Colonial Notes.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVI, Issue 27, 26 October 1888, Page 3

Colonial Notes.

Thh new buildings of the institution for the deaf and dumb at Waratah iD, the diocese of Maitland were formally opened by the Archbishop of Melbourne on Sunday, the 6th inst. The building, which has been erected at a cost of £10,000, occupies a fine situation, and is in every respect suitable for the purposes for which it is required. An altar had been prepared on one of the verandahs, where, on the termina* tlon of the ceremony of blessing the house, which was performed by the Most Rev. Dr. Carr, Pontifical High Mass was celebrated by the Bishop of Bathurst, there being also present on the occasion the Bishops of Maitland, Goulburn, Armidale, Grafton, Wilcannia, and Sale, together with a large number of the clergy— among them the B«v. Father Mackay, of Queenstown, N.Z. The ceremonies were very imposingly carried out, and the music, rendered by the choir of St. Marys church, Newcastle, was particularly fine. On the termination of the Mass, the Archbishop of Melbourne preached on the text, "He hath done all things well ; He hath made the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak." His Grace referred also to the origin of the institution no»r opened. In 1872, he said, a deaf and dumb child had been brought to the Dominican nans by the late Bishop of Bathurst, who asked them, in Christ's name, to Jake care of it. They had done so, and, as was now Been, had been abundantly rewarded. A second and a third child bad been brought, and, finally, a number of such children had been placed at Newcastle under the care of a nun who had had the charge of a deaf and dumb institution near Dublin.— The number of children, boys and girls, had increased •jary year, and two years ago, on Rosary Bunday also, Cardinal Moran had laid the foundation-stone of the present building. £1000 had been raised on that occasion ; £1000 had since b««n raised by an art-union ; but of the £10,000 which the building coat, a large sum ■till remained due. His Grace then went on to explain the necweity for a Catholic institution of the kind : Apart from all other considerations, hesaid.the peife«tly disinterested treatment of the children could only be so obtained. •' It needs the touch of the nun's own hand, the smile of her virgin face, the generous sympathy of a purely religious heart, to continue to treat kindly, patiently, and affectionately these poor afflicted children."— ln conclusion, the Archbishop appealed for the aid that was needed, promising to those to whom God had given the power to hear, in leturn for their charity, the unceasing prayers of the children. The institution, he added, was a national institution for all Australasia, and, therefore, let it be generously supported. The amount of the collection which was subsequently made was £868.

t An affecting incident connected with tne opening of the Waratah institution was the announcement made at the Mass by the Bishop of Maitland of the death of the Mother Mary Teresa Molloy, which had taken place that morning at 2 o'clock. The deceased nun, a member of the Order of St. Dominic, and who was to have had the charge of the new institution, bad been suddenly seized with a faintness the evening before, from which she had nevsr recovered . She had arrived in Maitland from Ireland some 21 years ago, and had won the love and veneration of all who were acquainted with her. The funeral took place on Tuesday, the pelates and many of the clergy who had been present at the opening of the institution taking part in the ceremonies. There was also a crowded attendance of the Catholic congregation ,—R.I.P,

The Bishop of Maitland has issued a pastoral dealing with the state of Catholic education in his diocese, and which, on his Lord* ship s showing, is in a very satisfactory condition. The work is conducted almost entirely by religious teachers, who perform it in a way that leaves nothing to be desired, the system being thoronghly Catholic, as well as equalling in all secular respects, if it does not surpass, that of the Uovernment scho .Is. The withdrawal of aid from the Catholic schools has not had the evil results that were feared, and, notwithstanding, a full measure of progress has been made, both in the number of schools opened, and in the attendance of children Sacrifices, no doubt, adda the Bishop, have been required, but the result gives good reason for rejoicing.

The Bey. Father Kavanagh, a member of the order of St. Dominic, who has especially devoted his talents to the promotion of temperance, has for some time been engaged in advocating the cause in New bauth Wales. The rev. Father is the pronounced opponent of drinking in all its branches, as well of " tippling " as of positive drunkenness ; and of " shouting " as a source of temptation. But although he condemns the drunkard, Father Kavanagh is not without Borne mercy for him, and, therefore, he is loud also in denouncing the adulteration of drink- which he compaies to poisoning pure and rtmple. Ihe worthy Dominican ig meeting with considerable success in his crusade and much lasting good is looked for as the result of his labours.

* v trough Australia the Requiem Mass appointed by the Pope to be celebrated everywhere was sung with great solemnity. The CathoJic people of the colonies responded most fervently to the Holy Fathers invitation, and not only were the churches crowded, but the number of communicants testified strikingly to the faith and charity •f the various congregations. This commemoration of the dead was a sublime thought on the part of the Holy Father, and it was fully honoured in the observance.

The manner in which the Sydney Freeman's Journal dealt with the reports recently published by the Evening News relating to the burial of the late Archbishop Vaughan, has subjected our contemporary to an action for libel. The matter dealt with, however, was of a nature which made it necessary that the Freeman's Journal should deal with it severely. If in doing so our cortemporary over-stepped the bounds which toe law allows, we can understand his position.

Bt was not, moreover, acting on bis own behalf bat, as be justly claims, on that of the Irish Catholics of all the colonies, in defending a prelate whom ail Catholic Australasia must regard with esteem ana love. If, therefore, be suffers in this action, it will be the plain doty of the Catholic population of the Colonies to come to bis aid and not permit the burden, incurred in a caufe that is theirs in common, to fall upon him unsupported. If the inlependence of the Catholic pre«« is not guaranteed the Catholic cause must needs be weakened and left defenceless. But especially a penalty incurred in protecting Cardinal Moran from the voice of slander, is one that we might all consider it a privilege to partake in, an 1 we should be the most contemptible of mankind were we to refuse to do so.

A new sect of rather imposing pretensions has made its appear* ance at Sydney, where it has laid the foundation stone of a church. It calls itself the Catholic Apostolic Church, and appears to be a somewhat grotesque imitation of that Church whose name it usurps. It is under the guidance of an official called an Angel, who seams to imitete the action of a Bishop, and to copy Catholic ceremonies, as well, as under rather unfavourable circumstance", be is able. Any revolt, however, against the ugliness of ordinary Protestantism is not without an element of hope. By the way is there any connection between this Church and the Irvingites, who aleo have " angels " aad elaborate ceremonies.

The Brisbane Australian publishes what it calls " an interesting relic of Ireland's great bard, Thomas Moore." The relic takes the shape of a letter to the mother of a young lady named Wyke, and whom Tommy, intolerable little humbug as he knew bow to be on occasion, says he fancies to be a " young poetess." Maturity, how* ever.may have possibly damaged the young la ly's poweCa, for certain it is that the works of no poetess of the name have come down to us. Moore afterwards lets slip his Teal opinion by saying that he prefers the lines to which he alludes to any previously sent him by the young poetess, as they possess " more feeling and less attempts at brilliancy." But has Hot Father Prout told us of Tommy's M tricks and rogueries 1 " Mrs. Wyke lived at Southampton, and Tommy had done something or another to offend her daughter, for which be apologised. But next to the editor the poet appears to bo the most miserable recipient of verses.

The Bey. William Kildahl, of Ballarat, a Protestant clergyman who has distinguished himself by his admirable letters on the Irish cause, writes to the Melbourne Advocate the following reply to a reproach often repeated, and which reply should, as Captain Cattle says, be made a note of. "In your issue of last week I read a notice by yon of a statement made by a newly-started periodical to the effect that in Victorian criminal statistics the Irish-born have gained aa unenviable place. lam constantly being assailed on this point, and I wish, as a final answer to all complaints, to draw attention to Hayter's Year Book, last edition, viz. :—• Allowing that more Irish in proportion to the population were arrested than English and Welsh, the offences with which the Irish were charged couli not hare been of so serious a nature as those for which English and Welsh were arrested, inasmuch aa the number of English and Welsh earnmitted to trial was, in proportion to population, twice as numerous as the number of Irish committed to trial.' "

Wonders are reported of a goldfield just discovered near Yeoval, in New South Wales, about 270 miles from Sydney. The field, it is said, is destined to prove one of the largest alluvial diggings ever discovered, and capable of supporting a numerous population. Qreat things are alsD spoken about the silver-field near Borroloola in the Northern Territory, Silver ore in whole mountaias is said to exist there. Such repons, however, are always suggestive of a desire to dispose of shares, and require to be closely and carefully examined into.

The Liguria, on her recent voyage to Melbonrne brought out seven members of the Society of Jesus, and nine nuns of the Order of the Faithful Companions of Jesus. One of the Jesuit Fathers ia the Bey. Isaac Moore, who returns to Victoria, where he has been welcomed by many friends, after an absence of some sixteen years. The nuns will open a boarding school at Kew.

The Annales of Mauritius gives us an amusing instance of accommodation on the part of the Schools Committeejof the Island. The Archbishop bad complained that the Protestant version of the Lord's Prayer was taught in the schools to the Catholic children. The Schools Committee thought to settle the matter amicably by a revision of the version, in which they substituted the words " each day " for " this day." The authors of the new Pater, says our con« temporary, probably said to themselves that it was not prudent to ask bread only for to-day, but that it was much more practical to provide also against the days following.