The Catholic World

New Zealand Tablet, 17 June 1915, Page 53

The Catholic World

:K --V;. •-' CANADA .;"■-., vV'■/-:. "" : 1 . THE FIRST MISSIONARIES. .7: . k An important celebration, this' year, is. the tercem tenary of the arrival of the first missionaries in Canada." A committee has been organised in Quebec and a programme drawn up for the occasion! The Fathers of the Blessed Sacrament desire (says the Sentinel)' that in Montreal, instead of a Mass on the banks of the Riviere des Prairiesthe exact spot.on which the Mass of June 24, 1615, was celebrated being no longer known - there may be a Mass, in all the churches, offered for the Canadian, Fatherland. oh the beautiful feast of St. John the Baptist, our national feast.' This year is also the %, twenty-fifth anniversary of -the founding of the .community of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Canada. The "Congress of Priest-Adorers will meet in July. This work was begun by the Venerable Pierre Julien Eymard, and now numbers over 100,000 priest associates, Vho make an hour of adoration in union with the Fathers of the Blessed Sacrament every week. The Cure of Ars was one of the first members.

ENGLAND CATHOLIC TRUTH SOCIETY. At the annual meeting of the Catholic Truth Society, which was held at the Cathedral Hall, Westminster, his Eminence Cardinal Bourne, f who presided, in alluding to the report drew attention to the valuable work done by the Society in providing Catholic literature, and especially prayer-books for the soldiers and sailors on active service. The supply, he said, provided by the Government was not always sufficient to meet the demands, and, therefore, the gifts of the Catholic Truth Society were heartily welcomed by the Catholic members of his Majesty's forces. The annual report referred to the great amount of good work done by the Society in 1913, and in the first six months of 1914. ' The operations held out every prospect of another record year, both in sales and general prosperity but then came the war, and with it a dislocation and change of circumstances which it was inevitable would affect the Society's work in greater or less degree. Happily this degree has been less than was feared.; the principal effects of the war have been to reduce considerably our export trade, and to curtail the output of new publications also the number of additional members enrolled is smaller than might otherwise'have been the case. On the whole, however, the Society has maintained its record of successful work throughout the year, and has even made progress in certain directions, notably in connection with the provision of literature to meet the needs of the moment.'

FRANCE CORDIAL RELATIONS WITH ENGLAND. One result of the war which offers ground for much satisfaction is the increase it has caused in the cordiality of the relations "between this country and France (says the Catholic Times). There has scarcely ever been a time at which the English and the French understood and sympathised with one another more thoroughly, and we are glad to say that spiritually the closer-contact has been of benefit to both. The French Catholics have been edified and delighted by the firm faith and sterling loyalty to the Church of the British and Irish Catholics Jji the British army, and whilst the British non-Cath-olics have profited by their experience of Catholics on the Continent, their own example-has had.a soberising influence on French anti-clericals and Freethinkers who have found them, as a whole, reverent and tolerant even when their religious belief was but weak. -At the foot of the statue of Joan of Arc in the Church of St. Louis, Versailles, there is at present a bunch of flowers bound by a ribbon -which bears the inscription : s From

-■ • the officers of No. IV. General Hospital, British Army, Versailles, in remembrance aiid admiration of their French comrades.' The wounded.. British officers . de- : : sired to indicate that respect: or Joan of : Arc is ‘a" bond i which has bound them'closely to their French comrades' in a war for. European freedom. * What courtesy, deli- c cacy, and chivalry in the thought;!’ says a French Cath- f olic writer. This unify of sentiment is a sure augury of -•-. success. Who knows but it may be" the prelude to a ; notable victory before the celebration of the feast of . ■- Joan of Arc on May 16. - J

" v -*- ■ , RUSSIA "■ i - J CATHOLIC DIOCESES. '; ' ■'■-';■ From the ecclesiastical point of view, the Catholic dioceses of Russia are divided into —those of the Kingdom of Poland and those of Russia. That of Poland has seven Sees, that of Russia five Sees. Of the 13,000,000 Catholics in the Empire, by far the greater number—namely, 8,000,000, are in Poland, the balance-being in Russia. There are approximately some 2900 parishes, 3300 churches, 2000 chapels, and 4600 secular priests. Each priest is said to have an average of 3000 souls in his care. . . • •

SCOTLAND DEATH OF A VENERABLE NUN. £_,_' A venerable nun in the person of Rev. Mother Mary Agnes Snow, Superior of St. Catharine's Convent of Mercy, Lauriston Gardens, Edinburgh, passed away on April 14. Born in Liverpool seventy-two years ago, Mother Snow came of a family who gave several sons and daughters to the service of the Church—all of whom distinguished themselves. Among these were the late Abbot Snow, the late Father Snow, S.J,, Canon Snow, of Liverpool (still alive), and Sister Stanislaus, of St. Catharine's. Fifty-four years ago Mary Agnes Snow entered the religious life as a novice when St. Catharine's was then but in its infancy. The community consisted of six Sisters, possessing little of this world's goods but rich in the power to conquer. Three years later she took her vows and was professed. Meantime the work of the community grew apace, until iii 1876 its operations were extended to Dalkeith, and four years later St. Catharine's House of Mercy was opened." Since then between 1400 and 1500 girls have passed through it, fitted in the most practical way for the battle of life. No one" can gauge correctly the immense good which this institution alone has accomplished. Sister Snow's splendid capabilities were early recognised. In 1872 she was elected Rev. Mother, and for forty years she has shouldered the responsibilities of that office -with rare ability.

SPAIN PETER'S PENCE.\ ; Owing to the diminution in Peter's Pence in the belligerent countries this year, an enterprise of .an exceptionally generous nature has been undertaken in Spain. This is an effort to make good the deficit which the European' war is causing in the subscriptions annually offered by those countries to the Holy Father. With a view to doing what they can for the object in view, the Catholics of Spain have initiated collections in every parish of the kingdom, and excellent .results have already come from their efforts. As soon as the collection is closed a special deputation will go from Spain to Rome to present Pope. Benedict XV. with a substantial testimony of the Spaniards' affectionate memory of his sojourn as Apostolic Nuncio at Madrid. All the Catholic journals of Spain have opened subscription lists in their columns, and eyen those classes that are affected by the economic crisis are joining enthusiastically in making the undertaking a success. .