INTERCOLONIAL NEWS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXV, Issue 11, 16 July 1897, Page 19

INTERCOLONIAL NEWS.

Thk formal opening ceremony in connection with St. Columba'a Convent and High School at Essendon was performed on Sunday, June 27, by Archbishop Carr in the presence of a large gathering of different denominations. The new school was formerly the property of Mr. Gillespic, and was secured by the Sisters of Charity for educational purposes at an outlay of £4,150. It is eminently suited for it-* purpose, the situation being convenient, the building well adapted and the grounds spacious. Councillor Notman the Mayor of Essendon, in speaking on the Occasion, said he knew that the good influence of the Sisters of Charity would be felt in the district, and, therefore, on behalf of his council, he extended to them a hearty welcome Sir Bryan O'Loghlen alluded to the good work that the Sisters had done in Sydney in matters of nursing and education, and to their services on the battle-field and in the plague hospitals in other countries. The collection made on the occasion was £200.

The Rev. Joseph Barry, Seymour. Victoria, died at the Brunswick Presbytery, Melbourne, last week, after an illness of only forty-eight hours. Father Barry, who is but a few years on the mission was highly esteemed by both priests and people. He was a native of the diocese of Cloyne. Ireland, and was but thirty-two years of age. — 1i.1.P.

The Very Rev. Anthony Boyle and the Rev. D. M'Carthy, Ashfield, X.S.W., l>ave Hobart to-day, says the Monitor of June 23, by the s.s. Oonah for Sydney. On the invitation of his Grace the Archbishop, the Fathers of this missionary congregation will return to Tasmania in October next and will give missions in the different parishes throughout the island. The Lazarist or Vincentian Fathers are a congregation of secular priests, established by St. Vincent de Paul in 1624. The congregation has a threefold end, the sanctification of its own members, the work of the missions and the training of an exemplary clergy. The spirit of St. Vincent de Paul still lives amongit his sons as fresh aid vigorous almost as in the days of St. Vincent himself. How very deeply esteemed these zealous missionaries are is seen from the fact that they are invited regularly by almost all the bishops in Australasia to give missions amongst their flocks. In Ireland the charge of the missionary college of All Hallows, the Alma Mutrr of the majority of the Australian clergy, has been handed over to their management, whilst the Irish bishops have for years past given them control of he Irish College. Paris, and introduced them as spiritual Fathers into the Xational College of St Patrick s,«| Maynooth. In llo.ne itself the retreats for the ordinandl are nearly always given { hy priests of this congregation. We unfeigned'ly rejoice that his Grace the Archbishop has invited them to gi\e missions in Tasmania. An intimate knowledge of their work in other dioceses — a knowledge extending over almost a quarter of a century — has convinced the writer that the venerable Archbishop has commenced a work that will be of great and lasting good to his Tasmanian flock when he invited the Vincentian Fathers to give missions amongst us.

Mr. F. W. Millis, the ventriloquist, tells thia story. He was in Paris, and did not know much French. Breakfasting in the Rue de Soinething-or-otlier, he remarked to the waiter in French that he would like ham and e<mA. He had the word for ham all right, but his. '■ desoff." meaning eggs, puzzled the gar(;on. '• Desoff, desoff ! " repeated Mr. M., but the waiter got no light. '■ Chooky, chooky, chooky. chooky, chook, chook, chook ! " cackled the ventriloquist in his best farmyard style, and the waiter immediately signified that he knew now, and darted off towards the cooking department. Presently he returned with a plate, and on it — not eggs, but a spring chicken '

" Johnnie." called his motlu r, •• stop using that bad language." "Why.' rephc 1 thy buy. '• Shake-peaiv siid just what I did." " Well," replied his uiotner. groiin» infuriated, "you should stop going with him — he'd no lit companion for you."