COMMONWEALTH NOTES

New Zealand Tablet, 24 July 1919, Page 30

COMMONWEALTH NOTES

NEW. SOUTH WALES. v The Very Rev. Father Paul Cullen, C.M., Provincial of the Vincentian Fathers in Australia, and the Rev. Joseph Ryan, C.M., have left on a visit to Ireland, where they will attend a provincial assembly of the community. The staff of St. Mary’s Cathedral has been hard hit by the prevailing influenza, but the latest reports regarding the condition of the priests who have become affected is, happily, reassuring. Rev, H. McGuire is now fully restored to health. Rev. M. Tansey is well on the way to recovery, and Rev. J. Meaney’s condition has improved. Father Fitzpatrick (Bondi) is one of the most recent victims of the pandemic, and he is at present at Lewisham Hospital. Father tansey’s brother. Dr. Tansey, is at St. Vincent’s with a second attack of influenza. Dr. Moran is also a patient there, but he has almost recovered. The staffs at St. Vincent’s, Lewisham, and the Mater Misericordias Hospital, North Sydney, are working night and day battling with the pestilence, and many of them are now amongst the patients. Impressively carried out with all the beautiful ritual of the Church, the Corpus Christi procession at St. Patrick’s College, Manly, on Sunday, June 22, attracted as usual thousands of visitors (says an exchange). True, the influenza pandemic had its effect on the ranks of the processionists, nevertheless there was a large muster of the sturdy Catholic manhood and womanhood of which the Church is so proud. The grand old college was artistically decorated. On the main terrace steps of the college a magnificent high altar had been erected. Glittering with its array of burnished candle-sticks, and its dozen points of lights, the ensemble was a sublime one. As the canopy approached the altar a dozen dainty maids from the local school, wearing wreaths and veils, jpreceded it and strewed the path with rose petals. Then a great hush fell as if by magic upon the thousands. Slowly and reverently his Excellency the Apostolic Delegate, bearing the Blessed Sacrament beneath the golden glittering canopy, moved down the paths. Along the route of the procession the walks were lined two and three deep, and the people with, one accord knelt in adoration as the Sacred Host passed by. Truly, the spectacle of Catholic devotion was inspiriting, and must have been consoling to his Grace the Archbishop, who had wisely decreed that at the present period such an act of public faith was necessary. Returning to the college the Children of Mary grouped to the left of the altar and the friendly societies to the right, the intermediate space being occupied by the rostrum, from which the Rev. E. Stanaway conducted the grand choir as his Excellency officiated at Solemn Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. VICTORIA. A garden fete in aid of .the Christian Brothers’ jubilee effort was opened in .St. Thomas’ School grounds, North Fitzroy, on Saturday afternoon, June 28, by his Grace the Archbishop of Melbourne, the Most Rev. Dr. Mannix. His Grace the Archbishop, who was warmly received, said he owed his early education to the Christian Brother’s. The school where he was educated in Ireland recently celebrated its goden jubilee, and at the same school the present great leader of the

Irish race, Mr. de Valera, received " the rudiments of education. Both in Ireland and ■ip Australia the Christian Brothers were doing great work. He knew he could rely oh those turned out from the schools by the Brothers. If a certain section of the press could be believed, he ought to be preparing to go away to the other end of the world, but he was not going till after next St. Patrick’s Day. His Grace declared the fete open after appealing to the gathering to be loyal to the Brothers and generous in their support of the worthy object in view. WEST AUSTRALIA. Rev. Father Flynn, 0.M.1., of St. Anne’s, North Fremantle, has re-entered quarantine at Woodman's Point for the third time. This devoted priest (says the Record ), it will be remembered, volunteered on the first outbreak of influenza to minister to the spiritual needs of the Catholic patients at Woodman’s Point, and after a while there was attacked by the disease. Happily the attack was a mild one, and he was able after a little while to continue his good work. Mother- General St. Pacome, of the Institute of Notre Dame des Missions, accompanied by Mother M. St. Etienne, arrived in West Australia two months ago on an official visit to the convents of the Order in that State, and during her stay visited the schools at Highgate, Plympton, Maylands, Russelton, Narrogin,. and Wagin. The Mother-General left recently by the Plassy for Deal, in Kent, England, where the Order" has taken up headquarters since the expulsion from France. The Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions were first founded 58 years ago, in 1861, by Mother Mary of the Sacred Heart, and Mother M. St. Pacome is the third Mother-General. TASMANIA. The Very Rev. Father Perkins, Provincial of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, was making Iris first official visit to Tasmania towards the end of June, and was kept busy conducting successful missions throughout the State. His companion on the trip and co-laborer in the mission on the West Coast is Father E. A. Bailey, M.S.H., who has spent seven years in Papua on the North-West Pacific Islands. The Most Rev. Dr. Barry, Coadjutor-Archbishop-elect of Hobart, in reply to the numerous messages of congratulation which have reached him from Tasmania recently, forwarded the following message;—“Accept my sincerest thanks for your kind congratulations on the high honor that will bring me to serve the great Church of Tasmania. Your revered Archbishop I have known for many years, and it would be a privilege for any priest in Australia to serve under him. Nobody will pray more earnestly than I that he will be given length of years to continue his distinguished rule.”