CHURCHES
(Continuation)
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on with the work until the arrival of the Rev. George Reginald Lindsay, M.A. (1919-1927). Of the Rev. Mr. Lindsay it was said that he was a real hard worker who helped to build up a strong and healthy work in this place, and it was with great sorrow that the congregation learned of his resignation to go Home on account of family affairs.
Rev. William Walton Rogers, M.A. who became Vicar in 1927, is also destined to be remembered with affection and gratitude by his congregation. He leaves next spring and will be succeeded by Rev. J. R. Higgs, M.A.
The brief history of the Pokfulum settlement has already been given (see 28-11-33) when mention was made of the fact that the Nazareth Mission, had taken over "Douglas Castle", one of the old houses dating back to the Fifties, and converted it to their needs. It is intended now to deal fairly fully with the history of this mission in Hongkong, which will be able to celebrate its 49th year of local work this month on December 18.
On December 18. Much of the following information is translated from a pamphlet issued when the mission celebrated its 40th anniversary in 1924.
In the annual statement of affairs of 1883, the Managers of the Seminary of the Rue de Bac, communicated to the Missionaries of the Society their intention to put into realisation a scheme long under study. They state:
"We have entrusted M. Rousseille, our former Superior, with the task of putting into realisation a plan which we have been studying for a long time, and to which several of our venerable Mission Heads had often called our attention. We desire to speak of the erection tentatively, of a House where could gather, for recruitment of health, or for passing the remainder of their life in prayer in a spiritual retreat those of our Confreres whom a special reason, or corporal infirmities would render unfit for continuance of an active and painful ministry.
In order that the life of the inmates of the House projected, might be useful to themselves and to the Society it was necessary they should have an occupation to which, they could devote themselves, and quickly the idea was brought into light of a sort of Collegiate where they could in the name of the entire Society, attend to the daily religious exercises.
A Communal Letter of 1905, in returning to the same subject, defines it in these terms." The principal aim of Nazareth House is to furnish to all members of the Foreign Missions Society, a suitable centre for living in quietness for prayer and meditation, not only for a number of days, but also of weeks, months, and even longer if deemed fit by the Superiors.
But outside of the breviary, there remained free hours by which the Society could benefit if consecrated to a work of profit to the Missions. From this emerged the idea of a print-ery a secondary work for supplying books for the propaganda of the Faith or for the instruction and training of native clerics.
Such was the genesis of the establishment of Nazareth House, with the two works fitting into each other.
Let us now see who the founder of the work was, and how he could establish it in the Far East.