CHURCHES
{ Continuation )
153
devotion and confidence. It is with great pleasure that I announce to you that in this Chapel from to-day will be established the wonderful work called The Bread of St. Anthony which I already recommend to your piety and I hope by the grace of God and the intercession of the Saints that this work will flourish and will spread abundant benefits to the poor.
Members of the Catholic community will perhaps remember the late Rev. Father Evaristo Torres, Procurator of Hongkong for the Dominic Missions. He died in the early part of 1905, and on February 14 of that year mass was celebrated.
Rev. Father Torres was a native of St. Maria, in the province of Palencia, Spain. At the age of twenty-four after completing the second year's course of theology in the Convent of Ocana, he was ordained Deacon. In consequence of disturbances, both political and social reigning in Spain, he was sent by his superiors to the Philippine Islands where he landed in 1872. There he was ordained priest on Sept. 21 1872, and completed his course of Theology at the University of St. Thomas three years later. Towards the close of 1875 he was sent to St. Isidoro, in the province of Tubuan, where he met with a most painful accident resulting in the loss of his left arm. As he was shooting a mad dog, which appeared in the village, the rifle exploded, and caused the accident.
In October 1876, he was appointed Vice-procurator in Hongkong. Here he discharged his duties connected with that office till he returned to Manila in 1881. In 1886, he again came to Hongkong to take over the office of Procurator-General of the Missions, the important duties of which he discharged faithfully until late August, when age and infirmities compelled him to take repose. He returned to Manila in January for a change of air. This did not prove of any use and he calmly passed away where he first began his missionary labours.
Torres Buildings in Kowloon were named after the deceased.
Reference has been made previously in these notes (see 11-10-33) to the advent of Christian missions to Hongkong. Dates have been given, and localities named, whereby it is possible to-day to visualise the earliest work of missionaries among the Colony's native population. It is not possible, however, to realise the actual pioneering work done unless we examine old records for personal narratives and fortunately several such exist from which we can obtain details of the early efforts by Church workers.
One of the most graphic records has been left by the Rev. George Smith M.A. (afterwards the first Bishop of Hongkong) who came out there in 1844, sailing from England at the beginning of June, accompanied by Rev. T. M'Clatchie, and arriving in Hongkong harbour at the end of September being thus nearly four months on the voyage. He visited Macao shortly thereafter, embarking on board a native fast boat, evidently the only means of communication at the time. Mr. Smith returned to Hongkong at the beginning of December and has left a vivid narrative of various expeditions he carried out in this area.
CHURCHES
{ Continuation )
153
devotion and confidence. It is with great pleasure that I announce to you that in this Chapel from to-day will be es- tablish the wonderful work called The Bread of St. Anthony which I already recommend to your piety and I hope by the grace of God and the intercession of the Saints that this work will flourish and will spread abundant benefits to the poor.
Members of the Catholic community will perhaps remem- ber the late Rev. Father Evaristo Torres, Procurator of Hongk- ong for the Dominic Missions. He died in the early part of 1905, and on February 14 of that year mass was celebrated.
Rev. Father Torres was a native of St. Maria, in the province of Palencia, Spain. At the age of twenty-four after completing the second year's course, of mology in the Convent of Ocana, he was ordained Deacon. In consequence of distur- bances, both political and social reigning in Soain, he was sent by his superiors to the Philippine. Islands where he landed in 1872. There he was ordained priest on Sept. 21 1872, and completed his course of Theology at the University of St. Thomas three years later. Towards the close of 1875 he was sent to St. Isidoro, in the province of Tubuan, where met with a most painful accident resulting in the loss of his left arm, As he was shooting a mad dog, which, appeared in the village, the rifle exploded, and caused the accident.
In October 1876, he was appointed Vice-procurator in Hongkong. Here he discharged his duties connected with that office till he returned to Manila in 1881. In 1886, he again came to Hongkong to take over the office of Procurator-General of the Missions, the important duties of which he discharged faithfully until lat August, when age and infirmities compel- led him to take repose. He returned to Manila in Januray for a change of air. This did not prove of any usek and he calmly paased away where he first began his missionary labours.
Torres Buildings in Kowloon were named after the
deceased.
Reference has been made previously in these notes (see 11-10-33) to the advent of Christian missions to Hongkong. Dates have been given, and localities named, whereby it is possible to-day to visualise the earliest work of missionaries among the Colony's native population. It is not possible, however, to realise the actual pioneering work done unless we examine old records for personal narratives and fortunately several such exist from which we can obtain details of the early efforts by Church workers.
One of the most graphic records has been left by the Rev. George Smith M.A. ( afterwards the first Bishop of Hongkong) who came out there in 1844, sailing from England at the beginn- ing of June, accompanied by Rev. T. M'Clatchie, and arriving in Hongkong harbour at the end of September being thus nearly four months on the voyage. He visited Macao shortly thereafter, embarking on board a native fast boat, " evidently the only means of communication at the time. Mr. Smith returned to Hongkong at the beginning of December and has left a vivid narrative of various expeditions he carried out in this area,
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