Born: 28 January 1876, Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada
Entered: 22 Spetember 1902, St Saviour’s, Jersey, Channel Islands (FRA)
Died: 1921, Hôpital Sainte Marie (Guangci Hospital), Route Père Robert, Shanghai, China
Left Society of Jesus: 1912 from Shanghai, China
Educated at Mungret College SJ
Entered St Saviour’s, Jersey, Channel Islands (FRA) as Scholastic Novice - took Vows as Brother 1904
1902-1904: St Saviour’s, Jersey, Channel Islands (FRA), Novitiate
1904-1905: St Saviour’s, Jersey, Channel Islands, working
1905-1912: Seminary and College, Zi-Ka-Wei, Shanghai, China, language studies and then teaching English in College
◆ The Mungret Annual, 1907a
Letters from Our Past
Brother Willie Doherty SJ
Willie O'Dogherty writes from Zi-Ka-Wei, near Chang Hai:
You ask me to give some account of my surroundings and my work. Not so easy a task - things and ways and customs here are so fundamentally different from every thing you know in the West. There are lots of things and of methods. you never heard of, and of whose existence you do not dream. It is, in fact, another civilization, and one which would, perhaps, throw a great deal of light on the ways and civilization in the East in our Lord's time. I might take you for a stroll and show you the people, the characters and the things we meet with. But I do not know these things well enough yet to give you a true idea. So I will tell you something this time of the college and our boys.
We have no less than fifteen native professors - all former students - the Fathers and Scholastics not being numerous enough. We have two sections in the college - the Christians and the Pagans. Their quarters are mostly distinct, but they attend classes together.
But hear what a noise the lads make as they study their lessons! Strange as it may seem they all study aloud, just as they recite their prayers. But do they not disturb the others ? No, they are so calm; besides, they are accustomed to this method. The study-halls of the two sections are, for the most part, distinct, so are the play-grounds, the dormitories and refectories. The fee for the pagans is consideralily higher than that for the christians, and hence, the former have a better table; but all meet together in class and seem to get on well together.
There is not, as far as I know, any emulation for good places between the two sections as such. You have camps for instance, on the French system—the two sides of the class-room fighting for their respective flags, and when the captains choose their soldiers, there does not appear to be much or any preference for one simply because he is a pagan or a christian. Nor would it be casy to say that the pagans give less satisfaction, and perhaps too, they are even inore docile and politer, due possibly to the fact that they may not be quite so much at home as our own Catholic boys. I wish you could have seen the class-rooms during the inonth of May. There were really splendid decorations in honour of the Blessed Virgin. Formerly, the pagans lpok part in the various exercises of piety, but such is no longer the case. The college was not organised then for the pagans as it is now. They have, however, their own Catechism class. Rarely does a conversion occur; formerly, they were more numerous but not solid. Home influence exercises perhaps too strong a counteracting influence. You grow to like these pagan loys, in part so polite, intelligent and amiable. And, perhaps, you would grow sick at heart to feel that these young souls know no higher worship than Buddha or a family idol, and that their hearts have never known what ours have.
As to their abilities, I should say their memories are brighter than their intellects. The Chinese system of study tends especially to develop imitation and amplifica tion. There is some want of life and energy, due in part to the enervating climate, in part to the phleginatic dispo sition of the Chinese. On the other hand, they have great patience, and you would admire their imperturbable calm.
During the months of July and August, many of the Fathers come to Zi-Ka-Wei from the districts. I wish you could have a chat with them about work done and work to be done. It is especially in the Siu-tcheou-fou where the results have been consoling, and where pros pects are greatest. Here there has been of late a great movement towards Christianity.
Some twenty years ago the Siu-tcheou-fou, I am told, could not boast of a single Christian. Now there are about 15,000, and those preparing for baptism are still more numerous. One district, which has some 1,800 Christians, has do less than 10,000 catechumens. This is portion of a larger district which was divided two years ago. It is now, itself, already ripe for division into three or four parts. But where are the priests? The more numerous the priests, the more systematically and effectually can the work be carried on. In this individual district whole villages are Catholic- and fervent Catholics too. There was not a single defection there amid the troubles of the Boxers, although several villages were burned, not a single house being left standing. This might be expected when men, and even children will come from thirty-five miles to hear Mass.
Again in Pei-hien, a district opened up some ten years ago in the North of Siu-tcheou-fou, the Father has some 1,800 Christians around him now after his ten years labour. Moreover, about 500 or 6oo have died. The district can boast of a church and residence, a school for boys and girls, and a catechumenate for men and women, There are, besides, eleven chapels in the district. The district should be, really, divided, as the work that offer: is far too great for one. The Father makes a visit to different chapels every six or eight weeks, and during hi: litrie trip hears in the week 300 or 400 confessions. Home cares there are too, as the schools and catechumenate at the residence must be attended to. This district has been sorely tried by the Big Knives an Boxers, but the Christians were staunch,
◆ The Mungret Annual, 1908
(published in ◆ Woodstock Letters SJ : Vol 37, Number 3, p 407)
Brother Willie Doherty SJ
CHINA The following extracts are from a very in teresting letter from Rey, Wm Doherty SJ., written from Zi-Ka-Wei, last March :
The town of Yen-t'ou is situated in the district of Sou-tsieu in Kiang-Nan. This town is the centre of a large Christian district, and a missionary father is stationed there. This father, who came there some three years ago, had a good foundation upon which to build his chrétienté, for he found on his arrival some 480 Christians, with 200 catechumens.
He set to work with his whole soul. God so blessed his efforts that last summer he could count 1,600 already baptized and from 8,000 to 9,000 preparing for the sacra ments. He told me he reckoned on having around him in the autumn perhaps some 12,000 catechumens. The number of Christians would be much larger, were it not that the necessity of ensuring constancy and solidity renders a certain delay imperative.
The people of this district are simple and sturdy in character, and afford a splendid field of apostolate for the missionary. Few pagodas are to be seen, few honzes to to be met with ; ancestral worship, together with some other superstitions, are the only obstacles to conversion..
The brigands are numerous in this poor country. We all must live somehow, and so when there is nothing more to eat at home off they go to plunder their neighbours: In some villages everybody is a brigand. It appears to be a habit very difficult to uproot, and presents an almost irresistible attraction to them. All the towns are pro tected with earthen enclosures, frequently too with a trench and battlements. The watchers blow their long horns or beat the tam-tam to let the brigands know they are on the alert. The gates of the town are closed at night; still plundering is of frequent occurrence. Some times the brigands even take advantage of a great fair day and carry off all to be found in the market, including mules, asses, and oxen.
One of our Christians last year found bimself thus set on in his home. He himself killed five of his assailants. All his relatives of the same village had been tied to prevent their coming to his help, Fortunately, the sound of the pistol shots reached the neighbouring village and relief came. The sub-prefect of the town congratulated him on his heroic defence; since then, however, our Christian has lived in dread of a reprisal, As he is in easy circumstances he has erected, like inany of the lead ing men, a tower where he can sleep at night and keep watch over the surrounding country. .
The Fathers are, as a general rule, on capital terms with the leading inen; and often too with the mandarins, who frequently refer to their arbitration disputes between pagans and Christians. Some of the leading men them selves are Christians or catechumens. These latter would be more numerous but for the wretched opium smoking which is the plague of the district. I wish you could see how those good people pass their Sunday here. The Christians often travel distances of between twenty and fifty miles for Sunday Mass; they must set out one or two days beforehand ; often they come in groups of from thirty to one hundred persons travelling on foot over bad roads. They begin to arrive on Saturday afternoon at one or two o'clock. As they come they go and pay their respects to the father, striking their foreheads against the ground; the father, of course, gets from them the news of their district. In case of the more important yillages, the catechists bring the people and give the father. all information as to how things are passing in the villages.
The father passes the evening and on till ten or eleven o'clock thus, receiving those who arrive, and hear ing their confessions. All these good fellows remain up late chatting, and whep at last they are tired out off they go to sleep where best they may. They stretch them selves on straw, in the school, in the shed, in the stable, or in the open air if the weather is fine. About five in the morning the bell is 'rung; all dress; confessions . begin again, and at about 6.30 2. m., morning prayers are recited. Then there is recitation of the catechism - an
interesting thing this recitation. Imagine all the women calling out - “Who made you?” and the men answering, “God made me”. “How many Gods are there?”, “There is but one God”, etc. In this way the whole catechism is gone through in a few Sundays. During Mass which is at seven am, they recite their prayers aloud. Usually the church is too small, and then an altar is hastily erected outside. During the sermon everybody squats down on the floor. When Mass is over at about 8.30 am, the men withdraw and the women remain to greet the father. He enquires how they are getting on, sees if they come regularly, scolds defaulters, etc. After breakfast all come district by district, each district led by its catechist to salute the father. They make two salutations if they have had holy communion, the second one being to thank the father. This defiling past often lasts three or four hours. At about two or three o'clock pm, the father can take dinner. During the evening and oftentimes well into the night, he continues to receive visits, listening to all those who have matters to treat of or difficulties to lay before him. Such are these good people and the life they lead-a people sürely worth triling and suffering for.
◆ The Mungret Annual, 1922
Obituary
Brother Willie Doherty SJ
William Doherty, who was in Mungret from 1897 to 1902, and who took his BA Degree in the Royal University with distinction, was a native of Nova Scotia, where he was born in 1877.
Being desirous of embracing the China Mission, he joined the Paris Province of the Society of Jesus, and spent some years as a scholastic at Jersey. Later on he laboured in Shanghai, being engaged in part in catechetical work. He was very earnest and fervent in his religious life. But finding the life in the Society unsuitable to his nervous and highly strung temperament, he was at his own request ultimately released from his vows. He obtained a position in the University of Pekin as a professor of English. The political complications due to the Revolution brought this to an end. He passed some time in Canada, we understand, engaged in teaching, and finally returned to China, Falling ill last summer, he came to Shanghai, where he was cared for in St Mary's Hospital by the good Sisters of Charity. Here he made a very Christian end after having received the last rites of Holy Church. It was another pupil of Mungret, his former fellow in religion, Fr John Croke SJ, who ministered to him in his sickness.
Mr W Doherty showed remarkable gifts in several ways, he was naturally of a very religious disposition, and was generous and self-sacrificing to an exceptional degree. His many friends who knew him in Mungret and had experience of his high character and noble ideals will, while regretting his early death, have little doubt that his death was holy even as his life had been blameless. RIP
