The Catholic World.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVII, Issue 45, 9 November 1899, Page 24

The Catholic World.

AFRlCA.— Postulants for Religious Orders— About the middle of September the steamer Ungeli sailed from the London docks for Natal, having on board a number of poßtulant- for religious Orders. Mother Gabriel, the prioress of the Dominicans at Oakford with Sister Reginald, had come over at the beginning of this summer to seek postulants, such help being urgently needed at their convent, and as there are many vocations in Ireland, the two nuns had gone there for aspirants to the religious life in the foreign mission field. Several had responded to the call, and, leaving homes and native land, embarked for their new and unknown life recently. Mother Gabriel had also been to Germany and obtained six German postulants, who will follow in November. Three of the Irish postulants were destined for the Augustinians, and were going out under the protection of Mother Gabriel. ASIA. — Catholic Missions in China, Corea, and Burmah.— Some striking statistics illustrating the work of Catholic missions in South-east Asia during the year 1898 are given in a report recently issued by the Society of Foreign Missions, Paris. The countries covered by the report include Manchuria, Oorea, Thibet Siam, Burmah, and several others in that quarter of the world. When we consider the difficulties and dangers (says the New York Freeman's Journal) that must be encountered in those regions by strangers visiting them for any purpose whatever we cannot but be astonished to read of the progress made in them by the Catholic missionaries. The ' general table 'in the report gives 72 700 as the number of baptisms of adult ' pagans and 193,36 dot infant pagan baptisms. Then there are 32 bishops, 1070 priests, of whom 584 are natives, and there are 4611 churches and chapels 40 seminaries, 2072 students, and 2985 schools attended by 90 200 children. Be it noted that the men who did all the work of which theee are some of the results did not go out there attended by warships or armies or admirals or generals, nor have they had any talk about flags to be put up and kept up by guns and bayonets in the interests of 'civilisation and religion.' BAVARIA —The Next Passion Play— Next year, as is well known (says the London Tablet), will be the year for the decennial production of the Passion Play at Oberammergau. to which no doubt many of our readers are looking forward. We learn from the German papers that the preparations tor the great event are in active progress. Among the most active preparations are those for the improvement of communications with the little Bavarian village. By next year the last portion of the route between Oberau and Oberammergau will be provided with an electric tramway. The steamship company on the Starnberg Lake intend to add a fifth saloon steamer to those already plying on the lake, whilst the Starnberg railway station is to be enlarged, a second line of rails to be laid, and the number ot trains to be greatly increased during next year. We cannot but think that there are many lovers of the ancient Passion Play who will read not without a feeling of regret of this modernisation of the quaint and rustio surroundings of the lovely valley of the Ammer. An electric tramway right up to the scene of the Passion Play can hardly be dnrestel of a sense of incongruity, if not of desecration. CAN A DA -The Church in the Klondyke Region-ln the Klondyke region there are four Catholic churches-one each at Dawson, Selkerk, Hunker Creek, and Last Chance Creek Four priests are now located in Dawson City -Fathers Lefebvre, Desmarais, Corbell, and Gendron, all Oblates. ENGLAND —Father Maturin back from Rome— Father Maturin began his work as a Catholic priest in England on Sunday September 10, when he preached morning and afternoon at the Redemptorist Church at Bishop Eton, which was crowded on both occasions ' Those who were familiar with the preaoher s eloquence in his Anglican days,' writes a correspondent who was present, 'will notice little change in his style. He studiously avoided all controversial treatment; indeed his views as to the policy of leaving polemical subjects severely alone m the pulpit a™ well known here. 1 Father Maturin is to take up his residence at Archbishop's House, Westminster, where his services will, no doubt, be in great request in the work of preaching and giving missions and retreats. Death of a Venerable Redemptorist.-One of the oldest English Redemptorist Fathers, the Rev. Father Stevens, died about the middle of September at Glen Levet, Scotland, where he had gone on a holiday. Father Stevens was one of the batch of seven postulants who offered themselves to the Redemptonsts at Clapham shortly after the foundation of the mission there. His six

companions were Father Furniss, Father Bradshaw, Father (afterwards Bishop) Coffin, Father Biidgett, Father Plunkett (now in Australia), and Father Vaughan (ancle to the Cardinal). The two last-named are the only ones now living. Father Stevens was professed in December, 1851, so that he has worn the religious habit for nearly 48 years. He spent most of his ministry at Bishop Eton, Wavertree, Liverpool. Here he remained for 24 years, and with the exception of two years at Teignmouth, Clapham claimed his services for the balance of years. Preparing to Celebrate the Opening of the Next Century- — An important meeting of the Catholic League of South London was held recently for the purpose of considering the advisability of celebrating in a befitting manner the opening of the twentieth century. The yearl9oo, being consecrated by Pope LeoXIlI , and being the jubilee year of the re-establishment of the hierarchy in England, it was deemed a favourable opportunity for forming a federation of Catholic associations and the inauguration of a periodical Catholic Congress, and a resolution to that effect was passed. It was decided that a committee should communicate with, and obtain the views of the governing bodies of the various Catholic organisations in England in connection with the scheme. It is expected that Cardinal Vaughan and the Catholic hierarchy will take a practical part in the movement. Clerical Changes-— The Rev. Father Kennedy has been appointed assistant priest to Father O'Rourke, rector of the Church of the Sacred Heart, Hanley ; and hrs place at St. Michael's, Birmingham, has been temporarily filled by the Rev. Father O'Dowd, from the Capuchin Monastery, Olton. Father Kennedy was recently ordained after having made his studies at Carlow College. The Rev. Thomas Skuse, of the Cathedral, Plymouth, has gone as second priest to Lulworth Castle, in place of the Rev. John Carroll who is assistant at Poole under the Rev. H. Dowsett. The Rev. David Barry, of St. Mary's Church, has been appointed to Weymouth ; the Rev. Bernard Palmer to St. Mary's Church, and the Rev. Thomas Sheehan to the Cathedral. At Dartmoor the Rev. M. Laurenson, of Aylesbury Prison, succeeds the late Rev. David Coleman as chaplain. The Rev. William Forrest, of Newport, Isle of Wight, is Acting Chaplain to the Forces at Devonport in succession to the Very Rev. Mgr B. F. Drew, moved to Malta. FRANCE .— An Encyclical to the French Clergy —The Enoyclical of the Pope to the French Bishops and clergy (says the London Tablet) is another signal token of the peculiar favour which Leo XIII. has for France. At a time when the world is resounding with wild cries against her and with threats of boycott

the voice of the Holy Father, calm and unfaltering:, ia heard above the storm. Many were expecting: some pionounoement on the Dreyfus case, but such people must have forgotten that the_ case was still sulfjudice, and that it would have therefore been highly imprudent for the Holy See to have done anything which, could have had the slightest show of interference. The matter of the Encyclical has been long under consideration, and the disappointment of those who expected that the Letter would deal with the burning topic of the hour is explained by the mere fact of its appearance almost coinciding with the delivery of the verdict at Rennes. Besides, it i 3 clear that unless there had been need for some suoh lengthy pronouncement on the question of clerical education and conduct, the Pope would not have gone out of his way to make it This has been recognised by the Univers, which says distinctly : 'It was time that the voice of Leo XIII. came to fortify those who are in good faith against certain perilous allurements. Risky methods in philosophy and dogma, and an adventurous system of biblical exegesis, were seducing minds that were otherwise desirous of good. It is not sufficient to be anxious to serve and defend the Church ; the service and the defence must be conducted in the proper way. It is equally absurd to shut one's eyes to everything that has the appearance of novelty, either for acceptance or rejection. The eyes must be kept open, and looking to Rome for guidance. Submission to Rome and to those whom God has appointed as the sacred transmitters of the word of life from Rome to ourselves is the great need. In these days reverence is decaying, as is only too often seen in the attitude taken up by some Catholics and by certain papers in opposition to the Bishops, who have been sharply called to order because their acts and utterances did not suit these papers and such Catholics. The pronouncement of the Pope will surely result in hindering priests and people from favouring even indirectly these deplorablo practices which are a source of weakness to the Church.' The writer also lays stress on the certainty that the Pope will be obeyed fully and cheerfully, not only because he is the Head of the Church but also because he has spoken as a Father. The Oldest French Bishop— Mgr. Daibert, Bishop of Perigueux. has entered upon his 89th year. The venerable prelate, who is the doyen of the French Episcopate, was born at Henricheuiont (Cher) in September, 1811, and has been Bishop of Perigueux since 1863. Monseigneur enjoys the best of health, and is in full possession of all his faculties. GERMANY.-The Prince-priest of Saxony-.A report is ourrent in Berlin, and is given for what it is worth, that th Emperor has expressed a desire that the Rw. Prince Max of Saxon

should be appointed to the vacant Archbishopric of Cologne, which "has been vacant for several weeks. It is understood that the Emperor's recommendation ia receiving most careful attention at the Vatican, and it is probable that some formal announcement will be made in the course of a few weeks. Prince Max of Saxony is at present attached to one of the chief ohurches in Nuremberg. RUSSIA.— The Special Envoy of the Holy See— Aftei the exclusion of the Vatican from the Peace Conference (says the New Era) the Russian Minister accredited to the Holy See i was recalled, and Monsignor Tarnassi, Papal Nunico in Holland left his post. Superficial observers thought that this meant a rapture of the relations between the heads of the Catholic and 'Orthodox churches, but such a hypothesis has now been proved erroneous by the appointment, which has just been officially announced, of the same Monaignor Tarnassi to the Court of the Tsar as Special Envoy of the Pontiff. This event is of particular importance, as for over thirty years— since the time of Piua IX.— Russia haa refused to receive in St. Petersburg any representative of the Vatican. Of course, officially the mission of Mbnsignor Tarnassi is to arrange certain religious disputes, but it is an open secret that his efforts will be principally directed to scouring some arrangement by which the Muscovite Empire shall again open ite doora to a permanent Papal representative. Should Monsignor Tarnassi—who te one of the Pope's youngest and ablest diplomatists— succeed in bis obieot, England will be the only country in Europe which has resisted the efforts of the Vatican to establish diplomatic relations. SCOTLAND-The Catholic Church in Glasgow.-Three new missions have been opened inside the city boundaries of Glasgow since the beginning of the year— St. Charles's, Kelvinside, on the west, St. Saviour's, Govan, on the south, and St. Ann s on the east But the authorities still find difficulty in building quickly enough to meet the demands of the rapidly increasing population. At the Glasgow Dean of Guild Court recently permission was granted to erect a new church in place of the present building at Parkhead, where the accommodation is insufficient. A few weeks ago the Bishop Auxiliary laid the memorial stone of a new church in Motherwell, and now it has been resolved to erect another in Airdrie, both places beiDg in the • iron district. Death of the Pastor of Pollokshaws-The archdiocese o* Glasgow has suffered a severe loss by the death of the Very Rev. Canon McNamara, one of the most esteemed prießts in the Glasgow district. Born in Belfast in 1837, he studied at the English Benedictine College at Douay, which he entered in 1853, and afterwards at Issay, where he received the tonßure in 1859. He received minor orders at St. Sulpice, and was ordained priest by Monsignor Janssen in 1862. Joining the Glasgow archdiocese he was immediately placed in charge of the newly-established mission at Neilston, which he left for Pollokshaws 20 years ago. There he had since remained, working with the greatest success, and representing for many years Catholic interests on the Parish Council and the Sohool Board. His canonry dated from six years ago. The funeral, at which the Town Council, Parish Council, and School Board were represented, took place at Dalbith cemetery. The Pilgrimage tO Lourdes— The first Scottish pilgrimage to Lourdes, which took place about the beginning of September, was marked by some hitherto unfamiliar incidents in the history of the famous shrine. On proceeding to the grotto the pilgrims were headed by the Archbishop of Edinburgh (Most Rev. Dr. Angus Macdonald) and the Bishops of Aberdeen and Dunkeld in full pontificals. A superb silk banner, richly worked with the Scottish arms and bearing on the reverse the Cross of St. Andrew and a view of lona, which was destined as the gift of Catholic Scotland to the shrine, was borne by a stalwart Highland priest ; while a distinctive national character was given to the pilgrimage by the presence of a kilted piper in full Highland dress of <Macdonald tartan, who discoursed national music to the astonishment of the people of Lourdes. All the pilgrims wore tartan badges. UNITED STATES.— The Conversion of the Negroes — The Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, a community devoted to the conversion of the negroes, founded by Mother Katharine Drexel, has received many accessions to its membership recently. St. Elizabeth's Convent is not far from Philadelphia, and the Bißhop Auxiliary of that See, the Most Rev. Dr. Prendergast, gave, a few weeks ago, the black veil to two novices, and the white veil to seven postulants. The work is not attractive ; it requires enormous selfeaorifioe; but the negro problem is a deep one, and Miss Drexel, who haa devoted many millions of dollars to the improvement of the negroes, has not called in vain to virginal hearte.

The Christian Brothers and the teaching of Oassics-— No decision respecting the Christian Brothers teaching classics in their colleges in the United States will be given before December. It will not be decided by Propaganda in the ordinary way, but will be laid before the full Congregation of Cardinals for decision and final action. Bishop Byrne, of Nashville, who acted for the American hierarchy in the matter, has returned to America from Borne.