ST. JOSEPH'S CATHEDRAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1951, 11 April 1889, Page 9

ST. JOSEPH'S CATHEDRAL.

At St. Joseph's Cathedral on Tuesday evening the Rev. Father Sheehy, who has just returned, en route for Hobart, from a visit to Europe and America, preached to the men the Confraternity of the Holy Family. The rev. gentleman expressed his pleasure at seeing so many men who, after their day's hard work, gave up their leisure or their evening's enjoyment fof the purpose of attending a confraternity of their church, thus giving a proof of their faith and" devotion to the Catholic Church. Father Sheehy spoke at some length of the rapid growth of the Catholicity in America and of tbe vast congregations of some 6000 persons present in New York Cathedral during the time of hia passing through that city. New York he described as one of the most Catholic cities of the English-speaking world, possessing many fine churches, convents, and schools. It aIBO had several Catholic reformatories for both boys and girls, and where they were taught handicrafts of all kinds. Speaking of France, he told his hearers not to believe those who endeavoured to make them think that that country was not Catholic He could assure them that France was as truly Catholic to-day as she ever was. Her churches were well attended, and from Paris and Lyons noble bands of missionaries, both priests and nun?, were being constantly sent forth. It was the bane of the Republic that it was governed by men belonging to secret societies, who persecuted religion, and of whom one set were in office today and another to-morrow. But not withstanding the apathy of the French peasants in political matters, their faith was still active and their devotion to tbe Holy See genuine. At the time of his sojourn in Rome he had the great | pleasure of seeing tbe Holy Father on several ocoasions, and more particularly at the time of the reception of the French pilgrimage, who had with them a number of men who had been slaves in Africa, and to whom the Holy Father spoke individually. Cardinal Lavigerie, who beaded this pilgrimage, read an address to Leo XIII, and Father Sheehy spoke in glowing terms of the impassioned and powerful speeoh of the* Sovereign Pontiff in favour of the emanoipation of the African slaves. Before concluding he alluded to the beauty of the structure of the cathedral, and expressed the hope that many of those present would live ' to see the building in its finished state, when it would then be one o£ the noblest edifices in the southern hemisphere. We understand the Rev. Father Sheehy is a native of Hobart, was educated in Rome, &nd has been in the priesthood for 26 years.