The Catholic World

New Zealand Tablet, 27 September 1906, Page 31

The Catholic World

ENGLAND— Victims of the ♦Sirio* Disaster It is feared at Buckfast Abbey, Buckfastleigh, Devon, that 'among the victims of' the wreck ot the Italian emigrant ship 'Sirio' are the' Right Rev. Boniface Natter, .Lord Abbot of Buckfast, 'and Father Anschard, one of the monks. Father Natter was appointed in May last Abbot Visitor Provincial to go to South America to visit the homes of the Benedictine Order in South America. The Abbot is 41 years of age, and a native of V^urtemberg, Germany. He was one of the monks expelled from France in 1880. Among the Hop Pickers The Franciscan Fathers of the Capuchin Reform have made arrangements for a development of their work among the Catholic pickers in Hie Kent hop gardens during the coming season. Last year when they undertook the work at the request of the Bishop of Southwark, two Fathers, two Sisters of Mercy, and a small band of lay workers spent the hopping season in and around Paddock Wood, Wateringbury,- and East 'Farleigh. As a result many hundreds heard Mass who would otherwise have been unable to do so ; many sick people were attended to, and much was done to bring religious influence to bear upon the Catholic pickers. In the coming season it is hoped largely to develop the work thus happily inaugurated. Four priests, several nuns and trained nurses, and an increased body of lay workers will be distributed throughout Kent, and a strenuous effort will be made to get into touch with the 10,000 Catholics who are reported to work there during the hop-picking season. A Papal Distinction The degree of Doctor of Divinity has been bestowed by the Holy Father on Father John Norris, of the Oratory, Birmingham. A hearty vote of congratulation was passed at the annual Conference of the Catholic Young Men's Society, before which a paper by Father Norris on ' Intellectual manhood ' was read. The Late Mgr. Feilding The funeral of the Hon. and Very Rev. Mgr. Feilding, whose death was reported in our last issue, took place at New-wham Paddox on August 6. With regard to the catastrophe by which deceased lost his life, it seems that he and his brother, the Hon. Everard Feilding, started for a trip down the Rhine in a Canadian canoe. When a few miles above Rheinfelden on Wednesday evening, August 1, they noticed some rough water in the middle of the stream, and endea-^ vored to get across to the inside of the curve in the river where the water was running slacker. They misjudged the strength of the current, however, and their boat was swamped. Deceased seized the canoe, but in a few moments let it go, and his brother saw him swimming strongly for the shore. Mr. Everard Feilding made for the canoe, and the last he saw of his brother was when he was apparently within a few yards of land and swimming on 'his back,. Mr. Everard Feilding was carried down the river some three miles, and landed in an exhausted state at some electricity works. It was then nine o'clock at night and quite dark. Men with lanterns came to his aid, and while they stood by a huge grating, through which the water ru!3hed and provided power for the works, the body of the deceased, whom the brother had imagined safely on shore, was cast up at their feet. They tried every possible means to restore animation, but without success. FRANCE— A College Closed The well-known College of Arcueil, near Paris, close to which the Irish College has some grounds to which visits are paid by the students, chiefly in the summer, is about to close its doors. The Society of Fathers of Families formed last year to carry on' the work of the Dominicans is not able to bear that heavy responsibility any longer. The College of Arcueil was re-opened by the Dominicans after the Commune had been quelled, and soon became very successful. The large-hearted Pere Didon was director from 1890 to 1900. Pere Didon died on the 13th March, 1900, and was succeeded by Peres Feuillette and Brivot. The last -director was M. Lemaigre, former secretary of Pere Didon. * 'As in the case of so many othei colleges and schools, the policy of M. Combes 'had fatal effects for the institution. ROME— The Irish College The Very Rev. Dr. O'Riordan,. Rector of the Irish College (writes a Rome correspondent), is instituting a competition at that institution, by offering at the resumption of scholastic work two prizes for the -best

dissertations presented by students on two subjects of Theology and Philosophy. His idea is, to interest the students in questions offering occasion for utilisin-g their University studies on - burning topics of the time. The Holy See and the Peace Conference The Cardinal-Secretary of State (writes the Rome correspondent of the ' Catholic Times ') is credited with successful efforts to . secure the Holy See a place in the next Conference at the Hague. Italy,- with Great Britain,, obtained the exclusion of the Holy See from the preceding Conference, and the Internunciature hi. Holland has never since then had its titular in residence. The Catholic party in the country * being so strong, Holland is very unwilling to have further' inharmonious relations with the Holy See. The present rumor has it that the Emperor of Germany, President Roosevelt, and the King of Spain side with the Holy See, that Italy and England are not hostile, and that France is" hostile but not intensely so. The Pope and the Modern Spirit The whole trend of the Papal Encyclical to the Italian Arch-bishops and Bishops (says the ' CatholicTimes ') is set straight against- the modern spirit of unrest and change. Cleave steadfastly to the un- . changing doctrines and customs of the unchanging Church— such, in a few words, is the teaching of the Papal document. The Catholic clergy are urged to deepen the spirituality of the people and to take care that worldly ambitions are not intermingled with their sacred work ; the use by the Catholic press of such expressions as new orientations of the Christian life, new directions of the Church, new aspirations of the modern soul, new social vocation of the clergy is strongly discountenanced. Enemies of the Church will call his Holiness reactionary, and in unaltering 'conservatism he is practically alone as a religious leader ; but we may well ask them if the feverishnesa of our day is increasing the sum of human happiness, and if it is not, is not the Pope proving himself a friend of the race in raising his voice against it ? Moreover, as the Vicar of Christ is he not .bound to preserve in its fulne&s the deposit of faith committed to the Church by her Divine Founder ? American Pilgrims The American Catholic pilgrimage of the summer (writes a Home correspondent), shows numerical progress, and a proportionate increase in importance, when compared with the pilgrimages of previous years. A Palestine and Rome pilgrimage for the late winter and early spring of 1907 has also just been announced ; so it is apparent that the public undertakings on behalf of Catholics by Mr. John J. McGrane are steadily developing. He has with him the episcopate, as is proved by the fact that the ' spiritual director of every pilgrimage is a Bishop (the Bishop of Savannah will act in this capacity on the Holy Land pilgrimage), and by the letters from Cardinal Gibbons and other members of the United States Hierarchy which this active and successful organiser has received, Monsignor Gabriels, Bishop of Ogdensburg, N.Y., is spiritual director to the pilgrimage which left Rome a few days ago. It so chanced - that he had had occasion to see President Roosevelt before leaving the American Continent, and the expressions of veneration, cordial feeling, and well-wishes which the head of the Republic commissioned his Lordship to bear to the head of the Church were incorporated in the address of the pilgrimage. In passing through Belgium, the Bishop had had a-n audience with the King, so, when reading the address to the Pope, his Lordship stopped to tell the Pontiff how the monarch, on learning of the visit to Rome, bade the Bishop tell his Holiness that, his Majesty was proud to profess himself ' son fils ties respectueux et tres devoue.' His Holiness replied to the address in grateful words. He passed then to eaoh of the topics on which it "had touched. With fervent conviction he declared the- rapid growth and expansion of the Catholic Church in the United States to be the Spirit's own work; ' and marvellous. - The explanation lay in the faith of American Catholics, which was a faith of works, and not merely of words. Such it appeared in every manifestation of .their religion, and his' Holiness enumerated some of these, referring particularly to ' their generosity, their readiness in succoring the poverty of the Vicar of. Jesus Christ (la poverta del Vicario di Cristo).' His Holiness, continuing*, spoke in praise of the zeal of v the Hierarchy and clergy, who counted no cost when it was _a case of- the good of souls. The Pontiff dwelt upon the liberty of the Church In the great Republic. The fairness and consistently liberal snii'it of the President now in office he dwelt upon from personal knowledge. 'We are bound,' he concluded, 'to President Roosevelt by ties of dutiful acknowledgment and gratitude, and We would venture to say, even by sincere affection.'

SCOTLAND— Young Men's Societies After -an absence ; of thirty years the annual conference of the Catholic Young Men's Societies of Great. Britain re-assembled in Dundee on August 4 Founded half a century ago, this organisation, dedicated to the welfare of the young men of the Church has,, spread its ramifications over every- part of the United Kingdom, and the conference was this year at- - tended by nearly 200 delegates, a membership of 17,000. The delegates were accorded a civic reception in the Victoria Art Galleries, where they were.- welcomed by the Lord Provosty Magistrates, and Town Councillors of the city. On the following Sunday a series of meetings was held for the transaction of business, culminating in a great demonstration in the evening, when over 2000 persons assembled in the Kinnaird Hall. The Most Rev. Dr. Lyster, Bishop of Achonry, who was accompanied by many dignitaries of the Church, and prominent laymen, delivered the inaugural address. Death of a Well-known Catholic The death of Mr. George Gordon, surveyor, late of ' Banff shire, which sad event took place at his 'residence, Chalmers street, Edinburgh, was very much regretted by a wide circle of friends. The deceased who had been ailing for some time, belonged to an influential Highland family, but had been living in Edinburgh for a considerable time. UNITED STATES— Another Cardinal ? ■ Asked by an interviewer if there is a possibility of the appointment of another American Cardinal, his Eminence Cardinal Gibbons slowly stroked his chin, looked up at the sky a second, and then said : 1 Who knows ? His Holiness alone can say what ought to be done. What ought to be will be done in due time. '