The Catholic World.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVIII, Issue 6, 8 February 1900, Page 24

The Catholic World.

CANADA.— Presentation to the Archbishop of Ottawa — The total presentations in cash to Archbiohp Duhamel, of Ottawa, Canada, on the occasion of his jubilee, amounted to nearly £2000.

ENGLAND— Resignation of Canon Fenton.— The resignation of the Right Rev. Mgr. Canon Fenton, of the rectorship of St. Thomas' Church, Fulham, London, S.W., has caused sincere and general regret not only among his own parishioners (says a Home exchange), but throughout the whole neighbourhood of Fulham, where he is held in high esteem by all creeds and classes Previous to his nomination to the Church of St. Thomas Mgr. Fenton was apointed by the late Cardinal Manning to the responsible post of President of St. Edmund's College, Oldhall, Ware, to whioh he has ever been a generous benefactor. Cardinal Vaughan created him a Canon of his Cathedral Chapter, and also entrusted him with ths collection of fund-, for the erection of the new Westminster Cathedral. To this task he set himself vigorously, journeying to Rome to obtain from the Pope both his encouragement and aid. He succeeded in a private audience in enrolling Leo XIII. among the founders of the Cathedral through his donation of £1000 towards the building fund, a title to which Mgr. Fenton himself 'has, by his own personal contributions, more than one claim.

Religious Reception and Profession.— At the Convent chapel, Nazareth House. Hammersmith, London, on December 8 (Feast of the Immaculate Conception), an interesting ceremony of Reception and Profession took place. The following took the holy habit of religion • — Miss Aimee Frost (Sister Eimund Joseph), eldest daughter of Dr. Frost, Beech Lawn. Newrnarket-on-Fergus ; Miss Annie Owens (Mary Columban). third daughter of Mr. Francis Owens. Deroor, County Tyrone ; Miss Ellen Butler (Mary Marcella). fifth daughter of the late Mr. Edward Butler. G-lenswilly, County I'onegal, and Miss Annie Murphy (Mary Johanna), youngest daughter of the late Mr. Edmund Murphy, Inch, County Limerick. Sister Mary Theophilus, fourth daughter of Mr. John Fahy, Deerpark, County Clare, made her first vows. The ceremony was performed by the Very Rev. Father Dominic Ostendi, Provincial of the Carmilites, Kensington, assisted by the Rev. W. Burns, chaplain. Amongst tho*e present were Mr. Harry Frost and Miss Fanny Frost, brother and sister to Miss Aiinoe Frost.

FRANCE— St- Francis of Assist— The institute of France offers a prize of 20,000 francs for the best literary production on St. Francis of Assisi and his Order, written in or translated into French and presented to it before December, 1902.

The Gutter Press of Paris-— The Abbe Klein, of the Catholic Institute of Paris, speaking recently at a public assembly in the Institute, said in reference to the tone of the French Press towards Greit Britain and the insults offered in it to the Queen : ' It would be better to study England than to annoy her by offensive language and vulgar caricature.' The Catholic Institute is the Catholic University of Paris.

FRANCE- — The Conversion of England- — Father Daireaux, a well-known French priest of the diocese of Bayeux, has been trying since ISS.j with tbe assistance of the priests of St. Sulpice and some friends to carry out a scheme having for its aim the Conversion of England. He had founded a Confraternity of prayer for bringing back England to the faith, and placed his work under the patronage of Our Lady of Compassion, and of Joan of Arc ; but his apostolic heart and missionary zeal wanted more, and he has accordingly come forward again with two more proposals, which, we (London Tablet) feel sure, will appeal to English hearts. He offers, first of all, a free education to seven boys, whom he is ready to take, teach, house and, board from the age of eight years until they are twelve. After this he hopes to have given them a sufficiently good beginning to enable them to enter a seminary with

the intention of studying for the priesthood and eventually consecrating their life and energies to the conversion of England. The good Abbe Daireaux only makes one condition, viz., that these seven little Servites of Mary, as he has already named them, set apart for the conversion of their country, should be chosen by the Cardinal Archbishop from the sons of Anglican clergyman who have joined the Catholic Church. Owing to the generosity of a well-known French gentleman, a friend of Father Daireaux's. a small Chateau has been entrusted to his Eminence for a period of one hundred years, to be used as a school tor the sons ot convert clergymen sen 4 : over to France in accordance with the proposals mentioned. It is situated at Emieville, close to Caen, and may be reached in six hours from Newhaven, from whioh place there are boats running, and a good service of communication three times a week. The second proposal made by Father Daireaux is one which English students will appreciate. He has collected a sufficient sum of money to found a ' bourse 'at the Paris University. This means that for the future one Catholic priest (a convert) chosen by his Eminence, will always be able, free of cost, to follow the curriculum of studies at the University of Paris, and take his degree as Licencie or as Doctor, owing to the generosity and zeal of Father Daireaux and his friends.

GERMANY-— The First for Many Years.— Two Catholics have been elected to the Nuremberg Town Council, the first Catho lies thus elected since the so-called Reformation.

The Christian Brothers in Bavaria —The Christian Brothers are likely to be introduced into Bavaria through the action of the Centre in the Landtag.

German Catholic Princes-— ln the Protestant reigning families of Germany there are .">3 Catholic princes. Only four Protestant reigning families are without Catholic princes.

ITALY.— A Priest's Heroism-— The Italian papers report a striking case of life-saving which occurred at Padua, the hero being the parish priest of Sta. Maria di Murano, the Rev. Angelo Torcellon. On his way to church, where he was going to celebrate Mass, the Rev. Father saw two boys who were playing on the banks of a deep canal suddenly fall into the water and disappear beneath the surface. Without waiting to divest himself of his cassock, the plucky priest plunged in after the youngsters, neither of whom could swim, and although seriously impeded in his movements by his clerical garments and by the struggles of the drowning urchins, bhe Rev. Father succeeded in drag^in« both in safety to the slippery bank. He was himself so exhausted, however, not being a very good swimmer either, that, but for timely assistance rendered by a crowd who had witnessed his heroic deed, the brave priest, who had fallen back back half-fainting into the water, would certainly have been drowned. The Prefect of Padua has written to the Minister for Home Affairs proposing to confer a medal for bravery on the Rev. Angelo Torcellon, but the latter persists in saying that he only did his duty and that ho will accept no such distinction.

MEXICO— A Remarkable Dinner-— A remarkable dinner was given in the City of Mexico recently to 2.000 poor people in honour of the return of Archbishop Alarcon irom Rome. The dinner was excellent and the bishop and higher clergy as well as fashionable ladies waited on the poor people and distributed to everyone articles of clothing suitable for cool weather.

ROME-— The close of the Century- -Besides the pilgrim. ages from all countries which will visit Rome (hiring the Holy Year the clo«e of the century will offer many remarkable evidences of devotion to the Redeemer. A committee in Rome has conceived the idea of erecting a monument testifying this devotion on nineteen Italian hills, one for each Christian century. The project has received the approval and blessing of the H<>ly Father, and has been taken up very heartily by the Italian Catholics. Another proposal is that the night of the Hist December, 11MJO-1901, should be sanctified by the celebration of Midnight Mass in every church The International Committee has betrged the Holy Father to grant permission for this privilege and for the faithful to receive Holy Communion. His Holiness has been pleased io grant both requests.

The Health of His Holiness —^ correspondent of the Bally Chronicle in Rome thus describes the appearance of the Pope about the middla of December : — 'There is no doubt that since I last saw Leo XIII. he has greatly altered. He is much thinner and much whiter. His face looks so very small that one almost fears that should he wear his mitre it would entirely extinguish his tiny face and head. On the other hand, his eyes are bright and his voice is fairly strong. He could not stand unassisted or even walk across the room without the aid of his stick, and is afflicted by a constant irritating cough. His intellect is as strong as ever and his memory is very clear and precise. He is, moreover, quite able to attend to business and to write his letters and sign documents. His last signature shows no alteration in the firmness of the hand, and is as clear and distinct as it was twenty years ago.'

The New Vicar-General- — The appointment of Cardinal Domenioo Jacobini to the important post of Vicar-General of Rome (writes a correspondent), occupied for Xi years with so much tact acd ability by Cardinal l'arocohi, cannot be said to have come as a surprise, for in spite of his feeble health Cardinal Jacobini has long been pointed out as the most worthy successor to his Eminence Cardinal Parocchi should the latter, as has been the case, think fit to resign. As it is generally conceded that the post of VicarGeneral is one of the most important in the Catholic hierarchy, its occupant must be gifted not only with deep erudition and serene lucidity of judgment, but above all with a vast amount of xavoir fa ire, which is of more service to him. When, however, all these qualities are combined, as in the cases of the past and of the present Vicar-General, it is naturally all the better. Cardinal Jacobini,

who fully understands the difficulties which beset the exalted position to which he has been appointed, was far from pleased with the nomination, and indeed is said to have implored the Holy Father to select some one more worthy for that honour, but Leo XIII , who is a great, judge in such matters, and has an infallible eye for ' the right man in the right place,' insisted gently but firmly, and now the election of Cardinal Jacobini to the post of Vicar-General is a fait accompli, as his Eminence has already received the biglictto from the Secretaryship of State. I may add. that the appointment is very popular here, as the Romans love and esteem the good Cardinal, whom they are accustomed to look upon as one of the moat likely successors to Ike present Pontiff.

RUSSIA-— The Funeral of the Catholic Metropolitan Of Russia — The obsequiea of Mgr. Simon Martin Kozlovsky, Metropolitan of the Catholic Church in Russia, took place on November 29 at St. Petersburg. The funeral rites were carried out with great pomp in the Cathedral, where a Requiem Mass for the soul of the late Archbishop was celebrated in the presence of many high functionaries of the State and a numerous congregation. The body of the deceased prelate was enclosed in a coffin encased in white metal, and lay on a superb catafalque before the high altar. On the coffin were placed the episcopal cross, mitre, and pastoral staff. Though the church is a very spacious one, crowds were unable to obtain admission, and many of the faithful were compelled to stand outside in the street. Amongst thoae who were present at the ceremony were the Ambassadors of the different nationalities in St. Petersburg or their representatives, the Director th'S Cnltcs ttrangerx, Mons. Mossoloff, Mons. Albendinsky, viceDirector of the same department, and many clergy of exalted position in the Catholic Church. After the Mass Mgr. Nedzialkofsky preached the panegyric of the late Prelate in Polish, and extolled the zealous faith and loving pastoral care with which he had governed the Church. Rarely indeed has been seen in the noble boulevards of St. Petersburg such a procession as that witnessed at the funeral. The cemetery is some four miles from the Cathedral, and its way lay through the chief streets of the city. The civil part of the procession was headed by a member of the Consistory preceded by a Crucifix ; then followed the clergy in their white surplices, chanting psalms, and carrying lighted candles. Before the funeral car, which is here always open and often beautifully decorated, bo unlike the hideous hearse in use in England, were carried the late Archbishop's cross, mitre, and pastoral staff, enriched with diamonds. The car, over which rested a black baldichino, was drawn by six hordes. Lastly came the children from the Catholic Home in the Vassili Ostroff. At the cemetery the body was met by Mgr. Nedzialkofsky and, after a short service, was laid in its last resting-place. The deceased Prelate was eighty years old, and had occupied the post of Metropolitan since IK'.tl.

UNITED STATES-A Great Heiress is to Enter a Convent- — According to the San Francisco Monitor, Miss Josephine Drexel, daughter of the late Mr. Joseph W. Drexel, is about to enter a convent. Miss Drexel is only nineteen, and very accomplished, but she has never shown any liking for society doings. Her present income is set down at £Hi,oooa year, and when she attains her twenty-first year she will come in to a fortune of about £2,000,000. Miss Drexel takes no pleasure in social functions, but finds her chief happiness in the convent with her aunt, Mother Catherine.

Apostolic Poverty — The Right Rev Dr. de Goesbriand, Bishop of the diocese of Burlington, which comprises the whole of the State of Virginia, died some time ago, and, as he was known to be possessed at one time of considerable private means, there was considerable speculation as to the value of the estate left by him. He wua Bishop of Burlington for nearly half a century. 'It was announced, on December 1, by the Rev. Father Cloarec, rector of Sb Joseph's Church, Burlington, that the Bishop left exactly 2dol 12c. It was his avowed wish to die in poverty. The fact that he left only 2dol. 12c. explains where the money came from to build many of the line buildings that belong to the diocese.

At the Championship Cycle Meeting, held at Wellington on Wednesday, iUst ult , the chief event was that rich prize the ' Enfield Cup,' value 75 guineas, distance five miles. There were eight competitors, comprising the Colony's leading racing men, and keen interest was taken in the race by the public. It waa a splendidly contested struggle, and after one of the finest finishes seen in Wellington, Andy Balaton snatched the race from Plunkett. It was a great performance on the part of Ralston, his final spurt being very fine. Time, 12min. 1 l-ssec. Ralston rode a MasseyHarris machine. — „%

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