The Church in Australia

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXV, Issue 5, 31 January 1907, Page 33

The Church in Australia

In the course of an address at- Kensington a few Sundays ago ' his Eminence Cardinal Moran referred to I<he progress of the Church in Europe ■ and its triumphs over persecution. Turning to Australia, he said that it was only about 100 years since this ji;reat Southern Continent had come into the rays of divine light. More than that, there were many men living to-day, 86 or S7 years of t a.;e, who could bring their memory back to the- time when there was not a single priest in the whole of Australian territory. It was not that there were any difficulties to be overcome, for in every g-eat work of Providence -that "was destined to achieve great results, opposition was met everywhere. When St. Patrick brought blessings^to Ireland, the greatest difficulties were placed in his path by the Druids, and for a time he was placed in a prison to prevent him imparting the divine blessing to the Irish race. So it was in Australia. For fully thirty years a strong government which" ruled the land declared that it would have no priests in Australia, and as far as they could they prevented the possibility of the consolations of religion being given to the unfortunate convicts who required them. But the time came when the G-oveinmeni was forced to have the Catholic missionaries, and to-day, on looking around, they found the servants of the Catholic Church-every-where. They were in New Zealand,' New Guinea, and all the Islands of the Pacific. There were 36 Bishops carrying on the work of religion at the bidding of the Divine Master. There were fully 3800 churches erected for divine worship.- There were 1400 priests engaged in the mission of redemption, and with them were associated more than 700 Brothers teaching .and fully 6000 devoted nuns, of whom Australia and Australians were justly proud for the spirit of sacrifice in which Ihey were carrying on the work of Christianity. That, he said, was something to look upon.. That summons which was given to the Magi of old— the Heavenly. Li^bt— was not received in vain by Australia. It received that summons, and to-day there numbered one million devoted, hearts and devoted priests ministering to them, and that proved that Australia had come to the spirit of the Magi.

The Rev; Fathers Hugh O'Reilly and John Masterson arrived in West Australia for the Perth diocese recently. Both received their classical education at St. Mary's College, Moyne, Longford, and their philosoohical and theological education at St. Kieran's College, Kilkenny, where they were ordained on July 1 last.