CATHOLIC EDUCATION IN VICTORIA

New Zealand Tablet, 23 October 1913, Page 19

CATHOLIC EDUCATION IN VICTORIA

On October 1, his Grace Archbishop Mannix opened a bazaar at Surrey Hills, Melbourne; in aid of the liquidation of the parochial debt.' His Grace, in the course of; his address, said it had been suggested by their pastor (Rev. Father Gleeson) • that bis (the Archbishop's) education had been very defective; for he had had no training in the art of opening bazaars. If now late in life, he were desirous: to make up for that lack of knowledge, there was plenty of opportunity in Melbourne. His Grace the Archbishop, - with the kind consideration that he always showed towards weakness and inexperience, had endeavored to save ; him. ; from bazaars, and to do most of the diocesan work ;in ■ that department himself. His Grace's well-meant effort was not wholly successful. He (Dr. Mannix) 1 was reminded of what happened once in Maynooth. A certain president of that college, a very estimable man, advanced in years, but with no \ very keen sense of humor, got a new vice-president to help him. ~"'." He thought it right to give his new assistant some idea of his duties, and he explained, among other things,'that the college should be officially represented on many public occasions, such as funerals, public meetings, dinners, and so on. Then, as a division of labors, he suggested that the vice-president should attend the funerals, and he himself would see to the dinners. The only fault with the arrangement, so far as the president was concerned, was that it did not work. In his (Dr. Mannix's) case, the Archbishop was kind enough to propose to keep for himself the trouble of making the opening speeches, and to give him (Dr. Mannix) the pleasure of reading them. But that arrangement also failed to work. . . In that parish, as elsewhere, the Catholic people cheerfully bore the burden of their debt so far as it was incurred in the erection of their churches. The same could not be said of their school debts. These school debts also they had borne, and would bear so long as it might be necessary. But they bore them under protest and under A Sense of Injustice. \ ,»v It was not his intention that night to dwell upon matters- that had been so recently discussed before a larger audience. The Catholic case had been most ably presented. The discussion, (as reported, had given Catholics much reason to rejoice that their cause had been entrusted to capable hands, and had been triumphantly vindicated. In Melbourne there were persons who were greatly concerned about the alleged grievances that might possibly some day press upon a, minority at the other end of the world—what was called the loyal minority in Ireland very meek and gentle section of the community. Of course, their proper name was the disloyal minority in Ireland. He wondered that the Melbourne champions of minorities could not extend their sympathy to an oppressed and a wronged minority much nearer home to them than Ulster. That Catholic minority that they had in their own midst was not a disloyal minority. For Catholics loved Australia, were proud of Australia, and they may be relied on to defend Australia if ever she needed defence. _ But, on the other hand, they claimed equal rights with their fellow-citizens, and they would never rest content until the present unjust educational load was lifted from their shoulders. People wonder how we can talk so often, and so much, of our grievances. They forget that we are always bending under our burden, ' and that we feel it the more when we are forced, by bazaars and other devices, to purchase "freedom of conscience in a land that claims to be free. He knew that there were many liberal-minded Protestants here.Who; were prepared to do justice to their Catholic fellow-citizens, and to them they were grateful. They were open to argument, and they were prepared' for peace on reasonable conditions. He hoped that' peace would come, and soon, with the aid of the great body of fair-minded people in Victoria. , -,, „