INTERCOLONIAL

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2, 11 January 1906, Page 31

INTERCOLONIAL

i;-. - . t* j.' i -•• . ■ ' A pleasing "ceremony- took place in the Cardinal's Hall, Sydney, on Christmas Day immediately after the 11 ojclpcb Massj y ,the I: Right. Rey. Mgr. O'Haran was. made tfie 1 recipient of a -beautifully illuminated and framed address by the members of the Cathedral choir.The presentation was made by the popular conductor, Mr. J. A. Delany, who said it was the very great pleaof the -members of .-the qhoir to have an opportunity of offering their sincere" congratulations on the high honor which his Holiness the Pope had conferred on Dr. O'Haran -by .elevating .him to the distinguished rank of Prothoridtory Apostolic, and their gratification was emphasised by the fact that Dr. O'Haran was the first priest in Australia raised to that dignity. The Right Rev. Mgr. O'Haran sincerely thanked Mr. Delany and the members of the choir for the address, and referred to the great- work accomplished by the choir under the direction of Mr. Delany; T^he "reappearance of Miss Amy Castles at the Queen's Hall, London, on November-21, after three years of study in Paris, drew a densely crowded audience. It was soon seen that Miss Castles had made a wonderful advance since her debut in St. James' Hall. She is now a highly-trained and finished vocalist, ready and qualified to appear in high opera with positive certainty of success, and every promise of developing into a second Melba. Her singing of the mad scene ol Ophelia in Ambroise Thomas' famous opera, ' Hamlet,' was quite a revelation, and evoked prolonged and enthusiastic applause. In a pen-picture of the occasion by Mr. J. F Hogan it is remarked that ' the scene of delight and spontaneous enthusiasm jwas a veritable crowning of the young Australian queen of song, who is evidently destined to eclipse all her predecessors from the land of the Southern Cross.' The ' Standard ' says she is 'one of the very few singers who can give unqualified delight by sheer beauty of voice ' ; and the ' Daily News ' remarks that her voice has ' more power of expression than Melba's, and is more varied in quality.' The death of Bernard Bede Kieran, the wonderful swimming champion of Australia, in the flower of his athletic fame, at the age of nineteen (says the ' Freeman's Journal '), lis one of the saddest reminders of the uncertainty 'of life. Kieran had just returned from England, where he had won laurels in the swimming, season and put up records unapproached by others. Instead of resting at his home in Sydney, he entered for events in Brisbane with his usual brilliant success. That he was unwise in doing so is now apparent, for advices that followed him from England warned his friends that he needed rest. But the words of warning came too late to be acted upon, and Kieran was stricken down in Brisbane with appendicitis, .an operation for which seemed successful, until he suddenly weakened and died. The funeral on Boxing Day was a great popular demonstration of sympathy. Ferry steamers and trains to •North Sydney, whence the funeral moved to the pretty little cemetery at iGore Hill, were taxed to their utmost capacity. The Rev. .Father O'Dowling, S.J., of St. Mary's, North Sydney, read the prayers for ' the dead prior to the removal of the coffined remains from the residence at Burton street, and also officiated at the graveside. On Sunday, December 21, at the 11 o'clock Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne, Dr. M. U. O'Sullivan was invested with the insignia of the Order of Oommendatore of St Gregory the Great. A procession of • the Archbishop, clergy, and acolytes, preceded by Dr O'Sullivan and Mr. W. H. Archer, K.S.G., entered the sanctuary before Mass. His Grace .proceeded to the throne, and Dr. O'Sullivan knelt before him. The most rey. prelate^read the Latin formulary, and having blessed the;- cross, etc., invested the recipient with » the in-" £jgniaL 014.,, the distinguished £ Order- oQ Commendatory. The insignia is 'Maltese cross suspended from the neck by a scarlet ribbon. The new Knight Commander- kisrsed the episcopal ring and, with Mr. Axcher, took his place in? ' the sanctuary. ;> The, xeremony, though short, was witnessed with much interest by the large congregation, which included a number of pubiic'men. l In the course of his sermon the Archbishop said that a great honor had been conferred by the Pope on the oity of Melbourne* l in bestowing that distinguished title on one of its worthy citizeffsT That favor "showed how deep an interest the Supreme Pontiff took in this distant part of the Church. O*ie of the most devoted children • -ofs his Holiness had -Men- invested with 'a distinguished Order. The recipient «was reminded by" that to be ever ready to ddiend the interests of the Church and the Holy See.