INTERCOLONIAL

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXI, Issue 18, 30 April 1903, Page 31

INTERCOLONIAL

A handsome church, dedicated to St. Mary, Help of Christians, was opened by his Eminence Cardinal Moran at Lawson on April 13.

A bazaar, art union, and sports meeting, in aid of the church and convent, Mansfield, to liquidate a debt on both these buildings, resulted in over £700 being obtained.

The following clerical changes have been made in the archdiocese of Sydney : The Rev. Father J. H. Morris, of Mount Carmel, has been appointed assistant priest to the Rev. Father P. J. Walshe, of St. Francis', Haymarket. The Rev. Father Thomas Barry, of St. James' Church, Forest Lodge, has been appointed as one of the professors of St. Patrick's College, Manly.

St. John the Baptist Church, Clifton Hill, was crowded on Palm Sunday, when his Grace the Archbishop of Melbourne administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to 232 persons, including a large number of adults (some of them being converts), who had been prepared for Confirmation during the recent mission given in St. John's by the Vincentian Fathers.

A pioneer priest in the person of the Very Rev. Dr. Hallinan passed away at the Home for Aged Priests, Sydney, on April 8, having attained the venerable age of 91 years. The deceased had been an inmate of the home for about ten years, and three years ago his sight became so impaired that he had been incapacitated from celebrating Mass. He passed away holding, the .hand of the venerable Archpriest Sheehy, who, though in his 76th year, was once his pupil, quite conscious up to a few minutes before he breathed his last. Dr. Hallinan was a native of the North of Ireland. He came to Australia in deacon's orders from Maynootb, where he read a distinguished course, with the late Archbishop Poldi»g, in the year 1843. In the same year he was ordained to the priesthood together with the Very Rev. Dr. Grant, the Rev. Fathers M'Ginnes, Dunphy, and the Very Rev. Dean Kenny, in old St. Mary's Cathedral. Before long Father Hallinan was appointed to the Rectorship of St. Mary's Seminary, at the same time being appointed professor of theology. *In recognition of his profound knowledge of theology and his writings in defence of the Church, he received, on the recommendation of Dr. Polding, the degree of Doctor of Divinity from Rome. Subsequently Dr. Hallinan was appointed to a mission at Parramatta, whore he remained for some years, and was afterwards for the long period of 22 years in charge of the Windsor district. From there finally he retired broken down in health. Dr. Hallinan was of a remarkably retiring disposition, all his good works being performed with a jealous regard to secrecy. It was known, however, that among the many objects which claimed his attention was the Mill Hill Mission, London. The local charities which received his assistance were numerous. The obsequies were carried out by Archpriest Sheehv assisted by the Right Rev. MonsigWr Carroll. V.G., and the Rev. Father Ginisty, S.M., and the Rev. Father Tallon, S.M.

At a meeting held in Sydney recently with reference to the proposed South Sea excursion, Mr. Spruson, hon. secretary to the committee having charge of the arranr gements, gave an outline of the scheme. He said the idea of the excursion had originated from an invitation to Cardinal Moian by the Marist Fathers at Suva, Fiji, to attend the opening- ceremonies in connection with the new cathedral. Others had expressed a wish to attend the ceremonies, and so the possibility of an excursion had beer, suggested. Some preliminary steps had been tak£n, but no arrangements had been completed. They were in treaty with one of the shipping companies to charter one of the finest vessels in the Australian waters. She was capable of doing 15 knots, and had saloon accommodation for 200 passengers. A visit would be made to all the points of interest in the South Sea Islands, and the opportunity would be given of studying the work of the Catholic missions. The trip was not to be of a religious character, and anyone who was broad-minded enough to join them would be welcome. No exact estimate of the cost could be made until they knew how many would make the trip. They already had more than 50 applications, and he had no doubt that they would readily obtain the boat's full complement before August, when the trip was to be made. Tn that case the cost could be put down at £45 or £50 each. Mr. Spruson further explained that those who engaged in the excursion were not expected to give donations to any function or institution en route. In this respect the excursion would stand entirely on its own bottom. Steamship companies in Europe which organised excursions to Norway and other places of interest, usually charged the excursionists three guineas per day. The proposed South Sea -Islands excursion would provide equally good accommodation at a cost of about 25s per day. The cause of this great disparity is simply that, while in the case of the companies the desire is to obtain a profit on the venture, there is no such desire in connection with the South Sea excursion. Another difference is that while in the one case there is a very mixed company, in the other the utmost care will be taken to exclude undeshv 'lo elements. Father Le Rennetel also made a brief c "lanation of the scope of the proposed excursion and tbe pleasure In store for those taking part. He explained that ladies would be admitted under proper restrictions, and that no one would be debarred by reason of relig-ion from joining in — the one essential being respectability.