The Catholic World

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXII, Issue 50, 15 December 1904, Page 27

The Catholic World

AFRlCA— Return of a Missionary. The Rev. Fattier McDermott, of the Congregation of tihe Holy Ghost, who has done good work for the Faith in Nigeria, is returning to Africa after his visit tp Cireat Britain and Ireland. He has not only succeeded in procuring for tihe Nigerian mission tihe services of several Brothers, but he has collected, especially in Ireland, a good sium of money. He is taking gut fitve Sisters in ejdlditilqn to tihe three already 'determined on for bouthetrn Nigeria, liiey are miuch needed ior hospital duties, and t|he self-sacrifice of which tihe Sisters give proof in mipis'tenng to the afflicted makes, a deep impression on tihe natives. Father McDearrmott, instead of going directly to Calabar, is proceeding tup the Niger River to tihe new cotton lields, in which he has taken an earnest anld practical interest. Tihe work tfliere is going oin with overy prospect of success. ENGLAND— A Golden Weddinff. The golden wedding of Sir Percival and Lady Kadcliflie was celebrated, recently at Kuddmg Park, near Hartfowflate. -The Bishop of Leeds celebrated Mass, and a Brief from tftie Pope was read, enrolling Sir Percival a Knjgbt of- St. Gregory s Catholics at Oxford. ArridKgsti those who were presented recently at Oxford Son degrees were- the following Catholics :— M.A., E., G< O. *bf Pope's Hall ; 8.A., W. H. Uoimolly, of Hunter Blair's Hall ; C C. Cattey, R. J. J. S. Monteith, C. D. Plater, and I. C. Scoles, of Pope s Hall.

A Catholic Custom. Following the custom commiom to Catholic countries, Masls :of the Holy G4iost— Hhe ' Hed Mass,' because of the cfolipi. of ithe vestnient^s— Was heard recently by the

Catholic judges, barristers, and solicitors. For the first tim'Q t/he Mas^ was said at tthe new Catholic Cathedral, I}he Cihiuick ,of SS. Anselra and Cecilia, in Lincoln's Inn Fields., having hitherto been used. The Cathedral 'was orowideid, and i,n tihe front portion of the naive seats were reserved for barristers ami solicitors, the former weaning their wigs aaid gowns. Chars were set before fhq high altar for the use of the judges, ajiti of these two were present, Lord Justice Mathew, who wore his robes of black and gold, and Mr. Justice Walton, who was in scarlet amd eirrune. • Sir John Day, who retired from the Bench some years ago, alsio occupied ome of tihese sqats. Catholic Aiothers. Nearly a thousand London mot'hei"^, many of them accomlpiamied by their children, assemibled in the nave of Westminster Cat^had;al one evening recently f«r Vespers and Compline. Archbishop Bourne, addressing the congregation, dwelt upon the powerful, penetrating, and perm,ane/nt character of a mother's influence, anKd impressdd upon his hearers that it was only by prayer and gojod example that tihey cquld fulfil their higjh function artd di,sc|h«arge Wie grave resaponsibilities which attaqhed tio it. The service was concl/uded by a solemn Benediction, and the ArdhbisihD ( p the/n walked down the na,ve, blessing Wie mothers and their children. FRANCE— Ministerial Action.

The Minister iof Justice (writes a Paris correspondent) has taken advantage of the Liong Vacatijoin to have t<he taimous Triptych of the Court of Cassation removed. When crosses and religious emblems were remioved, early in the year, from all Colurts of Jjustice, tihe Court of Cassation, the htgjhest Cpwrt of A/pjpeal in Frajnce, 'pirotested against the hisitiocic work of art, wfnch datc^i frpm Louis XII., beihg taken from its possession, and for sjome time it looked as though the Government, had given way. But as socxn as the jiudges an;d lawyers left, M. Combes' wrorkmem walked in, and the Triptych was removed to the L,ou/vre. At their first meeting an the re-opening of the Courtsl, the jjudges ,nnainimmisly ajdiorpted a resolutiton protestimg ag,ainsit the Government's action, congratulating the First President on the siteps ihe had taken to prevent the removial of the Triptych, and appointing a committee to consider what ste*ps s|lVoiuld be taken to get back the Cojurt's profperty. Not a Matter of Principle.

T|he closing of clerical educational establishments (writes a Pans correspondent) is not in all cases purely a mat tear of principle. It implies also, sometimes 1 , certaui material advantages, of which the Simon Pures of the Bloc are not above availing themselves, as is sliown by tihe following. One of the leading members of M. Combes' majority, Kajdical member for one 'of the Departmemts ot Brittany, had secured the appointment of a, mend and (neighbor of his, a retired naval ameer, to the posit of Governor of a small gtfoup of islands which ware lately, declared a French colony. The officer hesitated, as he was a married man with a family and t'ho salary was only 12,000 francs (£480). ' Take tihe tappovnifcmetnt in any case,' said the Deputy to his friend. We shall see t>o yaur requirements. The Minister cannot give you a higher salary, and Wie credits do not allow of more being paid. But there is over there a Marist Uollege w.hicih is paid a Government slubsidy. We shall siupjpresis it. This will leave yioni witih some miore money, and the business of the liquidation should bring you i)n a|n important addition to your salary.' This instructive conversation — about which the officer made no mystery, a^d wihich he gave o\it in explanation of his accept'^nce of such a poorly paid post — is now the edificatfon of Bntta/ny. ROME— Congratulations. On t/he occasion of his name day Cardinal Merry del Val received many visits from Cardinals and high prelates, who ottered greetings and presents. Ma,nsignor Stidnor, who was slightly m'disposed, wrote a letifcer cQnveymg his good wishes, at the same time sepding his Eminence as a present -a hiatory of St. Anthony the Hermit. The Cardnnal was very pleased with ifce.i present, wihidi he has decided to place in the Vatican .Library. SCOTLAND— A New Church. There was recently laid the foundation stone of St. Jlohln's ,new ctourch, P'ortobelLo', by the Arictibishop of St. Andrew's a.nd Edinburgh,, in t<he presemce of over thirty priests, a large gathering of the congregation, and many lay friends from near and far, including several prionundnt Protestants of the town as well as mcuny of tihe leading Catholics of Edinburgh and district. A Successful Bazaar. Towards tihe e,nd of October a great Catholic baxaar wlas helld; in D.undee in aid of the debt of St. Andrew's

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Prcn-Oatlhedral ijhere. Sir John Leng, in tlhe presence of a laijge and distinguished oompajny, declared the proceedings open on the first 'day. The secoiad day's propxiest, now of the archjdioicese of St. Andrew's and Edfinand Edinburgh, the Most Rev. Dr. SnuUh, the former bishop of the Dunkeld diocese. On the third day the Very, Rev. (J^non James McG nines, a former lAundee priest, mow of the archdiocese of St. Andrews and Edinburgh (declared the bazaar open. The total amount realised was the Handsome figure of £2353 13s lftd. Death of a Priept.

yenexable \n age, with tthe noble reooed of 56 years' arduous and incessant work as a Scottish priest in Lanarkshire, and surrpunded by a number of his devoted clerical brethren, the -Rev. Joihn Black passed peacefully away cjn October 18 at St. Joseph's Chapel house, Cardowan. By his death the Glasgow archdiocese has lost one of its oldest and most notable priests. Ordained tni Rome in 1818, Father Black Served n'nstWn uanark; t>hen at Carliuke ; next at YVLshaw ; after this a-« St. Vinicenct's, Glasgow ; siuhseque,n»tiy at St. Andrew's Oatth^dral ; and latterly at Oardowam,* where he had been stationed for the past twelve years. Catholic Truth Society.

The initial function in connection witih the getoe-al meeting of lihe Scottish Catholic Truth Society took place ijn the North British Railway Hotel,, Edinburgh, wlhere Ardhbishop Smith received upwards of 500 of tlhe Catholic re»sMetits in various parts of Scotland. His Grace was immediately attended by Bishops MacFarlane, IXmkeld ; Ohisihoim, Abendeen ; T,urno r , Galloway ; Gaugjhran, Kirniberley ; and Casartelli, Salford. Among the laity were—- Lord Raljpih, Latdy Anne, and the Musses Keir Lady B)u,te. afrd Lady LbVat. The pnoeeedinigs were characterise^ with the utmost possible sociability, <and great interest was avmcad at tihe programme. UNITED STATES— Presentation.

The congregation oi St. Francis Xavier's Chhreh, Brooklyn, has presented the Rev. Dr. W. F. McGiimis, tor some time iUs assistant pastor and who was recently appoint^! rector of St. Bridget's Church, Westbury, Long Island, with a pvrse of £300 and a typewriter. Dr. McGinnis is the /president of the International Catholic Trutih Society.