Intercolonial

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXV, Issue 13, 28 March 1907, Page 35

Intercolonial

_. The Most ' Rev. Dr. Murray, Bishop ■of Maitland, celebrated the 79th anniversary of -his birth on March 25. . ' , ■ ' ' - - \ '•-- .- - - The Bishop , of Port> Augusta, the Most Rev. Dr. J. H. Norton,- has appointed from his clergy three,tobe diocesan consultcirs in the terms of the Plenary Councils of Sydney. They are the Very Rev. Thomas O'Connor . (Pekina), the Rev. William Doyle (Jamestown), and the' Rev. E. A. Mulcahy'- (Carrieton). Father O'Connor was originally selected for the office" by the late Bishop Maher, but Fathers Mulcahy -and Doyle are new to the responsibility. The duties of the consultors are to assist the Bishop' in the government of the diocese. . - The silver jubilee of the ordination of his Lordship the R^ht Rev. Dr. P. V. . Dwyer, 'Coadjutor-Bishop of Maitland, " and Titular Bishop -of Zoara, to the 'priesthood, was celebrated -on _ Sunday afternoon, March 10, by a' pleasant gathering in St. Joseph's.School--room, East Maitland, -when his Lordship Dr." Murray, the venerable Bishop of Mainland, Very Rev. Father O'Farrell, C.SS.R. ' - (Waratah), Fathers- W. O'Sullivan (East Maitland), M'Auliffe (Hamilton), and a large number of .parishioners and ■ assembled to witness presentations to Dr. Dwyer. The presentations were preceded 1 - by a bright little musical programme, arranged by the Sisters of Mercy, and admirably carried . out by the pupils of St. Joseph's School. The gifts were a pair of solid silver altar cruets and tray, bearing the following inscription in Latin :— ' Presented .to the Right Rev. P. V. Dwyer, D.D., as a souvenir of the 25th year of his priesthood, by the Sodality of ' the Children of Mary, East Maitland, March 4, 1907.' Speaking at the Communion breakfast of -the Hibernian Society prior to the general elections in Victoria, his Grace the Archbishop of Melbourne said :_• Am6ngst other charges laid against them as Catholics was that they all voted as one man, and by virtue, of some secret mysterious organisation to the bottom- of which no cne had ever been able to penetrate. The, best proof of that was said to be that - all Catholics voted in exactly the same way; Word was sent out secretly, he supposed, from Eastern Hill somewhere, and by means of some secret post-office a post-card was sent to every voter, telling him exactly how, when and where he- had to vote. He appealed to them as men, and asked them did any word ever gp out from Eastern Hill as to how they were to vote ? (XiOud cries of 'No.') That was the case, and notwithstanding the fact, for party and -political purposes, and for the purpose of creating prejudice against Catholics and Catho Ilic candidates, it was repeated over and over agalin so -often and so emphatically they they found-a number "of well-meaning men outside the Catholic Church who believed it. They know , well enough that -Catholics were just as much divided, politically, as the members of any /other denomination ; they voted in every -possible way, ' and he Wjas glad of it. - Of the many important celebrations which, -from time to time," have marked the annals of Church history in Victoria (says the ' Advocate '), perhaps the most important took place on Thursday, March 7; the occasion of the golden jubilee of the pioneer convent of . Victoria. Nor could any institution more justly merit the great interest, which marked the anniversary celebration.- From many parts of Victoria, old pupftls, and descendants of those who • have passed away, travelled to Melbourne to do honor .to the school which has won such fame. Exactly .fifty years ago— in March, 1857-^-on the invitation* of the late Dr. Goold, three Sisters of Mercy came to Melbourne. These were Mother Mr Ursula Frayne (Superioress), Sister M. Xavie\-< Dillon, and Sister M. Joseph Sherlock ~ j^who still lives). They arrived in Melbourne en March 7. On landing, they were met by the , late Bishop .Goold and his Vi-ar-General, the late Dr. Fitzpatrick, who conducted them to the Bishop's own residence— a .small cottage in Nicholsonstreet, Fitzroy. This Dr. Goold gave up to the Sisters for the site of their convent. The first Mass was celebrated , tin it on April 15, 1857. At the celebrations in connection with the golden jubilee his Grace the Archbishop of Melbourne presided at Pontifical High Mass, which was celebrated by his Lordship the Bishop of Ballarat, Most Rev. Dr. Higgins, their Lordships the Bishops of Sandhurst and Sale, the Most» Rev. Dr. Reville, . 0.5.A., and the Most Rev. • Dr. Corb'ett, 'being also present in the" sanctuary. The occasional , sermon was preached by" the Very Rev. Dean Hegarty of Kyneton.