The Catholic World.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVIII, Issue 47, 22 November 1900, Page 24

The Catholic World.

AFRICA.— Death of a Missionary.— The sad news has been received in Scotland of the death in far-off Uganda of Father Prendergast, who was ordained for the Foreign Mission in IS'JI by Cardinal Vaughan. He preached his first sermon in St. Mary's Church, Lochee, in which neighborhood his parents and relatives are well known and respecter!. In May. .!unp, and July of 18' J t he was resident in Lochee, and when leaving was presented with a purse of sovereigns and nn illuminated address. In Uganda his work is a memorial of his ceaseless activity on behalf of the Church, In the course of a letter, dated June 20, to Father Prenderga«t's mother, Bishop Hanlon, writing from St Joseph's Mission, Uganda. says :—lt: — It is with much sorrow and condolence that I send you tho sad r.ews of your dear son's death. To-day, at 1 o'clock, James died of malarial fever, after only five dayV sickness. As Superior of this mission he has had four priests under him since February la«>\ He always took pleasure, and even delight, in tho wing the new missionaries how to get about their work and in teaching them the language of Uganda, which he knew s-o well. Lately the work at this mission and its districts has much increased. Besides attending the mission building it was necessary that ho should vi-at the district catechism schools, of winch he hud 22 in his larpe district. After aln days' journey, three weeks since, he set out on his return. two of the other Fathers to continue those visits-. When they came back he undertook to vi.sit the remaining schools himself. Last Wednesday, a week to-day, ho returned to the mission .station and seemed as well as usual. Next day. Feast of Corpus Christi, he preached and organised the ceremonies of that great day. Only last Saturday he wrote to mo nay ing Le was not \ery well, and thought he had but a mild attack of fever. On Sunday we received wor«e news. We obtained tho advice of two doctors, and I left iNsambya, and arrived here on Monday night, and from that timo to the moment he died I nursed him and attended him. He died ut his post after four years," devoted work in this nourishing mission which he has built up and served so well. His loss to me is great. He was very sincere, and not only ever willing, but able also to turn his hand to the many works that mv.st be undertaken and done in building up a mission in these regions of Africa, where there im no skilled labor among the natives, and where everything that is done depends on the missionaries themselves. Tor knowledge of the language he was one of the very be-t in the whole country of Uganda. When the Fathers of the mission had clothed the holy remains of Father Prendergast in his priestly vestments and laid him in his coffin, a large ciowd of native Christians had assembled at the mission, bemoauing their lors, and anxious to look for the last time on the face of their devoted priest. We went in procession with the coflin to the church, reciting the prayers and psalms for the solemn and sad occasion. This morning I sang a Solemn Jtfquiem Mass. The large new church was nearly filled with Christians, nearly all of whom have been baptised here. After Holy Mass we proceeded in procession to the grave near the church, and amidst much sobbing of a crowd of Christians, nearly 700, we blessed the grave and chanted the last prayers and psalms, as we laid our dear brother missionary to rest. The quietness, reverence, and devotion of this crowd of Christiaus was most touching and edifying, and an eloquent tribute to your dear son, who had worked so well for them. Though the time was so short the news had spread qnickly, and many of these men and women had walked for hoars in the early morning to be present at the Mass and funeral. When we had finished the service at the grave all the people re-

mained, and kneeling down recited the Rosary aloud. This afternoon they made the Stalions of the Cross. On the Feast of the Sacred Heart our church was again well filled, and the people visited your son's grave in hundreds and passed much time there in silent prayer. This reveals in these natives a devotion which many would have hardly expected from people who till lately were heathens, but it i 3 a beautiful proof that Christianity, when preached by true missionaries, implants the kindest and noblest and holiest sentiments in the hearts and minds of converts won to the Church fr<">m mpre heathenism.

AUSTRIA.— A Condemnation of Duelling.— Cardinal Gruscha, Archhishop of Vienna, in an open letter addressed to Prince Alphonse of Bourbon, has warmly praised the manliness of Count Ledochowski in refusing, on Christian principle, to fight a duel. His Eminence deplores the military code of honor, as a disgrace to Austrian Catholicism, and his outspoken language has caused a great stir among all classes in the Dual Monarchy.

BAVARIA.— The Passion Play.— it is a well known faot (says the Westm inxter Gazette) that the actors in the Oberammergau Passion Play receive only a moderate fee for thair acting, and that, whether the part played is important and fatiguing or whether it is that of a ' super,' the remuneration is the same. But the community of the little village has done far better than was expected during the present summer, for the fees for tickets have this year been much in access of any former occasion. Over and above the ordinary number of performances no less than 16 extra performances have been given, and the amount thus realised reached the large sum of £75,000, while an enormous trade has been done in photographs, wood-carvings, etc. For picture post-cards alone no less than £7500 have been taken, and it is said that the woodcarvers of Oberammergau have not a single article left ' on stook.' Thus it is plain to see that though the season in Switzerland and the Tyrol is said to have been a bad one, the little Bavarian mountain village has reaped a golden harvest.

ENGLAND.— A Distinguished Visitor from America. —The Right Rev. Dr. O'Gorrnan, Bishop of Sioux Falls, U.S.A., arrived in England about the beginning of October. There is a large number of Indians in Dr. O'Gorman's diocese, and his Lordship takes a very deep interest in their spiritual and temporal welfare.

The Jubilee Of the Hierarchy.— The Hierarchy of England was restored on September 29th, 1850, by Letters Apostolic of his Holiness Pius IX., and on Sunday, September 30th, the Te Deum was sung in the churches in thanksgiving for the completion of the half -century since the re-establishment of the regular form of ecclesiastical government. In the enjoyment of the religious freedom (pays the Catholic T ivies) which prevails to-day we are apt to forget the difficulties which Catholics had to face in this country in the first half of the century. They had only too much reason to know what religious persecution meant. As the Bishop of Clifton tells us in his History, families used to go in a cart at night to hear Mass, the priest dressed in a round frock to resemble a laboring man, as late as the close of the last century. In Dr. Milnor's time Catholics never spoke of hearing Mass, but used the word prayer* instead, a habit which was retained by most of the old priests down to a very late period, the came expression being used in the old Directories. The exterior of the chapels, when these were more than upper rooms in houses, was purpoa^ly made similar in appearance to that of the surrounding buildings ; in the country the approach was concealed more or lens, and there was generally on the watch a person who knew the congregation and who without ceremony excluded any one who awakened his suspicions.

The Holy Father and Bishop Brindle.— The Pope has sent a handsome gift to the Right Rev. Dr. Brindle, D.5.0., Coad-jutor-Bishop to Cardinal Vaughan, who served with Lord Kitchener through the Soudan campaign. It takes the form of a beautiful cameo likeness of his Holiness.

GERMANY-— Liberality of the Emperor.— The Emperor of Germany lately donated £200 towards the erection of a school now being conducted by the Franciscan Fathers at Petropolis, Brazil. The Fathers are nearly all natives of Germany. SCOTLAND - Vicar-Capitular of the Diocese of Dunkeld-— Very Rev. Canon Holder has been appointed VicarCapitular for the diocese of Dunkeld.

Clerical Changes in the Archdiocese of Glasgow.— Rev, Father Gallagher, of St. Margaret's, Kinning Park, has been appointed to a professorship in St. Peter's Seminary. Rev. Father Daly, of Uddingeton, has been appointed to succeed Father Gallagher at St. Margaret's. Rev. Father Gettins, Rothesay, has been appointed to the parish of Glencoe. Rev. Father Griffin, of Tralee, Ireland, has been appointed to a curacy at Mossend. Rev. Father Scannell, a young Irish priesc, has been appointed to St. Alphonsus', to fill the vacancy caused by the departure of Father Harris.

Presentation to the late Pastor of Carluke.— The Catholics of Carluke met recently to do honor to their late pastor, the Rev. Father Webb, who had been transferred to Carfin, Motherwell. During the seven years that Father Webb was stationed at Carluke he won golden opinions from all classes by his singular earnestness and great organising power. Fully 400 of the members of St. Athanasius' congregation assembled to do honor to their late pastor. The function took place in the Town Hall, and was presided over by Rev. Peter M/Connachie. Father Webb was presented with an illuminated address and a handsome gold watch in recognition of hia splendid work in the parish. The rev. gtntleman, who was visibly affected by the kindness of his old friends, suitably acknowledged the gifts. Addresses were also delivered by Eev. Father Van Hecko, Wishaw ; Messrs Grrossart and M' Donald, of the local School Board, and Dr. Bar.