The Catholic World.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3, 18 January 1900, Page 27

The Catholic World.

BELGIUM— The New Nuncio— Mgr.Granito di Belmonte, who succeeded Mgr. Rinaldini as Nuncio at Brussels, is a scion of the oldest and most aristocratic families of Naples. He was twenty- eight years of age when he abandoned a secuhir career and, on the advice of the Rev. Pere San Felice, a Benedictine of great reputation, embraced the ecclesiastical state, receiving soon after the Minor Order*. When Pere San Felice was subsequently promoted to the Archiepiscopal See of Naples the young ecclesiastic joined his household, and under that Prelate's direction continued his theological studies. After he was raised to the priesthood the Abbe Granito di Belmonte became the active auxiliary of the saintly Archbishop, accompanying him in all his missions of charity, and notably during the terrible cholera epidemic at Naples, when Cardinal San Felice gave proof of such heroic zeal and devotedness in the relief of his suffering flock. To the various charitable and religious works of his native city the Abbe was generous, not only of personal service, but also of his private fortune. In the organisation of the Catholic party at Naples he had a principal share, and, for the furtherance of the good nause, founded the journal, La Liberta Cattolhca, which owed its success mainly to his enlightened direction. On one of the Cardinal's visits to the Eternal City he was accompanied by the Abbe di Belmonte who, attracting the notice of Leo XIII., waa appointed by his Holiness one of his Private Chamberlains. It was, however, only after the death of the Cardinal-Archbishop that Mgr. Granito di Belmonte was called to Rome and attached to the Secretariat of State. Since then he has been emp'oyed on several important missions. He was a member of the mission charged to represent his Holiness at the Coronation of the Czar and at the Jubilee of her Majesty Queen Victoria. While attached to the Nunciature at Paris he discharged for a time, after the death of Mgr. Clari, the duties of Nuncio. Mgr. Granito di Belmonte enters on his new appointment in the prime of life, having been born in 1851.

CENTRAL AMERICA— A Jesuit appointed Bishop of Honduras- — Bishop Hopkins was consecrated for the Vicariate o* British Honduras, in St. Xavier's Church, St. Louis, Mo , on the sth November. British Honduras is in charge of the Jesuits, and belongs to the Missouri Province of the Order of the United States. The Right Rev. Frederick C. Hopkins, S.J., is fifty-five years of age, and after finishing his education at Oacott College studied medicine in Birmingham. On taking his medical degrees he practised for some time in Birmingham, but feeling called to a higher life, he later on became a priest.

ENGLAND-— A Generous Gift-— lt is said that Cardinal Vaughan has received from an anonymous donor a gift of £17,000 for the new Westminster Cathedral.

A Catholic Crusade- — Cardinal Vaughan on the last Sunday in November opened a Catholic Church at Ealing, erected by the Benedictine monks. Speaking of the dawn of the new century, his Eminence stated that the Catholic Church in England had decided to inaugurate a national propaganda of that religion, and this would be done by means of lectures, sermons, rel'gious services, and by the distribution of leaflets written by well-known men connected wittl that religious body. A pilgrimage in which the artisan as well as the rich man would participate was being organised, in order to visit the Pope, and a large amount of money would be presented to him at Pet* r's Pence. Many thousands of people in this country, said the Cardinal, refused to believe in the divinity of Christ, and the cru9a3e arranged would, it was hoped, remove this disbelief. In this work the Benedictine monks, as well as other religious communities connected with the Catholic Church, would take a prominent part.

The City of London without a Catholic Church.— it is said that in consequence of the demolition of St. Mary's, Moorfields, the City of London is now in the singular position of being, perhaps, the only Christian city in the world without a Catholic Church, and it will probably remain so, for the new church to take the place of St. Mary's is expected to be built without the confines of the city.

ROME.— The Holy Father's Health— The Rome correspondent of the Catholic Times, writing about the end of November) says .-—During the last few days the Holy Father has granted an unusually large number of audiences, averaging about six every day, without counting the usual receptions of Cardinals ' di Curia '

and of members of the Pontifical Court. This is an excellent symptom, as it proves that Heaven is not deaf to the prayers which millions of Catholics in every part of the world offer up daily for the preservation of their venerable Pastor, and that, despite the usual intermittent rumours, the Holy Father is as well as could be desired considering his great aare. I had a confirmation of this satisfactory state of things from the lips of the Papal ' Arohiatra,' ProfesHor Lapponi, who. devoted as he is to his august patient, appeared radiant as he expressed to me his conviction that Leo. XIII. will be perfectly able to preside over the grand function of the inauguration of the Holy Year.

The Young Priest-composer— Don Perosi has now com. pleted his sixth oratorio, entitled ' The Massacre of the Innocents ' which is already Wing leht-arsed in the little church at Milan, where Perosi intends to have all the official executions of his oratorios performed in future, so that Milan will become to Perosi what Bayreuth is to Wagnerian music. Notwithstanding the young maestro"s many occupations, he has not lost night of his great design, that of illustrating the grand episodes of the Redemption by a series of oratorios. That this idea is always in his mind is proved by the fact that he has commenced the seventh of the series, the seventh link in that majestic chain of golden harmony, taking for his subject ' Christ's entry into Jerusalem.' Don Perosi is expected to settle down shortly in Rome, and resume his functions of director of the Sixtine Choir.

SCOTLAND —Presentation to the Pastor of BathgateThe Rev. Father M'Daniel, in charge till recently of the Catholio mission of Dunbar, and now of Bathgate, was on November 29, in the vestry of Dunbar Church, presented with a handsome marble timepiece and bronze ornaments, subscribed to by a wide circle of friends in recognition of his successful labours in the eastern district.

UNITED STATES- Catholicism in Syracuse-- Th« results of the canvass of the city of Syracuse, N.Y., by the local Sunday school association, made on October 28, has been made public, and some very interesting statistics are presented. The canvass was made by more than 1000 visitors, and every family in Syracuse was visited on the day of the visitation, except in a few instances where it was found that there had been mistakes, whioh were subsequently corrected. The results have been tabulated, with the result that out of the 30,000 families visited there were found to be 9085 Catholics. The Methodists come next with 3157 families, Presbyterians 2161, the Baptists 2140 families, Episcopalians 1936, Congregationalists 1131. The above are the largest denominations, On the generally accepted basis of five to a family, there are in Syracuse more than 45,000 Catholio souls, or one-third of the entire population.

Going to nurse the Lepers —In the early part of December three Sisters of St Francis of St. Anthony's Convent, Syracuse, left for Honolulu, the capital of the Hawaiian Islands, where they will be in touch with those of their Order who left Syracuse a few years ago to take care of the lepers in that vicinity. The names of these noble women are Sister Sussana and Sister Robertina, who were accompanied by their Mother-Provincial, Sister Delphina. The Franciscan Sisters have institutions for the lepers at Honolulu (receiving station) and Molokai ; also a hospital at Walluku for all diseases except leprosy. Mother-Provincial Delphina will visit Molokai and will return to America after her tour of inspection.

Catholic Artißts- — It is Baid that of the 27 artiste who contributed their services towards the Dewey memorial arch 19 were Catholics.

A Remarkable Work— St. Patrick's Church, Elizabethport, New Jersey, which was recently dedicated, is a remarkable edifioe. having been in course of construction since 1889 under the personal supervision of its rector, Rev. Martin Gessner. No debt has existed at any time, from the inception to the completion of the edifioe. Father Gessner raised the money (estimated at £80,000) among his own parishioners. He refused to borrow on bond or mortgage. When money was not in hand he stopped work until money accumulated to keep up the ' pay as you go' principle which he maintained from beginning to end of building operations. The structure is in the mediaeval Gothic school of architecture. The material is gray granite, with white dressed granite trimmings and granite columns and capitals in the interior. All the statuary in marble is by Mr. Joseph Sibbel, sculptor, who journeyed to Italy for the express purpose of selecting it in the quarries, made famous by Michael Angelo.