PROGRESS AND JUSTICE IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURA.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIII, Issue 43, 21 February 1896, Page 17

PROGRESS AND JUSTICE IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURA.

Ihe Cathoucs of New Zealand provide, at their own bule expense, an excellent education for iLeir own children. Yet such is the sense of justice and pob'cy iv the New Zealand

Legislature thar, it compels these Catholics, after having manfully provided for their own children, to contribute largely towards the free and godless education of other people's children !! ! This is tyranny, oppression, and plunder.,

(Continued from page 15 )

BEPLY OF AIOKbIG 1 OR TERDON. Monsignor VerdoD, in reply, said : I thank you most sincerely for your bpautiful address and for your very kind and friendly words of we'.comp. It would give me pleasure at all times to meet old acquaintances in n foreign land, but yon have added greatly to the pleasure of such a meeting by the cordiality with which you have w loomed me to Sydney. Your expressions of " sincere friendship " have reminded me of the friendly relations which existed between ug in days gone by, and I cm assure you > bat it is my earnest wish that these friendly relations may con« tinue hnd that I may have similar relations witn those amongst whem my lot may be cist in this new gcena of my labours As our gooi ship hove as into your lovely harbour on tbe morning of my ani^a l , the beauty of the scene astonished and delighted me. But there was one object in parciculrfr which attracled my atte&t oa — one object which, above »11 others, exc:te i my intt rest — it was tbe college rising m'j atically ov^r Manly Beach. J had heard much about that college in Rome a^d elsewh 're, but I mu9t confess that I was not prepared to see so noble a pile of buildiDgs so beautifully situated, and co admirably suit'd for its purp se. Your illustrious Cardinal - Aicbbisbop bss laboured mucn aod bis inaag»rated many glorious works during the past four years, but 1 doubt whether he his undertaken any work which will rt fleet greater lustre on his name, or be productive of greater good to the Catholic Church in this land, ihan that noble College at Manly Beach. Still I could not gaz ) upon it without feelings of uneasines?, fur I felt how great is my responsibility in undertaking to guide toe destinies of an establighment "upon the success of which, ' as )ou here justly remarked, "much of tbe future of Australia's piiestbooJ depends." Indeed, when I received the invitation, some months ago, to sccept the post of rector of the college, my first impulse was to shrink from co responsible a position, But wh n those o i whofe ju 'gment I most relicd — when the illustrious Arc ibishop of Dublio and ihe venenble AicbbUhop of Kphesus encouraged me to advance, I yielded to what I thought was the will of God, and I ha\e come here resolved to do my best to advance the work entrusted to me, and full cf hope that Goi will assist my bumble tndeavouis. But wha'evcr may be the tesult of my own individual eft'jrta, the college will undoubtedly prosper, for it will be sustained by the unfailing energy of your great Cardinal-Archbishop, and will have tho encouraging support of all the illustrious Bishops of the Australian Church. With the blessing of God the college will keep pace with the progress of this wonderful country ; it will meet the requirements of the age; it will fulfil its miesioD, and it will send torih zealous aLd lrarned priests who will continue ihe work so successfully begun aad advanced by the I noble priests and bishops who have left home and country to carry the Gospel to a distant land. I thank jou agam, my dear friends, for your very kind and beautiful aidrese. An lin conclusion, allow

me to say that if you have derived any benefit from my advice in past yearg, I shall expect as a return that you will now assist me by your counsel, and I trust that you will giva me the benefit of tbe experience which you have acquired during the years of your ministry in this favoured land." SOMETHIXG AROUr 8T PATRICK'S COLLY'S. It was during the first Plenary Council of 1885 summoned by the Cardinal as Apo«tolic Dalegate th a the foundations of St Patrick's College were laid and blessed. The complete.! building, which with the furniture cost £70,000, designed by and erected under tbe supervision of Messrß Sheerin and Hennessv, architects, Pitt street, was blessed and opened on January 23 1839. Thy Very Rev T. O'Farrell, CSS R, was the preacher on the occasion. first pa»rrs of a noble cdluegj. All Saints' Day, 1895, at St Mary's Cathedral will be memorable for the " general ordinations in connection with 81 Patrick's College. Apart from the happiness of the students who were presented for tonsore, minor orders, and deaconships, it must bave been an occasion of special gratification for the Cardinal- Archbisnop, who founded and built "the great white pile" wnich crowns the entrance to the harbour, and slands a? a tower over the picturesque lit' le village of Manly, and for Monsignor Verdon, under whose wa'chful care the Beads planted scarce seven years ago had yielded the first harvest.* The Feast of All Snots was selected by the Cardinal for the ceremonies, which a Urge congregition was p/ivleged to witness. All tb« students of St Patrick's College attended. There ware sixtythree of them representing fourteen dioceses of Australasia. Monsignor Verdon, the president, was also present with his college staff — the Very Rev Dr Rurke, Rev H. M'Dermott. Rev T. Hayden, Rev Reginald Bridge, and the Rev J. Broanan. His Eminence officiated. Twelve stuients received tonsure, seven minor orders, and two deaconsbip. On the following Sunday at tbe Cathedral the Cardinal ordained as pries's tbe Rev Michael Djlan (Melbourne) and the Rev Edward O'Brien (Sydney). Once again the students under Monsignor Verdon assembled in tbe sanctuary. This was their great day of rejoicing, marking aB it did the elevation to the priesthood of the first youthful missionaries who had come forth from " tbe Cardinal's college. It is ef intereßt to note that the college was opened on the 23rd of January, 1889, During tbe first year there ware twelve s ndents. In the present year the students number sixty-three, representing, as already mentioned, four een dioceses of Australasia. With one exception all the students are Aus'raliars or, to be more correct. Australasian 1 . Just as we go to press tbe Melbourne mail has brought to hand the Sydney Cathohc Prm of February 8, from whic!3 we take the following — TA'.TINIr ADDRi:?* Or THE SYDNEY PRIESTS For eight ye-rs, says the J'nts, the distinguished ecclisia9!ic has been connected, ac Rector of Manly College, wi'b the arcbdiccese, and bis txiited character, his many priestly virtue?, bis wide learnirg and steadfast di voticn to duty endeared him to all. but particularly to tbe priests of the nrchdioccse. They thought it but just to themselves then to not permit him to leave the colony without offer, ing him some tribute of il eir gratitude snd es eem, and consequently on last Saturday, at the cocclusion of tbe annual retreat at Manly, before separa'ine, they presented him with an address and a beautiful gold chalice. The chalice, a tp'endid work of art, made by the well-known firm of Messrs Hollingdale and Sod, of Sydney, bore the following inscription : — Rcvt rendiPSimo Michaeli CanoDico Vurdon. Sacerdotee Sydneyiensee, Hanc Calicem, Donarunt. Kal. Fabr. MDCCCXCVI, Address to the Very Rkv Mossigsor Verdov, D D,, from thk Priests ofths Akuidiocess of Sydxk\ On tbe eve of yonr dipnrture from amongst u», we feel that we should express to you our respoc' and esteem As fiist Rector of St Patrick's College. U«n>y, you have bad the guidance of the chief ecclesiasUc 6em niry of Australia. From their grammar days to the pjsiUon if their hopes \o the sacred priesthood its students have been indebtid to you for your fatherly care and priestly example. From the foundations th^s so firmly laid the highest success may be coi fi leotly < xpected in the future. As Fresuieut of th^ Apostolic Union, the pnesta or the diocese have found you a 7 j alou9 priest aud a sympathising frieud, ever ready to advise and to assist. To all jou bave been courteous and kicd, a'trac ing us by your gentleness, and exciting us to higher ideals by the example of your many priestly virtues. MOSfUGNOR VERDON !■> RETLV. Monsignor Verdon replied as follows • — " Very Rev and Rev F.itbeis,— l ttnek you sincerely fur your very kirdly-worded addits", ad for the magnificent chalice which you have presented'! me. It is, indeed must gr*tifying tv m> to lecuive such a token of the esteem and alf ec ion of my brother

pries'e, I shall ever retain a grateful remembrance of your kininees. When I was invited, eight years ago, to leave Roms and take charge o! this great ecclesiastical college, I had good reason to falt°r in face of the responsibilities of the position that was offered to m°. Bjt I can now look back with pleasure on the days I spent among the students of 8t Patrick's College. Their good will removed many difficulties ; their sincerity, their earnestness, their docility, made the task of guiding them a joy and a consolation. I am confident tna L t& young Levites, who are advancing with steady pace towa-<ls ihe sanctuary will be found worthy to stand side by side with the zealous pries s who are labouring bo nobly to build up the Chorch in t bis favoured land, " The words which are here spoken concerning myself, though so undeserved, are what I might expect from your charity and consideration, f >r you suppose that I possess the virtues which shine to brightly in your own lives. I have, indeed, received great edification from tbe clergy of this diocese. I sty sincerely that I have not met in any part of the world a more laborious, disinterested, self-eacri. facing body of priests than 1 have seen in Sydney. "The commission that I have received from the venerable Bishops of Australia, though it removes me from this land that has so many attractions for me, yet, in a way, unites me more closely to it, for whilst living in Rome, it will ba my duty to work continually for Australia. " I shall often tell of the faith and generosity of the people, and of the disintere ed zeal of the clergy ; and often, too, kneeling at tbe tomb of the Aposiles, I shall pray that the Apostolic Spirit may ever animate tLe clergy, and that tbe faithful people, trne to the traditions of their fa bers, may co-operate with their priests in forwarding every good work and preparing the way fcf new trinmpbs for the Church."