Intercolonial

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXV, Issue 12, 21 March 1907, Page 35

Intercolonial

The marriage rate in .Victoria was last year .the highest . for sixteen years. 'The rate -of increase 4n •births" has been the highest" since 1901. The death rate for the year was lower than the average for the previous five v years. The 'high regard which Colonel Freehill has earned by his sterling qualities , was manifested when« the news of his projected departure, with Mrs. Freehill, for- an extended tour- became ilmown in Sydney. Many representative functions were held in the city" to bid therm ;bon voyage; and complimentary speeches were sonspicuous features. _ ' - - The Rev. P. J. Fitzgerald, who labored in Fi.tzroy, Geelong, Heidelberg, and other, surfoaban parishes' of the- Archdiocese of_ Melbourne for some years, has'been recalled -to 'his native diocese. He was entertained 1 - at a dinner given by the "clergy at the Hotel Victoria, South Melbourne, the Rev. Dr. Kelly presiding. Prior to his departure a presentation of 80 - sovereigns was , made tp 'Father Fitzgerald by some friends. A few Sundays ago* the Right Rev. Dr. Gallagher, Bishop of Goulburn, assisted by the Right Rev. Dr. Dwyer, Coadjutor-Bishop of Maitland, . blessed and laid the foundation stone of, a new church at Temora. : 'At the conclusion of the day's ceremonies the pastor of the district, Rev.- E. J. Fallon, was able to announce that the total subscriptions received • on the' occasion -exceeded £2000. The Very Rev. Father Meyer, the" General of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, is .the guest of the Sacred .Heart Fathers, Kensington (says the 'Treeman's Journal'). The Righb Rev. -Dr. De Boismenu, Coadjutor-Bishop of British New Guinea ; Very Rev. A. Enjdland, Vicar-Apostolic Marshall Islands ; Right Rev. Dr~. Couppe, Vicar-Apostolic of New Ponie'rania ; and the Right' Rev. Dr. Leray, Vicar-Apostolic of the Gilbert Islands- met Father Meyer, and held a" convention regarding the , -Islands missions. His Grace the Archbishop of Melbourne presided at a meeting of the Bishops of the" Province, held early in March at the Archiepiscopal Palace. The prelates who took part in the meeting were — His Lordship the Bishop of Sandhurst (Most Rev. Dr. Reville, 0.5.A.), his Lordship, the Bishop of Ballarat (Most "Rev. Dr. Higgins), his Lordship the Bishop of Sale (Mast Rev. Dr. Corbett). The deliberations of the prelates had~ to~ do with the further 1 development of -the Catholic Central Training College, Albert Park, and consideration of the new relations which have sprung up between the • Registration Board and the Catholic primary schools of Victoria. ■ The following clerical changes have been made in the Archdiocese" of Sydney : — Rev. R.- Condon, from Cooma to the Sacred Heart Church, Darlinghurst ; Rev. D. Conaghan, from the Sacred Heart Church, Darlinghursts 'to Copma ; Rev. Father M'Donald; who is doing , temporary duty at St. Benedict's Church,- to" the Sacred Heart. Church, Mosman ;' Rev Father O'Regan, from the Sacred Heart Church,"" Mosman, to Moruya ; Rev. J. Kelly, from Moruya to St. Joseph's •Church, Newt-own ; Rev. J. M-. Kelly, from Subiaco-to St. Patrick's College, Manly ; Rev. Father Bradley, "who 1 is at present doing duty at St. Joseph's -Church, Newtown, intends 1 to take a' few week's holiday prior to proceeding to Manila (Philippine Islands) for missionary work. The. Rev. M. A. Flemming, who had change o f St. -Joseph's Church, Newtown, during Dean Slattery's absence, has returned to St. Benedict's Church. ' Brisbane - records the success of the Christian Brothers' pupils at the recent Public Service T2Yaniin«tio:i. Thirty vacancies were competed fo~, five being" allotted to girls and 25 to boys. Of the 25 places, 15 were won by Christian Brothers' boys, .who thus attained sixty per cent, of the" total -vacancies open to boys. When; . it is remembered that Catholics nuimber less than 25 per cent, of the total population, these successes cannot be characterised as other than extraordinary. Out of the first 16 candidates, 14 are Christian Brothers' pupils. From the first to the rfinth in—eluded is a "clear run for the Brothers' boys ; the tenth place is held by a . '^stranger,' and/ again another sweep on -to "the 15th place. At this' stage of the game the play stands : Christian : Brothers, 14 -candidates, Grammar and other schools,' ttwerj r candidates. From the * 15th to the end of the .list there is-only one Christian Brothers' boy ; this fact-.- alone 'indicated clearly 1 the quality of their work.