Page 23 - Demo

19In 1888 Father Benjamin was back again in Persia. In his native village, Digala, about a mile from the town,he opened a school gratis. The next year he was sent by the Ecclesiastical authorities to take charge of the diocese of Salmas, where a sharp and scandalous conflict between the Uniate Archbishop, Khudabásh, and the Lazarist Fathers for a long time had been menacing aschism.OnthedayofNewYear1900,FatherBenjaminpreached his last and memorable sermon to a large congregation, including many non-Catholic Armenians and others in the Cathedral of St. George’s Khorovábád, Salmas. The preacher’s subject was “New Century and New Men.” He recalled the fact that the Nestorian Missionaries, before the appearance of Islam.Theypreached theGospelin allAsia and had numerous establishments in India (especially at the Malabar Coast), in Tartary, China and Mongolia. They translated the Gospel into the Turkish Uighurs and other languages. The Catholic, American and Anglican Missions, in spite of the little good they had done for the Assyro-Chalden nation in the way of preliminary education, had split the nation –already a handful - in Persia, Kurdistan and Mesopotamia into numerous hostile sects. Their efforts were destined to bring about the final collapse.Consequently, he advised the natives to make some sacrifices in order to stand upon their own legs like men, and not to depend upon the foreign missions, etc.The preacher was perfectly right in principle; but his remarks were unfavourable to the interests of the Lord’s Missionaries. This sermon hastily brought the Apostolique Delegate, Mgr.Lésné,from Urmia to Salmas. He remained to the last a friend of Father Benjamin. They both retuned to Urmia.AnewRussian Mission had already been established in Urmia in 1899. The Nestorians were