Commonwealth Notes

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XLIX, Issue 35, 7 September 1922, Page 30

Commonwealth Notes

NEW SOUTH WALES.

Speaking recently on Catholic Education at Campbelltown, Very Rev. Dr. M. J. O'Reilly (Rector of St, John's College) said: "There were well-meaning people in New South-Wales who immediately got indignant when they found the Catholic priest or layman inveighing against the system of : public education in vogue in New South; Wales. We had : a perfect right to object to any measure ever brought , in and passed by the Parliament of New South Wales, arid with the <■ help of God we would cherish it as long as we lived. If there were anything on , the Statute Book of New South' Wales that we did not like, as, for instance, the provision for taxation, and he knew people did not like that, the only chance they had of - dealing with the situation was to get that objectionable, feature removed from the Statute Book. If we thought that the, best way to do it was to get in another Government, then we would try to get in another Government. We were going to stick to that right which we possessed, and we were not going to be defrauded of it. Many people in New South Wales imagined that the Education Act was something sacred, like Diana of the Ephesians, and they were indignant when it was criticised. These people forgot that Catholics were one-fourth of the population of New South Wales, and that out of every hundred bricks in the State schools, Catholics''owned 25. The pity of it was that although we built and owned all our own schools and colleges, it did. not prevent the enemy attacking our nuns. If these people had the right to attack our buildings, which were built by ourselves, then he claimed we have the right to speak with regard to our system of, education. In England, where Catholics were only a handful, they had been given by the English people everything that the Catholics were now asking for themselves in New South Wales. Nine out of every ten people were not aware of that fact. There was not a single petition that we were now making to the Government that had not already been granted in England, aye, and in Presbyterian Scotland. Therefore, we were going to continue to protest. The 'Rev. Mother M. Pius Collins, one of the oldest and most revered members of the Dominican Order in Australia, passed away at. Santa Sabina Convent, Strathfield, recently. The remains were taken to West Maitland, arid were received at the railway station by about 200 children of the Dominican schools and a number of Maitland friends of the venerable nun. The cortege moved, via Elgin, Olive, Nicholson, and Victoria Streets, to the eonvent chapel, where the coffin was received by the Very Rev. V. F. Peters and the Dominican Nuns. There was a large attendance in the chapel during the recital of prayer. "The late Mother Pius was one of the pioneers of the Order in Australia, and'was for some, years its Prioress. She entered the Order in Ireland 57 years ago, and spent about 50 years in Australia, mostly. in Maitland. • A cultured, refined lady, who devoted the whole of her life to the cause of education, her friends were legion, including, in, many cases, , three generations in some families. A Requiem Mass was celebrated in the convent chapel prior to her -funeral,)-./,,.','.-.;'/ r' .-. <«s~m<"X-><> ■'■;■•; VICTORIA. ■■■':'.[ ' ' Rev. Father D. McKillop, S.J.j formerly in charge of the Hawthorn parish, celebrated the golden jubilee of his entrance into the Jesuit Society last month. Father McKillop is a son of the late Mr. Alexander McKillop, wellknown in New South Wales and Victoria. Mother Mary of the Cross, founder '. of the Sisters of St. Joseph, was a " relative. McKillop Street, ; in Geelong, was named after Mr. Alexander McKillop. ! Under happiest auspices (says the Tribune for August . 17) the Lord Mayor's appeal on behalf of St. Joseph's Foundling Home, Broadmeadows, was launched on Friday last, « when ; a largely attended and highly successful ■ public meeting convened by the Lord Mayor (Or. J. W. Swanson) took place at the Town Hall. It was at first intended to hold the gathering in the old Council chamber, but it i ;! was necessary to change the venue to the Town Hall owing ') to the large attendance. In opening the appeal the Lord Mayor said that the phenomenal attendance showed what

a profound interest the community was taking in the found- , lings cared for at St. Joseph's Home. He was very proud to be presiding at a meeting where the hall was not large; enough to hold the people, and they had to adjourn to larger quarters. To realise what magnificent work the Sisters at the Broadmeadows Foundling Hospital were doing in caring for: the orphans and waifs of the com-) : munity he could do no better than advise those present to visit the institution, as he had done, and see for themselves. - v ' • - '' r i " ' • ' ; "' i '."" -■••'■' There were over 5000 people present to, witness the I unveiling and blessing, by Archbishop Mannix, of a Grotto to. Our Lady of Lourdes, erected in the grounds of the Christian Brothers' Orphanage, Geelong. After referring to the splendid work of the Brothers in Australia, , his Grace proceeded to refer to the spirit of sectarianism which pervaded Australian life. "The people who had been running Australia and Australian politics on sectarian lines might succeed once, but they would be found out, for they could not fool all the people all the time. If those people who were always denouncing the Catholics would only examine their own consciences, they would have cause for reflection. There were dreadful scandals in this country. If Australian's would do their duty they would not be so earnestly seeking for immigrants from over the water, but Australia's best immigrants would come from the other world, straight from the hand of God. Not one of those who were talking about the less important things had the courage to say one word against this awful cancer that was eating into the heart of Australia." WEST AUSTRALIA. An instance of Christian charity and remarkable generosity is afforded by an authoritative statement which recently reached us, wherein it is ' shown that no less a sum than £IBSO have been donated to the various Catholic charitable institutions of the Archdiocese of Perth by Mr. Stuart Patterson, Kellerberrin, during that gentleman's last financial year (says the W.A. Record). Of that munificent amount the Boys' Orphanage at Clontarf received £210; the Little Sisters of. the Poor, £250; the Home of the Good Shepherd, £250; St. Joseph's Orphanage, £225; St. Vincent's Foundling Home, £250; and the Presentation Convent (Cottesloe Beach), £SO. The balance of the total sum of £IBSO Mr. Patterson disbursed among the metropolitan charities, endeavoring to aid as many insti- " tutions as possible. There were also three donations towards succoring the starving children of Europe. ' WWW* .'.TASMANIA. ,;;..;.,.;■■''. '„,';■'•' Mr. Albert Ogilvie, M.H.A., has been elected president of the Tasmanian section of the Australian Labor Party, vice the Hon. J. A. Lyon, M.H.A. Mr. Ogilvie is one of Hobart's most successful barristers and solicitors, and represents Franklin in the Tasmanian Pasliament, having topped the poll at the last election. Educated by the Christian Brothers at St. Patrick's College at Ballarat, Mr. Ogilvie is well known in Catholic circles. It is understood that Mr. Ogilvie will be elected Labor leader in the State Parliament, in place of Mr. Lyons, who is entering on the study of law. Mr. Lyons is a keen student and s a quick thinker, as well as an eloquent and convincing speaker, and should become one of Tasmania's successful lawyers. Before entering politics he was a State school, 'teacher.. '. c -'• , ■ -.•- ".-;, .), —<x*> — -...,;"'■:,:..:.\.vV .' To-day Catholics in the United States are one in every six in the population. In 120 years the population of the United States has increased 24 times, while the population ' of the Catholic Church has increased 600 times. ' ; .\v r;