CATHOLIC NEWS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXII, Issue 14, 2 August 1895, Page 9

CATHOLIC NEWS.

(From contemporaries.) The Rev P. Q. Meatb, Baptist clergyman, of Newark, Ohio, has become a Catholic. By the death of Cardinal Roffo Scilla tht number of vacancies in the Sacred Collage has become ten. Tbe Most Rev John Cameron, Bishop of Antigonisb, Canada, with theMoit Rev J. C. M'Donald, Bishop of Charlottestown, Prince Edward's Island, are at present on a visit to Ireland. The Rev Arthur Stapylton Barnes, lately vicar of Stives, Hunts, has been received into the Catholic Church. The Jesuit Fathers at Mondragone, near Frascati, Italy, will have at the end of this scholastic year to cloea that famous college, because of an exhorbaut increase in the rent by the administration of the Borgbese property. The third centenary of the death of St Philip Neri was celebrated with considerable splendour at tbe Brompton Oratory. Tbe panegyric was delivered by Cardinal Vanghan, There was an imposing celebration also at Bdgbaston. Bishop Brownlow was the preacher. Lord Acton's new position as a member of the Senate of Cambridge University is likely to raise a question almost as curious as tbe occasion is novel. He is patron of the living of Acton Round, Herefordshire, now vacant. Being a Catholic he cannot exercise the right of private patronage, which lapses to the University. But as an M.A. he can vote in the Senate for the candidate of bis choice. Or perhaps lome Protestant don will question his right to this priviltgs. In any case, it is a pretty absurdity. The Academy of Moral and Political Science recently granted to the Abbe Rambaud, of Lyons, what is termed tbe " Grand Prix d» Denouement," instituted by Madame Andiffret. Its value is 15,000 franca. He is now seventy-two years old. At the age of twenty-six he came into a fortune of about 300,000 francs, and at the same time Bucceeded to tbe ownership and management of an important and flourishing silk factory. He, however, soon withdrew from commercial life, entered a seminary and became a priest. With him th? great desire of life was to assuage human suffering, for his philanthropy was truly a pasaion. He devoted his efforts especially to the assistance of neglected and abandoned children, and of aged people. He worked marvels in educating and training the young, but he did still more for the old. With his own money and funds that he raised he bnilt a Home for old people, where they could live rent free. It was small at firs*, but it grew to be a very important block of buildings, containing lodging for five hundred inmates. He called it 'La Cite de l'Enfant Jesus," but to the peop'e of Lyons it goes in the name of "Le Cite Rambaud." Great liberty is allowed the inmates ; in fact, all that is required of them is that their conduct shall be generally good ani that they shall hear Mas' on Sundays. Tbe famß of St Winifride's Well, Holywell, North Wales, has (says the Newcastle Journal) been lately marked by several cures of an extraordinary character, ani in several instances persons from Newcastle-on-Tyne have boen ben'firtei by bathing in that quaint and old-world spring of water. O>e case particularly interesting to Newcastle is that of Miss A. Thompson, of Bolton Terrace, Newcastle, who asserts that ahe has been singularly and distinctly bent fitted, if not absolutely enred, by a course of batbing in 8t Winifride'B Well. Miss Thompson, a youDg lady of pleasant address and prepossessing appearance, arrived in Holywell on May 2nd, and took apartments with Miss M. Francis, Greenfield s'reet, in close proximity to the Well. Here she was in company with other Newcastle people named Bertram, one cf whom has derived much benefit from the water. From the date of her arrival Miss Thompson bathed in the well almost every day up to Friday last. Hjr ailment was internal, and though she had been treated by numerous medical gentlemen for the past ten yearH, none of them in any way gave her to understand tbe real nature of her ailraeot or applied any term to it. On Friday last, when seen by a Holywell correspondent, she looked well, and spoke confidently of the rtmirkable nature of her cure. Bhe had not the slightest tr*ce of whit she had suffered from, and felt in thorough good health. Miss M. Bertram, of Clayton Park Square, Newcastle, who has been in Holywell for about a month, has received much benefit. She suffered from «n affec'ion of tbe Bpine, which rendered her as helpless as a child. Upon arriving in Holywell she could not walk unassisted or rise from a chair without great effort. Before she left Holywell Bhe walked some distance in a satisfactory manaer, and bad to a great ex ent recovered the power and use of her limbs. The change towards recovery has been gradual, and hopes are entertained that it will ul'imately be a complete cure. Both yoang ladiea are Presbyterians. '* One of tha chaplains of the basilica of Pontmain, Pere Thiriet, 0.M.1,, writing to a friend from Bouriny, the scene of the recent catastrophe which, by the bursting of a reservoir, has desolated tbe beautiful valley of the Aviire, in tbe Ardennes, Bays : " The newspaper accounts fail to give an adequate

idea of the disaster. The sight that meets the eye is heartrending." In tbt Annals of P»ntma\% be writes : " All the bouses near the dyke are destroyed with the exception of one. This was only partially carried away, and in the portion left standing I was struck by ■eeing a plaque of the Sacred Heart which I bad last year forwarded from Moat mart re. la another part of Bouzsy every bouse was destroyed but one, and great was my surprise to see here on the outside of the wall a statue of Oar Lady of Pontmain. Sereral persona assure me that they owe their preservation to her, for her devotion is much practised hereabouts. She who, in 1871, turned the tide of the Prussian soldiery was able tcstem the tide of destroying waters." P^re Thiriet ably defended a few months ago the apparitions of Pontmain agaiDst the attacks of the " XlXe. S'ecle." The Glasgow Observer announces the death of Rev Patrick McLaughlin at Rothesay, Bute. Father McLaughlin'a long life as a priest was marked by one lacident which, by no means rare in tbe Catholic Church, was for a tima the cause of arousing very strong feelings amongst the Catholic community at Glasgow. While in charge of the mission at Shettlegton, he was approached in the confessional by a penitent thief, who desiring to make restitution of the money he had stolen, and wishing at the sam? Mmc to avoid detection, aeked Father McLaughlin to address the envelope wherein the money was returned. Father McLaughlin did so and tbe money rtacbed its destination in due course. Inquiries were set on foot to trace its source with a view to prosecuting tbe purloioer, and there was bat slight tronble in getting to know that the envelope was addressed by the Catholic priest of Shettleston. When Father McLaughlio was asked if this were so be made no denial of the fact. In tb« trial he refused to give any evidence or make any statement which could at all be construed into breaking of the seal of the confessional and rather than take this course he submitted to a sentence of thirty days' imprisonment, for contempt of court: Father McLaugblln went to prison, but when the sentence was half way through ho was liberated through the efforts of the late Bishop Murdock, who took the case in hand and spared no effort to obtain the release of tha good priest,