CATHOLIC HISTORY RECALLLED.

New Zealand Tablet, 4 November 1920, Page 35

CATHOLIC HISTORY RECALLLED.

An interesting bit of Catholic history was recalled recently on a visit of a "Catholic Rambling Club" of St. Michael's, Liverpool, England, to the venerable Church of St. Swithin, Gillmoss. A visit was paid to the church and its ancient monuments. The visitors were reminded that they stood on the site of the first Christian mission in' that part of the country. The Danes had opened a church there as far back as the sixth century. During the Reformation period Mass did not cease to be celebrated in the private chapel of the Earls of Sefton at Croxteth Hall for two centuries after the death of Elizabeth. Finally the title descended to a boy of eight, a ward of the Protestant Duke of Beaufort, This child was robbed of his religion. He had been baptised a Catholic, but grew up a Protestant. Even with this change, however, Mass continued to be celebrated. In the loft of a cottage near the church of the present time, the Catholics gathered. An interesting part of the history of this dark little place is that the Duke of Artois, afterwards Charles X. of France, came here to assist at Mass when he was on his yearly visit to Croxteth Hall. These visits are recalled by a pew in the present church, which is called ''The King of France's Seat." Friendly relations obtain between the parishioners and the present Earl and Countess of Sefton. His lordship, it is reported, has recently given land for an extension of the village churchyard. It is hoped that with the passing into Catholic ownership of the old Mass Loft, the loft will be restored and Mass again be celebrated there. This was the case up to 96 years ago, when a larger church was built.