The Catholic World

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 52, 28 December 1905, Page 24

The Catholic World

ENGLAND-The Bishop of South war k -Tne '** Bishop of SbuihVarV^'wasr recently with ZOO-v^ineas-otti the tenth anniversary of his consecration. He. has decided to use the bulk of the money for providing vestries for his Cathedral, after using a small sum to purchase some momento of the kindness of? His many friends in presenting him with the gift. ' ' * Death of a Leading Catholic The death occurred recently of Mr. Henry Liddell Grainger of Aytou Castle, Berwickshire, a large Border landowner; and a prominent Catholic of the district. Deceased was fifty years- of age, and leaves a widow and young family. He was a brother of the late Lady Jerningham, of Berwick Towers, Berwick, the wife of Sir Hubert Jerningham,^ ex-Governor of Trinidad. Mr. rXiddell Qrainger /wa£ art officer of the' Berwick Militia, a county magistrate, and an active worker -in the Catholic interest. He purchased Ayton Castle and the adjoining estate from the Mitchell-Innes family, for something over £120,000. He held a prominent position in local affairs, and his death is a serious loss to Berwickshire Catholics. Catholic Schools The following statistics, taken from Government returns, thrdw a light on the denominational ownership of English voluntary schools which is \ery often lost sight of. In the year 1902, when the present Education Act was passed, there were in existence 14,539 voluntary schools, with' an average ; attendance of 2,486,595. Of these, 11,7,7|7,, with an average attendance of 1,885,802, were built by the Church of England ; 458, with an average attendance of 125,|7j271, by the Wesley ans ; 1,045, with an average attendance of 255,036, by the Catholics ; and 1,07)9 British schools, with an average attendance of 220,032, by subscribers of various creeds ; while 5, ■7158 Board schools, with an average attendance of 2,201,049, were built out of the rates to which all subscribe. Further, out of £23,121,000 subscribed since 1870 to voluntary schools, £18,000,000 was given by the Church of England ; £421,600 by the Wesleyans ; £2,000,000 by the Catholics ; and £2, 1 6X)0,000 by the supporters of British schools. A Remarkable Painting . Quite recently the Right Rev. Dr. Fenton, Bishop of Amycla, unveiled a remarkable painting at the Church ol St. Mary, Moorfields, the Rector-of which, the Very Rev. Canon Fleming, is a distinguished Irishman. The painting represents the Scene of Calvary, and was originally produced in 1820 by one of the most distinguished Italian painters of the time, Signor Aiglio, who executed his work on the walls of the old Church of St. Mary. Some years ago, when it was decided to pull down the ancient building, Canon Fleming resolved upon having a miniature copy of the painting made, in order that it should be reproduced for the new church. This having been done, the zealous Irish priest brought over one of the most distinguished painters attached to the Vatican, and for over four years he has woiked in order to reproduce upon canvas a work which is acknowledged to be a masterpiece. It now adorns the canopy of the new Church of St. Mary, Moorfields, and all who have seen it — and many prominent artists have so — agree that it is a: religious picture which will last for all time. Death of a Canon Rev. Canon Pope, St. Robert's Catholic Church r Harrogate, died recently at the presbytery in his 80th year. He was one of Cardinal Newman's converts, joining the Catholic Church in 1853. ROM h'— The Rector of the Irish College The Very Rev. Michael O'Riordan, D.D., Ph.D., D.C.L., arrived in Rome on the Feast of All Saints, and proceeded to take possession as Rector of theIrish College. Papal Reception The Holy Father on Sunday morning, November 5, received the Most Rev. Dr. Bourne, Archbishop of. Westminster, in farewell audience in his private library/ His Holiness greeted Dr. Bourne most affably, receiving him at the door of the library. Dr. Bourne presented the sum of £700 as Peter's Pence from the archdiocese of Westminster, and also the sum of £295, the proceeds of a collection in aid of the sufferers from the Calabrian earthquake^

The Pope thanke^ Dr. BournVin theheaf tiest Jtnanner; " expressing special pleasure at the sum subscribed for ' the Calabrian. sufferers. -.. ;i fl The Victims of the Earthquake * - The Rome paper ' Oivilta Cattolica,' edited by the Jesuits ' opened a sjjibsdtijvt t iQn , ■among the clergy throughout the world to "ilUcco'r 'the victims of the earthquake in Calabria, and has succeeded in collecting up to the present about £12,000. Father Salvatore Brandi, editor of the ' Civiltar Cattolica,' presented the money and a list of subscribers to the Pope, who noticed a large proportion of English contributors. The Pon- " til! scut to all the subscribers and their families the Apostolic Benediction. SCOTLAND-. A Catholic Barrister Honored The highest honor it is within the power of his brethren of the Scottish Bar to bestow has been conferred on Mr. William Campbell, K.C., of Skerrington, the eminent Catholic advocate of the Scottish capital. He has been appointed Dean of the Faculty of Advocates — a, distinguished .position which his wide and varied legal learning, no less than his conspicuous ability as an impassioned pleader and pointed speaker at Jhe Scottish Bar, entitle ;him pre-eminently. A Benefactor Monsignor Lcnnon, ,who has devoted his ample means munificently to the support of the Scots College, Rome, and to the extension of the Church in Scotland was presented to the Pope on November 4by Monsignor Fraser, of the Scots College. His Holiness praised the generosity of Monsignor Lennon and presented him with a gold medal in recognition of his gifts. SOUTH AFRlCA— Catholic Progress Writing in the Liverpool ' Catholic Times ' of the progress of the Catholic Church in South Africa, the Rev. Father OTlaire says :— So recently ,as 18196r7; I was the guest of thq late Bishop of Natal, Dr. Jolivet, 0.M.1., and of the Trappist monks, and travelled all over Natal, Transvaal-Tembulahd, Pondoland, Griqualand East, etc., visiting nearly every Catholic mission, convent, and schooi in those enormously Jarge regions of South Africa. Now, when I first went to South Africa in 1863 all the Catholics in the districts I have named could be comfortably accommodated, i£ brought together, in one church of moderate size, whereas I found-£H 1896 so many Catholics— natives— Bushmen, Hottentots, Betjuanes, Matabeles, Basutos, and Zulus— as could not be crushed together in the new Cathedral of Westminster. I found the Oblatcs of Mary Immaculate, the Trappists, the Jesuits, the Fathers of St. Francis de Sales, and the Order of the Holy Spirit having missions and good congregations of natives dotted all over South Africa. I myseH preached to congregations— where myself and the resident missioners alone were white men, all the people blacks— in the Church of the Sacred Heart, Oakford, Natal, in the Catholic church on the Promontory called Bluff, near Durban, and in the Zulus' church, Maritz,burg— all under the direction of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. I celebrated the Holy Sacrifice in the Church of St. Joseph, ' Lourdes,' under the Trappist monks, where I found in what was in '63 a desert, a big congregation of Kaffirs (in '9i6). On one occasion I said Mass in another Catholic church for the Zulus— where myself and the Trappist priest who preached were the only Europeans — there was no seat in the church ; all sat on the ground or knelt or stood, but the church was not half large enough, the big front door was flung open, so that the Zulu crowd outside might assist at Mass. The work to be done still in South Africa for the conversion of the heathen tribes is too vast for expression, but the work achieved since 1863 is almost incredible. The Jesuits have penetrated into Matabeleland, Rhodesia, and are pushing their conquests still further north with marvellous success. The Trappists, priests, Brothers, and nuns, are making Zululand captive to the Church of God. The Fathers of St. Francis de Sales are doing splendid work among the Hottentots— the lowest race on earth— while the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, the pioneers of missionary work in South Africa, have hoisted the banner of Christianity over the Basuto Kaffirs.