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New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIII, Issue 23, 2 October 1885, Page 15

His Lordship the B-shop of Dunedin will hold a visitation at Ophir on Sunday the 11th in9t., and during the course of the following week will examine the Catholic schools at St. Bathan's, Naseby t and Tinker's Gully,

The Hobart Mercury of September 23 records the death of Mr Thomas White, an old and respected colonist of 63 years' standing, Mr. White was a native of Norfolk, England, where he was born in 1806. and, having 6erved his apprenticeship to the building trade in the firm of Sir Wm. Cubitt, of London, he emigrated to Tasmania in 1832, where he aettled at New Town, and pursued a long and prosperous career as a builder. The Mercury bears high testimony to the integrity and general character of the deceased, and the esteem in which he was held. Mr. White was father of Mrs. Woods, wife of our much respected fellow-colonist, Mr. D. W. Woods, of Dunedin.

Wb understand that a concert will be given by the pupils of the Christian Brothers' and St. Joseph's Schools, Dunedin, on or about the 30th inst. in aid of the fund to defray the cost of tha new addition to the Christian Brothers' School-rooms. The object, w«

need not say, is one of the highest importance and deserves the assistance of every member of the Catholic community.

Thb sensation of the week in Dunedin has been Mr. G. A. Sala's lectures. They have been attended by crowded audiences, and as highly appreciated as they were in other places. The number of visitors who called upon the famous journalist, was not go great as it probably would have been had his letter on bores not been published here. Some few also may have been deterred by fear of finding those points described by-and-bye in which they differ slightly from dwellers in the huts of the Hottentots, on the Banks of the Oronoco, or among the Ojibeways. It would, iadeed, be difficult to meet with a more " sweet comparative " writer than Mr. Sala.

We are informed that the members of St. Patrick's Band have in contemplation an entertainment in aid of their funds. It is the intention of the committee to put forth such a programme as will be sure to give them a bumper house, and co relieve them from all further appeals to the public. The entertainment will comprise comedy, opera, and other musical performances.

On the occasion of placing the biret'a on the new Cardinals, the Pope addressed Cardinal Moran especially as follows :—" And as to you, son of brave and holy Ireland, when the people of Australia see you invested with the insignia of this high dignity they will also see by means of an instance new to them and understand more and more how great is Our love for them, and how earnestly we desire that the Christian religion may flourish in that distant land and ther c gain greater growth from day to day."

Wk clip the following from the Sydney Freeman's Journal of September 19 :— "The Tatmanian Newt of a late date says : 'A well-known Irishman, in the parson of Mr. M. M'Donald, of Victoria t was a passenger by the s.B. Manapouri, from Melbourne, which arrived in port yesterday, and by which vessel he proceeded to New Zealand. He goes with a view of establishing a branch of his extensive cordial and liquor manufactory in New Zealand. Mr. M'Donald will afterwards visit New South Wales, and will return to Melbourne in about a month. He is a pronounced Irish Nationalist, and owing to the hospitable manner in which he entertained the delegates at the convention in Melbourne in November, 1883, much disappointment was expressed at his visit not being known to his countrymen here. Mr. M'Donald was, however, entertained during his short sojourn in Hobart by Mr. James Gray, M.H.A.; by whom he was shown over the Houses of Parliament and public buildings. Mr. Gray, being a countryman of Mr. M'Donald's, on behalf of the Irishmen of Tasmania wished him bon voyage and success in Maoriland.' Mr. M'Donald, referred to above, arrived here on Tuesday last, after a very pleasant and successful trip through New Zealand, where he was received with great cordiality. He has ananged fur opening a branch of his business in New Zealand, and has established several agencies there. He is at present engaged establishing agencies in Sydney and has met with great success. Analyses prove his bitters to be a pure and excellent tonic, and he has great coufidence that ' M'Donald's Bitters' will be laigely used all over the colonies. His friends — and that means, or ought to mean, every Irishman, for his liberality and assistance to the Irish cause is unbounded— should aid him in his wish by giving it a trial or asking for it." We may add, for our own part, that we had the pleasure of seeing Mr M'Donald when he visited Dunedin, en route, and we are happy in joining in the well-deserved testimony borne to his claims on all Irishmen by our contemporaries, and in the good wishes expressed towards him.

How comes it that Catholic priests can do, without being destroyed, that which it would ruin Anglican clergymen to attempt ? We learn from the Bishop of Melbourne that any thought of competing with the Government primary schools on the part of the Church over which he presides is to be avoided as utterly vain and fruitless — and, that, although recognising the evils of secularism, the clergy, to save themselves from ruin, must endure it. But yet the Catholic Church supports her own schools, while her members as a whole are far less wealthy than those of the Anglican communion. There is a mystery here which Dr. Moorehouse I .is not explained. Nor can we understand why. as the Bishop implies, secularism must be much worse in secondary schools than it is in primary ones. Is the soul of the genteel child, indeed, more precious than that of tbe child belonging to poorer or more vulgar parent^ ? Or, if it be imperative to establish secondary schools of a deno.niDational kind, might it not seem no less so to make an effort to support religious schools for the poorer classes? Bishop Moorehouso, again, gives it as a reason for his defeiring to see denomination tl schools for the more genteel members of the Anglican sect established, that not only is his Church " penetrated with Apostolic truth and reverence," but it also furnishes, as he believes, " the most hopeful centre of Christian reunion in an age of broadening thought ami enlarging sympathies." A church, nevertheless, that, on the one hand, is ready to acknowledge the Salvation Army and on the other hails as its fellows the Eutychiansof Egypt and Armenia— with eveiy foreign sect that on any pretence breaks away from Rome — must cer-

tainly be penetrated with something else besides Apostolic truth — for surely the truth of i he Apostles was well defined and at one with itself. Th« reunion, moreover, that takes place in a Church completely indiff rent as to doctrine must needs be a union of formalists gathered together they know not for what, at least so far as spiritual things are concerned, and they probably also kn* w not why. But mere formalism is contemptible anl empty, and cannot by any means deserve the name of Christian. We do not find much to admire, then, in Dr. Moorhouse's arguments, although, perhaps, they are not inconsistent in the mouth of a prelate whose Church bids fair at best, and makes it her highest pretension, to become a centre of indifference, rather than of Christian reunion.

At the last meeting of the Dunedin Catholic Literary Society on the 23rd nit. The members were treated to a recitation in character by the President, entitled " The Vagabond," while the Secretary gave Denis Florence McCarthy's " Pillar Towers of Ireland." MrDundon read a paper on " Literary Societies," in which he administered, en passant some hard knocks to those barbarians who do not support these institutions as they ought to. The paper drew forth a great deal of criticism, very favourable on the whole to Mr. Dundon. The rest of the business was the reading of a paper by Mr. Dalton on " Public Characters," two specimens of whom had their habits and peculiarities dissected by that gentleman to the enjoyment of tbe Society. The Society intend to have a social evening on the 15th inst., when, as they have been promised the assistance of several young ladies for the musical portion, they hope to be able to entertain both their male and female friehda.

On Monday evening the first inspection parade of the Dunedin Irish Rifles took place at the North Dunedia Drill Hall. The corps which had marched from the Garrison Hall, headed by the Garrison band, whose services had been kindly given for the occasion, was inspected by Major Gordon accompanied by Colonel Stavely and Staff-sergeant Towler. and have now become a qualified branch of the local Volunteer force. The Darade state wa9 as follows : — Captain Callan, Lieutenant Graham, 1 colour-sergeant, 3 sergeants, 2 corporals 1 bugler, and 53 rank and file ; a total of 67 out of 76 on the ioU The. Garrison Band numbered 26 strong. The following is a full list of the officers of the corps : —Captain, J. B. Callan ; lieutenant, T. 8. Graham ; Sub-lieutenant, W. G. Neill ; colour-sergeant, J. Carroll ; sergeants, H. Robinson, P. Keligher, N. Molouey, and J. Murray ; corporals, R. A. Dunne, J. A. Attndge, R. Kingston, and H. Monkman.

We would draw the attention of our subscribers to the list of agents of the N. Z. Tablet Company to be found elsewhere. We would request subscribers in the various districts to be prompt in making th>ir payments to oue or other of the gentlemen named.

On Sunday next, the Feastof the Most Holy Rosary, a procession, with the usual devotions, will take place at tbe Dominican Convent, Dunedin, at 3 p.m., the women aad girls of tbe Catholic congregation are invited to attend.

A concert will be given by the members of the Society of the Children of Mary in aid of tbe Cathedral building fund in St. Joseph's school-room, Dunedin, on the 15th inst. Tickets, costing one shilling each, may be had of the members of the Society.

A reception of aspirants to tbe Society of the Sacred Hart (women's branch), will take place in St. Joseph's Church Dunedin, ou Sunday evening after Ve«p^rs. — Eighty aspirants will ba received.