Intercolonial

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVII, Issue 12, 25 March 1909, Page 475

Intercolonial

In a letter" received the ot&er'. day, •- from the Bishop of Ballarat his Lordship stated that' his' Grace the Arclibishop of Melbourne and^ !he~ had arranged to leave for Australia by the Oruba, "which was to leave London on April 16. His Eminence- ..Cardinal Moran blessed" and opened a .new church- at Waitara on Sunday, March 7. The cost of the churcli, with furnishings, etc., was about £1400, and subscriptions amounting to close on £500 had been received since the foundation stone was laid in November last. / -^ There was a large gathering "of members of the clergy and parishioners at the Lismore station on Tuesday, March 2, to welcome back the Right Rev. Dr. J. Doyle (Bishop of Lismore), on his return, from a twelve-months' tour of the world. At the Cathedral his Lordship was presented with addresses from the clergy, v laity, and Hibernian Society. Availing of the opportunity offered by his temporary departure on a twelve-months' health trip to Palestine, Ireland, and the Continent, a valedictory, in the form of a social evening, accompanied by a purse of sovereignsj was tendered the Rev. Father J. P. Duriiie on Wednesday night, February 17, in the. Friendly Societies' Hall," Bulli, by his parishioners anti tlie public of Bulli. Messrs. William. .Cranley and Patrick O'Dwyer, two promising young Irishmen, were accidentally . drowned in the Swan River (W.A.) recently. Both, (says the Catholic Press). were still in their twenties, arid in the full strength of; a virile manhood. They were natives of County Tipperary, and were born in the town --of Donohill, where their parents still live. Only a few weeks ago Mr. O'Dwyer - returned to Western Australia after a visit to Ireland. Mr. Cranley intended visiting Ireland next year. His the Archbishop, (says the Tasmanian Monitor), before "leaving Hobart for his visit to Launceston and the North, formally appointed Monsignor Gilleran VioarGeneral. Monsignor Gilleran was one of the diocesan administrators during the Archbishop's absence in Rome. As administrator of St. Mary's Cathedral,- under the late and the present Archbishop, he has Jiad the management, to a large extent, of the Church temporalities of the diocese. His success merited the praise of his late and also of his present superior. Recently, the Archbishop obtained for him' from the Holy Father the dignity of a Roman prelacy, and now his Grace has further honored Monsignor Gilleran by appointing him his Vicar-General Speaking at the opening of the new church at Waitara ' on Sunday, March 7, his Eminence Cardinal Moran referred to the charitable mission of the Catholic Church, and expounded its teachings . in ' respect to the world at • large. In the course of his remarks (sjys the Freeman's Journal), the Cardinal said : 'We are told that the Catholic Church has political aims, that it is aiming aY political pre-eminence to guide tlie yhelm of Australia 'and jother countries. These ar& antiquated calumnies which liave been repeated again and again for the past four hundred years; but we pay no attention to them. If some are led astray by such statements, then it is a matter of invincible ignorance. The mission of the Catholic Church is purely a spiritual one. Its mission is to uphold the blessings, of religion, combined with enlightenment, and genuine patriotism ; but these are merely abstract principles. We do not descend at all into political contests which disturb the country, but a generous spirit t of religion, enlightenment, and patriotism could not but have a beneficial influence on all political parties, no matter whattheir^principles may be. The Catholic Church taught thati men should be guided by-" their conscience, that it should be an enlightened conscience, and with genuine patriotism it would be quickened by the fire and light of divine charity and true religion. These are general lights that . bear upon a man's conscience, and he must use his free will and energy and diffuse around him what would be the best in the interests of his country, and carry it out according to his conscience, conformable to the teachings of the Church. These are the principles of. -Holy Church, and ■ when we teach religion it is the purest religion. It has the highest ideals. We commend that the knowledge and love of^ Our Saviour is the primary fort; that the lambs of the fold — the children — should be attended to ; and, in the third place, we commend abounding charity. There is not one of our separated "brethren who would not but commend the Catholic Church in upholding those grand principles.