CHURCHES
(Continuation)
It became necessary to resign themselves to the idea of abandoning the place and to search for a place that was more peaceful and safer.
Thoughts turned to Macao, where a piece of property, a Portuguese villa, was to be let called the Santa Sancha. Situated on the seashore, at the eastern end of Praia Grande and near the Church of St. Laurent, it embodied the local essentials to an installation of at least a provisional kind: a chapel, refectory, rooms for the priests, and a room for the printing works, as modest in personnel as in material. The work of house installation was completed here in the middle of December, and on December 17, the routine was entered into vigour. To the four members of the growing community came an addition in a Father from Procuration at Hongkong and a number of colleagues from the Sanatorium of Bethany.
Nazareth inaugurated from December 18, 1884, its life of prayer and work.
The work of the Printery commenced quite soon, the first tract to come from the Presses being the Kensis Eucharisticus of Fr. Lercati, S.J.
It did not appear that the Portuguese colony of Macao had viewed askance the small Colony of French Missionaries who displayed no intentions other than to pray and work for the welfare and in the service of the Missions. But this did not appear so to the civil authorities, whose distrustful minds conceived doubts and believed they must consider Santa Sancha as a quarter for spying. Also, when Fr. Rousseille, who wanted a fixed establishment, made the necessary overtures for the purchase of property more in accord with future intentions, he found himself against such difficulties, such bickerings, that he soon looked upon the situation as becoming impossible. Resort was necessary to the abandonment of Macao, after a sojourn of only four months.
The House of Nazareth thus came into being in the Colony of Hongkong. We read: "It was thought that Hongkong, then a young English Colony, already powerful and prosperous, would offer to the House of Nazareth a shelter where it could develop itself freely. A property near the Sanatorium of Bethany, with a European house and dependencies, was found named Clanmore. It belonged to an English firm, stated to be desirous of selling it.
The question arises, who were the English company who sold "Clanmore" to the Mission? Here we trace an interesting piece of local history through the vernacular name. We find that the old house was known to the Chinese as "Taikoolau", i.e., Taikoo House, and this identifies it as the former home of the taipan of Messrs. Butterfield and Swire.
This, it might be noted, was one of the early European dwellings at Pokfulum. Fr. Rousseille, without loss of time, entered into negotiations and on April 15, 1885, these concluded, the community moving in and establishing its first headquarters in the Colony.
Page 143
CHURCHES
(Continuation }
It became necessary to resign themselves to the idea of abandoning the place and to search for a place that was more peaceful and safer.
Thoughts turned to Macao, where a pice of property a Portuguese villa, was to be let called the Santa Sancha. Situated on the seashore, at the eastern end of Praia Grande and near the Church of St. Laurent, it embodied the local essential to an installation at least of provisional kind: a chapel refectory, rooms for the priests, and a room for the printing works, as modest in personnel as in material. The work of house installation was completed he re in the middle of December, and on December 17, the routine was entered into vigour. To the four members of the growing community came an addition in a Father from Procuration at Hongkong and a number of colleagues from the Sanatorium of Bethany.
Nazareth inaugurated from December 18, 1884, its life of prayer and work,
The work of the Printery commenced quite soon, the first tract of it to come from the Presses being the Kensis Eucharisticus of Fr. Lercati, S.J.
It did not appear that the Portuguese colony of Macao had viewed askance the small Colony of French Missionaries who displayed no intentions other than to pray and work for the welfare and in the service of the Missions. But this did not appear so to the civil authorities" whose distrust- ful minds conceived doubts and believed they must consider Santa Sancha as a quarter for spying. "Also when Fr. Rousseille, who wanted a fixed establishment made the neces- sary overtures for the purchase of property more in accord with future intentions," he found himself against such difficulties, such bickerings, that he soon looked upon the situation as becoming impossible, Resort was necessary to the abandonment of Macao, after a sojourn of only four months.
#
The House of Nazareth thus came into being in the Colony of Hongkong. We read -. "It was thought that Hongkong then a young English Colony, already powerful and prosperous would offer to the House of Nazareth a shelter where it could develop itself freely A property near the Sanatorium of Bethany with a European house and dependencies, was found named Clanmore ". It belonged to an English firm, stated to be desirous of selling it.
#
The question arises, who were the English company who sold " Clanmore "to the Mission ? Here we trace an interesting piece of local history through the vernacular name. We find that the old house was known to the Chinese as " Taikoolau " i.e. Taikoo House, and this indentifies it as the former home of the taipan of Messrs. Butterfield and Swire.
This, it might be noted was one of the early Euro- pean dwellings at Pokfulum. Fr. Housseille without loos of time entered into negotiations and on April 15, 1885, these concluded the community moving in and establishing its first headquarters in the Colony.
143
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.