Meet Fr. Viktor's Nephew, Fr. Basil Bauer, C.P.
Fr. Viktor was not the only notable missionary in our family tree. In 1924, two years after the celebrated Passionist set sail for Germany, his nephew, Fr. Basil Bauer C.P., joined the Passionist mission fields of China. A dark-haired, freshly ordained priest of 26, he was painfully eager to become a missionary and follow in his uncle's footsteps. The mission band he joined on July 22, 1924 was comprised of thirteen priests—the largest group of American missionaries ever to set sail for China. Each reveled in heady dreams of changing the pagan land for the better. To dispel an omen of bad luck inspired by their number, they dubbed themselves the "Lucky Thirteen."
The mission territory that the Passionists claimed in China was vast - 15,400 square miles, an area equaling the combined American states of Delaware, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. Their district lay in the western half of Hunan, which was tucked in the remote interior of southwestern China. Glorious mountains swept the terrain, making each trip filled with breathtaking scenery—and life-threatening perils. The empire that had once controlled China for thousands of years had crumbled, leaving the country under the fractured rule of warlords. Reaching a destination safely demanded that Fr. Basil seek a military escort. Bandits were prone to kidnap foreigners and sue governments for ransom—or kill captives outright for their possessions. In 1929, three of Fr. Basil's fellow missionaries were murdered by bandits, an incident that made international headlines.
Fr. Basil remained in China long enough to witness the country fall under Communist rule. In 1949, the Red Army arrived in his mission town of Wangcun and within a few short months, subjected him to house arrest. Suffering from an enlarged heart, Fr. Basil deteriorated to the point where Chinese officials expected his death at any time. U.S.-China relations were precarious at best, and the Chinese were loath to invite international scorn by permitting an American to die on their soil. Teetering on the brink of death, the wizened priest fled alone through bandit-infested territory and reached Hong Kong—and freedom—before the rigors of his long mission claimed his life.
For all who are interested, Katherine has written an essay titled, "The Pennsylvania Passionist Who Became Chinese: Fr. Basil Bauer, C.P.," which appears in the Fall 2015 issue of Gathered Fragments. See an excerpt of the issue with the article here »
While we wait for developments on the Fr. Viktor project, Katherine has begun research on the Passionist missions of Hunan, China, in hopes of writing historical fiction novels on Fr. Basil.
Best regards and thanks to all!
—Katherine
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