In June, 1938, word came from Maryknoll in New York that Father Romaniello had been designated Prefect Apostolic of Kweilin. Meanwhile, Kweilin had come under Japanese aerial bombardment. Almost every day now the missioners and their charges ran at least once for the limestone caves outside the city. These caves were natural bomb shelters. Some were small and held only a few persons, others were great caverns with room for thousands.