Posted on 03/20/2018 6:24:23 PM PDT by marshmallow
Life on the island of Tristan da Cunha began with Napoleon. Today, it is sustained by faith
The main island of Tristan da Cunha prides itself on being the most remote inhabited island in the world. It takes up to two weeks to get there by sea from South Africa.
This gives the Catholic parish of St Joseph’s a claim to being the most remote parish on earth. It was thanks to Napoleon that life on the island began. When the defeated emperor was exiled to St Helena, the British sent a garrison to Tristan da Cunha as a precaution against a French attempt to liberate him. Pretty soon the government realised that the French weren’t coming, and even if they were, Tristan da Cunha was so far away that they certainly wouldn’t come from there. So the garrison was withdrawn. Some of the men stationed there sought leave to remain on the island, and thus the little settlement of Edinburgh of the Seven Seas was born.
The Catholic community on the island began with the arrival of a remarkable woman from Mullingar called Agnes Rogers, remembered today by islanders as Granny Aggie. She came to work as housekeeper for the island’s administrator. This devout soul was horrified to find no Catholic church and no sign of a priest ever having visited the island.
She came under enormous pressure to renounce her faith and simply conform to the majority religious practice. She refused and was treated appallingly by the authorities. The prejudice was such that, when food was scarce, she was even denied rations. Eventually, her stubborn love of her faith wore down the opposition and she established a small chapel in her home. The parish was born.
In 1932, Fr LH Barry was the first Catholic priest to visit Tristan......
(Excerpt) Read more at catholicherald.co.uk ...
Easter Island in the Pacific is more remote. Hawaii is quite remote as well but because it is a state it’s not thought of as isolated remote place.
Example was the way the early Christians were won. Believers lived, and died, so faithfully that witnesses were converted. This woman is an inspiration.
Absolutely! Katie Davis-Majors of Uganda is another.
That why “the world” doesn’t publicize them.
They keep it open so that they have a place to dispatch the Cardinal who most vocally opposes Francis.
I think some of our FR Catholics are in a contest to do this.
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