Intercolonial

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVII, Issue 20, 20 May 1909, Page 35

Intercolonial

Sister Mary Genevieve Varley died at Star of the Sea Convent, Elsternwick, on April 25. She was a native of County Galway, Ireland, and had been a nun 15 years. Madame Melba has accepted the invitation of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd to visit their Abbotsford Convent on her return to Melbourne. A" cable message has been received by the Rev. J. Shiel, administrator of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Ballarat, stating that his Lordship the Bishop of Ballarat is returning to Victoria by the Ortona, and would arrive in Ballarat on June 3. It is understood that he will be accompanied by the Archbishop of Melbourne. Lieutenant Shackleton, of Antarctic fame, was a guest of his Eminence the Cardinal at the Palace, Manly, one evening recently (says the Freeman's Journal). In his time Lieutenant Shackleton met many distinguished men, but he says the bright recollections of his visit to Manly will not fade from his memory for many a year. The Rev. G. A. Robinson, 8.A., Camberwell, Melbourne, is in receipt of a letter from a prominent London musician in regard to the success on the concert platform of Miss Amy Castles. The writer says he has followed the career of Miss Castles from her first appearance in London, and that ' her voice is of surpassing power, brightand rich in quality, ample in range, and employed with true artistic instinct.' The Right Rev. Dr. Duhig, Bishop of Rockhampton, at the close of the annual retreat of the clergy held at Meteor Park, received an address and testimonial from the priests of his -diocese, previous to his departure for the Eternal City. . Father Gallagher was the spokesman, and voiced the love and affection of the priests and people of the Diocese of Rockhampton towards the Bishop. His Lordship will also receive a valedictory address from the citizens of Rockhampton. At a recent meeting of the general committee charged with preparing a reception to his Grace the Archbishop of Melbourne a letter was read from the Very Rev. Dean Phelan, V.G., in which it was stated that his Grace had expressed the wish that he might be allowed to return as quietly as possible. He laid down two requests — (a) that there be no presentation whatsoever; (b) that there be no procession. A deputation was appointed from the meeting to interview the Vicar-General in order to decide on what form the reception of his Grace shall take. The Rev. J. J. Bannon, 0.P., and the Rev. G. O'Farrell, 0.P., of North Adelaide, opened a two-weeks' mission towards the close of April in Cairns, the seat of the Vicariate of North Queensland. The mission (as we learn from a Queensland correspondent) was an unqualified success, the attendances at the Masses and evening devotions taxing the holding capacity of the Cathedral. The sermons of the zealous" and devoted missionaries were of a high order of merit, and made a great impression on those who heard them. The missionaries intend to visit all the centres of population in the vast Vicariate, and will be kept busy at their work until fhe end of July. The Rev. Father MacDonnell, C.SS.R., bne of the bright and zealous band of Redemptorists of Mount St. Alphonsus' Monastery, Waratah, died in St. Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, on Saturday, May 1, after having undergone a very serious operation. Father MacDonnell (says the Freeman's Journal) had beer? suffering from an internal complaint for some considerable time, and * despite great suffering carried on missionary work in West Australia and Victoria. Father MacDonnell was a native of Limerick, Ireland, and was born on November 16, 1867. He was professed in 1887, and ordained a priest in 1892. Six years later he arrived in Australia, where he labored with zeal' in a fruitful spiritual mission. Speaking at the banquet in connection with the opening of the new wing of Mount Erin Convent, Wagga Wagga, on Sunday, May 1, Bishop Gallagher said Catholicism was the very antithesis of secularism, for Catholics held that unless religion was based on God's teaching it "had no value whatever. In this they liad the command of God Himself, Who taught the little children, for did He not say, ' Suffer little children to come unto Me.' The evils of secularism were to be found in France, which was already on the down-grade, and the opposite effect could be seen in Germany, where four hours every week were devoted to directing the school children in either the Catholic or Lutheran religion. That was the difference between the two nations. France was a decaying one, and Germany a rising one, that could afford to build Dreadnoughts as she was doing.