The Catholic World.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVIII, Issue 41, 11 October 1900, Page 27

The Catholic World.

AFRICA-— Missionaries for Africa-— St. Joseph's African Apostolic Coll' ge, Cork, was honored r< j crnUy by the visit, of the {superior-General of the Society (.V erv cv - Father Planque), who wan accompanied ty a Bishop of the Society, the MoHt Rev. Dr. Pellet, of Benin. Both are distinguished members of the African Missionary Society of I^uiio, Fni,li< r Planquc bcir.g 102 c1 02c of :~° pioneers and founder of the present spacious seminary at Lyons. ThiH niisyioiiary body wan foiuied o\oi 30 y<-ar^> a^o at the .-pi civ.l command of the late Sovereign Pontiff, who entrusted its formation to the Bishop of Bruges (Mgr. de Marion Bressilac). Tha youthful prelate and four priests laid the foundation in Sierra Leone in Africa, and in a short time became martyrs to their zeai for the Bftlvation of the paganH. Two houses exist in Ireland, both in the diocese of Cork. Ihe Irish Superior, Pere Zimmerman, is a past professor of the Most Rev. Dr. Pellet, having Deen one of the staff at the Mother House in France when Dr. Pellet was a student there. BELGlUM— Departure of a Public Benefactor— To the great regret of the agricultural population of the province of Luxemburg (writes a Brussels correspondent), the Rev. Pere Cua, S.J., left recently for the Belgian Congo, where he is to be employed in the missions of his Order. For some years past Pere Cus has identified himself actively with the social movement, and it is mainly to his zeal and energy the small farmers of the province are indebted for the foundation of the various works which have contributed largely to their prosperity. He was the principal organiser of an agricultural syndicate, a farmers' club, and an association of co-operative creameries, institutions which have immensely improved the condition of the cultivating classes and remain as a monument of hia devotion to their interests. As might be expected. the good priest waß not content with advancing the merely material well-being of the people, he also endeavored, and with success, to further their moral and religious welfare, and for this purpose he aided in et-tabiinhing cheap Catholic papers, besides starting periodical retreats for working men. Pere Cub was very popular as a mission preacher, and his services in this connection were in freqnent request in the rural parishes of the province. In recognition of his successful efforts in promoting works of social utility, the special decoration of ' Prevoyance ' of the First Class was bt stowed upon him by Royal decree a few days before his departure. Iv proceeding to the Congo Free State the worthy .T< suit but resumes hin missionary career in foreign part*. He Hb'in d for some time in the archdiocese of Calcutta, where he p-truc'il irly distinguished himself by his zeal in protecting his native flock from the persecution of the Bengal zemindars. After his return iroin India he was stationed tor a whilo at Charleroi, but for the last few years Arlow in Luxemburg has been his centre of activity. CANADA -The Yukon District— The Rev. Father Gendreau. 0.M.1., from the Klondike, passed through Liverpool and London lecently. He explained that D.iwwm ( lty is built <>n the Yukon Uiver, of which the Klondike is only a. tributary. There are now lli.uOO persons in the Yukon district, about In JO of whom are Catholics. CUBA— A harsh Edict Revoked— The infamous Brook edict, which prohibited ecclesiastical marriages in Cuba, recognising only the civil ceremony, has bee a revoked. Governor-General VVood issued the order that the ecclesiastical ceremony be recognised ac on a basis of legality like that upon which it rests in the Unittd States. ENGLAND.-Pilgrimage to Rome-— The great Catholic pilgrimage from England to Rome in October will be headed by Caidmal Vaughan and the Duke of Norfolk. Catholics and the Lord Chancellorship —The death of Lord Russell of Killowen has again raided the point whether a Catholic may with any hope of success aspire to become Lord Chancellor of England. It has been generally accepted that Catholics are disqualified by their religion from holding that post, as well as the Lord Lieutenancy of Ireland, and 10 years ago a Bill to remove the disability, which smacks of bygone ages, was brought in by Mr. Gladstone and defeated by the Conservative' 1 , who termed it the Ripon and Russell Relief Bill. It appears Mr. Shee, Q.C, holds that the profession of the Catholic faith does not disqualify for the office. Presiding at the Salford Hundred Court of Record recently, he exprehwed an opinion to that effect, and said that Lord Russell, had he lived, would probably occupy the po«t of Lord Chancellor. It certainly would have been appropriate had the first Catholic Lord Chief Justice after the Reformation been aloo the first Catholic Lord Chancellor since the days of Sir Thorn, is More. It there be a disability (says the Cathalir 'lunt <r) it is tune that it should be done away with. We know what stress \\a-< laid on Catholic disability - in the Transvaal by the very people who were instrument A 1,1 rejecting Mr. Gladstone's Bill tor throwing the ollice open 10 Catholics. Death of a prominent Liverpool Catholic-— The news was received in Liverpool on Saturday, August 11. with deep regret, of the death of Mr. John Tunnicliffe, sen., West African merchaut, which sad event took place on Friday evening at his residence, Lansdowne, Blundellaands Road East, Blundellsands, in hia 70th year. The deceaeed h^d be°n identified with the West African trade for the past .">0 years, and was one of the principals of the firm of Messrs. Thomas Harrison and ,Co., one of the largest West African firms of the country. He was at the time of bis death chairman of the African Association, which position he had filled for some years, andin which company oneof his sonß, Mr. John Tunnicliffe, jun.,i»at present one of the managers. He was also a member of the Liver-

pool Chamber of Commerce, and represented the African Association on that body, and his practical experience and advice will be sadly missed in all matters connected with the trade of West Africa. He was well known on 'Change and his affable and kindly disposition and hiu honesty and integrity of character and purpose won for him a li'gion of friends, who held him in the highest respect and esteem. His death was very sudden, after an attack of gastritis. He had jn«t returned from Harrowgate. where he had been for the benefit of his hpalth, but had been obliged to return home owing to tha inelemfnev of th« weather. He was a practical Catholic, and gave freely to the schools and other institutions. ROME— Prince Henry and the Holy Father .—Prince Henry of Pruwi, brother of the Emperor William, had a long audience with the Holy Father on the occasion of hia visit to Rome for the funeral of King Humbert. SCOTLAND —Continental Catholics in Glasgow — The spiritual welfare of the Catholic foreigners in Glasgow is not lot sight of by the authorities, Some months ago a mission to Italians was given in the Cathedral. Only quite recently Father Woity, of Manchester, conducted a retreat in St. John's Church for the Poles resident in the city. There waa a capital attendance of Polish exiles, who displayed exemplary fervor during the retreat. Death of a Priest at Coatbridge.— On Sunday, August 12, the death occurred at Coatbridge of the Rev. Father Hughes, of St. Augustine's Church in that town, after a somewhat lenthened illness. Fatl/er Hughes waa close on 50 years of age, and went to Coatbridge some seven years ago to found the parish of St. Angus* tine's. The rev. gentleman was an ardent temperance reformer. Last year he erected a new church a& a cost of £10,000, and also established a secondary school for the Monklands district. He waa a member of the Old Monklanis School Board, and alto a member of the Parish Council. He was one of the most popular Catholio priests in the West of Scotland, and his demise will be deeply and widely mourned by all who came under his influence, or who had the pleasure of his acquaintance. Clerical Assistance- — We {Catholic Herald) learn that IB new priests are coming from Ireland to take up missionary work in the Archdiocese of Glasgow. Most of them belong to the Dioceats of Kerry, Cashel, and Killaloe, and have been recently ordained. UNITED STATES.— Providing a Residence for the Archbishop — I hear (writes a New York correspondent) that the clergy of th - Archdiocese of Cincinnati propose to present to the Archbishop of Cincinnati a suitable home. Archbishop Elder has approved of the plan, since the present cathedral residence ia inadi quate, and the venerable prelate wishes to provide for the future. The house in view is a magnificent two-storey, stone front, with 12 rooms, located only a short distance from the cathedral. The place is known as the Levi Mansion, and cost, with the property, fully £l.">,00o. It was purchased by the Sisters of Charity a few yean ago for a private hoppital, at the low figure of £3,000. The Sistera are willing to give it to the diocese for the same money. It is likely that the dioctse will assume the Sinters' debt and pay the interest, which is thrte per cent. The new residence will be worthy of the diocese, and a tribute to the generosity of the clergy and laity, aa it is proposed to pay off the cost by voluntary contributions. A Priest's Heroism. — Among the police officers fatally wounded by the negro desperado, Charles, in New Orleans recently» ■was Corporal Lally. When the corporal fell he expressed a desire to see a priest. A jouug man hastened to St. John's Church, a few blocks distant, and summoned Father Fitzgerald. The priest hastened to the side of the wound* d man. At that time there were but few policemen on the scene and but few citizens, but the priest went into the bou<=e where the hunted man lay hidden with a loaded Winchester, and proceeded to administer to the dying officer the last Sacraments of the Church. He had just started on the last sad oflice, when suddenly the negro and the enraged citizens began fxohanging shots at each other. The brave priest had but one thought at that moment, and that was the life of the terribly wounded man. With no care for himself, be raised the wounded form of the officer and placed it behind the door of the room, where at least there would be some little protection from the further murderous fire of the desperado, who was just above them. After doing this, the priest then attempted to leave the building. He left the rear btructure in which lay the dead and wounded, and tried to effect hia escape throngh the narrow alley that led to the btreet. This alley was in a line of fire from three different directions, and he was in a veritable hail of bullets. He had only proceeded a few feet when he stumbled over the dead body of IJruuifield the young man who only a few minutes before had (summoned him to the side of Corporal Lally. In a glance he saw that there, was no need of bis services there, and be continued his way to the street. Only a matter ot 30 feet or more at the corner of Saratoga and Clio streets, beneath the shed of Hodgint' grocery, €x-otficer Evans was seated, bleeding prof usely from a shot in the abdomen. The good Father asked for his welfare, and at a request from him for the last offices of the Church, and amidst a veritable boinbardmert, the priest performed the duties toward the wounded man which tended to console him in his last hours. The bravery and coolness of Father Fitzgerald was much commented upon by all who witnessed it. GENERALHistory Repeating Itself— Apropos of the celebration of the Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola, a writer pointed out that • recent census of the Jesuit Order shows the number of members ia over 13,000. It is just 86 years since the Order was re-established in 1814. It ia a curious fact that when the Order was first founded it took just 86 years to bring its membership to 15,000. Thus history has repeated itself.