Commonwealth Notes

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XLIX, Issue 1, 5 January 1922, Page 30

Commonwealth Notes

NEW SOUTH WALES.

Curzon Hall, in close proximity of Sydney, is a beautiful edifice that has recently been chosen by the Vincentians for their new novitiate in Australia (says an exchange). The mansion, which is of white stone, was constructed some 25 years ago by the relatives of Lord Curzon, at a cost of £30,000. The Vincentians were fortunate enough to purchase it for the sum of £7500. In addition to the magnificence of the building itself, there are fine grounds, which have an area of about 14 acres. Hitherto aspirants for the Vincentian Order did their philosophy course at St. Stanislaus’s College, Bathurst, N.S.W., and then proceeded to Ireland or France for their novitiate and theology. However, now the young Australian students will go to Rome or Dublin for only theology. The novitiate will bo opened early next year with nine students, who are at present engaged,in the philosophy course at St. Stanislaus’s College, Bathurst. The Rev. E. Sheehy, 0.M., Vice-Rector of St. John’s College, Sydney, has been appointed master of novices. Father Sheehy has occupied a similar position in Blaekrock, Dublin. He himself will be succeeded by Rev. Father Ryan, C.M., who will act as Rector of St. John’s University during the absence of Rev. Father O’Reilly, 0.M., at the Irish Congress.

Under the happiest auspices, the impressive ceremony of blessing the additions to the Monastery of the Missionaries' of the Sacred Heart was carried out by his Excellency the Apostolic Delegate on Sunday, the 11th ult. (says the Freeman's Journal) at Kensington, in the presence of a large gathering. It is now 26 years since the grand work of erecting a missionary house for devoted priests was taken in hand by the revered Very Rev. Father P. Treand, who to-day was congratulated on all sides for his splendid foresight and commendable enterprise. There were many present on Sunday who had the joy of welcoming to the then sandhills of Kensington his Eminence Cardinal Moran, for the blessing of the foundations; and these, with the younger generation, rejoiced at the extension of this glorious work. His Excellency the Apostolic Delegate, referring to the new wing, said that while the cost made it at present rather a heavy burden, the prayers and material support of the friends of the Order would, he believed, soon lift this weight from it. He recalled his blessing of the foundation-stone eight months ago. It was a very rainy day, and Father Treand, who was with them at that moment, had asked for a miracle. Well, something of a miracle had taken place, and it only remained for them to complete it. (Laughter.) Referring to his New Zealand trip, Archbishop Cattaneo said that in five days he had been taken on visit to 30 parishes, making speeches all the time, as many as 23 in one day. On the plea that he had not yet got over that experience, his Excellency laughingly excused himself from saying anything further,

A big step forward was taken in connection with the movement to establish an institution for deaf mute boys, at a meeting held at St. Mary’s Presbytery on the evening of the 7th ult., for the purpose of forming a committee to promote the good -work. His Grace the Archbishop gave particulars of his correspondence with the Superior-General «f the Brothers, which resulted in a promise by the General to supply a few' Brothers, trained in deaf mute education, as soon as suitable provision was made for the work. His Grace then referred in feeling terms to the need for this institution, and to the extreme spiritual destitution of the deaf mute. He paid a high tribute to the work of the Dominican Sisters at Waratah, who were doing all that w-as required‘for the girls; but who were unable to keep the boys beyond the age of ten, , t when their education was only well begun.

VICTORIA. Addressing a gathering at Ascot Vale the other Saturday afternoon, his Grace Archbishop Mannix, referring to the Irish settlement proposals, said it was outside his province to suggest what the Irish people ought to do. If he made a statement that would imply the hauling down of the Irish flag by even half an inch, his words would be

promptly cabled to the other side of the world. If he were to suggest that the Irish people should stand rigidly by their full demands, much might be said here, in pulpit, press, and platform, regarding his utterance; but not one word of it, probably, would reach the other side of the world. He had never pretended to lead the Irish pepple, and he was not going to begin now. All that he had ever done was to use his best efforts to help the Irish people to vindicate the just rights which they had agreed to claim. With them he would anxiously await the decision of the liish people. If the Irish people accepted the proposed treaty, President de Valera would not, he was sure, stand in the way. (Applause.) President do Valera’s consistency and his principles would be intact, and, within the new Irish Free State, lie and his adherents could face the future unfettered.

On December 5 the property known as McCristal College, Mentone, was formally blessed and opened as a Residential House of the Irish Mission to China by. his Grace the Archbishop of Melbourne (says the Advocate). Speaking at a luncheon to the guests, the Director of the Mission, Rev. Dr. Maguire, availed of the occasion to thank the Archbishop for his unwavering support of this new movement for the conversion of China, and especially for authorising the opening of a house of the society in the archdiocese. The Irish Mission to China, he explained, began in 1916 as a national movement on the part of the Irish people at home. Two years later it became a race movement by spreading to America, where there was now a flourishing branch of the society, with a college of its own for the education of boys for the priesthood for China. “To-day,” he continued, “the racial character of the movement has become more emphasised by the opening of this house. Australia has made our Mission her own. Less than two years ago Father Galvin and myself came to Australia to ask for prayers and monetary assistance for our priests. The response has exceeded all our expectations. Old and young, especially the young, are now praying daily for the conversion of China, while the financial support wo have been receiving has been more than generous. For this we are mainly indebted, under God, to the Australian Hierarchy and priests, whose zeal and unselfishness have set an example to their people everywhere, and made our appeal work so easy. I need scarcely say in this connection that we owe a special debt of gratitude to his Grace Archbishop Mannix and to the priests of Melbourne. In an appeal of this kind much depends on the lead, and Melbourne’s lead in our case was nothing short of inspiring. Referring to the progress of the Mission, hi Grace Archbishop Mannix stated that God’s blessing was clearly on the work. They thanked Dr. Maguire for giving them so much information about the results of the appeal in Australia and the progress of the movement in Ireland and the United States as well as in China. Tie had had the pleasure of seeing for himself what the society was accomplishing in America. The Irish people are sometimes said to be unmethodical, but in this instance, at all events, they seemed to go about things in the right way. ’Hieir success in every country has been almost a miracle. It is surely a record for a Missionary Society which came into being only four or five years ago to have 33 missionaries in the field already, while more than three times that number are only waiting for the call. His Grace concluded by expressing the hope that God would continue to bless the labors of those Chinese Missionaries, and that Dr. Maguire’s anticipations in regard to the new house in Mentone would be fully realised.