Commonwealth Notes

New Zealand Tablet, Volume L, Issue 6, 8 February 1923, Page 35

Commonwealth Notes

NEW SOUTH WALES.

r Referring to educational matters at the opening on Sunday afternoon, January 21, of a new chapel for the Brigidine Nuns at Randwick (says the Freeman’s Journal) his Grace Archbishop Kelly quoted the statement of a certain statesman, “That it is unjust to deprive Catholics of their share of the public funds,” yet this man disqualified every school in which the Apostles’ Creed was taught of their just proportion of the public money. Dealing with statistics, the , Archbishop mentioned that in 1901, with a population of 1,376,199, the State of N.S.W. spent , £761,637 on education, whilst in 1921, on a population of 2,128,768, the sum expended was £3,078,906. “We should have a fourth of that sum!” (Applause.) In 1921 there were 679 Catholic or private schools in which 3810 teachers taught voluntarily a roll of 74,339 scholars. Some years ago,” continued the Archbishop, “in a sense of liberality they said we will let the Catholics into the Bursary system. Mr. Trefle, who interviewed me, suggested making a proportion of them available to us; but we said, c No, give us a fair field and no favor,’ and in the first examination our schools won more than half the bursaries.” (Applause.) VICTORIA. At a largely attended Communion breakfast held at North Brunswick the other Sunday, Archbishop Mannix said that in Ireland the Catholic people are in the great majority, but non-Catholics are placed on an equal footing in regard to educational grants. It was different in Australia, where the Catholic people had been unjustly treated since the introduction of the Education Act. It was highly unfair that the State gave them no recognition. Fair play was denied them, although Australia had been termed the home of freedom and democracy. He trusted that the community would soon awaken to the injustice of the Catholic position. Referring to unrest in Ireland, Dr. Mannix said the practical issue had to be tackled and solved by the Irish people in Ireland. Until an undivided Ireland had full freedom from external interference, Ireland would remain unsettled and dissatisfied. The supreme need of the moment in Ireland was peace, if ruin, moral and material, was to be averted. Peace listened to reason, while peace with England should be possible if Ireland offered friendship without subjection. Here we could only pray God to guide the efforts of the Irish people, and hasten the day of peace and reconciliation.

When the committee of the Broadmeadows Foundling

Home decided to make an appeal for £IO,OOO, it was felt by most people (says the Melbourne Tribune) that the enthusiastic workers for this magnificent institution were undertaking a hopeless task. But the optimists, chief amongst , whom was the lion, secretary, Mrs. Esmond Downey, felt that it could be done if the co-operation of the Lord Mayor were secured. After the position was placed before him, Councillor Swanson consented to allow the appeal to takt place under his auspices, and it was duly launched at the Town Hall on August 17 last. . The Lord Mayor was as good as his word, and both he and the Lady Mayoress took up the work with sustained interest. The appeal closed last November, but several functions were held after that date, and even now all the returns are not yet to hand. But it has been evident, long ago, that the sceptics have been completely confounded. When the last small amounts will have trickled in, it is anticipated that the sum received as a result of the appeal will total £15,000 as much again as was asked for. This is probably a record for any public appeal in Melbourne, even during the war period, when people gave more freely than at other times. But the slogan, “Save the Babies,” proved irresistible, and the money simply poured in. The button day held on November 17 realised well over £4OOO, which must be nearly a record in itself. . ' QUEENSLAND. - In impressive terms his Grace Archbishop Duhig, last Sunday night (says the Catholic Advocate for January 18), addressed a crowded congregation at St. Stephen’s Cathedral on the subject of his visit to Rome, his audience with

the Holy Father, and his travels in other parts of Europe, including Paris, Milan, Venice, and Lourdes. In Rome, he said, there was given him most telling evidence of the

continuity of " the faithin tradition and ; even material

things. Being the period of the Eucharistic Congress, * miniature world ,- was assembled in Rome, and he would never forget the benign loving smile which came over the features of the Holy Father when he arrived at the Congress ' and witnessed the 10,000 pairs of eyes which were directed to the hundreds of ecclesiastical notabilities assembled on the platform. If he lived to be one'hundred years lie would never forget the extraordinary manifestations of faith which he had seen on that occasion in the streets of Rome, when hundreds of bishops in copes and mitres marched through the streets on a summer’s day as warmas that day in Brisbane, and they spoke all languages Arabic, Spanish, German, Portuguese, and so forth. He was indeed privileged to approach the Holy Father and offer the homage and love of the people from this end of the earth, and he and Monsignor Byrne were also privileged to offer up Mass at the tombs .of the saints and martyrs. Archbishop Duhig said he was : an early riser to say Mass at Lourdes, but he found thousands there before him.- The home of Bernadette, the spiritual Joan of Arc, was also visited. The Holy .Father was much consoled, said the Archbishop, when the report of the advancement made in Queensland was read to him. He - asked that the Apostolic Blessing should be given to the people on Archbishop Duhig’s return to his archdiocese, and this was done by the Archbishop. ■fi

The other week Mr, John Rowe White, a member of the Coal Lumpers’ Union, won the first prize of £SOOO-in the Golden Casket art union. One of his earliest moves after he became aware of his good luck, was to notify the manager of the Casket (Mr. W. S. Noble) that £4OO of the amount would go to the charities of Brisbane. Included among the donations was a gift of £IOO to the Mater Misericordiae Hospital. WEST AUSTRALIA. j His Grace the Archbishop of Perth (Most Rev, Df. Chine, C.SS.R.), has received from his Excellency the Apostolic Delegate (Most Rev. Archbishop Cattaneo) news that the Vicariate of Kimberley has been entrusted to the Salesian Fathers, founded by Don Bosco, and that the Very Rev. Ernest Coppo, of the same Congregation, has been appointed Vicar-Apostolic. This will be the first foundation < of the Salesian Order in Australia. The aboriginal mission at Beagle Bay (says the W.A. Record) was founded in 1890, and was at first in charge of the monks of La. Trappe. The late Bishop Kelly, of Geraldton, then became Administrator and secured the services of the Pallotine Fathers, who are still there. The late Abbot of New Norcia became Administrator in 1914. The present Administrator is the Very Rev. John Creagh, CSS R ■ ‘ '