RETURNING TO THE FOLD

New Zealand Tablet, 22 May 1919, Page 42

RETURNING TO THE FOLD

'h h Sixty-three converts' were confirmed in Our Lady of Lourdes’ Church, Toronto, last Sunday (says the Boston Pilot of April 5). Hitherto adults have been confirmed with the children in their respective parishes.

The Rev. C. McDonnell, C.F., who was recently ordered to Italy, has already served in Egypt, Salonika, Malta, and France. During his convalescence in England he received into the Church 30 converts of the colonial and home troops at Tidworth.

Sixteen adult non-Catholics were received into the Church at Pittsburg, Kansas, U.S.A., a few weeks ago. Rev. Herbert Cooper, M.A., recently vicar of Berry Pomeroy, England, has been received into the Church by Abbot Cummins at Knaresborough.

An interesting convert who has lately joined the Church is the Rev. Leslie V. Jolly, who was formerly a Wesleyan minister at Buckfastleigh in Devon (says the Glasgow Observer). Mr. Jolly has just returned from Army service in the ranks. Prior to enlistment he had been for 11 years a Wesleyan minister. He intends to become a priest, and has entered Buckfast Abbey, a famous Benedictine house in Devonshire, for the purpose of studying for the priesthood.

A missionary of the Society of Mary (says an exchange) writes from Macuata, Fiji Islands : A little village, a three-hour journey from here, has just gone over in a body from Protestantism to the Catholic religion. When its intention of being converted became known persecution broke out against the inhabitants'. The native prefect and the Methodist minister subjected them to interrogatories which all ended with threats. One day the news spread that on a certain hour of a certain day their huts would be burned and they themselves deported, but it was all to no purpose. Their resolution remained unshaken, and they now have cause for rejoicing, since at a meeting held at the chief town of the province the white magistrate blamed the officials for their conduct and declared that under the British flag each one is free to embrace whatever religion he chooses.