Here and There

New Zealand Tablet, Volume L, Issue 22, 7 June 1923, Page 37

Here and There

A Brilliant Artist’s Faith. —The contention of Catholics that childlike piety is not inconsistent with the cultivation of one’s intellect, or the pursuit of a brilliant, career, has . found another avatar in Madame Maria Jeritza, the celebrated prima donna of the Metropolitan Grand Opera Company, at present playing in New York. It is a delightful thing to all lovers of simplicity that this star should be at heart an unsophisticated convent girl, devoted to Our Lady and declaring that she “never appears on the stage without first making the sign of the cross and asking the blessing of God.” Her faith is not merely of her tongue, for her charity is great large part of her revenue is devoted to the alleviation of the distress of her own people— Austrians, whose welfare she has at heart and for whom she sings, as Isadora Duncan dances for her beloved Russians, for love only.

v Interesting Conversion. —It is announced that the Rev. Carew Mildmay, brother of Sir Gerald Mildmay, Bart., was received’ into the Catholic Church at Westminster Cathedral by the Right Rev. Mgr. Hewlett, D.D., on the eve of the Feast of the Annunciation. Mr. Mildmay, who is an M.A. of Tripity College, Cambridge, was Hebrew Prizeman of Wells Theological College, and was formerly rector of St. Mary’s, Stamford.

A Catholic Centenarian. —A well-known figure at Campsio Glen, Mr. Bernard Hendrie, Haughhead, recently celebrated the 102nd anniversary of his birth (says the Aberdeen Catholic Herald). . He comes of a long-lived Co. Antrim family, and was born at sea on April 7, 1821. His father lived for 103 years, and bis mother died when 98. His wife died many years ago. In early life Mr. Hendrie was employed at the Hurlet and Campsie Alum Works, and later took over a business at Campsie Glen. He is able to move about and work in the garden, and is a well-known figure to the many visitors to the district, who are hearty in their congratulations to him. The veteran is a respected member of St. Machan’s congregation, Lennoxtown.

Sir Thomas Munro. The death of Sir Thomas Munro, announced lately, deprives public life in Scotland of one of its ablest figures. Sir Thomas Munro, who was a native of Ross-shire, had a legal training in Edinburgh, became connected with administration in Lanarkshire over thirty years ago, and in 1907 was appointed Clerk to the Lanarkshire County Council. He was also Clerk to the Lanarkshire Education Authority and other public bodies, and while always bearing himself with proper deference to such bodies, ho was in reality as much their master and leader as their servant. For he had a very broad and firm grasp of public work, mature experience, a rapid perception, and a faculty of quick and firm decision which made him a mostvaluable public servant. The Catholics of Lanarkshire were brought into close ■ contact with him, and from him they always experienced fairness and courtesy, so that in Catholic circles as much as in any his comparatively early death is widely and sincerely deplored.

Diddling the Sleuths. —Mr. Arthur O'Connor, whoso death was announced recently, had a very narrow escape from imprisonment in the old Coercion days. Once when the British Government made a swoop on the Land League executive in Dublin and imprisoned all its leaders, Ailhur O’Connor, who was a London man by birth and residence, was suddenly summoned to Dublin to keep the machines going. The Government marked him down for arrest also, but like St. Paul at Damascus he “escaped their hands,” owing his escape to the ready wit of an old hall porter in the Dublin hotel where O’Connor resided. One morning the hotel was invested by detectives, and just as they were interrogating the hall porter as to O’Connor’s whereabouts he himself walked downstairs! His appearance was unknown to the Dublin detective force, and his appearance and manner and accent all betokened the well-to-do Englishman. As he reached the foot of the stairs, the old hall

porter with a telepathic glance said to him —“Did you happen to see Mr. Arthur O’Connor upstairs, sorr? These gintlemen wor looking for him.” Mr. O’Connor replied with haughty nonchalance—“ Ye-es, he was upstairs a short time ago, but came donwstairs to go out.” Impressed by the accent and the hauteur of the arrogant Englishman (as they thought him), the detectives humbly fell back and O’Connor coolly walked out from among them—to safety.

Venerable Ursuline Nun.—Mother Mary Sales Leslie (Mary Margaret Leslie), of the Community, of the Ursulines, St. Margaret’s Convent, Whitehouse Loan, Edinburgh, died there lately in her 92nd year. She was the daughter or the late Archibald Leslie, of Balnageith, in Morayshire, whose father was a “Laird Minister” living on his own estate, and who married a daughter of the Earl of Caithness. At the age of sixteen she was received into the Catholic Church by the late Bishop Gillis, Edinburgh; joined the Order of the Ursulines of the Incarnation in 1852; and made her final vows in 1860. The early part of her conventual career was uneventful and hidden, but later her sterling qualities of mind and heart caused her to be placed by her Superiors and fellow-religious in posts 0 importance in her Order. For many years she was assistant to various Superiors, and became Superior of St. Margaret’s Convent, Edinburgh, from 1901 to 1907. She was a woman of strongly marked character and personality. Her mother, Eleanor Falconer Attee, who also was a convert to the Catholic Church, was one of the prominent Catholics in Scotland in early Tractarian times, and her example and influence helped many Scottish ladies of position in their religious difficulties. The deceased nun was a, sister of the late well-known Jesuit father, the Rev. E. u. Leslie. Irish Bishop’s Death. Most Rev. Dr. O’Dea, Bishop of Galway and Kilmacduagh, and Adm.-Apostolic of Kilfenora, died at Mount St. Mary’s, Galway, on a recent Monday. Lorn at Kilfenora in 1858, the late prelate was trained at Maynooth, where he was ordained in 1882, immediately being appointed -Professor of Theology. In 1894 he was made Vice-President of Maynooth College. In 1903 ho succeeded Dr. Healy as Bishop of Clonfert, and after six years was translated to Galway to succeed Bishop McCormack, resigned. He at once began the gigantic task of electing a new Cathedral and diocesan seminary, and these now fall, to be completed by other hands. The New Secretary of Propaganda.—To fill the post of Secretary of Propaganda vacated by the Most Rev. Archbishop Fumasoni-Biondi, who has left Rome for Washington, the new Secretary has arrived from Vienna. This is the A lost Rev. Archbishop Francis Marchetti Selvagenni, remarkable for his work as Papal Nuncio in the Austrian capital _ His Grace lias already entered upon the duties of his high office. Irish League to Dissolve.—When the United Irish League of Great Britain meet at Leeds in May with Mr. T. P. O’Connor in the presidential chair, tho formal dissolution of the League will be moved and carried. Ibis does not forshadow by any means the abandonment ot united Irish activity. A scheme will be put forward for t to creation of an entirely new association, which will be adapted to the altered circumstances which have arisen since the Irish Free State began to function. Air. T. P O’Connor, who will make tho farewell address, has acted as lesulent of the United Irish League since its foundation at Leeds some 40 years ago. His supporter will be Mr. ,Jo . Brady, who was the League’s first secretary, and still retains that office. - British Bishop Drowned.—Mgr. Frederick Hopkins, 8.. J titular Bishop of Athribis and Vicar-Apostolic of British Honduras, is believed to have been drowned during a sudden storm that came on whilst he was crossing from Belize to Payobisto, on the coast of Mexico (says Catholic lews Service for April 21). With the Bishop‘are understood to have perished two nuns and 17 other passengers. Cable reports state that it was the Bishop of Belize who was drowned. But there is no . prelate of this title, and the death of Bishop Hopkins is sorrowfully accepted. The Bishop was a Birmingham man by birth. After his education at Oscott he entered the medical profession, qualifying as Member of the Royal College of Surgeons. While practising at Aston he felt the call of the religious life, and entered the Society of Jesus at Roehampton. His appointment to the Honduras was made in 1899.