Commonwealth Notes

New Zealand Tablet, Volume L, Issue 36, 13 September 1923, Page 35

Commonwealth Notes

NEW SOUTH WALES. Among the passengers by the Hobson’s Bay, which reached Fremantle on Tuesday, the 28th ult., are 33 postulants for the Sisters of St. Joseph, North Sydney. Of these 21 are from Ireland. '

St. Vincent’s Hospital, Bathurst, which is to be officially opened next month in presence of 11 prelates, was originally known as “Hathrop,” built on a fine site of 50 acres, five of which were leased, leaving 45 for the requirements of the hospital. The extensive alterations have made the property an up-to-date hospital. A Sydney correspondent to the Melbourne Advocate writes: —Sir Benjamin Fuller will present his cheque of £SOO to Mother-General of St. Vincent’s Hospital at a meeting of generous folks, who formed the “League of Help” in connection with the new novitiate of the Sisters of Charity. Statements of receipts and general matters in regard to the venture will be submitted by MotherGeneral, followed by a programme of music and songs of farew and good wishes to Sir Benjamin and Lady Fuller, who are on the eve of going for an extended sea trip. His Excellency the Apostolic Delegate returned to Sydney from Rabaul yesterday (says the Freeman’s Journal for August 30) by the Mataram. He was accompanied by his Lordship Bishop Couppe, M.S.C., who is retiring after 33 years’ service as Vicar-Apostolic of New Pomerania, now Eastern New Guinea. Besides consecrating Bishop Vesters as Vicar-Apostolic of Rabaul, his Excellency paid a visit to the Madang Mission. The Right Rev. Monsignor King and the Rev. Father Francis Clune, C.P., who had accompanied his Excellency, on his visit north, also returned by the Mataram.

Speaking at Hornsby 'the other Sunday, his Lordship Bishop Coppo, of the Salesian Congregation, who is proceeding to his new See at Kimberley, North-west Australia, said he saw that day, for the first time, the glorious Australian flag. He saw the beautiful stars it contained, and it conveyed to him an ideal that their eyes must uplift to where those real stars shone. He was about to take up his duties in a far-distant part of Australia, where the same flag would shine. He would be amongst the real Australians in their native habitat, where he hoped to render some help in preserving their race. He was an Italian by birth, and had spent many years in New York, had given missions in his own country, in Spain, France, Germany, and other countries, and, prior to leaving for Australia, had been specially privileged by his Holiness the Pope- to impart the Papal Blessing, which he now did for the first time in Australia. The flag, wherever he was, would remind him that, like the Catholic Church, which was universal, it spread to every corner of the great Australia. VICTORIA. At a meeting of past pupils held at the Convent of Mercy, Geelong, the other Sunday, a member of the community who entered the convent in 1860 was present. The religieuse is in her 82nd year. St. Augustine s Boys’ Band, Geelong, has been graded in the A division by the Victorian Bands’ Association. The Marist Brothers’ Band and the St. Vincent de Paul’s Boys’ Band are classed in the 0 grade. The National Trustees Company, as executor of the will of Bridget. Donnelly, deceased, who died at South Melbourne, on October 21 last, has distributed the estate amongst institutions as follow: —Convent of the Poor Clares, Kenmare, Kerry, Ireland, £865; Foundling Hospital, Broadmeadows, £432; St. Joseph’s Home for Destitute Children, Surrey Hills, £432. The late Archbishop Carr was the greatest, temperance reformer in Victoria,” said Sir A. J. Peacock, Minister of Education, at Creswick, the other Saturday. “Every child he confirmed and they confirm them at an early age in the Catholic Church — made promise not to touch strong drink till attaining the age of 21 years. They kept the promise, and he made more genuine teetotallers than others who adopt different methods.” Speaking at St, Mary’s Cathedral on a recent Sunday

evening (says the Advocate), the Bishop of Sale (Right Rev. Dr. Phelan) said that owing to the capital being made out of the marriage laws of the Catholic Church at some recent Protestant meetings, ho was asked to give a simple exposition of the Ne Temere Decree. Before touching on the decree itself, the Bishop called attention to the statement recently made by the Minister of Defence that this was a “Protestant country.” There is no State religion in Australia, said Dr. Phelan, and surely Ave Catholics have as good a right to live beneath the. Southern Cross, and reap the fruits of our own industry, as any section of the community? With regard to the Ne Temere Decree, false statements had been madejust as false as that of the Minister of Defence this decree interfered with the liberty of non-Catholics, It does not touch those outside the Church who marry among themselves. In the case of mixed marriages, the ceremony must take place before a priest and two witnesses to be valid, just as if it were a marriage between two Catholics. His Lordship' clearly showed that there was no reasonable ground for objection to the Ne Temere Decree. WEST ’ AUSTRALIA. Last year, in the month of May (says the Melbourne Advocate ) the Right Rev. Dr. Ernest Coppo was. consecrated in the Basilica of Our Lady Help of Christians, Turin, Italy, Vicar-Apostolic of Kimberley. He spent some days in Sydney towards the end of August as the guest of Archbishop Kelly. His Lordship is accompanied by Rev. John Setaro. Dr. Coppo spent 27 years in the United States as a missionary of the Salesian Order, whose founder was the late Ven. Don Bosco. The Vicariate of Kimberley covers an area of 120,000 square miles of north-western Australia. A mission for Christianising the aborigines of Kimberley was founded in 1890 at Beagle Bay, The mission at first was committed to the charge of the Monks of La Trappe, and their Fathers remained in charge for ten years, until 1900, when the then Bishop of Geraldton, Dr. Kelly, secured the services of the Pallotine Fathers, otherwise known as the Fathers of the Pious Society of Missions, to continue the work which the Trappists were obliged to leave. Under the direction of these good religious, the aboriginal mission made satisfactory progress, and of recent years the work has been in charge of the Very Rev. Father John Creagh, a devoted Redemptorist missionary. For this new work, Bishop Coppo and the Salesians left Sydney on the 29th ult. In addition to the Horae at Beagle Bay, there are branches at Broome and Disaster Bay. The Order of St. John of God (27 members) are training the native women and girls, and nursing the sick and afflicted. The population of the Vicariate is about 5000, exclusive of aborigines. SOUTH AUSTRALIA. Adelaide Catholics (says the Melbourne Tribune will have a very busy time in October,- for the Australian Hierarchy will hold their annual meeting there during that month, and his Grace the Archbishop (Most Rev. Dr. Spence, 0.P.) has arranged that the laying of the founda-tion-stone of the new Cathedral will take place during their stay. On Thursday evening, October 18, a concert of a thousand voices will be given by the school children in the Exhibition, under the direction of Brother Dowd. On Saturday afternoon, October 20, there will be a garden party at Victoria Park to enable the laity to meet the visiting prelates. On Sunday morning, October 21 (11 o’clock Mass), Pontifical High Mass will be celebrated at ‘ St. Francis Xavier’s Cathedral, the celebrant being Right Rev.' Dr. Hayden (Bishop of Wileannia-Forbes); On Sunday afternoon a procession of men and boys of the archdiocese will march from St. Patrick’s to the Cathedral, where the foundation-stone will be laid at 3 o’clock. It is anticipated that about ten thousand men and boys will take part, and the Children of Mary will attend in their blue cloaks, with' other societies in regalia. The ceremonies will end with Pontifical Vespers at 7 o’clock, when a sermon will be preached by the Coadjutor-Archbishop of Hobart (Most Rev. Dr. Barry). ;