Marianists Return to China 1933-1948

ArchDiocese of Jinan

There are 3 Marianist locations on the above map. The middle location labeled tsinan belongs to the Jinan Archdiocese (From catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dtsin.htm)

By 1919 conditions in China had improved to such an extent that the Vicar Aposolic of Kouytcheou wrote a letter dated February 25 1919 requesting Marianists return to China.

On May 8, 1933 Father Provincial Joseph Tetzlaff announced to the Brothers that the Marianists would return to China through an invitation of the Franciscan Fathers.

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Development of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Tsinan (Jinan)

1839.09.03: Established as Apostolic Vicariate of Shantung from Diocese of Beijing
1924.12.03: Renamed as Apostolic Vicariate of Tsinanfu.
1946.04.11: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Jinan (Tsinan)

Marianists return to China in the Tsinan Archdiocese

Tsinanfu, Hungkialou, China - The following Brothers of Mary of the Cincinnati Province left for China, to start the new mission: Brothers Joseph Janning and John Grote; both of whom were for a number of years missionaries in Japan; Rev. Leo Mock, chaplain, and Brother Herman Schlund. They opened a college at Tsinanfu, the capital of the Shantung Province. The Franciscan Fathers were charge of the mission.

A long letter reporting on the new mission in Tsinanfu dated Tuesday, November 21, 1933 is quoted in the Apostle of Mary (February 1934). The letter reports that the missionaries arrived at Tsinanfu on November 16 at 6:00 PM after a trip of about six weeks.

Also from the letter: "Tsinanfu is a city of about half a million inhabitants. Hungkialou, which was our destination, is a village about four miles distant from Tsinanfu. Within a few minutes after our arrival at the station, we were seated in rickshaws and pulled over dark, bumpy, narrow roads towards Hungkialou."

"Upon arriving at Hungkialou the Brothers in Hungkialou were greeted at the Catholic Mission Compound by hundreds of faithful from miles around, groups of boys and girls from the Mission school, by Sisters, Franciscan Brothers and Priests, and by Most Rev. Jarre OFM, Bishop of the Apostolic Vicariate of Tsinanfu.

By 1948 all Marianists had left China. Much more can be found in my book:

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Reference for this post: "Marianists in China", Bro. Eugene Frank, Cupertino, California, Revised January 18, 2001. Available in the NACMS library.