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HUNDREDS OF IRISH men and women made their way to China as missionaries from 1920 and ended up working in social and disaster relief services.
The TG4 series An Misean sa tSín (The China Mission) is a four-part series that looks at the experiences of Irish catholic missionaries in China between 1920 and 1954.
It was a turbulent time in China’s history with political chaos, famine, floods and war.
Producer Peter Kelly told TheJournal.ie, “This is not a small story of isolated individuals. Over four decades, hundreds of Irish men and women worked in social, pastoral and disaster relief services and were swept up in epic events at an extraordinarily turbulent but fascinating period of Chinese history.
It is a story that is largely unknown to the Irish public and has not received much attention from academia. And now, with China rising in the East as a potent economic and geopolitical superpower, is a good time to look at a relationship between China and Ireland that is 100 years old.
The series features rare archive film and photographs from missionary collections, much of which has never been seen on television before.
‘Made great contributions’
Last week, the programme concentrated on a disaster that killed two million people in the Spring of 1931.
Tragedy struck when the banks burst on the Yangtze River and a massive area twice the size of Ireland was inundated with water.
Many people fled to cities with refugee camps but disease spread from poor sanitation.
The documentary revealed that Columban sisters set up makeshift camps and provided food and clean water and treated people who were ill. A lot of the Columban sisters were qualified nurses and teachers so they had practical skills to offer.
Shan Yuwu, who is carrying out a PhD about the relationship between Catholic Churches and Chinese society said, “An official emergency committee was set up in Wuhan and Bishop Galvin was put in charge.
“Some of the relief supplies from the National Government were given to the Columbans to distribute. They recruited local assistants to coordinate and register relief supplies. For example, the allocation of housing and construction of soup kitchen, etc.
In addition, the hospital of the Colombian sisters opened as a shelter. The Columban Sisters treated the sick and injured. They made great contributions at that time.
Esras Films / Vimeo
The programmes are on TG4 on Monday evenings at 7.30pm.
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TG4 gets a bit of criticism but produces some really interesting history docs like this one, some of them are first class.
@Jurgen Remak: By far the best channel on Saoir View and for me the most expensive channel going because it’s the only reason I pay my licence.
We need balance in this country,we shouldn’t be afraid to praise and acknowledge the work that religious undertook,even though it was with the aim of conversion,they went and done things we as society ignored,I’m thinking of the Aids crisis in Africa when the world turned its back, indeed in cork and Dublin,they provided aids support in the most part without judgment,we really need a national enquiry into abuse
I’m not a apologist for religon,just a guy who wants the healing to begin
@David Dineen: The AIDS crisis in Africa was largely the fault of the Catholic Church and their opposition to contraception.
How do we know what went on in these missions? The Irish “cover-up” Catholic Church. That’s next weeks scandal soon to be forgotten.
@OpenBorders: i would have thought the people having sex had the first choice? They didn’t make Aids ,they (seriously) failed to enable prevention,they educated against it
@David Dineen: the attempt to balance the vile deeds with good works is great spin and PR
@john Appleseed: we don’t, its not just the church,its government,gaa,swimming, in fact its everywhere,child prisons and this as we type and respond,we have learned from the past,this isn’t the church’s fault,it is ours
Even today rather than encourage safe sex they actively stop the acceptance of condoms. In a continent that can’t feed itself; the RCC preach more reproduction.
@David it’s people like you with your head stuck in the sand which allows the abuse to continue. It’s time the RCC paid for their crimes against the children of Ireland.
@Gerry Ryan: before you start to go down that road,having been defined as female at 11,given the mental age of 6 to allow me to be placed in a special needs school where Ireland’s worst abuser prowled,i am not spinning sweet diddle pr about the church,my views on religion ended with abuse
@john Appleseed: out of interest John what percentage of abuse do you attribute to the church? People are looking for a scapegoat and the church has history here.
@lavbear it’s not the percentage of abuse, it’s the cover-ups, the denials, the refusal to pay compensation. Spending cash on PR rather than their last penny to help some poor soul in torment. It’s the religion of confession and forgiveness but they refuse to confess. How can we begin to forgive?
The Catholic Church, The BBC and now allegations that the military in the US has been covering up a major issue. Male dominated hierarchies and abuse appear to be inseparable. So even if the Church can subjectively be defended, objectively they are a major problem.
@john Appleseed: don’t disagree with that but we shouldn’t lose focus on the non church related abuse which is likely to be 80% at least. Michael Woods gave the church a sweet deal. The recently reported figures were a couple of years old – not sure.
How do we stop in in family abuse? That is a much situation to deal with
@lavbeer: Higher rates of sexual equality in society is the only way to deal with abuse.
and the church should not be allowed near a school or a child until they sort out the misogyny problem.
@Louis Jacob: not sure if you are fixing any problem there though. Misogyny is not a church only problem. A certain type of surgery on people convicted of sexual abuse would be a start.
David, that is utter nonsense. Large parts of Africa that have no Catholic presence whatever were also devastated by AIDS. The reluctance to use condoms is mainly cultural and is still widespread. For example South African leaders have frequently rubbished scientific approaches to AIDS prevention. Traditional sexual mores in much of Africa also aided the spread of the disease.
@OpenBorders: Africa is massively non catholic. The only country in Africa that had something of a catholic presence was the Belgian Congo. But don’t let that fact stop you from spouting lies.
@Just Me: Almost 45% of Central African countries are Catholic, but don’t let that fact stop you from spouting lies. Uganda is a huge case in point that has been well documented over the past 10 years.
@OpenBorders: Wrong again, but then keep the lies coming to suit your agenda. 45% are Christen and 47% are of your persuasion Muslim.Out of that 45% christian the vast majority are of the different sects of the Protestant belief.
@Just Me: Is it Nigeria that has Orange Order lodges?
@lavbeer: Ha, don’t know, but ask Open Borders he has the answer for everything, but it might not be the truth.
@Just Me: No, 45% are not Christen (sic), they are Catholic.
The Irish…a great bunch of lads.
You bet your life if people went to help in Africa or china they got something out of it .the church tend to attract misfits from homes people who Dident fit into society wer sent off to the church .the poor old church wer then full of misfits where they could prey on the weak
@Gerard Henry: eldest son gets farm. Next one angry and to the priesthood.
We can’t look at the church with our modern eyes in the early days Christian did use violence then they adapted to useing peace and shame telling people one thing helping one way murder millions, abused millions. Hitler did the same. The church in Africa and South America still push these hard line values. What God would alowe a sadistic nun to punished a child rape victim cause she fell pregnant.
I will never judge the good men and women of the church.
But what the church did and still do, it
ridiculous governments still support and list and we still follow.
All it stands for is abuse.
Hands that do good are holyer than those that pray we need to teach that.
@JustMade Ireland: Yes, I’m sure no one was ever converted at sword point.
There were a few Irish nuns burned in a barrel durin the Boxer Rebellion and the first or was it the last Commissioner of China Maritime Customs and only Westerner ever to receive the prestigious Double Dragon award was Irish, Robert Hart from Portadown if I recall right. Also there are two translations of Joyce’s Ulysses into Chinese, though some might suggest that was what the original was written in or may’s well be. I met one of the translators once, former cop think his name was Shen Ru or something. Nice guy.
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