The Little Apostle of the Mountain Province

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Part of The Little Apostle of the Mountain Province

Title
The Little Apostle of the Mountain Province
Issue Date
Volume I (Issue No. 2) July 1924
Year
1924
Language
English
Rights
In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
extracted text
Whv I Should Cooperate with the Missionarv I am a ch ristian . I have been regenera,ted by the waters of Rapti;.;m . God could haw created nie a pagan a;: the Igorotes in the '.\fountnin Pro,·inc,e. In the world there are 1,000,000,0flO people who ha\"C' ne\·er been ha.ptized and neYer will be. I could haYe been one of these many. But God selecte<l me from among RO many millions to be haptizt>d. And thrn baptism I recei\·Nl sanctifying grace, I beeameachilcl of God. Toheachildof Godi,; worth infinitely more tha,n to he an offspring of the richest and noblest family in the "·orld. A child of a rieh po1Yerful fa111ily may inherit the world's goods and honors. A child of God that is faithful to its heavenly dignity shall inherit eterna,l riches and infinite happiness. The child of the well to do may lose its whole inheritance, or, in ihe miJst of wealth, lead the most unhappy life. But I, a child of God thru baptism, once in heaven, I shall never be despoiled of my inheritance and f s]nJ] alw:tyR enjoy the happineRS .if God Hi1m:t>lf 11·ithout eYe11 the slightest shadow or po;:sil1ility of S• 11TOW or pa,i n. All this T owe to the infinite good - ness of my <+or! and Creator. I dicl not rlo anything tu nwrit these pri,·ilegeR. Quite the contrary : rm a(·''onnt of my si n~, I should han' been puni::<hecl for e\'f'r. But then again God';:: lm·e step red in and spared nw fro111 ett>rnal chastisement. He)\\" Goel must love me! But as He Jo yes me, so does He wish to lol'e all people. Did not Jesus the so11 of Goel die on the cross to saxe all people, to make them all christians? Did J esus not shed His bloocl for each living soul on earth? Who then can describe the desire of God to have pagans baptized? What a pleasure it must be to Jesus to see the fruits of His passion and death applied to a pagan soul thru baptism . And I, who recei,·ed the benefit of that salutary desire and the bloody sacrifice of Jesus, what have I ·clone till now to satisfy the heart of Jesus 18 in its desire for more and more souls? If Jesus asked me to suffer and die to ..:onfer baptism upon a poor pagan, perhaps thru want of faith I would refuse to do it. But what He asks of me, whatgratitudeforall the benefits I have received from hPaven llictates to me, iA at least to help to save souls, to make a little sacrifice now and then for the com·ersion of those, who can become, like me, children of God and heirs of hea\'en. I admire the .Yfissionary who says farewell to his family and all he loves on earth , to consecrate himself to the redemption of pagans. I avow it, I have not that courage. But, can I reiuRe to help the missionary in his noble task? Can I refuse to try by the means I ha\e at hand to help the missionary to bring souls to the cross of Cah·ary, to the heart of Jesus, to hearn.ily glory? . .\ nd if I pray for the c01wersion of pag:wl' if I offer my almf', am I not a missionary too? :rnd shal l I not recei,·e the ren-ard of ¥ missionary? Caritas l lzristi urget me: the 10\·e of Christ forces me: after all Goel has given me and ;;;acrificed for my supreme happine"s, yes, I too, I shonld and nrnst beeome an apostle, a little apostle of the ~fountain Pro\'ince, by my daily prayers for the conversion of its pagans and by the little alms I < ·;;n afford to help itf' ~Iissionari e:-:. LETTER J111blished in the R eview of the .iJlissionaries of the I1n111uc11l11te H ew·t 1Jf _iJw·y of ~:k1 ~1lt ( B elyiu11 Jii.ssionaries), by the Very R e-v. F ather A. Vun Z 11yt, l'rorincial ::illJ1e1·im-, u.ftu his ruwt1ul l'fait to the rlifjJl'ent missions in the .lfoimttiin Prorinre in t/,e year 1923. The Belgian :\fo:sionaries hHe their cent ral house at Baguio, Governor Paek Road. It is the residenee of the Provi1wia.l and of Father Sl'hipman. Here the new n1ission:Lries come, when they arrive in the Isla nds, to begin their study of the dia led, a nd the older ones when they need a rest. It is an ideal place for a tropi1·al rountry. Tn the center of the town Fathers Carlu and \Vins are the happy possessors of a splendid, I may say cathedral. Part of it, not half as yet, is finished, but time and money will achie\·e it some day. tis a gem, designed hy Father \"elldelnians a11d built by our lay broth er~ and lgorotes. Stately it ril'e;; un t•.lp of a hil 1 above the many c1tlwr su rroundi11g hills of Baguio, and from its door one beholds the nieest panorama which ran be seen at Baguio . . Bu.t we may not stay to enjoy it. Let us go to the ,;orth wef't for a fli;;;tanee uf I kilometers and we shal l arrive at the rnlley of Trinidad ; where wr.· have the rni;;sio11 of Fathers De Brabandere :tntl David. Their house and chapel were built \\'ith the gift., coll ~<·ted at a feast gi\'en by prominent .\fauilans for the benefit of our missions among the Igorote~. The simple style of both house and chapel are quite in harmony \\'ith the pine-coyered mountain" which engirdle the valley of Tri11idad. Going d01rn from Baguio to the east for a distance of 16 kilometers, we come to thP mi,:sion of Itogon. Here Father Quintelier, lately helped b.Y two young missionaries, FF. Pelsers and ·Claerhoudt, has <lone wonderful \\'Ork and, finding it necessary to extend his work, notwithstanding his continual lack of funds and support, he ]~as sent Father Claerhoudt to Bokod far away north in the provi11ce of Benguet. Travelling north from Baguio for two days and a half, 'i\'e arrive at Cervantes an old spa.ni,:h mission '"here at present Father Portelange directs the \\'Ork helped by Father De Clercq. B'rom Cervantes they visit regularly the mission of Loo, which <:onneets the province of Bengnet with the province of Lepanto. Besides, they adininister the mission of Bauco, 25 kilometers north-east of Cer\antes. From Banco we go to Bontoc, visiting on our way the school, established by the missionaries of Bgntoc, at Sabangan. Bontoc is our most northern mission. FF. Billiet, Anseeu w, G hysebrech ts and brother Cools give us here a most hearty welcome, and give us the most consoling ne\\'S about their success in the mission and their plans 19 for the future. At Tucuca n, two miles farther, where the same Fathers have a school, them exists a grotto erected to Onr Lady of Lourdes. Later they \\'ill open a school at Tetepan. Let me here say something of the inauguration of the above mentioned grotto. On my last visit Father Billiet came to me and said: "Father Provineial, one of these days we will bless the new grotto of Lourdes at Tucucan. 'Ve must go there all together with the children of our schools of Bontoc. '' You must know that the Bontoc and Kalinga peoples are. not on very friendly terms with each other. Peace among them has yet to be establish2d on christian principles of real charity. How could these two tribes be linked together better than by a common devotion to the Blessed Virgin, the Queen of peace? So to Tucucan we must all go. But we cannot go on a pilgrimage without a big candle: and in Bontoc there is not a single big candle. All that it can produce is a tiny wax taper. Brother Cools however helped us out of our perplexity. He got a stick, a big stick, rounded it nicely, painted it in imitation of a richly adorned candle, put the wax taper on top under such nice flowers that many first Communicants have neYer appeared on their great festival with such a bright-looking big candle in their hand. ~ow another difficulty arose. Tucucan was in state of war with Bontoc. That means, so they say, that e\·ery child of Bontoc caught in Tu20 1·11<»1 II terri tllry is i 11 dangn nf IJpj 11g nit to pil'(:es wi t hout rnut'h (·premo11y. H e nce on the eve of the inauguration rnany pa~rnn parents llf the ehilrlren to go to Tu(·1wa 11 , l'a111e in dire ala rill to u,.;, bqrging- u;: not to take their ('.hilclren along for the exeursion , s;1yi11g that if they 1YP11t and est"a ped al i1·e (a thing they ;;eem ed to doubt st>rions!y) tlwy 1You ld 1ie1·prtheless return poi':<e;;sed by a had ":u1ito" 1rhi(·h 11-cniid drag them to the grave for ha1·i11;< pas::;ed thru an e nemy territory. To !'Pason 1rith most of the111 , ll'ould ha1·e been to lose ti111e. Therefore l'hildre11 of our Bontoc sehollls d iii 11ot a<·(·ornp:rny us. In ,.;rite of this, l10we1·er, on the lllOrni 11g of F1•l 1rn<1 ry the 11th we "aw that a l•1ng pr .. <·e,.;,;i1111 of ehildren had 1·onw :111d ll'e re fldlowi11g us on the 11:uT111r mountain road toll'ards Tu<·11(·n11. \Ve felt sure 110 eYil would liefall tlH'Jll. :\obody 1rnuld kill tl1e1n for the [gorotes re<;ped tlw rni;;siona ry A11d jnst to show how en•n our u 11k11own religion 11-.nild e xt ing11 ish Tucucan hatred and how no a11ito would i11jnre those who 1·iolaterl the su perstitious la1Ys of 11·ar betll'een tlwf!e two town:>, 1n· were indt>ed 1<lad to ha1•e 11·ith us nt ]past <;OlllP < ·hildre n in fod ire h;1cl ni:rn.r frnni B1J11tO\'. The k ind nef:"' of the Trn'. tt(':111 people towards the l'hil<lren of Bo11 t(l(: d11ring a ti111e of 1rar wou:d 111 turn indrn.:e the JH • plt> of B<mt< (' to heh a ,.e i 11 the sa Ille 1ray tmYa rd;; their Tut:uea11 neigh I.or,;. Preeederl b.v a number of flag· bearer;.:, behind the 111y=-te riou;; big or small (as you like • eandle, tlw pilgrim;; followed in two li11P" 1Yith the rosary i11 hand, f1111r llli~i'ion ­ aries clo;;i11g the pro<·e~si on. :\ow we sang, then 1Ye prayed : sut;h was the first pilgrimage e1·er seen in the ll'ild 1110untains uf Bu11tut;. 'Die PrfJce.ssirm <m it;-; li'ay tfJ the .Stm<'luary r~( Lom·c7es at 'Tucucan 21 The Psvchologv of the Filipino By Hon. Norberto Romualdez Associate JHstice of the Si1preme Coiirt of the Philipµine Islands (Continuation) Besides, \Ve nrnst not loi'\e R ight nf the fact that the first immigrants \Ye re clari ng sailors and fearless people, and such character of theirs may be, in part, responsible for their acl\'enture on unknmrn lands ,,·here they might settle freely and unmolested by tht>i r sovereign. 1 am unable to find any real indi('ation that the inhabitants of this .\n·hipelago ever paid homage or performed any act of subjection to any foreign sovereignty before that of Spain. The fact that, in the year l-">70, Radja Soliman \Yho had jurisdidion over t he territory from the southern banks of the Pasig river south wards, was a son-in-law t1f the Sul tan of Borneo, does not in itl'elf rnnstitut!.' an evidence of son•reignty of Borneo over t he Philipprnes. Tht> fact that the King of :-;pain, Alfu~so the Thirteenth, married a grand-daughter of Queen Yictoria, of E ngland, did not make ::.;pn,i n su hje("t to England, or vieeversa. ft must not be foq:rnttenthatdu ring those early tirneE of the fndone:<ian and ~I:tlay immigrations and settlement in the Philippines, territorial expansion of sovereign states was effected only by occupation, ac·eretion or conquest, that is, by means of an actual physical impositi on of so\·ereignty over a conquered, :wqui red or occupied territory. There was then no possibility of acquisition by Treaty, because no Law of Nations ,,·as then as yet recognized. ~either the Indonesians or the Malays eame for purposes of conq nest for any king or sovereign. If they did conquer these Islands by the superiority of their culture, it mu:<t have ,been of, and on, their own right and account, and only for themselves. \Ye positiYely know that the Chinese pirate Limahong tried to conquer the Philippines, but was repelled by the Spaniards. We also learn of some fruitless atteri1pts of the Duteh and English for the possession of these Islands. I fet>l safe in concluding that the first foreign sovP.reignty established in the Philippines was the Spanish, and that the first settlers of these islands were liberty-loving people, who, groaning under the oppres:=<ion of their kings, left their native country for lands more fi:ee. c). Population. The primitive population and the succeeding immigrants, just spoken of, may be represented as shown in some maps which I am going to Thi.- 11wp sh01n; tlw third st:1g-e of Jl •pul:1ti<111. Tilt> ~lal.iys a re repre'-'t'11ted hy the light hro1Y n portion;,; along the toasts ;rnd plai ns. T he ! 1 1do11e,;in 11s a rr indi<·ated by the dark lirown s1 y1ts. A 11d the :\ e:.i:rit.1s, b1· t he black dots seattcred lwre and there in R1>n1e of the nH\\111t<tin" of the A1Thipclago. For purpo,.;e:-: of eontp;nison. the la"t t1 n1 rnaps ;1re pre:'ellted together in thif. ;;Jidc: .. ••• . 4_1•" .... i: -:'!"° 2.. At-,(,ut 1:500 ps. n.c. These i 111 migrations m ust have Ol'.C·ure<l before Christ, a11d ce.rtainly, heforP. the 14th eentury, bec·a u;;:e t he in1migra.nts, especially the ~Ial ays, brought 11·ith them the ~r alay alpha.bet , which ceased to be nsed in }fala.C'ea. in the ]4th century, upon the eonYersion of their king to l slam ism hy ::\lakdurn, who came i:rom Arabia, 22 said king ha1·ing impo"ed the .\ rnbi(' nlphahet ou his pePplc after hif" eo111·er,;1 on. Be,.idt>s thPse aboriginal and imm igrant peoples, the ChinesP, 1Yho <'a1ne to the Philippines, se1·eral Cf'll t mi<>s before the t\p;rn iards, form - ed pa rt of the population uf the::;e l sla1Hk Thi,, a<.:<·ount;; for the fod that tlw ~pa n ia.rds, upon their a.rri1 ·al in the P hilippines, in the l(ith <.:entury, . .. 3. about 1000 yrs. B.C. J.Iap Xo. 4 found here a population eomposed of ,\"egritos, Indonesians, }fa.lays, and Chinese. Dr. H. Otley Beyer , in his work entitled 'Population of the Philippine Islands in 1916". gi Yes an account of the present distribution of t hese different races in t his Archipelago. 23 pre:;;ent to you. H ere j,., the ti r:>t of ,.11 · ' · • u lllap:< : Jfap _y,, 1 Tl · . 118 ITI'l]l 1 . l ' eprese ago m·eu1>iP'[ nt" tlw .\ ,.,.;.: • • A (\ ill\' lJ, t .J.JJl'1llhab1tants, the\. ~ .he pri111itj,-,. of the kno . . - egnt"!'-, lief· . 11 ll lll111lig .. . ''' e a11y 1at 1 "n ~ Her · e JR anotl · 1 er rnap . (See 11lOJJ • oH to1> o/ .-;rco11d . I CU !Wiit ) T l· 11s map re after the ti present;.; the l-1 rst rnrn · . . "' a11d,.: l the Indonesian" ., 11g llrat1011, that of ·_ · . , ' " II( f ay immigrat· Je ore the 'I h < wn Tl -' as owing th - . ie blat:I· I d .· . e :\ egrito" " t ots in en to th . to kl\·e I , d e mou 11 t· · '~en ark brown po1·t· .11 ns. and the c t 10118 . ,. . oas sand 1 )1 . ' l!H tl'at111g ti 1 arn" . 1 e nclone'<ian" v occupied by t I 1e ;;----- - - "' 2. Abimt 1:JOO B yrs . . . c. JJ,;:, :\· '· •) lkn· . . ti 1" H' t Iii rd 3. Joout 1000 a.c. yrs. Jfmi :'\- n . . J 24 Just how the Xegritos c1rn1e to settle here, is a fact not as yet explained clearly. Of cour:::e, it is knnm1 that they belong to the branch of the human race called the stern of the prehistoric Blaek rnee, its division being the Eastern and Oceanic Di vision, :;i,nd that tlwy reached the territories occupied by the Veddas and Pelagian Blaeks, the Philippines, and Japan, \\·here they are called Ainos. The Indonesians and the .\lalays both belong to the stern of the .\Jongoloid races, the former eomi ng from the Indies, and the latter, from Malaeca. Here is a map of the world, showing the main stems of the human race: These sterns are graphically repre:::entecl in this map of the world, whid1 shm\":< approximately 1he three ma.i n directions in 11·hich the human race spread OYer the earth. The white line which runs North, Xortheast, and Xorthwest, i,.; the :::tem of the prehistoric Ituddy or W hite race, which is that of the Arians and the Harnitee. The black line which runs South and branches off at the Indies, one branch going to the \Yest and another to the Southeast turning to the ~orth, represents the stern of the prehistoric Black race that spread and reached Africa and Oceania, passing through Ausfralia, where the Papuans are found, then to the Philippi ues, "·here we have the Negritos, and thence to J apan, "·here the A inos Ji ,-e. The third line which is brown, runs East and South of central A!"ia, reaching Sumatra, then .\f alacea, then the Philippines, an<l represents Jfap No. 5 the stem of the prehistoric Brmni or ~fonguloid races, to which belong t he two streams of immigration to these Islands, - the Indonesian and the Malay. (To IJe contin111l(I) 25 Chapel Built . IR Dalupirip, Benguet lJy the pupils of /:it. Paul's Institiite, Herran Street, Manila. Jesus duri11g His public life always showerl a particular predilec1 ion for little children. They are so pure, RO lovely, so virtuous.. And today Hii' Love for chilclren is the same. Quite recently in one of the churches of Rome a big image of C'hrist 1YaR seen lowering Its right arm from the cross to Pm brace a little girl \Yho had been praying to Jesm~ crucified. Jesus foved that prayer because it came from a Yirtuous pure littie girl. And during the past n:,ionths how Jesus must have bestowed His blessings upon the little ones of St. P<wl 's Institutel And 1Yhy? In a few months they gathered up, cent by cent, and peseta by peseta, tnough to build a gem of a chapel (as seen on the picture above,) whi<"h is now erected at Dalupirip, Benguet. ·when one considers that by far the greater number of pupils of St. Paul's are little children, one can hardly realise how these .500 pupils managed to build a church. No doubt the good Sisters impressed upon the minds of their pupils that they must economize and give for the sake of God. The good Mere Marthe always so generous preached to her pupils' generoRity by word and example. And animated by such a Superior and by such teachers, the little girls set to work to have their chapel somewhere am0ng the pagan Igorots: the chapel of St. Paul's Institute, which would stand and rem.ain as a proof of its pupils' love for God and their brethren in 26 ChriRt. Rllt, ho\\· <·oufrl thr fourth (~rn<le gather ~ mo Od "? How ('Ollld the fifth gr:irle bring in ~ 100.00 "? How <·ntild the little one;; of the third gradt> <·oiled ~.'i.j.00 ·J In the fomth gn11le there were ~fiRRes Anrnlia l'rqni<·o and Carolina Torref-' ;tnc1 other,;; who be<'ame leader;;: and o rg<rnizer,.: among their c::lassrnnte,<. Following their example the other l'hildren org1rnize<l little ff·ast,; at home. The children 'rho <·oncurred had ;: plea:::ant time and ga,·e ,.:ume 1il1ns. -:\°O\\' and then it wa;;: an i11IH•<·t>nt raffle for little trifles whieh brought Ro111e gain to the charitable organizer. Can yon belieYe it, you who knt>w lio"· ehildren like pidures '? ~nrnt. of th!:' (•hifrlren of :-:t. rauf's :'<ii':{ tht>ir ni<·est pi\'.lure;::, ju..:t to h:tH' some n1011Py to niter f"rthe building of (~ocl ';.;: home. That 11·as the 1r:t.'· ~t. Paul',- [nstitnte g-athered in the hig snm whi<'h the (•hapeJ of D:llupi 1·i p has <·nst. After such sanitic-t>s .Jt',.:u;; mu"'t hler;s mf,re than f'\·er the pupils wtw built Him a h·rnse,. and the whnlt:> Institute whieh know,: how to implant ge1wrusity a11d eharit.'· in the tender hearts uf those. wli" responded RO 1Yell to its teaelii11g. \\'hene,·er .JeO'us u:;:r>: Hi,: h·ouse of Dalupirip, may He at the R:1n1c tinw slrower His e hoicest IJ]e:=:si ngs on the He,·erend Sieters and the pupils of St. Paul's Institute. A Little flower Among the lgorotes Ine~ was a lcnel,r little Igorot ;tirl from Itogon. Her blaek eyes whieh peeped out under the blaeker hair. that ccl\·ered her open face. showed lit'e. spirit and puriy. lnes had been baptized: !"he was a christian and as a christian she behaved. She did not go to f:chool for a Jong time. oh~ no. when father and mother are poor. \\'hen ·their riee and camote fields are few and high in the steep mountains. an lg-orote girl has to work hard and early in life. But Ines had studied enough to know her duties as a ··atholic g·irl. En'ry morning. before she took her basket to the hil Is. she went to mass. How could she miss the renewal of the sacrifice of the cross. once offered for her by JesusHimselfwhomshelovPd? And after mass, happ~-, she went to the far a1,·ay fields and towards eveninir. singing or praying her rosary undt>r a hea1·y load. she slipped down 1 lie n:tt·row mountain path lrnnwwards. And will she go to rest 11011· in her poor shack? :'\ot yet. The rice mu~t first be pounded <tlld lhe evening prayer f:aid. Now and then she talks with her few neighl.Jour g·irls about God and heaven. :rnd tlre happiness on · earth of those who sene God, and the glory in hea \'ell or those who lead a pure life. Ines was happy. Yer~· happy the result or a pure Goel lo,·in1< conscience .• Ines had reached the age at which T1Zorote girls a re given a way in marriage by their parents to a boy. Ines had dreaded that moment. That moment came. She must marry. But her future husband was a pagan. One evening, her father called her and said: .. Ines, next week you will ha\·e a 1111;.\)1\nd. You wil1 iro and live with X .. , l11es did not answer but tliat nig·ht >'he did not sieep at!d. ins1ead0f ~tretch­ tllg <111t her tired body on lhe woodEn tloor. ,;lie pas:oed tlte dark hom·s in prayer. Did not our Lord aim prax while in ng-c.11y'? And while in prayer. did He not accept death'? ''-"as it, not iweferable for Ines to clietha11 to ha l'e to liYe wHh a pag·an. in ,,in? \\"hat 11 terril>le agony she endured'. Tl1e next t1'·o day!'. Ines went to 27 maf;; ver~· early. she recehed Holy Communi0n. but, instead of singing "!Jile at" ork. her lips formed in silence the prayer !"he had offered that long lonely nigllt. aJter tl1e t.Prriu!E' news of ber eornin11· marri:ig'€ had been broken to her. Fom· clays more and she would be forced 10 1i ,.e with her hul'band. She shiYered at the thought. She paE~ecl another night in prayer. her prayer was always one and the same Tbe uext mornin;r IrES ~Hs ti1cd 28 Her head was bot and weary. Her limbs refused to carr~· her to church. Ines lay down on the ca rabaoskin. her bed, on the floor. She smiled. No. she was not snrry she could not go to church. Had the priest not often said how good God is, how He always hears a fervent, confident prayer? The father and mother or Jnes were not anxious about their girl. FeYer often prostrates the overworked I gorote. No, tomorrow, or the day· after tomorrow. Ines would be better. The priest did not see Ines at the Communion rails that morning. Another morning dawned, Ines felt hotter and hotter. She shivered t-hru her whole body. But Ines smiled while her father and mother gave her the food she needed while they would be in the mountains for the whole day. ~evertheless they came home a little earlier that evening. Ines might need water. How her eyes shone under the black hair that covered her face. She smiled a heavenly smile. Her parents would call the Father. The Father has wonderful medecines, oh! he cured so many who otherwise would have gone to the pitiless grave. The F'ather came. Ines was perspiring-. Smilinl!, the said she was .. ' well, very well,but she would like to confess. After her confession i;:he told the priest the news of the last fourda.Ys. she told even how and what she prayed for. What? Jnes would rather die than marry a pagan. She preferred a cold grave to what her parents deemed a happy marriage. God would hav€' pity on her, she said she had prayed ferwntly, God coL1ld not refuse her demand. The next morning, after mass, the Father brought the hea,·enly Master of life and death to Ines' poor shack. The girl smiled from under the shadow of appraching death. He could not repress a tear. He knew Jnes· prayer was heard tliough yeste1·day he could' not belieYe it. That same morning, at the time Ines usually climlJed the mountains after mass, Ines climbed again, higher and higher. smiling, glorious: the angels of the he;Wellly Sion sang a welcome to a vol un1·ary martyr of purity: an Igorot girl from ltogon, )Jountain Province. Ines' prayer was cro'A ned. Sa~', are there not saints i;;ti!l? and do not the Igorotes desen·e the help of their christian ln·ethren of the Philippines? ? Suicide of a Little Missionary Baguio . 1n A 11 those who visited Baguio this .rear must have seen Father Carlu. the pastor of the snmmer capital of the P. L , driYing an auto. his own ftin·er, on his way to some of his scl1ools. or to the hospital, or on some other errand. Everybody at Baguio knows that Father Carlu is rarely athome(ifone may call a sacristy a home) and is nearly always in a hurry Oil the street. Do not be scandalized. dear reader, when yon read that Father Carlu has an auto! First: Father Carlu works daily six hours overtime and will continue that anti hygienic s.r::tem bis whole life, as long as he can move. Second: Father Carlu is a youngster who made his tirst Communion a great number of years ago. So he well deserved a better conveyance than a St. Francis train: a reason why. some months ago, he received an auto, a Hupmobile. And if you need a third reason to let a poor missionary possess an auto: the hupmohile was not a luxury. but quite the contrary: it "as as old af: its maslet· or at least looked as old. }I any even said it was a shame such an active ~I i~$ i onary had no better machine. It rattled and sighed with a terrible noise from 1<t a rt to stop. so th~it its drh·er hardly ever had to blow llis horn. to am1ounc·e ]lis rather slow coming up from behind the sharpest <·u 1Tes on t I 1P mountain roads. An.1·wH.1· thH! huprnolJile had become dur·ing- t lte'e lar:-t monrhs a nearJ .1· in,;epa 1·a ble companion to the past or of Hain1io: ii helped him g·1,eatly in his missiom.11 ·~ work. it meant FatherC'arlu dllubled. it was a second little missi011ary but of ('oursP of a f:pecial kind: an old H up. Om:e upon :1 ti me Fa th er Ca rdyn. the assistant or Father L'arlu. basing received a lic~ense lo dril·e an auto. went 0111 on the old cripple hupmobile of the Baguio missio11. How lovely that machine soared! so does it seem to a new drh·er on Iris tirst expedition. Father C'ardyn made a stop in front of the Ba,!ntio station. jumped out of the i::teaming· overhPated Bup and ent.ered the station, just for a couple of' minutes. Then bac·k be went to his machine. Hut. oh! hono1·. the Hup had disappeared, leaving- only i::ome marks of the 11·heelsnnthe sand.1· road. Who mig-ht ha \'e stolen a11 auto, only worth 1 lw priee of its snap'! But the th ief "ould 11ot be far. He might still he cauirht. Immediately Father Cardyn ran on his trneki::. .'1.ncl see: a little farther 29 the IIup had t urn,,cl to the right, taking- the entrance road towards the Hotei Pines. Hut .... was it po~sible? ln front of a tree there stood. there lay, there was the lost H upmobile: a total wreck! What had happened? \Vhen the Father had left.the machine, the Hup had thought (if Hupmobiles can think): I am old and stiff. unfit for work, more unfit to climb mountains. l am ugly and rusty, ever_1·bod~· mocks rne. My limbs are weak: they may gi.\'e way and break at any time, on any road and send my dril·er and passengers to left or rig-ht into any precipice .... and at this terrible thought, the thought of killing a missionan·. old Hup had shivered. But thi:;: trembling had set the ma<:hi11e arunning and ..... down the road it went, t,al<ing the curve towards the Hotel Pines. and heading for a huge tree. Into the tree it bumped with all the force of its own weight and the acq ui.red for•'e of a h undl'ed meters' dash downwards. The trPe in selfdefencegave the Hup a terrible blow on its face: it meant a perfect knockout. The Hup was beaten, terribly beaten, breathless, noiseless, wheelless, shapeless: in one word: everything, kss a Hup! Poor thing: but ;.i few months ago, a faithful little missionary, it had now committed suicide. to save the life of its master. a great mit'sionary: Father Carlu. ----~--..,,,,.. lllo-----Our Ladv· of the Atonement fo the Old Testament, whsnever the Je\\·::< had offended God greatly, they were se,·erely punished. But 11·hene1·er they did penance or atonement, Goel blessed them abundantly. Atonement seems to have a special pmrnr to obtain favors from heaven. Was not mankind redeemed by the 30 Atonement of Our Lord"? And is not prayer accompanied by penance allpowerful? The no\ena offered at the Church of Our Lady of the Atonement, Baguio, during the month of May has been once more a proof of this admitted truth. Before the novena 51 petition3 had been sent in, all asking for special favors. 13 were received to obtain the conrnrsion of sinners and non-catholics. 10 asked temporal favors, such as improvement of health, the finding of a good job, and other blessings in enterprises. 9 prayed for a vocation or progress in virtue. 13 begged the Lord for the extension of His reign thru catholic education or the establishment of catholic societies. Several of the temporal and spiritual favors were granted during the nO\·ena, others were obtained after the novena. So it n·as announced and it may easily be supposed that other favors were received which were not related. A large congregation of ir!en and women followed the novena. The songs were heautiful. Flowers and candles adorned the altar a n d church. It was very typical to hear how the rosary offered in· english was answered in spanish, english, ilocano, tagalog etc. But God understands all languages. The closing of the novena was an exceptional success. The church was c rowded . Many pious mothers had brought their little children to be blest. The derntion of the Atonen1ent pleases the people '"ho spend a fe1r days vaeation in Baguio. At any time of the clay till darkness had set in, one could always find some persons kneeling at the feet of the divine Atoner and the dear Mother of the Atonement. "\\'hat a conHolation this must ha1·e been for J esus and :\Iary, alas! so offended even by those who call themseh·es christian;;:. " 7 hat graces must have been bestowed upon these pious 1·isitors. Some lady told Father Carl u, expressing her grief antl hope : "my husband is not co111·erted yet, but I "·ill do for hilll what Saint :\Tonica did for her son Augustin. I will offer atonement and continue offering even for years if needed. I will pray together with my children for theconver.;;ion of their father. (-;.raee ilIL::n' con Ye rt hi rn". lf ire hnd some more of thi::; kind of pious mothers, God would be leRs offended and many families would he happier in this world. You, readers, who are in need nf any grace, please send in your demands per letter to Father Carlu, Baguio. Your intention will be added to the many other intentions of the novena. And if you obtain the favor asked, please send a notice so that it may be published in ''The Little Apvstle'' for the greater glory of God and the spread of the derntion to Our Lady of the Atonement. 31 l\AILBAG Of THE L ITTLE APOITlE For all COJ"l"P':iPOllclence with ""THE LITTLE APOSTLE", send your lettel's to Tl1~ Little Apostle. Box 1393. Jlanila. Dear Little A post I es of the Mountain ProYince : When the Independence Commission su1ded its famous dril·e for 1:'500.000 three months ago, I watched carefully tile papers of the different political creeds. Some said the Filipinos would never raise that sum. Others answered the.1· would oversubcribe it. Here was at s take <1 1H' of the noblest e11d:o- a 1w11ple can foster : 1 he indepN1dence o f their country. Np1·ertheless some papers rereat ed the Filipinos would not make the sacrilke of P500,000. I watchl'd and ~n\\· hci11· from the Yery Ii rst da ,. s the Independence Comm i~­ sion 01:ga nized a 'committee. 1 'his Co111n1ittee organized ot hers all 01 ·er the country. .\. t tliis sight I !Jad no clouhl but t l1at the subscription would Ile a ~ucces.~ and a g-reat success. The results have shown J wa!' not mistaken. Why tha 1 success? First : the end in view was a \"ital one. Second: a great man_\" individuals took the collection to heart. Third: the Filipino citizens wei·e organized. Here now comes ' ·The Little Apostle of the ' fountain Province". I ts purpose is the conversion of 300,000 F'ilipinos, of the Mountain Pro>ince. Inst.ead of asking P 500,000 for the redemption of 300,000 souls, it asks only 5.000 subscriptions. Shall this appeal be a failure or not? Some say : yes, others say: no. '·The Little A postle" sa~·s: it all depends on the organization that works for that number of s·ubscriptions. If each catholic school and eollege of the Philippine Islands had one or more active students willing to collect subscriptions : the number 5.000 would pretty soon be reached. One parochial school subscribed already for 25 copies and the director said : it was onl~· a beginning. A certain catholic college of Manila hoped to reach the number of at leai::t 2.)0 subscriptions. One very acti Ye g-i rl brought in 25 sub~criptions from a sing-IP town : several of the sullscriptions were paid for two and more years. She said she would send i11 nwre. A teacher of a catholic school in a far away province writes to "The Little Apostle" that she hopes to collect a good number of subscriptions. An American lady asked for 27 copies. And yet when all these subscriptions we1·e taken "The Little Apostle" was still unborn. With such enthusiasm, at the 1·ery beginning, no doubt the number 5,000 will soon be reached. So "The Little Apostle" feels enthusiastic and therefore promises the following: tive prizes shall be sent to the lhe patriotic and God-loYing subscribers who on the 25th of Dec. shall ham sent in the greatest number of subscriptions. " The Little Apostle" calls these subscriber 32 patriotic. because tl1ey "ill c·oo1 e 1 ate with the )fissionaries of thP .\1ou11tain Pro,·ince for the ci rilizat ion or :300.000 Filipinos. And at the same ti me they w il I C(lorera te ~1• ith God to sare many souls. To wock then, you patriot ic and God-loving students: do something fo r ~·our countt-y and God. If you do not succeed in getting one of the the beautiful prizes, you certainly will be rewarded by the sa tiEfaction of your conscience and b~· God who '"ill not leave without ib reward e\·en a g-laEs of water given in His na,rne t o a poor pe rson. !'The Little .\postle"' is also glad to announce the receipt of the first gifts collec-te<l for the mission or the )fountain ProYince. For the fur.cl of the Bokocl r!I" Blessed Little F/ou;er's J1ission. )Tiss Emilia Laranaiw. Lira: P0.50. Miss Rita [{atigbak, Lipa : P0.40. 'Ihe brave boys of St. Mary's school of Kitchener, Canada: P 10.00, a sum collected thrn the sale of old tires, papers and other such things. May God bless those generous benefactors as well as those who subseribe to '·The Little ApostlP" and aboYe all those who send in the great numbers of subscriptions as gi wn be1·e" ith. Catholic colleges and schools : do something for your eountry and God. Catholic boys and girls : to work. Where there's a will, there's a way. Remember the prizes, but remember above all God's reward and the good done to poor souls for which a Godman gaYe even as for you His own life. 0. Vnndewalle. P. S. LA TEST NEWS. The Little Apostle is glad to announce the names of those who won the honor of the greatest number of subscriptions sent in and who, consequently, would have won also the five promised prizes if Lhe contest only were closed right now. A Fi lipino lacl.1· wlto wishes to remain unknown sent in H sul)i"C'riptions. Student:; of ea thol ie C"olleg-es and sehools. ('311 you beat th:it? The seru11d is :vtiss l~alie Guttenberg with :!I ~ u bseriptiom. She Ii Yes in tile Cnit<:'d States. Y es. tltt> 'Cnited Stat es' catholies take interrst in the conversion o r pag-ans. although not belonging- to their eonntry. Tbe third b Fallter H uhaux frolll Pasig. He spreads the re1·ie11 anH"1g the pupils uf l1i1> s(·hool: a)!'nocl idea: it hel ps tu t e:1eh thP l"11ildren charity. Tlte funrlh is Falhe 1 · Graham, the Ame riea11 p;istor CJf OICJng-apo. :'lli1>siom1ry hin1;.elf. lie helps !he :'llbsionaries of the :\fountain Pw,·ince: sucl1 clisinten•!'led tinanc·ial ltelp must hri ol! God's hle~si1 1g o\·er his pari ~ l1. l•:1·erytlli11g· gin' n to God if' returned a h undreclfolcl. The lift 11 i- Fat lier :'11 artf't1s rru111 Tubao. H P eould easily use 1 he price of these sub~eriptions lo ,;11ppr,1·t his schools. :\Ia.1 · God ble~ ~ Iii ,; s<1erifiee. The interest in the miFsioos must tirst be shown by 1 he priests. I 11 many European countries existstlw Cnion or tl1t> <'lerg-y for the Propagation or t lw Faith. a society of priest.~ wlio help tl1e mbsi011•Hies in foreig11 ('OLilllrie;.. These priests nvt only help rhru tl1eir personal contribution;. but tliE>y be!!· [01· the rnissioni-. they preaeh al.Jou! the missions: in one word Lhey are actiYe missionaries at home. To the tiYe above mentioned acLi\·e promote rs the most sincere congratulations and t he heartiest tha nks of the Little Apostle'. May others imitate their example, for the g·lor.\' of God and the C'onversion of pagans.