RETURNING TO THE FOLD

New Zealand Tablet, 25 January 1912, Page 20

RETURNING TO THE FOLD

Almost twelve months ago—in February,. 1911, to be precise— Rev. Gordon Tidy, who, just , prior to his conversion to the Catholic faith, was in charge of the Anglican Cathedral at Bathurst, was received into the Church (says the Catholic Press). Though his intention was known to his friends for months previous, its fulfilment was somewhat startling to the Anglican community of New South' Wales. Mr. Tidy is now in Rome studying for the priesthood. Now we have to record another conversion- of an Anglican clergyman, the Rev. William John ; Geer, M.A., who had been assistant curate at All Saints’ Church, Woollahra' for nearly three years. On r the morning of January 3 he was received -into' the Catholic Church by the Rev. Father Clarke, 0.F.M., at 'St. Joseph’s, Woollahra, and is at present living at Manly. The impression that he is at St. Patrick’s Ecclesiastical College, conveyed by one of the morning papers, has' no foundation. He is living privately' as a - Catholic layman, and so far has no plans- as to ! the -future'. * I Read Myself Out of Anglicanism For several years I have had the idea that I would eventually become a Catholic,’ said Mr. Geer, in the course of- a conversation with us. ‘ I distinctly remember being, present at a Catholic mission in a country town in Victoria when . I was a. small boy. Even then I was impressed by the reverence of the congregation, and I made up my mind there and then • that I would, when I grew up, read the best works on the Catholic side. Well, I did so. I have read nearly all the works of Cardinal Newman, and of that : great Catholic ; controversialist ? of •» to-day, ?Monsighor Robert Hugh Benson, : as well- as many of - the publications of the Catholic Truth Society. One pamphlet'that impressed me ■ very much was Monsignor Benson’s City \Set on a '■ Hill, i and among works • that gave me great

T - 7 ... ■ . ■■■- ■ assistance in arriving at my final determination were Rather Ryder’s reply to Plain Reasons Against Joining the* Church of Home, also Dom Chapman’s reply to Bishop Gore’s Roman Catholic Claims. So, you see, I practically read myself out of Anglicanism into Catholicism. ‘ From my reading of Church history I have long felt that I would be rather on the side of such men as the Blessed John Fisher, Sir Thomas More, Richard Whiting, and their successors to-day than on the side of the so-called Reformers, such as Henry VIII. and his tools, Thomas Cromwell and Cranmer. ‘I Had to Follow my Own Conscience.’ Church or the influence of any Catholic friend, priest, or layman, but my own deliberate choice that has led to the change of my religion. I, of course, realised the pain it would cause my relatives and many old friends, but, while feeling sorry that it should do so, I felt that I had to follow my own conscience, and that it was no use pretending any longer to believe what I ; did not believe. " * The change, as you see, is due to no sudden whim. It has been gradual, and has not come about through any personal difference with any r individual Anglican, or through any dispute as to vestments, ritual, or anything else. , My conscience has been my dictator, and, as I wrote in my communication to the parishioners of the churches with which I had been associated in Woollahra, when I came to hold views not in keeping with the Book of Common Prayer and the Reformation, the only honest course was to resign from the Anglican ministry. ‘ The change I have made has been quite a venture of faith. I have no plans for the future, but I trust that Providence will open some door of opportunity.’ During our chat Mr. Geer mentioned that during the whole time he was an Anglican clergyman in Sydney he had only been within St. Mary’s Cathedral twice. His first visit was in March last, when perhaps the greatest and most memorable mission ever held in this city was conducted by the Redemptorist Fathers. He was passing, and, noticing the immense crowds pouring into the edifice from all sides, he followed them, and heard what he describes as 1 the finest temperance sermon ’ he ever listened to. That night the Very Rev. P. M. Lynch, now. Superior of the Redemptorist mission in the Philippines, was the preacher. The second visit was when, with thousands of others, he filed hurriedly past the remains of the late Cardinal Moran. At various times, however, he has attended missions in Catholic churches in country towns of his native State of, Victoria, and he has a vivid recollection of a scholarly sermon delivered many years ago in St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Melbourne, by the Very Rev. James T. Colgan, of the Society of Jesus,' , who is now local Superior of the Jesuit mission at St. Mary’s, Ridge street, North Sydney. Mr. Geer is a native of Carisbrook, Victoria, and is the eldest son of an Anglican clergyman. His early education, was received in the Victorian public schools.. For three years he was a resident student at Trinity College, Melbourne, where he graduated in the* Arts course, taking his 8.A., and subsequently his M.A. degrees. ANOTHER CONVERSION. The Rev. A. H. Murphy, acting-rector of St. Barnabas’ Anglican Church, Bathurst South, has also been received into the Catholic Church. It may be remembered (says the Catholic Press that he created a stir in Anglican circles some months ago by defending the Ne Temere Decree against attacks made upon it by the Anglican Bishop arid others. ,