The Catholic World.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVI, Issue 2, 13 May 1898, Page 27

The Catholic World.

United States— A Graceful Act —Last week we referred to the heroic conduct of Father Chidwick during the tragedy of the Maine explosion. We have now to record a most graceful and roble act on the part of a Catholic bishop in connection with the disaster. Through all this dreadful Maine business (says the Michigan Catholic, March 17), there has been one relieving figure standing out strongly from the rest in the city of Havana, and that figure, happily, is that ot a Catholic Bishop, Manuel Santander. When the victims of the Maine disaster were brought in to be buried in Havana, it was the Catholic Bishop of that city who provided for them a public funeral with all the honours that the Church could Bhow. and donated the ground in the cemetery in which their bones were laid to rest. When Havana was detracted and harsh voices were raised against Americans, it was the Bibhop's whose was strongest for peace. Now comes the latest mark of his benevolence in his determination to enclose at his own expense and beautify the last resting-place of the American sailors. When King Oscar, of Sweden, in his thoughtful way, gracefully erected a monument upon the spot where the American tourists had met their death, the graciousness of his act was recognised by every American to whose notice it came. How much more appealing is this act of the Bishop of Havana affecting a3 it does the last resting-place of no less than 10 sore American blue jackets. He shows the dignity of his office in the exhibition of such noble charity. An Order Of Negro Nuns. — Id the old French quarter o^ New lOrleans (says the New York Freeman's Journal), with its narrow streets, latticed windows, and jealously guarded courts, where the fig and orange tree grow, is a square of rather miscellaneous architecture. Its central building, No. 717, Orleans street, is several hundred years old. It has a stately entrance, with great pillars and old-fashioned, ornately carved doors. It was once the old Creole opera house and ball-room of the early days. Now it is the home of the coloured nuns. The Order was founded in New Orleans over half a century ago. Its members are now well-known figures on the streets of the Crescent City. The special object of its institution was the education and moral training of young coloured girls and the care of orphans and aged, infirm people of the race. It has had the cordial support of such eminent Churchmen as Archbishops Blanc, Odin, Perche, Leroy, and Janssens, who successively filled the Archiepiscopal See of New Orleans. It is also a novitiate where young coloured girls are trained for the work of the Order with the view of extending that work to every parish in Louisiana, and, if possible, into every Southern State. One of the most interesting parts of the convent is the orphan asylum, where children ranging in age from the wee tots jubt beginning to walk to girls of 12 and 14 years are cared for. One of the Sisters in charge o the babies was an ex-slave. She is a real '• mammy " still. '• But, r verend mother, you seem to have some white children here," said tie northern visitor, commenting on the fair white skin of some of tle children. " Oh, no," said the nun, smiling a bit wibtiully at the i.cnoran':e of her visitor, " they all have coloured blood in their veins. Maybe they are only quadroons, octoroons ; some of them, indeed, have only one-tenth coloured blood, but that one-tenth black c junts more than the nine-tenths white, and makes them belong f jrever to the coloured people." One is reminded of some of Cable's stories, the pathos and tragedy thereof. In the orphan asylum 130 children are sheltered who would otherwise be thrown upon the Sate. These, as well as the 60 poor old coloured men and women, aid many of the children in the bchool, are dependent upon the Sibters for their daily bread. The " Old Catholic" Archbishop of America : Without a Church or a Flock. — Some time ago we drew attention to the almost total failure on the Continent of the schismatic Old Catholic movement which started a quarter of a century ago. The same hopeless story of failure and collapse is now told of the effort to propagate the movement in America. From Green Bay comes the news (says the Catholic Citizen), long expected, that "Archbishop " Vilatte, " Priin.ite of the Old Catholic Church in America." has been left fioukless, churchless, and landless. Vilatte has lost his footing completely. His Old Catholic Cathedral in Green Bay, the primatial Sac of Old Catholicism in America, covered with liens and mortgages, has been sold. On the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, it was bought by the Polish Catholics for 102.") dollars. The bnilding will be blessed by Bishop Messmer, assisted by the Catholic clergy, on Washington's birthday, after which it will be turned over to Father Mdlkowski, who will assume charge of the congregation. Extensive improvements are to be made in the church. Not only has Vilatte been deprived of his cathedral, but his other church at Duval, Kewaunee County, where he first opened up, has been lost to him. The few deluded Polish and Belgian followers who have been supporting the Old Catholic movement have deserted him. He could not agree with Kozlovvski, the alleged Independent Polish Catholic Bishop in Chicago, and his whole movement has collapsed. Vilatte is a French-Canadian, who, before coming to this country, underwent several religious transformations in Canada. He was next heard from at St. Viateur's College, near Chicago, as a " brother." He quitted the Catholic Church there, and falling in with the notorious ex-priest, Cbiniquy, became a Presbyterian minister, and preachid for a while in Green Bay. Then he became a convert to Episcopalianism, and was given minor orders by Bishop Brown, ot Fond dv Luc. Not satisfied with Bit-hop Brown's orders, he went to Switzerland, and was ordained by Herzog, an Old Catholic Bishop. Returning to this country, Vilatte disagreed with Bishop Grafton, Bishop Brown's successor. We next hear of him negotiating with a Greek schismatic Bishop in San Francisco. After various other attempt he went to Asia, where he claims to have been ordained Bishop by the Metropolitan of Malabar.