos. Some of our missionaries were killed. Next followed the long, dictatorial, and corrupt regime of President Mobutu. Since his overthrow conditions have hardly improved.

CameroonCameroon had been a German colony a few decades before the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, and German Pallottine missionaries had begun to evangelize. However, at the outbreak of War the French and the British ousted the Germans, and the missionaries were expelled. Hundreds of African conscripts to the German army were interned on the island of Fernando Po – a Spanish

colony off the coast of Cameroon. There many of them became Catholic Christians. The larger part of the country came under French control, and the British obtained control of what became known as West Cameroon. At the end of the war the former conscripts returned home and took with them their Christian faith. When the first Mill Hill Missionaries arrived in March 1922 they were led by Mgr John Campling from Glasgow. He soon made a long journey on foot to visit the area that had been entrusted to the Society. Everywhere he met people who had already received some instruction in the faith from the former conscripts. From the beginning MHM’s opened schools, among them Sasse College – the first secondary school in the whole country. Mill Hill Sisters followed – becoming involved in education and health care. Mill Hill Brothers helped to build new Churches, Convents, and Schools, and passed on their building and mechanical skills to local people. Today, in this the former British part of the country there are now four dioceses and over three quarters of a million Catholic Christians.

First Caravan to Uganda 1895, incl Scots Fr Thomas Matthews and James Prendergast.

Catholic Mission Waka, Congo.

Bishop John Campling mhm.

26 27

Sudan/South SudanPolitics played a part in Mill Hill’s next assignment – to Sudan’s Upper Nile province. In the latter half of the 1930’s Mussolini had invaded Somalia and Eritrea. The British administration of the Sudan protectorate demanded the removal of the mainly Italian Comboni missionaries from the Kodok and Malakal areas of the country. British missionaries would be allowed to replace them. The MHM’s arrived in 1938 to continue the work of the Combonis – in the evangelization and education of the native Shilluk and Nuer tribes. After Sudan’s independence in the mid-‘60’s all missionaries were expelled, being charged with endangering the unity of the nation. It was over ten years before a limited number of men were allowed to return to their mission in what became the Diocese of Malakal. When the southern non-Muslim part of the country was separated and became an independent country, it was hoped that a new era was beginning. The discovery of oil could bring new prosperity. In the last few years civil war has broken out, the city of Malakal almost completely destroyed, and the missionaries forced into exile.

South AfricaThe newest Mill Hill Mission is in South Africa. It began with an invitation from the Bishop of Kroonstad to serve the community in the industrial town of Sasolburg in the Free State, the heart of Afrikaner farm country. In the post-apartheid era, with the need for ongoing reconciliation between the races, a team of European, African, and Asian MHM’s would hopefully make a contribution to the ‘Rainbow Nation.’

The Fon on his throne, Cameroon.

Christmas Day Tonga Malakal, South Sudan.

Children of Panyang’ara, N. Uganda.

Choir members at burial, S. Africa.

Central Kapit.

Breaking new ground in KapitAn African Mill Hill Missionary in Sarawak

by Fons Eppink mhm

It is not a question I ask lightly: “Are you happy and fulfilled here?” The answer comes at once and without hesitation: “Yes, I am!” Mathews Olili mhm from Kenya is one of a ‘new breed’ of Mill Hill missionaries working in Sarawak, Malaysia. He was the first African Mill Hill missionary to come to this region when he arrived four years ago. Several others from a variety of African and Asian countries have followed him since then.

I feel privileged to be able to visit him and get a closer look at Mill Hill Society’s missionary involvement in East Malaysia. Mathews certainly has taken to his new social and church environment like a duck to water. Fluent in the local Iban language and well on the way to reach the same level of proficiency in Chinese he relates to all sections of the local church community in this upriver town of Kapit - locals affectionately refer to it as ‘Ulu Kapit’ or U.K. - with consummate ease.

At the impressive parish church strategically situated on a small hill overlooking the town Sunday Masses are in English, Iban and Chinese.

Missionary spirit“Meet the people where they are and accompany them to where the Gospel calls them”, is a well known missionary dictum. My impression of Catholic Church communities in Malaysia after only a short acquaintance is one of vibrancy and healthy self-affirmation. Where else would you find T-shirts proudly proclaiming: “I am Catholic”? There is a strong awareness of being a Christian minority in a predominantly Muslim country, even though the proportion of Christians in East Malaysia (the federal states of Sarawak and Sabah on the island of Borneo) is much higher than on the mainland.

David Chou, the parish council chairman at Kapit, speaks of a long term campaign of

28 29

Government sponsored islamisation. “Migrants from other countries who convert to Islam are easily granted citizenship. Some say people even get paid to convert”. Christians are systematically excluded from senior job positions. And Muslim inhabitants of West Malaysia are encouraged to move to Sarawak/Sabah. The proportion of locals-migrants in Sabah is reputed to be close to 50/50.

Empowering the LaitySo what are the missionary challenges in this prosperous, largely Muslim country with its solid Christian minority? Mathews is unequivocal in his assessment of the missionary challenges ahead. “I think we missionaries have an important contribution to make to the Church in Malaysia first of all in the area of empowerment of the laity. Quite in general you could say that our Church is too much priest-dependent and priest-centred. I think the way forward in this parish is to foster the building of Small Christian Communities with vibrant leaders and a missionary outlook. The SCCs in Bintulu (diocese of Miri) are a shining example to us here and I intend tap their experience and expertise to energize our communities here”. “Our Christians still need to grow in the awareness of their missionary calling in the spirit of Pope Francis’ inspiring encyclical ‘The Joy of the Gospel’. We need to reach out more to the non-Christian inhabitants of the longhouses all along the river and elsewhere. The community spirit which comes to people here almost naturally because of their communal style of living is a tremendous asset.”

If the ecumenical service I was privileged to attend a few days ago is anything to go by there is certainly plenty of potential. The Kapit Civic Centre was filled to capacity that Saturday evening. It was the Catholic community’s turn to host this yearly ecumenical event which brings together many members of the various Christian Churches present in Kapit. The Catholic youth scored a real hit with their

colourful presentation of the Christmas story. Mathews Olili mhm took centre stage to deliver a Christmas address in English, Iban and Chinese. But the most stirring part came at the end as everyone was invited to process through town to the Catholic church singing carols behind a float carrying the main actors in the Christmas play. The joy and excitement was almost palpable as the long line of carol- singing participants snaked through the sparsely lit streets of Kapit.

This was a Christian comunity eager to show and share its contagious Christmas spirit.The joy of the Gospel, indeed!

Our Sisters in Kenya and Uganda

Sister Anne Moore comes from Shawlands, St Helen’s Parish, in the south side of Glasgow, and it was from here that she entered the Franciscan Missionaries of St Joseph

which is an international missionary congregation closely connected to the Mill Hill Missionaries. After initial formation and training Sr. Anne went to Kenya where she spent 35 years sharing her life with people who are very poor, isolated, vulnerable, voiceless and marginalised. Sr. Anne also worked with the Mill Hill Missionaries for many years in

their Basic Formation Centre in western Kenya.

I was delighted to have the opportunity of visiting our Sisters in Kenya and Uganda in November 2014. I had left Kenya in 2011, after thirty-five years, so I boarded the flight to Nairobi hoping to make the most of my three weeks there. I was going to visit the Sisters and some of the programmes in which they are involved.

As Franciscan Missionaries of St. Joseph we have, since our foundation, been closely associated with the Mill Hill Missionaries, recognising Bishop (later Cardinal) Herbert Vaughan, the founder of the Mill Hill Missionaries, as our co-founder. We first went to Kenya in 1929 to assist the Mill Hill Missionaries in their work, and we have continued to work closely with them to the present day.

At the present time we have 37 Sisters in Kenya and 4 in Uganda. All of the Sisters are Kenyan apart from two, one of whom is from Ireland and the other from England. We have young women joining our congregation in Kenya every year.

Some of the Programmes run by the SistersThe following is a brief description of some of the programmes in which the Sisters are involved. I want to give you a glimpse of what they are doing to help adults and children who live in the poorest of circumstances.

In Malindi on the Kenyan coast St. Francis Home for disabled children was built with money from the Irish government and is managed by Sister Christine. This home meets a great need because in Kenya there is a stigma attached to children with disabilities and so they are often hidden at home and neglected.

The Sisters run a programme for Street Children in Luanda, western Kenya. Sister Pauline, the coordinator, told me “St. Joseph’s Centre helps a total of 46 former street boys, some of whom have been relocated with relatives and others are still undergoing rehabilitation in the Centre. The Centre supports the children

by Sister Anne Moore, fmsj

Old Fort, place where first missionaries celebrated Mass.

Parish church.

Fr Mathews Olili mhm visiting parishioners.

ObituariesLET US PRAY FOR OUR DEAD

Deceased MembersFr Wim Tuerlings : after ordination in 1956 he worked in our Congo mission, but then in 1965 he was appointed to our mission among the Maoris in New Zealand. He was a much-loved pastor to his people, was editor of the Maori newspaper, produced a Maori hymnal, and a history of the MHM mission to the Maoris. He retired only a few years ago and died at the age of 84.Fr Patrick Lorenzo Bracken was from Ireland and also served in our Maori Mission – for 27 years. For many years he worked to promote our missionary work throughout the whole of Ireland. He was also involved in the healing ministry. In recent years he suffered from poor health, and died aged 83.Fr Frans Vester was appointed after ordination to Uganda where he served throughout the troubled times under the regime of Idi Amin. He was involved in educational work, and was known for his musical gifts.He later spent many years in pastoral work in the Netherlands, where he died aged 84.

Fr Martin Sweeney came from Rutherglen: ordained in 1954 he spent many years in teaching – in our Minor Seminary in Lochwinnoch, and in seminaries in Kenya. Before ordination Martin had been one of the ‘Bevan boys’, one of many seminarians who had to ‘go down the coal mines’ instead of military service. After his time in Kenya Martin was Vice Rector in our retirement house in Freshfield, where he himself later retired. His younger brother John is also a Mill Hill Missionary. Martin died at the age of 87 after a long illness.

Recently Deceased Friends and Benefactors

Canon James Foley (PP of St Augustine’s, Coatbridge)

Mrs Catherine Foley (Renfrew)

Mrs K. Byrne (Barrhead)

Mr James Mulligan (Hamilton, brother of the late Fr Tom Mulligan mhm)

30 31

to go to a public school when they are ready; until that happens they receive informal education, including guidance and counselling, in the Centre”.

Our Sisters help widows and orphans who are often trying to survive in the direst of circumstances. In the post-election violence that erupted as a result of the disputed elections of December 2007, many men who were fathers of families were killed and their widows and children have been left to survive in an environment where there is very little government assistance. Our Sisters try to help these women by setting up Women’s Groups and encouraging the women to engage in small business activities to support themselves and their children.

Sister Anna works in the Turkana Refugee Camp, in Marigat, in the Rift valley region of Kenya. The Turkana community fled from their home area in the 1960’s, due to ethnic clashes and settled here. The community lacks many of the basic essentials. Sister Anna, and other helpers arranged for the

sinking of a borehole to provide clean water, and

also secured education sponsorship for orphans, vulnerable children, and children with disabilities. There is a programme to help

the youth and one that provides general food

distribution for the aged in the community. Sister Anna

also looks after “Alice Ingham primary school”

called after our foundress. The school was started by Sister Medrine.

Four of our Sisters are working in

Panyangara, northern Uganda, alongside the

Mill Hill Missionaries. Sister Prisca works in the local Health Centre and she told

me that the mortality rate for pregnant women and their unborn babies is high and there are many malnourished, sick children resulting in a high child mortality

rate. The Health Centre operates a mobile clinic to

reach the people in some of the outlying areas. Sister

Margaret teaches in the local government primary school where she says the school dropout rate is high, mainly due to hunger. There is also a problem with the teachers when their salaries are not paid

– as happened for 3 months in 2013. Another Sister Margaret is involved in social and pastoral work and Sister Abigael who has just gone to Panyangara is going to be starting a nursery school for the local children.

Our Sisters are also involved in healthcare and education programmes in other areas of Kenya: Witu, Nyamira, Luanda, Kisumu, Marigat and Salawa. Some Sisters teach in primary and nursery schools in the slums and poorer areas. Others run Mother and Child Health Care clinics, Nutrition services for

malnourished children, and HIV/AIDS Awareness and Support Programmes.

The Sisters work closely with the Mill Hill Missionaries in a number of the places mentioned and we have a joint formation programme, for the first year Mill Hill students and our own postulants. Our congregation also received financial help from Mill Hill for our missionary programmes – for which we are truly grateful. We also thank the readers of the Advocate who help us with their prayers and donations.

Images, from top: Sr Anne with baby (Kotido) Uganda; Sr Flora with children, Kenya; Sr Margaret Kwamboko with street children, St Joseph’s Rehab Centre, Luanda.

St. Joseph’s House, 30 Lourdes Avenue, Cardonald, Glasgow G52 3QU.Tel: 0141 883 0139. Email: [email protected]

Mill Hill Website: www.millhillmissionaries.comRegistered Charity Number: SCO39809