THe Catholic World.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVIII, Issue 20, 17 May 1900, Page 24

THe Catholic World.

BELGlUM.— Honoring the Peasant Soldiers— On Sunday (says a recent issue of the Catholic Times) was inaugurated the monument which has been raised in the Cathedral of Antwerp to the memory of the patriots who fell in the Peasants' War of 1798. The memorial has been erected in the small chapel alongside the porch of the principal entrance, and consists of a handsome marble slab inserted in the wall, with a symbolical figure of an angel, holdin one hand a mourning wreath and in the other a shield bearing the inscription, ' For our altars and our homes.' The slab is placed beneath a great bronze figure of the Christ, which *vas cast from the debris of the broken statue of the Duke of Alba. A isuitable inscription is graven on the commemorative stone. The Very Rev. the Abbe Helsen, the Dean of Antwerp, speaking at the inaugural ceremony, said that it was but fitting that monuments should be raised in public places in honour of the men who had died for their country in the Peasants' War ; it was equally appropriate that some memorial should be erected to them in a church, since they had lost their lives in defence of their religion. Placed at the entrance to the cathedral, this monument, added the Dean, will recall to those who enter here the brave deeds of their ancestors, and, whilst keeping alive the memory of the dead, will not fail to edify the living. ENGLAND.-Death Of PriestS.-On March 13 the Bey. Father Pozzi, for 18 years rector of the Catholic Church of Brownedge, near Preston, died at Llandudno, where he had been staying for some months with a view to recruiting his health. The deceased, who was a member of the Benedictine Order, spent many years of his life aa a zealous worker amongst the Irish community of Liverpool. He was 70 years of age. — On the previous Friday the death of Father Anderson, 0.5.8., took place at St. Peter's Presbytery, Liverpool, at the age of 71 years. The deceased was an able preacher and a great favorite amongst all classes and creeds. Be was an energetic worker in the interests of Catholic institutions, notably the Catholic Orphanage, and his familiar figure will be missed, not only from St. Peter's district but from many placet where his presence was always a welcome acquisition, and his wise counsel highly valued. A Statue for the Southwark Cathedral-— St. George's Cathedral, Southwark, has received a gift of a splendid statue of St. Anthony of Padua from Count Arthur Moore, M.P. Honors for Priests of the Portsmouth Diocese— Canon Hall, of Tichborne, and Canon Conway, D.D., of Newport, Isle of Wight, have had congratulations from many friends both within and outside the diocese of Portsmouth on being raised to the Monsignorial dignity. The Position of the Church in the last Century.— in the course of a lecture delivered at Bloxwich, Birmingham, recently, the Rev. Father E. B. Hymerssaid :—lt: — It is only 130 years ago (1770) since one of our four bishops, vicars-apostolic they were called, was tried at the Old Bailey for exercising the functions of a Catholic bishop — He had said Mass and administered Confirmation, and he had also catechised a number of children These were the charges made ag inst him. Fortunately a technical plea was found by which the judge was enabled to let him escape ; but five yeare previously Dr. Maloney had actually been sentenced to imprisonment for life because he had been convicted of being a priest. It is not 120 years ago since two very poor Catholic laborers and their wives in Yorkshire were summoned before a magistrate and fined one shilling each for not going to the Protestant church, and their goods were distrained for payment. Lord Arundell had four horses taken out of his carriage by a Protestant, who offered him the payment of £5 each, because such was the law that any Protestant could take a Catholic gentleman's horse on payment of £5. A short time before a country squire went up to London and paid a visit to the Courts of Justice, and heard the grand jury announce to the judge that thoy had made all due search for Papists, and he was so alarmed that he never entered the courts again. Fifty years a Monk.— The Very Rev. Father iPrest, of St. Mary's Church, Leyland, in the diocese of Liverpool, this y^ear celebrated the golden j übilee of his connection with the Order of St. Benedict, and at a concert recently he was the recipient of a purse of sovereigns, and an illuminated address from his congregation and friends. The Very Rev. Dean Barry, of Chorley, in making

the presentation, remarked that Father Prtst, 25 years ago, was Prior of the Monastery of Ampleforth, and at the end of his term of four years was re-elected for another term. The Order of St. Benedict had kept its connection with the old Catholic institutions ever Bince the Reformation, and thus Father Prest held the title of Cathedral Prior of Winchester. In acknowledging the presentation 1 Father Prest spoke of the broad-mindedness and toleration now prevailing. A monk makiner his profession gave himself up to his Order for ever, but up to ~>Q years ago there was such danger in a man making his profession that it was done in secret. He believed ho was the first one who for .iou years made hio jjiufcbnioti in public. The New Westminster Cathedral— The members of st. Martin's Society, an association of Post-office officials, were invited recently by his Eminence Cardinal Vaughan to visit the new Westminster Cathedral. The members, among whom were the Rev. Philip Fletcher, M. A. (president of the society). Mr F. A. R. Langton (private secretary to the Postmaster-General), Mr. P. Ennis, Mr. J. V. Gane, Mr. W. Irvine, Mr. Valentine M. Dunford, K.SG. (Hon. Bee. and treasurer), Mr. Philip Comber (assistant secretary), and a large number of others, met at the Archbishop's house, and were received by his Eminence, who delivered a most interesting address upon the new Cathedral. His Eminence pointed out, in the first place, why the Byzintine form of design had been chosen in preference to Gothic or any other style. It was intended that the new Cathedral should bear in no way any comparison with Westminster Abbey, and there were so many Gothic churches scattered all over the country that it was considered a Byzantine church would come as a Bort of relief. The Cathedral would be some M 0 feet long and 50 feet wide, or 10 feet wider than Brompton Oratory, which church itself waß considered to give a very good epace in the transept. The Cathedral was built of brick, but the domes had been covered with concrete. This was a somewhat unusual proceeding, but it was a perfectly sound one. The Baths of Carracalla, which were built in the time of the Roman Emperors, were covered in this way, and they were still standing in a wonderful state of preservation. His Eminence went on to explain that attached to the Cathedral would be a hall capable of holding about 1000 persons, a diocesan library (chiefly for ecclesiastical works), and the Archbishop s house. Owing to the great depth (about eight feet) of concrete foundatio 1 already existing on the site, the Archbishop's house would have no basement. The servants' quarters would, therefore, be on the ground floor. On the first floor would be the secretary's offices, and the Diocesan Education Fund, the Rescue Society, etc. On the second floor would be the Archbishop's reception rooms, which would be larger and finer than in the present house, and also the private rooms of the Archbishop ; and on the third floor would be the bedrooms. On the conclusion of his address his Eminence gave the members his blessing, and then himself personally conducted them through the Cathedral, This mark of kindn^sß on the Cardinal's part was much appreciated by the members. The building is still in a somewhat unfinished state, as the internal dtcorations have not yet been commenced, but the noble proportions of the edifice were greatly admired, and the mopaie decorations with which it 1-7 proposed to aiorn it should render it no mean couipititor with some of the finest cathedrals oa the Continent. SCOTLAND.-St Patrick's Day in Edinburgh -The festival of St Patrick (says the f'utholir Hi rah/) was honorel in an especial manner this year in Edinburgh and the llast of bootland. The shamrock was much more generally worn than usual. Special services were held in the various churches in the city, that in St. Patrick's being on a scale of magnificence never before witnessed there on the occasion of any previous feast. Three prelates and many other Church dignitaries were within the Banctuary, whilst the edifice itself was thronged to overflowing.