There is a popular legend, peculiar io this part of the world, and extremely popular among unthinking people in this city, to the effect that. the Catholic Missions are rich, simply rolling in wealth, and many Christians use that fairy tale as an excuse for neglecting their duty as Christians.
It is a fact that up until the time of the present hostilities this mission was" better off than many other Catholic mission in the world. It is an admitted fact that up until the shine time this mission had a considerable amount of revenue prod not a fact and never was a fact that this mission is abnormally wealthy, or that it is not in need of material assistance. To substantiate that statement I am going to point out for you a few items from the latest Annual Report of the Shanghai Catholic Mission. This report was compiled and issued' before August 14 of the year 1997. Since thet time some of the figures have increased to such enormous proportions that it is impossible at present to tabulate them.
Territory of Mission The territory of this mission extends to thirty-one of the sixty-one subprefectures of the Kiang-ssu Province. Within the limits of that territory reside more than eighteen million people.
Eeclesiastically, the territory outside of the City of Shanghai is into nine mission sections camp: in all fifty-one districts and hundred and eleven Catholic Ce: Shanghai itself is divided principal parishes and three m parishes.
The direction of this large and densely populated mission field confided to the care of the Fathers of the Society of Jesus, commonly called Jesuits, of whom actually working on the field or in immediate preparation for work there are 232, sixty-five of whom are Chines.
Of the Secular Clergy, those who do not belong to a religious orde: ing properties ip this city, but it is there are 81 priests, 60 students in
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.