The Jesuits, 1534-1921: A History of the Society of Jesus from Its Foundation to the Present TimeCampbell, Thomas J. (Thomas Joseph)
History
The Jesuits, 1534-1921: A History of the Society of Jesus from Its Foundation to the Present Time
Campbell, Thomas J. (Thomas Joseph)
Jesuits -- History
A characteristic example of Irish feminine virtue is recorded in this
very interesting account, which is worth repeating here. A young girl,
for her better protection, had been disguised as a boy by her father
when both were exiled. After he died, she obtained work in the household
of a respectable family where her efficiency so charmed the mistress of
the household that the husband grew jealous of the friendship of his
wife for this estimable man-servant. To avert a domestic disaster, the
good girl had to make known her identity and she was then more esteemed
than ever. What became of her ultimately is not recorded. Meantime,
Father Bathe had gathered what was left of his poor people and carried
them off to Guadeloupe, where there were no English. God spared him for
five years more, and he went from island to island under all sorts of
disguises, if there was danger of meeting the English. He even succeeded
in converting not a few of the persecutors.
Hughes informs us further that in 1667 an Irish priest named John Grace
returned to Europe from the islands, and reported on the deplorable
condition of his compatriots in the Caribbean. Passing through
Martinique, Guadeloupe and Antigua he heard the confessions of more than
three hundred of them. He related, also, that fifty of the three hundred
had died while he was there. In Barbadoes there were many thousands who
had no priests and were conforming to Protestantism. In St. Bartholomew,
there were four hundred Irish Catholics who had never seen a priest. At
Montserrat, however, Governor Stapleton was an Irishman and a Catholic,
and consequently there was no difficulty in having a priest go there.
There were as many as four hundred Catholics at that place and they
formed six to one of the population. These islands of the Caribbean were
the favorite hiding places of the "filibusteros," a set of abandoned men
of various nationalities, French, Dutch and English, who were lying in
wait for the rich galleons of Spain, on their way from the silver mines
of Peru to the palaces of Madrid. Their life was a continued series of
daring adventures, robberies, massacres and wild debauchery. They were
ready for any expedition and against any foe. With them nothing could be
done, but with the great numbers of negro slaves who were sold at
Martinique and elsewhere there was ample opportunity for apostolic work.
It was a most revolting task; the whites, regarded them as devils, but
the Fathers took care of them and sent many of them to heaven.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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