The Catholic World

New Zealand Tablet, 10 February 1916, Page 53

The Catholic World

ENGLAND * THE BLESSINGS OF THE FAITH. Addressing a convert instruction class at Stoke-on-Trent, upon the occasion of the First Communion of eighteen of its twenty-four members, the Rev. H. Sprague, who conducts the class, said : —'Comparisons, sometimes odious, were too often made between socalled "born Catholics" and converts. There were advantages on both sides. As a convert himself, he rejoiced at his conversion, but regretted he had not received the blessings of the faith from infancy. Born Catholics had much more to be thankful for, and more, too, to be answerable for. Converts had got behind in the race for heaven, but they must make up for lost time by great devotion to the faith and the Church, and especially by the regular and frequent use of the Sacraments. The gift of faith, whether received in infancy or later in life, would benefit neither born Catholic nor convert without appreciation and co-operation.' A NEW DEPARTURE. The energetic and courageous Abbot of Caldey, whose monastery was reduced to extreme poverty by the war, has inaugurated a school for the education of boys, which resembles in some slight measure the famous monastery schools of an earlier age (says America). He has taken under his care, free of all charge, a group of lads who will be trained ' for gardening, poultry, and farm work,' ' stained-glass window making,' and so on. The boys will also be provided ' with regular courses of lectures and instructions,' so that they may go from their island-home thoroughly equipped for the battle of life. The Abbot writes of the boys' summer routine as follows : —ln summer time they rise in the morning when the Angelus rings, which is always about half an hour before the first Low Mass at 6.18. They all come to Mass, and most of them make their daily Communion. At seven they have a good solid breakfast, and go to their various works at eight. They ' knock off ' at twelve and have dinner, for which the monastery supplies the principal dishes. Then they have a free time for games until two, when they go to work till six o'clock, with a break of half an hour for tea at four. At seven they have supper and recreation, and at nine they go to bed. On Sundays and greater Feasts they come to the High Mass at nine o'clock and to Benediction and Compline in the evening and on these days also, instead of having meals at St. Joseph's, they come into our refectory at the monastery for dinner and supper. This is a change for them, and they like to listen to the reading during the silent meal, while the monks are glad to see them at their table at the end of the refectory, and to feel that the boys form part of the established order of things at Caldey. Saturday is a half-holiday, and after a thorough clean-up of their house they are free to enjoy themselves. We have a big and safe boat for them to row about in Priory Bay, and they will be encouraged to bathe and to fish, and generally to delight themselves with the ' objects upon the sea shore ' that are dear to the heart of all boys. CHARITABLE BEQUESTS. Miss Mary Agnes McGhie, South Side, Clapham Common, S.W., who died on October 17 last, left estate of the gross value of £30,244. Probate of her will dated December 7, 1914, has been granted to her sister, Miss Theresa McGhie, and the Rev. Father - Robert Rossall, Clapham, S.W. _ The testatrix left £SO per annum to each of her nieces, Josephine and Maisie McGhie, her wearing apparel, etc., to her sister, Theresa; £IOOO. to the Catholic Bishop of Southward; £SOO to the Constitution of Poor Clares, Baddesley Clinton, Knowle, near Birmingham; £3OO to the Little Sisters of the Poor, St. Peter's House, Meadow road, Lambeth, S.E.; £IOO to the Society of

St. Vincent de Paul (Clapham branch) £IOO to the St. Elizabeth Society for the Poor (Clapham branch) ; and the residue of her estate she left upon trust for her brother, James, and her sister, Theresa, during their joint lives, but should her, said sister predecease her said brother, then he is to receive £3OO per annum during the remainder of his life, and, subject thereto, the testatrix left the ultimate residue of her estate to the Rev. Father Robert Rossall.

PRANCE

THE ATTITUDE OF ANTI-CLERICALS.

The attitude of some of the anti-clericals in Prance towards the priests is illustrated by an incident which has taken place in Auvergne (says the Catholic Times). The Abbe Cinqualabre, parish priest of Cantal, was officiating in his church when' a man in a soldier’s garb cried out, ‘ This parish priest is a Boche!’ Without noticing the insult, the priest, who wished to avoid disturbing the congregation, proceeded with the sacred ceremonies and then took a collection for diocesan works. The soldier, when the abbe had reached him, put two sous on the plate, shouting, ‘ Send them to the Prussians!’ It was found that this brawler had never gone to the front himself to meet the Prussians, that his papers were not in order, in a word that he was a poltroon. Yet, instead of prosecuting him, the police arrested the priest. There being no evidence, however, against the abbe, they were compelled to set him free. In the infliction of injustice the anti-clericals have little to learn from the Prussians. They are helpers of the Prussians, for by their efforts to create suspicion against the Catholic priests who are so nobly supporting the cause of the Allies, many of them at the front, they are doing all they can to provoke divisions amongst Frenchmen at a time when France needs, above all things, unity amongst her people.

ROME

THE HOLY FATHER AND PEACE

Referring to the comments in the English press on the Holy Father’s recent Allocution, the London Tablet says;—Unfortunately, some of our contemporaries have thought themselves called upon to scold the Pope because he described the peace which ‘ the whole of humanity ardently desires ’ as a peace not only ‘ just and lasting,’ but ‘ not advantageous to one of the belligerent parties alone.’ This seems to be a case of confused thinking on the part of the critics. Clearly the governing epithets are ‘ just and lasting,’ and these condition all that follows. What constitutes a just and lasting peace must depend on circumstances if that is gained, no one would wish to confine the resultant advantages to one belligerent alone. Take an extreme instance, and suppose we were out against a mad dog. We should know that if we wanted a * just and lasting peace ’ we should have to get the brute knocked on the head or else safely muzzled. No compromise which allowed the creature to roam the streets at certain hours, on terms of equality with honest citizens, could possibly represent * a just and lasting peace.’ On the other hand, when once we had got the creature securely trussed, and so held the preliminaries to a ‘ just and lasting peace,’ there could be no object in pressing the advantage further.