Intercolonial

New Zealand Tablet, 22 June 1916, Page 47

Intercolonial

'■:>>=: • —— ~ : --. . The death took place on June 2, at the Christian f Brothers' College, East St. Kilda, of the Rev. Brother John L. Ryan, who had been a member of the Order since 1875. He was appointed principal of St. Patrick's College, Ballarat, at its first opening, and was later headmaster of the Christian Brothers' College, Perth. He spent the last three years as a member of the St. Kilda community. _ .

News has been received by cable (says the Catholic Press) that Mrs. E. Barry, the mother of the Rev. Fathers W. Barry (Chatswood, T. Barry (Adm., St. Benedict’s), and J. Barry, O.M. (Malvern, Vic.), died on June 2 at Midleton, County Cork. Five of Mrs. Barry’s sons became priests. The fourth is the Rev. Father D. Barry, of Youghal, and the fifth the Rev. Father P. Barry, C.M., of Lanark, Scotland. ‘ According to a letter received by his Lordship the Right Rev. Dr. Phelan, Bishop of Sale, from MajorGeneral Legge at the front, the three Catholic chaplains, well-known in Australia, Very Rev. Dean Brennan, * Rev. Father E. Goidanich, and Rev. Father Francis Clune, C.P., were with him ‘ somewhere in France’ on April 18. Major-General Legge was prepared for his reception into the Church by his Lordship at-the time he was Dean of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Melbourne.

His Grace Archbishop Mannix pontificated at the Convent of the Good Shepherd, South Melbourne, on the occasion of the celebration of the golden jubilee of the Prioress, Mother Mary of St. Anthony O'Shea. The Rev. Mother graduated under Mother Mary of St. Euphrasie Pelletier, the first Superioress-General of the Good Shepherd Order ate Angers, France, and came to Australia fifty golden years ago. The Prioress was solemnly crowned by his Grace amidst the felicitations of the community and clergy.

His Grace the Most Rev. Dr. Clune, Archbishop of Perth, W.A., has issued the fifth report of the liabilities of his archdiocese, which sets out the following:—‘ln consequence of the continuance of the war, the stringency of the money market, and the impossibility of realising on suburban property, we have not been able to reduce the central debt by anything like the big figures of previous years. After paying interest, rates, taxes, and other heavy liabilities, the total reduction for the year has been £2116 12s 9d. That brings the big central debt, which stood at £120,612 13s 8d on May 1, 1911, down to £20,884 17s 8d now. The reduction in the parochial and institution debts has been more satisfactory, amounting in all to £11,044 13s lOd, making a total reduction of, '£13,161 6s 9d in the liabilities of the archdiocese during the year ending April 30, 1916.’

On June 11, 1887, his Grace the Most Rev. Dr. Thomas Joseph Carr took possession of the Archiepiscopal See of Melbourne as successor to the first Archbishop of Victoria’s capital, the late Most Rev. James Alipius Goold, O.S.A. It is worthy of note (writes the Melbourne correspondent of the Freeman's Journal, under date June 6) that on Pentecost Sunday, 11th inst., his Grace celebrates his golden sacerdotal jubilee. With his usual self-denial, Archbishop Carr declined any public celebration of that auspicious day ■for the Church in Victoria. ’ Askiilg nothing for himself, his Grace has always turned down presentations. On the occasion of the celebration of his silver episcopal jubilee, the people wished to present him with substantial proof of their love and reverence, but he turned their effort to the Cathedral Hall, which had a debt of some £BOOO. This the people paid off and presented their chief ruler with the deeds.

In a circular letter with reference to the Catholic College in Melbourne, his Grace Archbishop Mannix

4 says: Since the date of the last meeting the conditions attached to Mr. Donovan’s munificent offer ■of £30,000 for bursaries have been fulfilled. A contract has been entered for the erection, at a cost of \£51,000; of a part of the college, which will provide accommodation for the staff and 50 students. The contract is to be finished in eighteen months. . \ To the great disappointment of the committee, the Archbishop absolutely forbids any celebration in honor of the fiftieth year of his priesthood. . . Those who are generously contributing to the college fund can feel that they are helping in a work which is very dear to the Archbishop s heart, and which will put a fitting crown upon his labors in Victoria. They are, in fact, making a spontaneous jubilee offering, which it is not in the Archbishop’s power to decline.’

Speaking recently at Adelaide, his Grace Archbishop Spence gave an interesting bit of history. He told a story of the early difficulties of priests in the colonies. When the State was four years old, the few Catholics in Adelaide petitioned Dr. Folding for a priest. Dr. Folding sent Dr. Ullathorne to make a start. There were then 1200 Catholics, in South Australia. On the first Sunday of Dr. Ullathorne’s visit the Catholics gathered at the house of Mr. “Phillips, Government storekeeper, where Mass was said. He perceived from their numbers that it was necessary to look out for a larger place. It was quite usual at that time for the denominations to hold their services in the public schools, with the formal permission of the Governor. It happened that the public school was not engaged for the following Sunday, and Dr. Ullathorne went to Government House to ask for its use. One would imagine’that a man holding the high office of Governor would be a gentleman; but history showed that Governor Gawler was no gentleman. He sent Sack Dr. Ullathorne’s card by a .servant, with a message * that he would not give the use of the school either to the priest to go through his Mass or to the ignorant Catholics to assist at it.’ Perhaps Governor Gawler thought the matter would end there. But it did not. Di% Ullathorne went back to Mr. Phillips’s house, and wrote to the Governor, telling him what he thought of his conduct. When Governor Gawler found that Dr. Ullathorne was a Catholic chaplain and civil servant, and had a right to the use of the school, he invited him back to Government House; but Dr. Ullathorne very properly refused.