THE RED FLAG

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 October 1930, Page 8

THE RED FLAG

CONGREGATION DISTURBED,

SYDNEY, September 22

The moments immediately preceding, and following, the elevation of the Sacred Host in the Mass in Roman. Catholic churches, are marked by exceptional quietness and devotion. This was the time chosen by a man, apparently a Communist, at St. Patrick’s Church, Church Hill, at 11.30 o’clock yesterday morning, to cause a sensation.

The man, who bore a decidedly foreign appearance, had sat quietly through the service for an hour, immediately the elevation of the Sacred Host and the chalice concluded ho rose from his seat and shouted, “The Red Flag is up there!” Be was at once pounced upon by the chief church warden (Mr T. Dawson) and escorted out of the church. Two minutes before the disturbance ho suddenly rose from his seal, but remained silent. Anticipating something unusual was about to happen, the chief church warden was only a few feet away when the man shouted out. He was taken by surprise before he could utter another word.

By mentioning the Red Flag the map. evidently referred to the richly embroidered red vestments, which were worn by the officiating priest at Missa Cantata (Father A. Jeffcott). It was the feast of St. Mathew, one of the Apostles, on whose feast days red vestments are always worn. It was a coincidence that the vestments, which were heavily embroidered in bullion, had not. been worn for a long time. The vestments, which are over 100 years old, originally belonged to the late Cardinal Fesch, of Lyons, France. The cardinal was an uncle of Napoleon I. The vestments were brought to Australia by Marist missionaries over 60 years ago, and are still in an excellent state of preservation.