The Catholic World

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVII, Issue 20, 20 May 1909, Page 31

The Catholic World

ENGLAND— Death of Bishop Johnson Not the diocese alone (says the Catholic Times), bub the province of Westminster, which embraces the whole of England and Wales, has sustained a serious loss by the" death of Bishop Johnson. Many thousands of priests and religious communities who never saw him and his work, and the British Empire was the limit reached by his work as given in the Catholic Directory, will hear with regret of his demise. The seventy-second animal issue of this useful compendium of ecclesiastical information was edited by the deceased prelate in December, 1908; of the seventytwo annual issues he had been responsible for forty-one. This is the golden jubilee year of his service in the sacred ministry for Westminster. He was bom in London In 1832, and after receiving his primary education from the Christian Brothers he proceeded to the English College at Douai, and from there went to the English College at Rome. After being a short time on the English mission he was appointed by Cardinal Manning assistant secretary in 1865, and two years later he became Chief Diocesan Secretary, a position which he held for forty-two years. In 1893 Pope Leo XIII. raised him tor the dignity of a Domestic Prelate, and in 1906 he was consecrated Bisliop at the united request of the English hierarchy. Suppression of Sweating: Concluding his course of Lenten sermons at Farm Street Jesuit Church, London, Father Bernard Vaughan said the attitude of the Commons with reference to the AntiSweating League Bill was magnificent. Practically both sides of the House were unanimous iv their determination that sweating in this country must cease. ROME— The Earthquake Victims The Right Rev. Mgr. O'Riordan presented recently to the Holy Father for the surviving victims of the earthquake in Calabria and Sicily the amounts collected in the dioceses of Cashel and Elphin, a second instalment from Dromore, a third from Derry, and the sum of £750 from his Eminence Cardinal Moran. The Holy Father, after speaking in terms of praise of the generosity of the Irish people towards the sufferers, gave Monsignor O'Riordan an idea of how carefully the sums received are accounted for. Taking out a small note-book, Pius. X. turned "over the leaves and showed how every sum received and every sum disbursed is accurately noted down. Whence the money comes; where it goes; the precise reason why such a sum was disbursed — every detail was noted down in the small, neat handwriting of the Holy Father. It is not necessary to say (writes a Rome correspondent) that every penny that comes to the Pope for the sufferers will not only be spent in the proper manner, but to the best possible advantage. His Holiness has already relieved thousands of the4>oor people who never came near Rome, so that throughout Italy, even from those who differ from him on many points, nothing but warm approbation is felt for the actiou of Pius X. The Vatican New Picture Gallery The new picture gallery which was opened by the Holy Father on Sunday, March 28 (says the Catholic Weekly), has evoked unmixed praise ffdm the Tirties and the other English journals whose representatives were present at the opening ceremony. The arrangement of the pictures, the lighting of the rooms, the decorations, all things, in fact, connected with the gallery, have been highly applauded. Simplicity, harmony, and good taste characterise the new gallery. The ceilings are vaulted, and decorated with stuccos in low relief of the Renaissance style, _and the walls hung with olive green watered silk. Thus the opening of the Vatican Gallery presents to' the world a good example of careful and conscientious arrangement, many well-known masterpieces better arranged for appreciation, and not a few treasures hitherto unknown to any but a few students. For which artists and lovers of art will feel due indebtedness to Pope Pius X. A Reception * In the early part of March the Holy Father received in private audience Canon Mackintosh, of Fort William, accompanied by Mrs. Cameron, of Dalnaboe, and Miss "Gibson. Canon Mackintosh, who was introduced by Mgr. Mackintosh, Vice-Rector of the Scots College, presented to his Holiness an offering of Peter'.s Pence from the diocese of Argyll and the Isles. The Holy Father, who was much touched by the offering, bestowed' the fullest blessings upon the Canon and the diocese, and referred to the fact -that many parts of that diocese had bravely preserved the Faith through "all the stormy period of the Reformation in that

» purity in which they had received it in the beginnings of Christianity in Scotland.' Death of an English Priest I regret to announce the death of Father Whitmee, the widely-known and highly-esteemed Rector of San Silvestro in Capite (writes a Rome correspondent). Some few years ago he had been brought to death's door by a serious illness. He made a wonderful recovery, and his friends were confident that he had many years still before him in which to exercise that charming influence which he never failed to exercise over those who came in contact with him, whether high or low, ecclesiastic or lay. Father "Whitmee was only 58 years of age. His death has cast quite a gloom over English and Irish circles in Rome. He enjoyed the confidence of Queen Margherita in an eminent degree, and was to have accompanied her in. her approaching journey to Japan. The Holy Father made constant inquiries during Father Whitmee' s illness, and finally sent him the Apostolic Benediction through Cardinal "Vincent Vannutelli. s SCOTLAND — Mission to Italians Perhaps few towns in Great Britain (writes an Edinburgh correspondent) have, in proportion to their population, a larger Italian element than -the capital of Scritland. It is seldom that an Italian priest is resident " in Edinburgh, but there are several clergy who are able to confess these exiles -from their own sunny , land, and from time to time a special mission is preached for their spiritual help and consolation. Such a mission _ has just been conducted in the Cathedral by Dom Maurus Caruana, 0.5.8., of St. Benedict's Abbey, Fort Augustus. For some -time Dom Maurus has been preaching at the Cathedral ; a native of Malta, and therefore a British subject, he is extraordinarily cosmopolitan in his sympathies and attainments. He speaks English like an Englishman , Italian like a Tuscan, and is said to be equally at home in five other languages. His course of mission sermons was intensely appreciated by his very large Italian congregation. On the Sunday when the mission closed, his Grace the Archbishop addressed the congregation in their own language, speaking of the gratitude they owed to Canon Stuart, Adm., for having secured Dom Maurus' services, and telling them how the Holy Father, on the occasion of the Archbishop's last visit ad limina, had specially inquired as to the welfare of the Italians in Edinburgh, and had sent them his blessing. Catholic Schools Very Rev. Canon Dyer, speaking recently in St. Mary's, Glasgow, said that within the year, in accordance with the demands of the Government inspectors, a start would require to be made with the building of new schools. The existing buildings are now seventy years old. The new schools are to cost between £13,000 and £14,000, and will provide accommodation for 2200 scholars, so that St. Mary's congregation, which at present possesses the largest Catholic place of worship in the country, will also possess in the near future one of the largest parochial schools iv Scotland. UNITED STATES-- Jesuit Observatories An. - observatory devoted to the study of seismic disturbances is to be erected at Washington. It will be one link in a chain which the Jesuit Order will stretch around the world, to the better, understanding, it believes, of the cause of earthquakes. Georgetown University will be the Washington link in this chain, and already the Rev. .Father Himmel, president of the University, has consented to enter into this research. Within a short time* the observations of the Government experts, can be checked against those of the institution of Jearning. The society will Jbave American stations _at Brooklyn, Worcester, Mass. ; Buffalo, Denver, Spokane, Wash.; Cleveland, and also one at Havana. The movement was started by the Rev. Frederick" L. , Odenbach, of. St. Ignatius' s .College, Cleveland, inventor an - electric seismograph. He has observed the use of different instruments in different countries. Under his idea all the Jesuit observatories in the world eventually will be equipped with instruments of similar make, so that deductions will he made with some degree of accuracy. A Poor Man's Hotel ' Father Dempsey's Hotel ' is a unique St. Louis institution. Father Dempsey (says the St. Louis Republic) is the rector of St. Patrick's Church, which stands almost at the entrance to the city and is well situated to bring its pastor into touch with the homeless and idle men, 10,000 of whom are estimated to be on its streets every winter. Just two years ago Father Dempsey, with the approval of Archbishop Glennon, started his work in a~ small house, and registered 53 the first day and over 100 the second day. Presently he secured the abandoned public school,

and through the press and private charity got 5000 dollars necessary to remodel it. The hotel is now self-supporting. There is no religious test for admission. Ten cents a night entitles a man to an excellent bed, a bath, the newspapers, and the recreation room. Meals cost from sto 15 cents apiece and are prepared from the best provisions. But there are thousands who can't pay even the small sum of 25 or 30 cents a day. They are as warmly welcomed as any in Father Dempsey's Hotel. During its first year it gave free lodging to 8056, and for a period of six months ended April 1, 1908, 2150 free meals were served. During December, 1907, the worst perhaps of the panic months, 4428 men slept on the floor of the recreation room after the 400 beds had been filled. There is an employment bureau at the hotel, and through it 500 secured work the first year. Father Dempsey keeps his kindly interest in his lodgers even after they have left him for good work, and through his influence some of them have started bank accounts, their savings totalling 3000 dollars.