BEJA 90 BELGIAN BUBEAO
(1908-1917), a man of unusual talent and learning, Belgian Buraaa (with headquarters at 429-31 who during the war died in exile. West 47th Street, New York), oiganued to foster the
_ . ^ ,„ c />■ T7 TT on<M\ spiritual and temporal welfare of the Belgians in
Beja, DiocEBB of (Bibnms; cf. C. E, ^-^>. America, was founded in September, 1913, at the m Portugal, suffragan of Evora. Beja is the site ^^^_ request of the Belgian Government and the of the old Roman city. Pax Julia, and was a y^^ ^j Belgium with the hearty approval of Hie splendid diocwe until the Moorish invasion, wMch gminSice Cardinal Farley. The principal work <Jf extinguphedChn^iamty there. The diocfe ^ the new institution was to be the cafe and pro- restored m 1770. Since that tune there were many Section of the Immigrant. The Belgian Govem- ong vacancies of bishops, dunng which religoua ^^^^ ^^ repeatedly been advised by Mr. Pierre hfe was not fervent. There is no chapter at Beja. ^^ ^ 3^,^^ consul-general at New Yoric, of Following the revolution of 1910 and the procla- ^^^^ [chappy conditions Imong immigrants land- mation of a republic, the Bishop of Beja, Rt. Rev j j^ the United States, and the Belfian bishops Sebastiao Leite de VasconceUos. was dbliged to ^^ ^^^^^ j,^^^ ^^^ 1,5^1^ ^^ j^^^ -^ j^^_ leave the diocese, the semmanr wm closed and all j^ ^j ^^^ ^^^ unfortunate situation. An existing religious ordera were expelled. Bishop Leite de g^^j^j ^^^ 3^, j^ Benevolence Society of New VasconceUos born at Oporto was ordamed 15 York, had made several unavailing efforts to remedy November, 1874, appointed Bishop of Beja 19 ^^^^ ^j ^^^ ^j ^^j ^^ ^g^ conclusion was ^ur'^HlT'A^^/'ioi",* i°^ by decree of the re- ^^^^^ j^at only a priest would be able to handle public. 18 Apnl, 1911, to leave his dioc««, he hved ^^^ proposition wtisfactoiy. After several consulta- at Lourdes, and since November, 1912, m Rome, ^j^^ between Mr. Mali. Bishop Gabriels. Father J^^'?,: ^iL"^t^ ',*o,a I. T ^^l.T; Notebaert of Rochester and others, at the sugges-
9" ul-iP^T^""' -'A®' ^•T"^*P?°'^Ii^ tion of Monsignor De Becker, the Rector of the Archbishop of -Damietta, assistant at papal throne. American CoU^ of Louvain who happened to be
T f *io^* "■ ^ »«» New York, it was decided to ask Father StiUe-
Aiwust, 1»18. , iu u- 1, iu j_« ~. u - mans then pastor of the Sacred Heart Church of
Since the expulsion of the bishop the d««»« ^a g, ^ (Jklahoma, to take up the new work, passed through a tempestuous and desperate period, ^j^^ the consent of Bishop Meerichaert, Rev. J. F. beuijs administered by the Arch<h«!Me of Evoni. gtuiemans came to New York where he ^ heartily On 16 December. 1920. Rt. Rev^ose do Pafo«nw y,^i^^^ by Cardinal Fariey. Monsignor Mooncy, Dim was elected bishop, consecrated »n the ca^ Monsignor felwards. and otW authorities of the ^al at Guardia 3 June. 1921. and entered Beja „chdi6cese. The Belgian Bishops promise to sup- November of the same year. j ^j^jever assistants might eventually be needed.
There are 116 panshes m.the dioc^ with 72 ^^ j j^ ^^^^ ^^ q ^ Nys came from
secuar pn^ts and 10 seminarians, who go for their ^^^ ^nj m 1919 the Belgian bishops sent a
studies to the archdiocesan seminary at Evora. The ^vrjlj ' _;tr.JT i„ +1,^ JZ^^^tvi^ n n
lack of vocations, combined with other losses, have KL****^* '" ^^ ^"^ *^ ^"'^ ^- ^^
made the shortage of priests in the diocese serious. j^ • ^ the immigration work may be
I^hnnt°^iv^r;ii^^r^:r!^l!S^ "^ conside^ as thr^fold: assi^ce to the iimi-
without any religious jurisdiction. _ ^ ^Ust passing through the immigration in-
Dunng the revolution many pnesta were put in lection- nrotection en route esneciallv for irirla
prison, banished, and persecuted, while many ^cgS^rlS^ aiST^re m to nroS^ lotion W
Zrdl±^Sl."L:dJttn*^ Th^J'is^homSoS ^^otfor 'thosT wh" a?ri?"^itW defiSftJ
^,^,nJ«S^^ tK» H?^o^;„T^vr~i;^irf Si?S?^ destination. To accomplish this means work at the
H^n^l'^J^n/ii^if^ M^ niH* S„-^„^^~ Pie«. the railroad stations and EUis Island, besides
^J^ tTo ff^^f ^^ o^n'tlfS; „f ilTpnrf!!?^ the Wk at the office, and correspondence. The
E°xredifen^^Vircls'u^tilT^nd*;^hen;S^12 ^^^^Jff-H l^fve^ * '"^ '""^ "'"^ *^"- chaplain of 15th Regiment of Infantnr, and cluef P'Se f cLSI '^mmunication between the im-
f&'^?L**!,t„£'"S?^.^^ JS" ^£*^ wlJh "! migration authorities and the bureau. Often the times in the army orders and decorated with a Government calls upon the Belgian Bureau for medal (merfaZ comenda da ordem mhtar) for dM- ^^j^, ^^ ^rin^ people to ft. On the other
&'^nH ^y^Z^Jfr. tn^r^. P JZ"*1W ^ «>e Belgians if t£e tnited States most fre- class). and also fourragere da Torre e Espada. Rev. „,,p„*i„ » Jvi(^ thp Rnrpmi of thp (>xTw>etpd arrival
^rxJz t"irtS^if„x*„"ji=:feo„:?? rSiv^Tnd friS'^wMvSL'dSrir^^^^
also chaplain with the Portuguese Expeditionary ^ j ^j^ 3^, • jj^egeg instruct the priests in
t^3?wW?„'*.'™n?Hi™XZf^'rttf%,«'3; Belp"~ to "otify the Bureau of the departure of
tioned twice n army orders^ decorated with cru. de ^^ f parishioners. The steamship agents in Bel-
Ouerra (4th class), crus de Chnati (with palm).. and • ^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^ ^f^^ j^ ^^ ^ j^^ ,^^^
fourragere da Torre e Espada, No other pnesta ^^gpective immigJLnts or people who think of
of the diocese were absent dunng the war. ^om^^to these shores write to the Bureau for
Belem do Para» Archdiocesb of (Belemenbis ix) information of different kind. Para; cf. G. E., II'-394c), in the State of Para, Lnmig^ration from Belgium is not large as corn- Brazil, South America. This see is now (1922) filled pared with that from several other countries, and by Rt. Rev. Santin-Maria da Silva Coutinho, b. in owing to the war its numbers have varied consid- Areias, 1868, ordained 1801, appointed Bishop of St. erably. If the Government could see its way to Louis de Maranhao, 9 September, 1906, and pro- greater liberality in the rights granted immigration moted 6 December of the same year. By a decree workers and if the Bureau's resources were more of 29 October, 1920, a portion of the territory of ample, it could undoubtedly reach every Belgian the archdiocese was taken to be joined to the prela- immigrant. As it is, it assists several thousands ture nuUius of Goncepcion. By 1920 statistics this each year, and fortunately practically all those who diocese comprises a Gatholic population of 480,000, encounter unusual difficulties or stand in need of 2.000 Protestants, almost 100,000 uncivilized natives, special protection.
50 parishes, 10 filial churches, 62 secular and 25 The follow-up work in New York itself is ren-
regular clergy, 30 Brothers, and 2 colleges, dered very difficult by the vastness of the city
