COMMONWEALTH NOTES

New Zealand Tablet, 8 May 1919, Page 30

COMMONWEALTH NOTES

~.-.-. ... GENERAL. « ■' ■-.>--: An ardent advocate of the teaching of Irish history, his Lordship the Right Rev. Dr. Hay Bishop of Wilcannia-Forbes, proposes to offer in his diocese prizes of £lO, £3, and £2, for the best papers on Irish history. Some people said it was necessary to teach children all about British history. But (said his Lordship), if it was necessary to teach their children all about Bolingbroke and everything of note from then to the Wars of the Roses, should it not be likewise necessary to teach children the history of Ireland from the childhood of St. Patrick to the death of Brian Boru ? Not only in the primary schools were the children well fitted for competition in life. They all knew of the good work that was being performed .in St. John's College, Sydney. He noticed only in last issue of a Catholic paper that Father O'Reilly was appealing for funds to extend that college, so great was the demand upon it. May he receive all the help he deserves. Young men and women should be encouraged, because the education they received was as reinforced concrete on which to pile up their mansions in later years. i NEW SOUTH WALES. Some months ago, when the scourge threatened this State, the Archbishop of Sydney wrote to the Minister for Health and placed at the disposal of the Government all the resources of the Church in this State-its school buildings, and helpers (says the Freeman's Journal-). His Grace the Archbishop knew and appreciated the fact that within the Catholic hospitals and convents there were bands of courageous, skilled women—the flower of the Catholic Church — who stood ready and eager to answer the S.O.S. call. As far as the public was concerned, nothing more was heard about the matter. There are no publicity officers to advertise the unexampled work of our Sisters. None are wanted. But the congested areas of Sydney, their unsavory tenements and poverty-stricken fiats, ai'e familiar with the inspiriting influence of our nuns. As a matter of fact, batches of Sisters from St. Vincent's and the other Catholic hospitals complete a daily routine of work in caring for those who are ill and in distress. The pandemic, however, created an extraordinary condition of affairs. Officialdom and voluntary workers were gradually being beaten to the wall, so numerous were the distressful calls. More and still more skilful helpers were wanted, and so his Grace the Archbishop gave his blessing to an auxiliary band of Sisters who were anxious to go out into the world and help. The Government regulations closing the primary schools released . them from teaching the children; and these now swell the ranks of their devoted companions in the field of relief. Of course, it is well to bear in mind that the Sisters who are engaged in nursing do not come from the boarding schools and are not teaching certain higher classes in our schools. Our hospitals, with one exception, have in each district a branch convent, which has its band of Sisters ready to answer any local call for assistance. No call is too far and no task too difficult for the nuns to undertake. Each district has been mapped out, and as the S.O.S. signal comes. to headquarters, arrangements are' made in order to cope with the immediate wants of the afflicted family. Once in touch with the local hospitalsSt. Vincent's, Lewisham, Mater Misericordiae, or St. Joseph's, Auburn—ere the echo has died away two nuns are on their way to tenement house or cottage. Congested streets generally are their destination. " It is : no new thing for the denizens of these unhappy quarters to see the nuns quietly doing their work where humanity has been beaten and battered to the ground by the hard knocks of the world. Never a word of disrespect has been said to our Sisters. No matter how, on the face of it, the locality seems to have lost its self-respect, the angels of the Church find their

paths guarded and protected by those whose standard of decency \ might be questioned. . Rough men step off the footpath to give the Sisters-perfect freedom 1 of the narrow way. The children white-faced mites whose world stretches not beyond the squalid streetpause in their play or quarrel to respectfully guide the Sisters on their errand of mercy to the stricken home. Much, indeed, could be written of the ceaseless labors of the Church's Sisterhood. ; j VICTORIA. Dr. A. L. Kenny, L.C., K.S.G., of Melbourne, has suffered a bereavement in the death of his brother, the Rev. Father James Aloysius Kenny, of St. Joseph's staff, South Yarra. He was a son of the late Mr. John Kenny and Mary Anne (Naughton) Kenny. He was born in Franklin Street, West Melbourne, on July 24, 1877, and was educated by the Christian Brothers at St. Francis' School, and afterwards at the Victoria Parade College. He matriculated at the Melbourne University, after which he spent four years at St. Patrick's College, Manly, Sydney (N.S.W.). Then he proceeded to Capranica College, Rome, where he studied in the Gregorian University and took the Licentiate of Canon Law, with silver medal. He was ordained in St. John Lateran's, Rome, at Easter, 1900. Coming back to Melbourne, he labored zealously at St. Francis', Essendon, Geelong, Elsternwick, and South Yarra, where he was appointed assistant in August, 1910. Wherever he went his lovable and genial disposition attracted all hearts. He took much interest in the Catholic Young Men's Society and the other organisations of the Church. Although he never enjoyed robust health, the rev. gentleman spent himself and was spent in the performance of his sacred duties. He attended a dying Catholic on Saturday, April 5, and became ill on the following Tuesday. He died of heart failure. There was a large congregation at the Solemn Requiem, including members of the various Sisterhoods, the Principal (Rev. Brother E. F. Kenny) and staff, and a number of old and present boys of the Parade College. His Grace the Archbishop of Melbourne (Most Rev. Dr. Mannix) presided at the throne. QUEENSLAND. The blessing and opening of the new science hall at the Christian Brothers' College (St. Joseph's), Gregory Terrace, Brisbane, on a recent Sunday, was attended by a large gathering. The ceremony was performed by his Grace the Archbishop of Brisbane, who delivered an interesting address. His Grace and the other visitors were welcomed by Rev. Brothers McGee (Principal) and O'Brien. His Grace was assisted in the religious portion of the ceremony by Fathers McGoldrick and Healy. Amongst the others present were: Hon. J. Huxham (Home Secretary), Hon. W. Lennon (Minister for Agriculture), Hon. F. McDonnell, M.L.C., Hon. T. C. Beirne, M.L.C., Messrs. M. J. Kirwan, M.L.A., Aid. J. Gaffney (Mayor of South Brisbane), Aid. J. T. McGuire, Dr. Windsor, Revs. M. Lane (Adm. St. Stephen's Cathedral), R. Walsh, J. F. McCarthy, and McKenna, the veteran, Rev. Brother Barrett, and Rev. Brother Ryan (Principal of Nudgee College). Addressing the gathering on the occasion, his Grace the Archbishop of Brisbane said he need not assure the Christian Brothers or the assemblage there that afternoon how deep was the pleasure it gave to him to perform the ceremony of dedicating the science hall that was to work in conjunction with that venerable old college. What was uppermost in one's mind on an occasion like that was the rapid progress that education had made in our midst during the last 20 or 30 years. He had sought out Brother Barrett in the crowd because that Brother was the father of the Christian Brothers' education system in Queensland. (Applause.) He was one of the pioneer band of Brothers who came to establish the first Christian Brothers' school fin Brisbane 44 years ago. He was delighted to find the veteran Brother so hale and hearty at his advanced age. (Applause.) There was no man

who had been in closer touch with the progress of education than the Brother referred to, so far as Brisbane I was concerned. '.He thought they could say that this Brother was one of the oldest living teachers in Brisbane, and his work had been largely in connection with the Gregory Terrace College. Brother Barrett was there as head of the school when he (the Archbishop) was enrolled as a pupil in 1885, also when he (his Grace) came back to the school in 1890 or 1891, and, thank Heaven, he was, if not at Gregory Terrace College, at least very near to it, for he.was at Nudgee stilly and working hard.