Diocese of Auckland.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXV, Issue 30, 26 November 1897, Page 23

Diocese of Auckland.

(From our own correspondent.) Thursday, November 11, 1897. The Very Rev. Dr. Egan, D.D.. on Sunday, October 31, completed his one score and two years in the priesthood. He was ordained at Subiaco on the 31st October, 187."), by Cardinal Monaco. On the same day and place Father O'Gara, well known in Auckland but now on the mission at Teignmouth. Devonshire, was also ordaii.ed. Another remarkable fact is that on October 31 Dr. Egan completed his 2i)th year as a monk. In the year after his ordination, August, 1876, he obtained his degree of Doctor of Divinity, and in December of the same year he received the degree of Doctor of Music, lie then proceeded to his home in Dublin and after a short stay there he was appointed to the charge of the Benedictine college at Ramsgate, staying there eight years. He was afterwards .summoned to Rome to perform the high and important office in the Benedictine college of professor of theology. Very soon, however, the Italian Government seized the college amongst other disreputable acts of spoliation of Church property, about which period i,he late lamented Dr. Luck made application to the head of his Older and secured the services of Dr. Egan for the Auckland diocese, in which he has since laboured. It is interesting to state that his youngest brother, Thomas, in religion Rev. Father Erkenswald, at present occupies the position of rector at Ramsgate, a position previously held by his distinguished brother. This brother is also on the Central Board of Education in England, over which Cardinal Vaughan is the head. Dr. Egan's mother is still living at Ramsgate near to her youngest son. The members of St. Benedict's choir, atter Vespers on Sunday evening, October 31, entertained Dr. Egan in a befitting manner in the presbytery. The Very Rev. Father Ginaty is prosecuting his good and most arduous labour of the mission in the city. He gave a week to Ponsonby, and last Sunday evening he commenced at St. Benedict's. On Sunday next he commences in Parnell and the following Sunday he starts in the cathedral parish. The rev. manager of the Magdala possesses unbounded zeal and enthusiasm for his work. At St. Patrick's on All Souls' Day the mortal remains of Mr. Michael Hughes, late of Reef ron, were laid out in front of the altar rails. The presence of the dead on buch a day could not but have exercised a potent influence upou the faithful and nmsD li;ue brought home vividly to their minds, '• into dust thou shalt return."' This awlul Liot cannot be too oiten impressed upon us. St. l'atnok's Day Celebration Executive Committee met on Sunday afternoon last in the Marist Brothers' School and dcci.l d to at oucu take steps for the due honouring oi' the national festival ot liV.KS They ogam meet in St. Patrick's Hall to-morrow evening. ltev. Father Croke and his assistant lay collectors are makhig remark :ible and .successful efforts in gathering money in St. Patr.ck'.-, parish towards the prc&byicry debt fund. The Sinters of Mercy on last Monday opened in the Catholic Institute a Kindergarten school, which is under the charge of lister Columua, In this undertaking the good Bisters are deceiving of the greatest assistance and commendation, because like institutions in other hands have been ireely used amongst our children tor prosi lytisiiii: purposes. Last Monday and Tuesday evenings a bazaar in aid of the convent schools at L'evonport took place at Unit Marine suburb, and last night a concert to conclude the round of amusement was held. The whole wa-s a great success and reflected credit upon the ladies ami gentlemen ot the shore for their untiring exertions during the hist five months. Good work has been accomplished by the Sisters, and assistance was well deserved. itev. Father Mulvihill, who has now recovered from his recent illness, is still at the Bishop "s palace, but will, on his Lordship's return proceed to Gisborne. over which parish he is to preside. Very fortunate indeed aie the Gisbornites in securing so worthy and exemplary a priest. lion. E. Blake, Q.C., M P., writing from Toronto under date December 22 last to the Hon. J. A. Tole, President, and Mr. M. ,). Sheehan, hon. toe. Irish National Federation, Auckland branch '-aid : •' Dear sirs, I have to thank you for your letter of 7th August) conveying to me the resolution of the Auckland branch of the Irish National Federation passed on 22nd July. The great warmth and cordiality of my rewptiuii by the Federation at Auckland made on me a deep and lasting ii))|>iv.wuu, and euliaiues the value to me of this resolution, for which 1 wiah to convey to the branch my very hearty thanks. Allow me to thank you also, individually, for your kind words, and to assure you that my son and I often think sn.d talk of the good friends we made in Auckland." The resolution referred to was pa-sed and sent to the eminent member for Longford in recognition of the great effort made by him in the imperial Parliament last March in stating Ireland's just claim for financial reform.

Auckland has once again asserted her commercial supremacy in this colony. The Government returns for the quarter ending September 30 show the customs contributions from the four chief centres to be : Auckland, £588,395 ; Wellington, £480,827 ; Dunedin, £398,589 ; Christchurch, £356,945. In the gold export value Auckland also heads the list, and the same applies to the excise returns.

" Has the dog a soul ?" was the delectable subject to elucidate which the gifted " Colonus " devoted two columns in. the Herald. Even those of undoubted brain-power have " lucid intervals." Bowwow's intelligence and sagacity is undisputed, but to connect these endowments to the possession of a soul would be like trying to stand the pyramid upon its apex. The local Anglican clergy have forwarded a petition to the New Zealand Parliament, now in session asking that no further facilities be granted to those seeking divorce. Better late than never. To prevaricate is to err, and for three hundred years the prevarication and erring have gone on increasing until " old Harry's handiwork has become in the hands of his successors unmanageable hence the application for the brake. This is the result of man's tinkering with the laws of God.

Mr. Peter Dignan has (been again nominated for the position of Mayor of Auckland. Right well has he fulfilled the duties, for the half term to which he was suddenly called, owing to the untimely death of his predecessor in office. His Worship is decidedly a man of action, and to him garrulousness is entirely foreign. Last Sunday evening the " tap of the Orange drum " as Cardinal Logue puts it in Ireland, was heard in Ponsonby. A body, about the strength of a corporal's guard, wended their way, decked in gaudy and meaningless paraphernalia, to listen to a minister of the Gospel of peaoe in his conventicle distorting the pages of history in regard to Guy Fawke's attempt to send sky high the Parliamentary buildings at Westminster. It would be as untrue to charge the Catholic Church with keeping from Nansen the North Pole as to charge it with the concoction of the local political design known as the gunpowder plot.

Two or more attempts to arouse sympathy for the engineers on strike in England have ended in failure. This is deplorable, because this body is making a noble stand in defence of a noble principle, and to treat the great struggle as a parochial one is suicidal policy on the part of the workers. Eight hours a day is sufficient exercise for the human frame, and in the long run will assuredly pan out better for all concerned. The city has a somewhat sombre look about it in consequence of the array of black cloth to be seen in the street in the persons of the Australasian Wesleyan parsons who have assembled to hold a conference. Amongst them are the Rev. Fitchett, the versatile writer of the Reritw of Reviews, and the Rev. Dr. Brown, who, to his sorrow, fell across the path of Cardinal Moran by extolling in exaggerated terms the Protestant missionary efforts. The Cardinal showed the Sydney public the reverse side of the picture.