28
REVS. J. SMITH AND WM. DOWNS
PART I: JANUARY — NOVEMBER 1941
1:
JANUARY
Reports coming in from our South China missions indicate almost a "rush" on the part of the people to enroll in Doctrine courses leading to Baptism—we learn that Father Regan in Kweilin has baptized over a hundred in the past six months.
Father Sandy Cairns, sojourning at Stanley during January, introduced deck tennis and badminton, to keep us in shape during the winter months—and overcame his hereditary inhibitions to the extent of paying for the equipment. Father Sandy is awaiting favourable winds, and a slackening of pirate activity, to take him back to his mission in Sancian Island after his relief work in Canton.
Dr. Baker of the American Red Cross, spent an evening with us. He told of the arrival of several hundred tons of cracked wheat for the East River area. Since all the people of that area speak Hakka, he is hoping Bishop Ford will lend him two priests to act as inspectors to see that the wheat is properly distributed.
FEBRUARY
Father O'Melia has been invited to sit on the Government Board of Examiners, to pass on the Chinese qualifications of all Government servants who require a knowledge of Cantonese in their work. This is fine recognition of Father O'Melia's stature as a Chinese scholar.
On the 13th, Dr. Wong-Man, Commissioner of Public Health for Kwangtung Province and Dean of Lingnam University Medical School in Canton, had dinner with us, gave us a talk on the Provincial Health Program, learned of the Maryknoll Fathers dispensary work in the Province, and promised to work out a plan of cooperation between the Government and Maryknoll.
Bishop Paschang received a pass from the occupation forces to visit Hong Kong but his purpose for coming here was only to leapfrog to the unoccupied areas of his Diocese to visit the priests and Sisters. While he was here, Father Joe Sweeney arrived, describing the exciting trip he had just made: the motor launch carrying himself and other passengers was attacked by a Japanese patrol boat as evening was coming on, but escaped capture when darkness
28
REVS. J. SMITH AND WM, DOWNS
PART I: JANUARY — NOVEMBER 1941
1:
JANUARY
Reports coming in from our South China missions indicate almost a "rush" on the part of the people to enroll in Doctrine courses leading to Baptism-we learn that Father Regan in Kweilin has baptized over a hundred in the past six months.
Father Sandy Cairns, sojourning at Stanley during January, in- troduced deck tennis and badminton, to keep us in shape during the winter months-and overcame his hereditary inhibitions to the extent of paying for the equipment. Father Sandy is awaiting favor- able winds, and a slackening of pirate activity, to take him back to his mission in Sancian Island after his relief work in Canton,
Dr. Baker of the American Red Cross, spent an evening with us. He told of the arrival of several hundred tons of cracked wheat for the East River area. Since all the people of that area speak Hakka, he is hoping Bishop Ford will lend him two priests to act as inspec- tors to see that the wheat is properly distributed.
FEBRUARY
Father O'Melia has been invited to sit on the Government Board of Examiners, to pass on the Chinese qualifications of all Government servants who require a knowledge of Cantonese in their work. This is fine recognition of Father O'Melia's stature as a Chinese scholar.
On the 13th, Dr. Wong-Man, Commissioner of Public Health for Kwangtung Province and Dean of Lingnam University Medical School in Canton, had dinner with us, gave us a talk on the Provin- cial Health Program, learned of the Maryknoll Fathers dispensary work in the Province, and promised to work out a plan of coopera. tion between the Government and Maryknoll.
Bishop Paschang received a pass from the occupation forces to visit Hong Kong but his purpose for coming here was only to leap- frog to the unoccupied areas of his Diocese to visit the priests and Sisters. While he was here, Father Joe Sweeney arrived, describing the exciting trip he had just made: the motor launch carrying him- self and other passengers was attacked by a Japanese patrol boat as evening was coming on, but escaped capture when darkness
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