NAPIER.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXII, Issue 17, 23 August 1895, Page 23

NAPIER.

«• * (From au occasional Correspondent.) August 12, 1895. The large-seating accommodation of St Patrick's Oburch was taxed to its utmost capacity last evening (Sunday, August 11), large numbers of all denominations attending to hear the Rev Father Grogan give the second portion oi his lecture on the "Union of theOhuroheß" A lengthy report of the first part was published in the Evening News a fortnight ago and awakened much interest in the subject, henci the crovrding of the church. The Rev Father, who is Bpecially wellread in the subject, took his text from St John, x, 16 : ".And other sheep I have which are not of this fold ; them also I must bring' and they Bhall bear my voice, and there shall be -one .fold : and one shepherd," and, after explaining. the text said, said one of the many charges brought against the Catholic Ohurch was her aggressiveness. If taken in the seme of earnestness in the fulfilment of the duty of fidelity to the commission given her to "'Go and teach all nations'* the charge was true— the Catholic Church did not deny it. l Such was the mission given to it. "I wUjgghre ' the Gentiles for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possesßiong," He was with this aggfessivenessa— that the faith was brought from Rome into Britain as early as the year, 180 A.D. ; that the same spiritual head, in the year 596, sent St Augustine and forty monks to Britain.' The Bey Faibe- then showed how from these early times of Catholicity that nation was one' of the gems io k the crown of the Catholic Church. This was particnlarly true from the time of Alfred the Great, called in history the Legislator, Historian and Poet, as well as the builder of monastties and convents. la 1377 there 1 were in England and Wales 14,000 parish churches, 645 monastrieg, besides con. vents, 90 colleges, 110 hospitals, or houses of retreat" or- entertain* ment. At that time there were no gaols, no refugees for old men and women (which are now eyesores to so many in Christian England) and no poor rates. The. same belief and the same practices reigned' throughout the land, and all was peace aod happiness, England then being known by the title of f( The island of saints and tht dowry of Mary " There weie men who were at present moving heaven and earth to prove that England never was a Catholic country, and that the Pope never had any jurisdiction in Britain, notwithstanding the weight of historipal evidence against them. There-were others who, told us that all churches are branches of the Christian Church but they forget to tell ns where the mafn trunk fa to be found. *The separation of the churches commenced in the se.f-appointment of Henry VIII to the head of the Ohurph in England. Henry, prior to his divorce from Catherine, was a most devoted member of the Catholic Church, and Pope Leo X was so pleased with his services in writing a book denouncing Luther (who at that time was, organising a ciusade against the Catholic Oburch in' Germany) that he conferred upon him the title " ffldei Defensor " (Defender of the Faith). At that tima there was only one faith— the Catholic. This title was used by the English sovereign up to the present day. After Henry denounced the faith the properties of the monastriea and convents were confiscated and handed over to the friends of the king, who even

pi».ged the tombs of St Augustine and St Thomai A'Beckett. From the day the tiara w M added to the crown and the ring of the crosier to theatre the faith of "the once pious and OatLo England " bad been changed and dividei and subsided beyond recognition He could compare It only to the oonfulon of the languages of the builder, of the Tower of Babel. Now there was a universal cry amongst the Bngliab-speaking people all the world over for re-nnion There was • universal home sickness, a desire to return to their Father s house, a return to the one fold and the one Shepherd The numerous divisions were fast leading to infidelity, and a return to unity was the only remedy. The Pope of Borne, after all that had been said against him during the past 300 years, was now admitted to be right, sad bis authority was necessary. They want to hear bis beloved voice once more. How was this uuty to be accomplished f In the words of the deatly-be loved late Cardinal Manning, he said, "To belong to the Pope we must be Catholic ; all mast be disciples of the Church, not her judges. It was not for men to mike conditiona of faith and morals." In conclusion, the Rev. Father dwelt on the encyclical letter of Pope Leo XIII to the English people, in which he asktd them to pray to God and have faith. Tbe lecture throughout was very interesting and delivered with great power and eloquence, and the attentive manner in which it was listened to well repaid the Rev Father for the years of study he has given to this momentous question. Great interest is beiog taken in this district in raising funds for tbe Home Bule Party at Home, and strong committees have been formed both here and at Hastings to collect subscriptions. A very successful social in aid of tbe funds was held in the Gaiety Theatre last Wednesday evtning and reflected tbs greatest credit upon the committee of ladies and upon Messrs John Hidings (chairman of committee), Murnane (treasurer), and John Sullivan and T. Darney (joint sees). »v W , e a «® 111I 11 looki °S forward with pleasure to the intended visit of the onl y Michael Davitt, and I can safely promise that illustrious

statesman and Ipatriot aj graa d ."and thorough Irish reception in .Napier. The many friends of tht genial Joe Leonard, who was reporled as dead some time ago, will be pleased to learn that ho is still in the this town HYing lQ BydDey aQd hM Wfitten t0 Mf J ° hD HiggiDß Of TJe feast of St Donanic was celebrated in St Mary's and St Patricks on the 4th inst. In the morning tht Rev Fatter Grogan gave a beautiful discourse en the life of that great saint and in the evening gave a sermon in explanation of the Rosary. Much sympathy is felt for Mr J. Taylor, dyer, and family, of ttus town, who has just received word of the dea'h of his wife at Ounedm, whence she went to undergo an operation.