The Catholic World.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIX, Issue 5, 31 January 1901, Page 24

The Catholic World.

AFRICA— Death of a Dominican Nun— The Capttown Mrrcury announces the death of Mother Mauritia, for many years Prioress of the Dominican Convent of the Sacred Heart, King Williamstown, the parent house of so many other convents of the same Order in South Africa. Bishop McSherry travelled from Port Elizabeth to visit her in her last hours. His Lordship officiated at the funeral and preached a touching panegyric. CANADA— Spiritual Aid for Galician Immigrants.— The Rev. Father Lacombe, who has been a missionary in the Canadian North-West for fifty years, has just returned to his poet after paying a visit to Europe in the interest of the 30,000 Galician immigrants who are now settled in Manitoba and the North-West territories. Father Lacombe visited Rome, Vienna, and Galicia in the endeavor to provide priests of the Greco-Ruthenian rite for the Galicians and Poles in the Far North. It is no eaey matter to secure such priestß, The Holy See does not allow priests of the Latin rite to pass over to the Ruthenian, and the Superiors of the Ruthenian Religious Orders Kty they cannot spare any subjects ; non hahemus homines was ihe invariable reply. Father Lacombe, however, received much assist an c< , as well as encouragement and thanks, from the Emperor of Austria, his Minister, Count Goluchowski, and Mgr. Count Szeptycki. Ruthenian Bishop of Stanislau, himself a Basilian. ENGLAND-The Bishop of Salford on Prayers for the Dead.— The Right Rev. Dr. Bilsborrow, Bishop of Salford, consecrated a few weeks ago a cemetery, and laid the memorial Btone of a mortuary chapel, which has been provided for the Catholio missions of Nelson, Burnley, Brierfield, Barrowford, and Colne. The cemetery is situated about a mile from Nelson in the Fendle Forest district. After the service the Bishop gave an address in which he defended the Catholio teaching of praying for the dead, and claiming that until the ' Reformation ' the practice was

universally taught and believed by God's people. To-day it was aooepted by 250.000.0j00 members of the Catholio Ohuroh, 100,000,000 of the Greek Church, and 8,000,000 of Jews, as against 150,000,000 of Protestants. A Statue of the Redeemer. — in connection with the Catholio Union pilgrimage to Rome, it has been decided to raise a fund to pay the cost of the erection of a statue of the Redeemer in front of the new Cathedral at Westminster. It is proposed that the money be subscribed by Catholic youths of all ages. The statue will be blessed by the Pope, and the unveiling ceremony will be performed by Cardinal V&ughan. The St. Vincent de Paul Society and the Blount Memorial-— The Marquis of Ripon, Brother president, speaking at the quarterly meeting of the Society of St. Yinoent de Paul in the Sohool of Our Lady of Victories, Clapham, announced that an anonymous donor had given the sum of £1,000 to the society, and that through it they would be able to carry out the intended Blount Memorial to its full completion. Proposed Presentation- — A. movement is on foot (says the Catholic Timet) for presenting a testimonial to the Rev. Father Padbury, of Chelmsford. On December 21st Father Padbury will attain his jubilee in the priesthood, and it is with a view of recognising in a substantial manner the unremitting zeal and piety that he has at all times displayed in the performance of his pastoral duties that the forthcoming presentation will be made. Father Padbury worked for many years in the East-end of London before he succeeded the late Rev. Father Batt at Clemsford. FRANCE.— Death of Oscar Wilde-Mr. Oscar Wilde died on F, riday (says the Catholic Times, December 7), at a hotel in the Rue des Beaux Arts, Paris. The cause of his death was meningitis. Mr. Wilde was recently received into the Catholic Church. The son of a distinguished father and mother, and himself a man of brilliant parts, his fate was truly sad. It may be assumed that whatever responsibility he bore for the oharge on which he was convicted five years ago was due to unfortunate associations rather than to deliberate intention. God has certainly been good to him in granting him during his last days the graces and consolations to be obtained through the Sacraments of the Catholic Church. Before being received into the Church by Father Cuthbert Dunne, C.P., Mr. Wilde had during his illness been studying Catholic theology. In passing away he was fortified by the last Sacraments. His remains were interred on Monday at Bagneux, near Chatillon, after a Requiem Mass at St. Germain des Pres. ROME-The Health of the Holy Father.-The Most Rev. Dr. O'Doherty, on his return from dome, preached in St. Eugene's Cathedral, Derry. Speaking of the Holy Father, his Lordship said : •It is five years pince I saw him before, and 10 years since I saw him first, and it is almost impossible to dißcern a change in him. His life is one of incessant labor — labor sufficient,

one would say, for a dozen men. Yet he negleots nothing, leares nothing unattended to, and when his weary day is done, no matter how late the hour, no matter how exhamsted with toil, he gathers around him his household and servants in his private chapel, and joins with them in the devout recital of the rotary and night prayen. What an example for us I ' Tercentenary of Scots College-— The Scots College, Rome, celebrated its tercentenary reoently, having been founded by Clement VIII., December 5, 1600. Monsignor Fraser, the Rector, gave a dinner in honor of the occasion, at which Cardinal LogQfl was present, besides Monsignor Stonor, the Bishop of St. John's, Newfoundland, the Keotora of the English, Irish, Canadian, and American Colleges, and others. An Impressive Reception.— One of the most impressive receptions of the whole ' Anno Santo ' took plaoe on 6th Deoember, when Leo XIII. entered St. Peter's and received the devout homage of nearly 15,000 children belonging to the Catholio schools of Rome. It was a most touching spectacle to see the little ones cheering as the Pope Blowly passed up the central aisle in their midst, pausing every now and then to pat a curly head or to bless a group of ohildren that pressed forward more eagerly than the rest, addressing kind words of praise and encouragement to the teachers, and smiling on the surging crowd of little ones. Besides the school children, all the pupils of the different colleges and seminaries were present, including those of the English, Irish, Scotch, and North American Colleges, together with their rectors, so that the whole Bcholastio population of Catholio Rome may be said to have been assembled under the dome of St. Peter's. The Holy Father, in bestowing Apostolic Benediction on the kneeling thousands before him, was visibly moved, and afterwards remarked to Mgr. Sanminiatelli that no funotion of the jubilee year had given him greater oonsolation than the spontaneous and imposing act of homage on the part of those youthful hopes of the Church. SCOTLAND.— Honoring the Pastor of Alloa.— The parishioners of St. Mungo's, Alloa, at a congregational gathering held recently, over which Father O'Neill presided, presented the Rev. Father Cameron with a purse of sovereigns as an expression of their esteem. Bailie Caldor, a prominent member of the oongregation, delivered an address eulogistic of Father Cameron's great worth as a good priest. Father Cameron suitably replied in a grateful speech. Silver Jubilee of Canon Macdonald.— The Very Her. Canon Macdonald, of St. Mary'i, Paisley, who a few months ago celebrated his silver jubilee as a priest, is about to be honored with a grand testimonial by his congregation. A representative committee has taken the matter in hand. Memorial to a Generous Benefactor.— Bishop O'Donnell, of Raphoe, has just erected in St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery, Airdrie, a beautiful grey granite Celtic oross, 112 feet high, over the

grave of Mr. Neil Gillon, a generous benefactor of the Letterkenny Cathedral, as a mark of gratitude for the £5000 which Mr Gillon gave towards the building fund. St- Andrew's Day.— Scotland's National Feast Day, November 30, was patriotically observed by Scottish Catholics all over the country with great solemnity and joy. The churches were well attended m the morning and in the evening in many of the towns and districts of the country jubilant social gatherings, characterised by speech, song, and sentiment, were held in honor of the occasion The relic of St. Andrew was duly exposed both morning and eveuinar of the feast in St. Mary'B Cathedral, Edinburgh, while in the same church on the following Sunday at the evening service it was oarned in i-olemn procession by Archbishop Smith, who, before a crowded and interested congregation, pontificated for the first time m the Cathedral binoe his appointment to the Metropolitan UNITED STATES.-lUness of the Coadjutor-Bishop of Chicago.— lt is reported that the Right Rev. Alexander MoGavick, D.D., Coadjutor-Biahop of Chicago, has resigned his office because of ill health. This will necessitate the appointment of another assistant prelate, as Archbishop Feehan is also suffering from ohronio illness. Higher Education of Catholic Women— Under the shadow of the Catholic University at Washington, U.S.A., the Sisters of Notre Dame, a body of nuns well known and justly esteemed for their scholastic labors, have opened a college which is destined to have a great influence on the higher education of women not only in the United States, but throughout Christendom Mgr. Conaty, Rector of the Catholic University of America, who, at the blessing of this new foundation, which is called Trinity College preached on November 22, in the preseuce of a distinguished gathering, including the Papal Delegate, Mgr. Martinelli, Cardinal Gibbons, Mgr. Nugent, and many other representative men, assured them that at the threshold of the new oentury the Catholic University gave greeting to Trinity as to a younger sister. And such in every respect Trinity promises to be. One nun holds the professorship of Greek ; another is professor of Latin ; yet another teaches the most advanced mathematics, and for English Sister Mary Joseph has been wisely brought from Liverpool. Several of the teachers have Btudied in Europe the better to fit themselves for the discharge of their functions, and all are eminently qualified for the posts they are to fill. The establishment of Trinity College seems indeed to bring back the days when, as Mgr. Conaty reminded his hearers, the most responsible positions at Universities were filled by Catholic women— when Prosperea di Uossi taught Scripture at the University of Bologna and Novella d' Andrea Canon Law.