Catholic World

New Zealand Tablet, Volume L, Issue 18, 10 May 1923, Page 47

Catholic World

CATHOLICS IN CEYLON: NEW YORK AND CHICAGO f;i; . RECALLED. , Father Michael Mathis, C.S.C., of the United States, adds to his story of a recent visit to China, Japan, and India with a few notes on Ceylon. The arrival there of Father Mathis and his party was, he .states, marked by happy surprises. “The native pilot of the sampan that brought us and our luggage ashore,” he continues, “was an alert, businesslike, and keen Catholic lad who had the statistics of Church matters at his finger-tips. It was good to hear that Colombo had almost 50,000 well-trained Catholics, but the fact itself began to dawn on ns at the jetty, in-the customs, and on the streets where we were constantly salaamed with the salutation ‘ Father,’ pronounced with a decidedly English accent. This Catholic refinement of Colombo’s population, from ‘coppers’ to taxi-drivers (who, by the way, did a- very rare servicethey gave us clerical rates) was the most attractive we saw in the Orient, and recalled the Catholic spirit of New York or Chicago.” AVAR BATTERED CHURCHES OF FRANCE: EXCAVATIONS LEAD TO INTERESTING FIND AT NO YON. An archaeological discovery of great value has been made in the course of the work of rebuilding the Cathedral of Noyon. The steps of the choir and the pavement of the nave having been broken by shells and explosives, the head architect in charge of historical monuments,’ who is directing the restoration of the basilica, undertook some excavations which led to the discovery of the jube, or rood screen which disappeared several centuries ago. In the ancient Catholic churches, the juhe was a tribune in the form of a gallery which barred the nave at the entrance to the choir. From the top of this gallery, the Epistle and the Gospel were read in the old days. Julies ceased to be used after the 17th century, and in France, for instance, the only remaining ones arc in the Cathedral of Albi, the Church of Saint-Etienne-du-Mout in Paris, the Church of Sainte Madeleine at Troves, and in the Church at Brou. .The juhe of the Cathedral of Novon dates from sometime between 1320 and 1330. It will be restored in its entirety in the cathedral in which it originally stood. NUNS’ INFLUENCE IN INDO-CHINA: LARGE NUMBERS OF NATIVE SISTERS. , In yet another of his letters of travel in the Orient Father Michael Mathis, of America, refers again to a sojourn in Indo-China. He writes : Perhaps the most interesting institutions visited in Saigon were the mother-house of ‘ The Lovers of the Cross ’ and the novitiate of Hie Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres for natives. The former is a purely native institution. These Sisters exercise tremendous influence. Their work is educational and evangelical. The latter is achieved in truly apostolic manner. They go out two by two to catechise pagan nomen and children. In the Saigon Vicariate alone the ‘ Lovers of the Cross ’ conduct 117 schools, with an enrolment of 8460. “There are several communities which exist under the common name of ‘ Lovers of the Cross,’ but each branch ,is independent of the other. The Caimong branch has 147 professed Sisters and 70 novices; that of Cainhum has 11 professed and 23 novices; that of Choouan has 80 professed and 54 novices; and that of Thutheim has 63 professed and 32 novices. There are also large numbers of native Sisters affiliated with European Sisterhoods. Crowning the mission work in both Tonkin and Cochin China is a Carmelite monastery in the Cathedral cities of both countries.” ■i<- ■ PRIEST’S TRYING EXPERIENCE: BRAVES BLIZZARD to CELEBRATE MASS. Rather than break his word to the Indians, for whom he had promised to celebrate Mass, Father O. J. Moorman, S.J., of Pine Ridge, braved death in a terrific blizzard that swept South Dakota, U.S.A. ' • : -g:.

r Father Moorman set out with a team of horses from Holy Rosary Mission for Three Mile Creek, a distance of seven miles. Losing his way in the storm he spent the night struggling against cold and sleep. At dawn he found himself within a short distance, of his destination. He made his way with difficulty to the house of ' one of the Indians, where he found his small congregation awaiting him. His horse was rescued and his vestments, etc., brought to him for the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice, at which the Indians offered up their prayers in thanksgiving for the safety 0 f their priest. Father Moorman is known as “White Eagle.” THE POPE’S PRINCELY GENEROSITY: RETURNS PETER’S PENCE TO BELFAST POOR. Mindful of the distress existing amongst the Catholics of Belfast, his Holiness the Pope has returned the proceeds of the annual Peter’s Pence collection in the diocese of Down and Connor, for distribution among the poor of the city, augmenting the sum by a contribution of his own. . Tins announcement was made by Most Rev. Dr. MacLory, who in his Lenten Pastoral ‘pays a tribute to the I ope s princely generosity. “ Sollc time ago,” ho writes, M. sent on to Rome the . eters J dice collection from this diocese for the . past year It amounted to £829 18s 6d, which, though more than £2OO short of the amount of the same collection in 1921, was yet ungenerous contribution, when the condition of the workers ol Belfast is taken into account. “Now, what has the Holy Father done? Knowing the pover y and hardships to which so many of our poor people hi Belfast are subjected he not only refused to retain our contribution, but added to it out of bis own purse a sum of over £ A), to bring the total up to £9OO, and charged the Rector of the Irish College, Rome, to send the entire sum on to me tor distribution among the poor of Belfast Snr.M To? t ' , . d,vilU> ih * Molv father’s gift between the Society of St. A lucent do Paul and the Association of the Ladies ol Charity, as I believe that will be the best way t 0 secure that it shall reach the most deserving of our poor. L tee sure ; dearly beloved,” adds the Bishop, “that act of his H r Pb !n' Ch f by tl,is nob, ° and generous a o his Holiness. The thoughtfulness, the sympathy, •ill charity, the generosity, it expresses must appeal to you J ’ both P 7° S S and poopl( ' ; and if this diocese of Down has never been wanting in loyalty and devotion t 0 the Jope it ,s safe to say that this noble act of Pius XI. the Vi” 1 ' us all by new ties of gratitude and affection to it „ Cl lßll of leter and to the great man who now adorns RELIGIOUS RETURN TO FRANCE. Ever since th * French Government, after the conclusion of , the war, reversed its old anti-clerical police, there has been a gradual exodus of the French religious louder England to France (says Catholic News Service, n't the ll , 7 a u ™ mU, ' ,tT to let »™ to France is that Da, , H O . J l8 I mi y UnS ’ "i'O have closed their house at Da month and returned to tile mother house of their Order in France. ,The coming of the French religions Orders really dates bol‘ T the- French Revolution; but most of ; c On ers are those who had to leave their native country alter the passing of the Separation Laws in 1903. Irom the English point of view the French Government s change of heart means a very considerable ■ lass. Among the first of the religions to leave England were the Benedictine Fathers of Qnarr Abbey in the Isle of Wight, who have now ref,,rend to their famous mother house at Solcsmes Jkey were Fit lowed shortly afterwards by the a" smaß & -? Cl ,a ’ 8 Abbey at T de though in both cases a small resident community has been left behind. The Cistercians at Wood Barton in Devonshire have returned to France, as have also the Fathers of the Benedictine monastery at Caermaria, in Wales. So far nothing has been heard about the possible return to France of the Benedictines at Farnborongh, the great abbey founded by the new Empress Eugenie, where she and the Emperor Napoleon and their son lie buried. If the Cathusians are permitted to return to France there will no doubt be 'a considerable diminution of the very largo Carthusian community at Cowfold, in Sussex where a huge monastery,was erected many years ago,' designed to non so nianv Tinnrlrorlcj nf Ho