The Catholic World

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIV, Issue 27, 5 July 1906, Page 24

The Catholic World

*i -, • - CEYLON— The Catholic Church The Catholic Church is well maintaining its position in Ceylon, as is shown by the following statistics :— ln 1873, 182,61.0 Catholics with 83 priests : in 1883, 195,000; in 1893, 246,000 ; in 1904, 293,929 Catholics. ENGLAND— A Memorial To the memory of the late Mr. Clement Scott, erected by his wife, a beautiful altar has just been added to the church belonging, to the Little Sisters of the „ Poor at Nazareth House, Hammersmith, London. Death of a Marist The death is reported of the Rev. Father Campbell, S.M., which occurred ab the Marist Presjbytery, Kew on May 14. The deceased priest, who had attained the age of 55 years, was well known in connection with his earnest labors as Superior of the Paignton Mission and during the thirty-three years which he spent in the religious profession, he made 'himself beloved toy many for his valuable ministrations and noble example. Foreign Missionary Society The report of the secretary at the meeting of the Council of St. Joseph's Foreign Missionary Society (says the ' Catholic Times ') was fittingly termed a record of progress. The document, in which facts and figures were ably presented, gave particulars of effectual and promising wcr.< done in the missions of the Upper Nile, Uganda, Districts of Madras, Borneo and Labuan, amongst the Maoris in New Zealand, in Kashmir and Kafristan, in ths Philippine, and in the Belgian Congo. The Fathers of the Society are laboring for the spread of the Faith in a self-sacrificing spirit Living on the most meagre fare, they teach schools impart a sound knowledge of doctrine to young and 'old, help to provide "food for their flocks when in want and act as real pioneers of civilisation as well as of Christianity. They are doing a noble work in refining the habnts of pagans, and gettng them to understand and follow Christian principles. It goes without saying that as the missionaries push forward in the evangelisation of unbaptised peoples the requirements increase and the demands for financial aid become larger and more pressing. Father Henry, the Superior-General, was able to give the assurance l<hat all the nocess a ry assistance would be supplied to the missionaries in the Philippines by the American Catholics, and to the missionaries in the Belgian Congo by the Catholics of Belgium. But what of the efforts of the missionaries in the British possessions ? Will not the Catholics of these islands strive to rival the Belgian and the American Catholics in generosity ? FRANCE— How Priests are treated A venerable old man of seventy-three years, an inhabitant of Saint-Christoly-de-Blaye, France, has received the following notice from the Procureur of the Republic at Blaye. ' The Procureur of the Republic invites the person named Espanet, dwelling at Saint-Christoly-d^Blaye, condemned to twenty-four hours' imprisonment by judgment of the tribunal of simple police of Saintt-Savin, on the date of August 9 1905, to come and constitute himself a prisoner here ' in default of which the judgment against him will be executed by armed force.' Who is this ' person named Espanet,' and what fault has he committed ? This redoubtable maVesfactor of seventy- three years is M l'Abbfc Espanet. He has lived for a considerable time in the districts and is known to have done nothing but good to those around' him. His crime is to have walked from the church to the presbytery in orderly manner, with a few children, who had just made their First Communion. This is the newly-devised ' crime of pfoces- , sion,' applicable to the Church only. For this he was Jed to prison between, two gendarmes. With or without the Concordat the authorities could not entertain the thought -of foregoing the pastime of harrying the clergy which is so dear to their hearts. Apostolic Words . v ; . Monsignor. Touzet, the new Bishop^of Aire and^Dax, _one of the fourteen lately consecrated at Rome by the Holy Father, -on the occasion of his solemn entry into Aire, said :— ' Without doubt,, the days are evil, but we are filled with an. unshaken confidence. Our resources may be taken fTom us. But we are the disciples of -Him Who, after creating all things, did not wish to possess here 'below even a stone on which to repose His head We shall. know how to be poor, after His example. Our dwellings" may be taken from us. But we -shall know

here also how to imitate our Divine Master. Neither the crib," in which He was born, nor the tomb, from v which, as on this day, He rose glorious, was His own. Perhaps^ we shall have to suffer. line or imprisonment because, instead *6t. thanking those who' come .to take -thej~. inventory .of our churches, we testify our "horror^ and .in- '■- dignation. As the ApostJes, we shall . come . joyously out o f the Pretorium, "because of being held-, worthy to suffer for Jesus Christ. Nor shall we be the first to give this example. The land watered with the hlood" * of St. Quitterie cannot be given up to the enemies of religion and of^, the Church." Remember the? heroism of this virgin, who- gave her life rather than betray her Faith; and since you have her for patron, -take heiralso for model.'. INDIA— The Archbishop of Bombay The* death is announced of the Most Rev. Dr. Dalr hoff, S.J., Archbishop of ' Bombay. The deceased had been seriously ill for many weeirs, and all hopes of his recovery were abandoned some time ago. He had spent a lifetime in India and had done much to strengthen the position of his Chjurch in Bombay. Prominent amongst the works carried out during his archiepiscopate were the building of a fine new Catholic Cathedral, with a palace for the Archbishop, a convent, and a school. Personally, the Archbishop was both beloved and esteemed. He was a man of a saintly character and well known in connection with all educational works. ROME— The Holy Father's Health Dr. Lapponi, the Papal physician, denies the report that his Holiness has heart trouble. The rumor got into circulation at, or a little after, Easter. The Bishop of Ossory Received Early in May the Holy Father received the Most Rev. Dr. Brownrigg, Bishop of Ossory, in private audience. The Bishop presented to his Holiness a "beautifully bound copy of the ' History of the Diocese of Ossory,' written by the Rev. William Corrigan, to whom the Pontiff sent his special blessing. SCOTLAND— Presentation In the early part of May, in the Greenhead Public .-Hall, Brid-gjetown, Glasgow, the members of the Sacred Heart congregation presented their pastor, the Rev. Michael- Hughes, with a silver casket and a cheque for £25V, as a tjo»ken of their 'affectionate Appreciation o/ him, and! also to mark the occasion of his silver jubilee in the priesthood and his elevation to a stall in the Glasgow Chapter. Golden Jubilee The golden juLKlee of the Very Rev. Canon Cameron, Maryhill, was celebrated on Sunday, May 13, in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Maryhill, Glasgow, in which church the revered rjubilarian has ministered for the past 48 years. Canon Cameron was born at Glenlivet, Banffshire, on October 6, 1833, was ordained in Rome on May 12, 1858, and two years later was appointed to Maryhill, where, as stated above, he has remained ever since. ,On the re-instalment of the Cathedral Chapter in 1884, Father Cameron was one of the first appointments, and since 'that time has "lent valuable and wise counsel to his brother Canons. Being of an extremely retiring disposition and averse to publicity of any kind, Canon Cameron would not allow his parishioners, jby, whom he is much tteloved, to . mark the celebration of his jubilee in the tangible way they desired. The religious celebration was -the only ceremony he would .agree to ; therefore the event was made the occasion for a great religious celebration. I SOUTH AFRlCA— Catholic Progress Bishop Miller,*. 0.M.,1., is preparing to build threenew churches in Johannesburg, The old clmrch at Fordsburg will" replaced "by a handsome stone i building at May fair, the next suburb. Father "Dupays, 0.M.1., has charge of this mission. At Belgravia,Jeppestown, Father Serriere, 0.M.1., is collecting for a new edifice, which will be » begun in a" month or two. The miners of La Rochelle will also soon be able to attend Mass in their own church, as Father P.- Ryan, 0.M.1., is making arrangements ' to .get the necessary funds. - *"- ,- Chinese Catholics • The Catholic -Chinese on the Rand presented an ad-" dress to Father Shang, 0.M.1., of Krugersdorp, in'Ap.riJ.. The church in this place is. a central one for the .coolies working on the . mines... It is supposed that there are at least 200 Catholics among them. With the address they presented to their Church a fine banner, worked by themselves. Although Father Shang' s name may have a~ familiar' sound- to these Oriental -Catho- '

lies, the good Father himself comes \fro.m Lorraine, ~and is only now making his first acquaintance'" with the Chinese language. , ' ' '-_ : " : \ 'j " UNITED STATES—Caririg lor the^Lepers Father Algue, director the^ -weather bureau at Manila, has Just established a branch observatory at the leper settlement on Culion Island. He took with him from Manila Father Manuel Valles, & Jesuit missionary who has lived in the Philippines over 20 years and • done much active missionary work on the • east coast of Mindonao. Father Valies has «one to Chilian as the parish priest of- the leper colony; 'He is -well on in years, and has gone to . devote^fne rest of^is well-spent life to the spiritual- benefit of-' -the poor outcasts from society, who are to be Vj concentrated on that island. Four Sisters of St. Paul de" Chartrea ■ will also go in a short time to attend, to the lepers