THE CATHOLIC WORLD

New Zealand Tablet, 16 August 1917, Page 39

THE CATHOLIC WORLD

•;, Beginning next" year the New York archdiocese expects to turn out of its seminary at Dunwoodie, classes of young priests numbering about sixty a year. Surely, this is a strong evidence of the faith of the present generation, and the wisdom of having a Cathedral College. Meanwhile, watch Brooklyn's' Cathedral College grow under the keen supervision of Rev. Dr. Higgins. The College of St. Anthony in Koine, built 'ls years ago, is a vast building. It is rue monastery o? the Franciscans. It has five storeys, calling for the ascent of 115 steps, and is located on the wide sireet of Merulaua, a short block from St. John Lateraii's ai;d a short distance from the Coliseum. One-fourth of it has been transformed into a military hospital, accommodating 300 sick soldiers. On Friday, June 8, Monsignor O'Hern, coadjutor rector of the American College in Rome, during a private audience with Pope Benedict presented to his Holiness eighteen recently ordained young American priests who are about to return to their native land. The Holy Father gave them a cordial welcome, expressed a hope for their future success as laborers in God's vineyard, and gave them his apostolic blessing. Most Rev. George W. Mundelein, D.D., Archbishop of Chicago, in the baccalaureate sermon delivered in the Church of the Sacred Heart,, at Notre Dame University, in the presence of 35 prelates, hundreds of clergy, and thousands of visiters, Catholic and non-Catholic, said: "While many have had the indecency to accuse American Catholics of disloyalty in time of peace, no one had ever had the hardihood to make this accusation in time of war." Right Rev. Mgr. Francis C. Kelley, I). I)., president of the Catholic Church Extension Society (Chicago) for the past twelve years, has received word-from Rome that Pope Benedict XV. has again appointed him to that post for a term of five year's. The Extension Society, engaged in spreading the faith in sparsely settled sections of the country, is now building about 300 new chapels every yea/. The society was established canonicallv by his Holiness Pope Pius X in 1912. ■ The Sisters of Nazareth have lately opened a house of their Order in the Newcastle district, and a letter from the Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle was read in the churches of his diocese commending the work of the Sisters of Nazareth to the charity of the faithful, and intimating that permission was given them to solicit donations in their usual manner. The Mother House of the Order is at Hammersmith, and the new establishment in Newcastle adds another to their houses in the North of England. There are reports of trouble from Canada, the statement being that the young French Nationalists "have got out of hand" and are agitating fiercely against conscription. The exclusion of French from some Canadian schools —in breach of treaty rights as Nationalists read them—explains the trouble. Happily there seems early prospect of restored harmony. .Archbishop Bruchesi has exhorted his flock towards that, end, and, still better, there is talk of a Coalition Government, with Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the previous Liberal Premier—and a world-famed Catholic—joining the present Conservative Premier, Sir Robert hoi den, in the government of the Dominion. One of the most unusual ceremonies that has ever taken place in the Catholic Church in the United States was that which occurred on Memorial Day morning in the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Boston, when Cardinal O'Connell administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to a class numbering more than 800, all of whom have embraced the Catholic faith from other religious persuasions within the past year. Just one

year ago the Cardinal summoned ;; all ? the converts to the faith from the various parishes of the diocese to the Cathedral for / confirmation and at that time the number was 600. 'lt was thought by many that the class was about as large as could be ordinarily expected. The more than 800 converts to the faith who were confirmed as above stated represented practically every religious belief other than Catholic. The Roman correspondent of a Catholic weekly journal (states the Catholic Herald) supplies the following information regarding the Catholic Church in Italy. The official census- reveals a total population of 36i- millions. Of these there are—Protestants, 123,000; Jews, 34,000; no religion, 874,000, leaving Catholics, 35,469,000. In other words, out of every 1000 persons 973 are Catholics. Although the "no religion" numbers seem a high figure, still it is not great relatively to the large population of the whole country. It will, of course, include Freemasons, Socialists; Freethinkers, Anarchists etjrmne hoc t/emis, who are logical enough in Italy to register themselves of "no religion," but who in this country would probably count themselves as belonging to one or another of the Kirks. The Latin peoples realise perfectly well that they must either be Catholics or nothing : that they cannot serve God and Mammon at the same time. The "Protestants" doubtless are, as always in those lands, mostly foreigners and not native. At the funeral of Father Placid O'Hear, 0.5.8., Requiem Mass was celebrated in St. Aidan's, Ashington (Scotland), by the Right Rev. Abbot Hurley, the panegyric being pronounced by Rev. Father Kershaw. The mourners included Bailie O'Hear, Maryhill, and Mr. Hugh O'Hear, Coatbridge (brothers), and two sisters, Agnes and Catherine/ Rev. R. Robertson, Presbyterian minister at Ashington, paid the following pulpit tribute to deceased:—"The Catholic Church has produced some of the finest types of piety the world has known. Of such products Father O'Hear was one of the noblest examples. On all sides he was spoken of with profound reverence and affection. The sweet saintliness of his disposition, his wide learning, his penetrating intellect, and his diligence in all "works could "not fail to command respect. A faithful pastor of his own people, he was also a benefactor to the community at large. For many a year his loss will be felt, not only by his own flock, but. !>v hundreds in litis place into whose lives he wrought fight and love and strength."