Intercolonial

New Zealand Tablet, 9 November 1916, Page 51

Intercolonial

A cheque for £lß2l 19s has been handed over to the Rev. Mother of the Convent of Mercy, Bendigo. The cheque represents the proceeds of the recent convent carnival. The balance sheet showed the gross receipts to have been £2040 11s Id, and the expenditure £2lB 12s Id, leaving a profit of £lß2l 19s. His Grace the Most Rev. Dr. Duhig, CoadjutorArchbishop of Brisbane, cabled a fortnight ago to the treasurer of the Irish National Aid Association, Dublin, £750 from sympathisers in South Queensland. The committee has now forwarded £1450. In the towns in northern and central Queensland the movement is well in hand, and it is hoped that a sum of between £3OOO and £4OOO will be contributed throughout Queensland to this most deserving object. Three names well known in Adelaide (says the Southern Cross) figure in the list of the elections at the Carmelite Chapter in Dublin in August, viz., Very Rev. P. E. Magennis (Assistant-General, Rome), who was chosen President of the Chapter; Very Rev. J. J. Cogan, Provincial ; and Very Rev. S. M. Gerhard, Superior at Terenure. Father Gerhard is a native of South Australia, and went to Ireland to study for the priesthood with Father Magennis some years ago. He was a fellow-student with Father Ronayne, 0.C.C., now stationed at Port Adelaide. The residents of Bathurst had a most singular experience during all last week (says the Sydney Freeman of October 19), when the city was without gas, owing to the extensive damage done to the gasworks by the recent floods. Night after night the city was practically wrapped in gloom. One solitary cafe has an electric Plant, and consequently the one bright ray was to be found at this up-to-date shop. In all the churches Sunday evening devotions had to be suspended, and the local newspapers published under very great difficulties. Housekeepers who had dispensed with coal stoves with the installation of the gas-cookers found things very awkward. Altogether it was a most trying experience and one which residents do not wish to see repeated. Gas is available once again, and the damage done is nearly all repaired at the estimated cost of about £2OOO. The sectarian monger is at work in Brisbane (says the II .A. Record). Recently Archbishop Duhig has had occasion to refer to remarks made by a certain Rev. Plane. The challenge thrown out to him by his Grace is an indication of the character of those remarks. Speaking to a newspaper interviewer during the clergy retreat at ‘ Dara/ the brilliant Coadjutor of Dr. Dunne threw down the following challenge:—‘lf the Catholic Cliurch has not given to the patriotic funds as freely as any other Church in Queensland, if I personally have not given to them as freely as any other prelate or clergyman in the State, if I have not alone given since the outbreak of war as much as any six clergymen in Biisbane together of the denomination to which Mr. Plane belongs, I am willing to forward to the patriotic funds my cheque for a sum equal to twice the difference between my personal donations and theirs.’ ‘ During the interview his Grace emphasised the generosity of Catholics to the patriotic funds. He declared : ‘ The members of the Catholic Church have certainly, in proportion to their number and means, given as much as the members of other Churches to the patriotic funds, but they have not advertised that fact in the public press, because they do not believe that a matter of this sort is a Church matter. _ Every Catholic may feel bound to subscribe, but as an individual and as a citizen, not as a Churchman. Collections have been taken up in our churches, and you may see by this newspaper cutting that within the past fortnight those congregations within the archdiocese have given upwards of £350 to the fund for wounded soldiers and other funds. The synod of our clergy, sitting in this building two years ago this month, was the first clerical body here to subscribe to the war funds.. Its donation was £l2O.