AT HOME AND ABROAD.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIII, Issue 43, 21 February 1896, Page 1

AT HOME AND ABROAD.

AMERICAN BISHOPS AND THE VENEZUELA DIFFICULTY.

«. WHAT part did the American bishops take during the Venezuela difficulty now happily Dear vanishing point 7 Needless to say their utterances were narked by prayer for peace but determined patriotism. Cardinal Satolli well repressed the dominant feeling in his reply to the address of Marquis Sacrapante who brought from the Holy Father official intelligence of the conferring of the Cardinal's Hat. " You have arrived," said his Eminence, " at a particularly interesting moment in this country. A moment when a spark has been 6ent throughout the length and breadth of the States which calls the attention of all its citizens to a danger which is thought to menace it, and whatever may have been up to to-day the dividing interests of this great people, a new manifestation of the patriotic spirit has responded at once to this impulse and in reply throughout the country but one voice is heard proclaiming that if real danger does threaten all are and will be united for the common welfare of the nation." Archbishop P. W. Riordan of San Francisco thus expressed himself to an interviewer : " I endorse President Cleveland's message to the fullest extent." " Even to the extent of war with Eagland ?" "Yes, even to that extremity if necessary, although I do not think Americans will be called upon to taka up arms against Great Britain. Premier Salisbury will find a way out of the difficulty without recourse to open hostilities." The Right Rev Richard Phelan, Bishop of the diocese of Pittsburg : " I place explicit confidence in the judgment of the President, and approve of anything he does. The Catholics of this country are loyal to their Government and will stand by the President even to a war." Bishop John Hogan of the diocese of Kansas said : "America is a land of refuge from oppression, Americans are refugees from oppression. Americans who would passively see their country entered and dominated by their former oppressors would be false to their mission and deserve to be branded as cowards Americanism, es announced by Cleveland, carrieß with it in tbe manner of ccrrollary an implicit declaration, which is likewise sound Monroe Doctrine, that if Europe does not stop its tyrannical aggression it will be tbe duty of America to croea the seas and widen the area of freedom," War with the United Stateß has been averted, Eogland is wise.

MODEST APPEAL FOR A MOST DESEBVING OBJECT.

The Rev Falner Kieymborg, piiest of St Joscph'd Miesiouary Society, Kotorua, requests us to ask our readers to forward to him " Old used postage stamps." The rev missionary wishes to raise funds to enable the Mill Hill Fathers, who are labouring among the Natives in Auckland province, to establish a convent scbool for the education of Maori children. We give the appeal in his own words :—: — OLD POSTAGE STAMPS. 11 Any person receiving stamps would help on the good cause by collecting these and forwarding them to me. Adv stamps will be thankfully received, but especially the older ones, and thoße of the islands and other colonies (the more the better). Aim : In this way, I may receive great assistance in raising funds for erecting a convent school for the Maoris. Please kindly address communications to Bey 0. Kbeymbobg, 8t Joseph Foreign Missionary Society, Botorua." Visitors to Rotorua cannot fail to be struck, with the truly Apostolic life led by the Maori missioners. They are heavily handicapped. The Natives have little to give for their support, and they have to content themselves with the' barest necessaries of life. To cook their own food, sleep in wretched houses, often in the open air, undertake long and fatigning journeys, with very little consolation in the number of converts among a population demoralised by white tourists ; all this requires a devotion to duty beyond all praise. The only real hope of ultimate success lies in thoroughly instructing and training the children. The influence of nnna to mould the character of the little ones is greatly desired by the missionaries. The white population should certainly do some-

thing in this matter, for those whose lands we now possess. We mentioned, casually a few days ago, Father Kieymborg's appeal to a gentleman, who instantly gave a pound for the' object. Poßsibly others may be moved to follow the good example. Many of our young readers who are Btamp collectors, will, no doubt, respond to a very modest appeal, and send stamps to be turned to profitable account. In these days of bazaars and art-unions, Father Kißymborg's appeal is novel, at all events, in New Zealand. Possibly he will receive many unsolicited unused New Zealand stamps, together with the defaced and used stumps he asks for.

AN ANGLICAN CONFRATERNITY.

" Confratbbnity of our Lady and St Thomas." That Bounds Catholic enough. It ia an Anglican society founded in 1868. The objects of this pious union aie to pray daily for the corporate reunion of Christians, and to promote Catholic belief and practice ani the honour of the Mother of God. A peculiarity of the confraternity ia the restricted membership, It is confined to men, who wear a black cassock, with cross and medal, and mast number only twenty-five at most. Associates, however, in any number and of either sex are admitted. These associates, as well as the members, are bound to recite the Angelus thrice every day, to be present at the " Holy Sacrifice " on the chief festivals of the Blessed Virgin and St Thomas of Canterbury, and to communicate on the festivals of the Conception of our Lady and of the Translation of St Thomas.

TENNYSON AND CATHOLICITY.

In the CatholioMagasine Father Hawthornwaite'a article, Reminiscences of Tennyson, gives an idea of the late Poet's attitude to the Catholic Church. Oar holy religion bad a strange attraction for him — especially the veneration of the Blessed Virgin :—": — " Tennyson used to insist that Catholic children were better behaved than those of Protestant schools, as having more reverence for authority instilled into them; And when be moaned over our lack of art as a nation, he would confess it had not always been so, especially in the good old Ca'holic days.' A Catholic aspect of things at times seemed to take a strong hold of him ; as, for instance, he once dreamed he was Pope, ' his shoulders bowed down under the weight of she world's sin.' And when urged to write the death cf Lancelot, he declared he couldn't unless he ' becama a Catholic.' "

ODDS AND SKDS.

At a recent fortnightly meeting of the H.A.C.8.5., Grahamstown Brauch, No. 35, Brother W. Kana # Diarrict President, and other officers from Auckland wen welcomed. The visitors spoke in high terma of tlie interest displayed by the members in the Lodge, and they, as well as Brother Foy, local secretary, and Very Bey Father O'Reilly, thought that the strong fiaancial position it had attained was a cause for congratulation. Menliou was made of the desirability of establishing a female Lodge at the Thames. There is some prospect of such being formed at an early date."

11 My dear Father Healy," Baid Judge Keogh once, with a very serious face, ' I'll do anything you wish— only name it. I'd turn Turk or Modammedan if it serves you." " Turn Catholic," replied Father Healy.

It is reported that the Pope will shortly issue an Encyclical Letter on the Armenian Question.

A new test for drunkenness (says the London Universe) has been tried. A cabman was arrested at Westminister for insobriety and locked up on Christmas Eve. He sent for a doctor to prove that he was sober. He repeated this sentence : " The artillery extinguished the conflagration early," and walked a straight line, and the physician pronounced him all right. But he was not all tight, it appeared, for the magistrate made him pay 18s 6d doctor's fees before he discharged him. It seems his Worship thought he might have improved his powere of articulation after the few bonrs of his arrest. A better test is Punch's phrase : " The scenery about here is truly rural," which becomes toora.looral in the mouth of an intoxicated man or a very hard shibboleth, to wit, " Mrs Smita's fisL-sauce shop." But

they are of no avail in the presence of Mr de Butz3n. Perhaps on tb« whole the very beat means of avoiding the necessity of giviog a fee to a licentiate of tbe College of Surgeors to prove that one has not acquired a thickness of utterance, is to Bhrink that fatal " drop too much " that makes its victim lose clearness of speech.

"He was a coward and a murderer." Thus the Athenmum, a non-Catholio periodical speaks of John Koox, who in tne words of his latest biographer, Mis Maccun, " to disagree with the Apostles rather than agree with tbe Papists.

We eoneratulatp tbe Hospital Trustees (says the Thames Star} on the re-election of the Rev Father O'Reilly to the Chairmanship. A better choice could not possibly be.imade. This is one of the few cases of the kind where any change would be a distinct retrograde, since the prenent state of affairs leaves no room for complaint even on the part of tho moftt exacticg. Father O'Reilly has proved himself a capable administrator, he has always entered into and performed his duties with a thoroughness born of sympathetic interest and energy, and the result is that the institution managed by the Trustees has become a model for the Colony . Statistics show that the Thames Hospital is conducted in a manner second to none, and although tbe credit for this highly satisfactory position is shared both by Btaff and trustees, yet the chairman, as the administrative head of Bffrirs, is entitled to first praise. Under his rule all those^concerDed in the monagement of the hospital have workei together most harmoniously and with the beßt results, and thit is why we consider a change would be retrogressive. The action of the trustees will undoubtedly meet with the approval of the whole community.

Here is an item for tba consideration of our liberal-minded public men. In Norway, where even fifty yearß '.ago priests were banished under pain of death, so great a change has came about that nuas, who wear their religious dress, travel free on the street can and by Beveral of the steamship companies. They are ia constant demand by Protestants as nurses.

At a meeting of the Diocesan Consultors, held at St Mary's (says the Byduey Freeman), the Cardinal-Archbishop presiding, the Very Rev Dr Murphy, P.P. of St Mary's, Concord, was appointed Sector of St Patrick^ Kcclesiastic»l College, Manly, in succession to Monsigoor Verdon. Dr Murphy, it will be recollected, came to Sydney with the Cardinal-Archbishop in 1885 -that is ti say on his Eminence's return from Europe after receiving the red hat from the HHy Father. Up to the time of hi§ leaving Ireland for Australia at tbe Cardinal* invitation, Dr Murphy bad filled the position of Presided of 8t Kieran's College, Kilk inny. For a brief period he was Rector of St John'n (University) College, Sydney, and continued in office till tbe arrival of Monsignor O'Brien, the present Rector Dr Murphy was afterwards Administrator of 8t Mary's Cathedral, aid on the death of Dean M'Carthy at the end of 1894 he was appointed parish priest of Concord. Hl9 successor at Concord has not yet been appointed.