Intercolonial

New Zealand Tablet, 5 August 1909, Page 1235

Intercolonial

His Lordship the, Right Rev. Dr. Duhig, Bishop of Rockhampton, has arrived in Rome, and has had an audience with his Holiness the Pope. Mother Claude, of the Convent of Mercy, South Broken Hill, one of the pioneer nuns of that city, where she has been working for nearly 20 years, recently celebrated the silver jubilee of her profession. The Very Rev. Dean Grogan (Wanganui), who has been on a health visit to Sydney (says the Freeman's Journal), has been induced by the prospect of the sea trip and the geniality of the climate to take the Islands* round trip before" returning to New Zealand. The Right Rev. Mgr. O'Reilly, Thames, preached in St. Francis' Church, Paddington, on Sunday evening, July 25. He was to preach a charity sermon in aid of St. Mary's Conference of the St. "Vincent de Paul on Sunday, August 1, in St. Mary's Cathedral. The jubilee celebrations of the Catholic Young Men's Society, Melbourne, were inaugurated by an imposing procession of over a thousand members from the Cathedral on Sunday, July 11, where the Right Rev. Dr. Gallagher (Bishop of Goulburn) delivered an eloquent discourse. At the Dubbo Municipal Appeal Court, the Very Rev. Dr. Brophy appealed on behalf of the Catholic Church against the rating of the presbytery, on the ground that the property was used for religious purposes only. The court held that the presbytery and the paddock and stable, in which a horse is kept for the use .of the priest in his work, were for religious purposes only, and exempted these properties. ' The Christian Brothers' -College, Waverley, was successful in placing three of its pupils on the list of successful competitors for clerkships in the State Public Service examinations, which were held on May 17, and succeeding days. As a great many candidates from the State competed for 32 places, the securing of three of the muchcoveted positions reflects much credit on the Waverley College. The responsibility entailed in administrating the affairs of the Archdiocese of Melbourne for the past fifteen months, in addition to carrying out his ordinary duties (saya the Advocate), has imposed a considerable strain on Very Rev. Dean Phelan's health, and at the suggestion of his Grace the Archbishop, he will take a complete rest. He left by the Moldavia on July 18 for. a trip to Western Australia, where he intends to stay several weeks. For part of the time he will be the guest of the Benedictine Fathers at their monastery of New Norcia, a mission station about 100 miles nortjt of Perth. Dean Phelan expects to be back in Melbourne in September. At the Public Service Examinations held on May 17 for cadet draftsmen and junior clerks, St. Mary's High School was very successful (says the Freeman's Journal). The. director (Brother Ephrem) sent up six students, and all passed. Four of the students — viz., James Quigley, James Sinclair, Patrick McAuliffe, and ' Michael Scannell — gained places as cadet draftsmen; and Aloysius Dyer and Charles Sheahan secured positions as junior clerks., Martin James Quigley came second on the list of the selected cadet draftsmen, which means second out of the list of over 200 competing candidates. There were 22 cadet draftsmen selected, and St. Mary's won four of these places. Dr. J. F. Usher, one of the oldest practising medical men in Ballarat, died on July 17 at the age of 77 years. Dr. Usher was born in Birr, King's County, and was educated at Trinity College, Dublin. He came to Ballarat in the fifties (says the Advocate), and since then has been closely associated with itsthistory. He was one of the first medical attendants at the \local hospital', and to the day of his death remained an honorary 'member of its medical staff. He was married in 1858 to Margaret Kidd, a Limerick lady, who survives him. Last year he celebrated the golden jubilee of his marriage. He was a man of scholarly attainments, being well versed in the Latin and Greek languages, and on all subjects was a mine of information. Withal, he was of the most kind and courteous disposition. His chief characteristics were love of faith and love of country. In the practice of his profession he was instrumental in saving many a poor soul. He never failed, whenever opportunity offered, to admonish his patients, when he saw the end was inevitable, to prepare for their eternal welfare. Dr. Usher was head of the Usher family, and could trace his ancestry back for several hundred years. The estates of the family were forfeited to the Crown 'n the troublous days of Ireland. Among the doctor's cherished possessions were the genealogical tree of the family, and a large stone which had formerly surmounted the hall door of the ancestral home in Ireland.