INTERCOLONIAL

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXI, Issue 20, 14 May 1903, Page 31

INTERCOLONIAL

r lhe Right Rev. Mgr. Rignoy, the oldest priest in Australia, duid dunng the week ; aged 89 years.

Jhs Eminence Cardinal Moran blessed and opened the new additions to the Convent of St. Joseph, North Sydney, on Sunday last.

The Rev. Brother Barron has been appointed Provincial of the Christian Brothers in Australia in succession to the late Rev. Brother Mullan, to whom Brother Barron was Consultor.

At a Covernment sale of land recently the Very Rev. Dr. Barry, administrator ol the SandhuisL diocese, purchased a large area at Grassy Flat, on which it is proposed to erect an orphanage similar to the institution at Abbotsford. The cost will be defrayed out of the estate of the late Dr. Bacchaus.

Preparations for the trip to the South Sea Islands are going on apace in Sydney. It is reported that many prominent members of the Catholic laity throughout the Commonwealth have applied for berths, and will be accompanied by their wives and daughters. A cable message iecei\ed last week stated that Messrs. Huddart, Parker and Go's fine steamer Victoria has been chartered for the trip.

Sunday, May 3 (says the ' Freeman's Journal '), will be memoiable in the Catholic annals of Armidale as the occasion ol the first local consecration of a bishop. The Cardinal will be the consecrating prelate, and we understand that his Eminence will be assisted by the Right Rev. Hr Boyle, Bishop of L,ismoie. Other bishops will also be piesent. The Right Rev. Mgr O'Dono\an (Mudgee) will preach the occasional sermon, and n special discourse will be delivered in the evening by Father Fit?gerald, O F M

Cardinal Moran a few Sundays ago entertained the deputies to the biennial meeting of the H A C.B. Society at the Palace, Manly. Much mtetest was taken by the visitois m his Eminence's fine collection of art treasuies and articles of archaeological interest and relics of the saints lli.-, Eminence showed in n state of splendid pnsor\ation the prayer book Uised by Mary Queen of Scots , tho gold watch of the \enerable Oliver Plunkett ; a metal altar chalice of the days of persecution, and ancient Irish rosaiy beads With characteristic courtesy he related the historical en cumstanccs sunounding each object The visitors, through Mr John Toohey, afterwards accorded his Eminence a vote of thanks

At Little Lonsdale street. Melbourne, the Sisters of St. Joseph conduct a school entirely for Sv nan children The institution at present trains 120 children The building was erected at a cost of £1350. This money was ie<eived lr* - bequest, so that no public appeal was made for the liquidation ol the debt 'Who the donor was appears to be kept a close secret A few da\s atxo the children weie entei tamed by a genci otis benefactor ol the Sisteis— Mi P F Kavanagh — at a picnic at Bi lghton Beach Among those piesent weie the \eiy Rev Dean I'helan, the Rev. IK M'Killop, S J ., and the' Re\ L Mai tin

Active preparations are going on at Paddington m connection with the opening ol the new convent for the Sisleis oi Chant's Joi 17 > ears the nuns m charge of St Piancis' <-choo's had to go fotwaids and baekwaits e\ery day from St \ incent s College and the Monte Ohvcto Cement at Ys'oollahra, under tn me; cit cunist ances and in all kinds of weather lately ave> v desnable j)iece oi propel tv iell into then hands which they intend to make their headqnat ters both for Faddnmton and the Sacred Heart Tt is situated in Cordon street, in close proximity to St Francis' Chinch and school, and has 1 een hitherto known as ' The Towers '

An event of considerable interest to Iho Catholics of Melbourne took place a few Suiid.us a^'o. when t^c foundation stone of the now Cathedral Hall was laid, ntvl the new club rooms m Brunswick sti eet wei c opened Theie was- a large and lepresonlat i\ c gathenng present, aiiionsrst whom were his (irate the Archbishop oi Melbourne, his lordship the Bishop of Ballarnt, nrulalaige> number of cleigv The cren< ral public and Catholic hul v were represented by the M.nor the Postmast er-Ceuei al the Chief Se(ielarv. lion Nicholas Fit/i>oi aid, lion .J G Ititty M I, A , lion P V lleimessv, MI, A , Port cms Kenny, "O'Ponnell and R\ an. e1 c At the imitation ol the Archbishop the loid M.ivor, Sir Samuel Gillott, opened the clul), class, and society rooms, and made an appropriate si eech, an adrhess being also civ en by the Hon .John Muirtiv, TVF I, A Later on the Aichbishop laid the foundation stone of the new hall, which will be connected with the club rooms iust opened At the completion of the ceremony addresses were deli\eiod by the Archbishop, Senator Brake, ITon N. Fit/gerald, TTon J G Duffy, Pr Kenny, and others A lame number of subscriptions, of which the following- were the principal, wete receded • — His Crate the Archbishop, £1000 Monsignor O'Tlea £500, Bishop Rev ille (Bendiqo), £10.-} Bishop Moore (BaDaraU. £100- Dean Phelan. £100; Sir Simluel (Jillot. £.100 Mr. T Loughlin (Ballarat 1 ), £100 ' Mr B O. Oullin. £100 : Mr T F, Verga . £100 Mrs Mary Bride, £100 , Cilholic Young- Men's Society £100 . St Francis' Parish TI OO . A Friend, £100 , league of the Cross, £50, Miss Mary Coucrhhin. £50 Vimv Rev T Tvnch. TV. P P £50. Very Rev W. Quilier, £T>O ; Mr l\f. Hood, £<1O Mrs J F TTuches, £I*o ; Children of Mary Society £30 The total cost of Ilie club rooms is about £7000 and of this amount £1500 was recei\ed up to and at the fouual opening.