THE HALIFAX DISASTER

New Zealand Tablet, 14 March 1918, Page 35

THE HALIFAX DISASTER

It is now possible, through The Gasket of Antigonish, Nova Scotia, to give our readers (states the Boston Pilot ) some idea of the losses sustained by the Catholics of Halifax because of the recent terrible explosion of munitions in that city: The terrible blow which fell on the Capital of the Province was a crushing one for its Catholics. The explosion took place in the vicinity of the, largest Catholic district ; the destruction of human life and property is appalling. Not a parish in the city has escaped without damage. In order to bring home to us the magnitude of the devastation wrought and the suffering inflicted on our co-religionists, a short summary of the injuries sustained by the different Catholic institutions will not be out of place. St. Joseph’s Parish. St. Joseph’s parish suffered most severely, as it is situated close to that point in the harbor where the steamer exploded. St. Joseph’s Church, Glebe House, Convent, Public School, and Young Men’s Hall are a total wreck. This parish comprised nearly 600 families; 175 of these were completely wiped out. The Rector of the parish (Rev. Father McManus) estimates that not more than 30 families in the parish escaped without losing one of its members. The priests of the parish escaped without much injury. Father Grey, who had just finished saying Mass, was pinned under the falling timber, but was rescued with slight injuries. Several Sisters of Charity in St. Joseph’s School were badly injured, one of them having both arms fractured. St. Patrick’s. St. Patrick’s parish, adjoining St. Joseph’s on the south, has also suffered severely. The church is standing, but the roof has practically collapsed and the walls are so badly damaged that it is to be feared that the whole edifice must be re-constructed. The other buildings of the parish were badly damaged, and Very Rev. Mgr. Murphy was badly cut by the glass which flew in all directions. St. Mary’s Cathedral, although two miles from the scene of the explosion, had all its beautiful windows completely shattered, as were also the windows of the parish hall, club house, and archbishop’s residence. The Holy Heart Seminary and Chapel, the orphanage conducted by the Sisters of Charity, and the Monastery of the Good Shepherd, together with the new St. Mary’s College, had most of their windows shattered, but none of the buildings are beyond repair. Sacred Heart Convent. The Convent of the Sacred Heart sustained great damages. The north side of the building, facing the direction in which the explosion occurred, had its windows torn from their casings, and the interior of the building, including its beautiful chapel, practically ruined. The St. Agnes’ Church, near the head of the North-West Arm, will probably have to be totally rebuilt as a result of the explosion. Even Mount St. Vincent and academy at Rockingham did not escape the losses inflicted by the explosion. The loss of property sustained by the Catholics of Halifax is beyond estimate. The loss of life is appalling; yet, when one views the ruins that were once the homes of families, one wonders how so many escaped from the utter devastation that has been wrought. The duty of the Catholics of Nova Scotia and of Canada is clear. Every effort should be made to .rebuild our beautiful and useful institutions in Halifax, and to restore, as far as money can do so, the losses that have been inflicted on our brethren in the capital.