Commonwealth Notes

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XLVIII, Issue 45, 15 November 1923, Page 35

Commonwealth Notes

■ NEW SOUTH WALES. ' J / The death, of Mother Mary, Francis McGuigan, which occurred on- Saturday (says the Catholic Press for November I), removes one of the outstanding figures in the religious and charitable life of this State. For 36 years she ruled over the Sisters of Charity, the pioneer nuns of Australia, and her regime will be for ever memorable in the wonderful growth of the two great hospitals in Sydney and Melbourne, and in the development of the colleges-which make the work of the daughters of Mary Aikenhead so notable. The body was placed in the beautiful chapel at St. Vincent’s Convent,, which became even more impressive in the garb of •. mourning. Throughout Monday, many old friends of Mother Mary Francis went to pay their last respects to her whom they had loved so much, but their manifestation of feeling came to its zenith on Tuesday morning, when, at;'the convent, Solemn Requiem Mass was celebrated. His Grace the Archbishop of Sydney presided at the Mass, and his. attendants at the throne were Very Rev. Father. McNamara (Commissary-Provincial of the Franciscans), and Very Rev. Father Gleeson (Superior of the Redemptorists), Rev. Father E. Bond was master of ceremonies at the throne. The celebrant of the Mass was Rev. Father P. Piquet, S.M.; the deacon, Very Rev. Father P.-B. Kennedy, 0.F.M., and the sub-deacon, Rev. Father Morris, Rev. Father P. J. Murphy (Adm. St. Mary’s Cathedral) was master of ceremonies at the Solemn Requiem Office and Mass. The chanters were Rev. Dr. P. J. Sheehy and Rev. Father M. Tansey. A large number of others of -the clergy were present. On Saturday, the 27th ult., the following newly-or-dained priests arrived in Sydney by the Orsova: Rev. Fathers J. A, O’Donnell, D. G. Ryan, M. Carmody and B. Hudson, for. the Archdiocese of Sydney; Rev. Father Ring for Bathurst. Father Hudson was educated and Ordained at Waterford College; Father Carmody at Carlow; the other priests are students of All Hallows College, Dublin. .• -:r - Speaking at the blessing and laying of the foundation stone of the extensions to St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, Adelaide, his Grace Archbishop Duhig said that outside ! of - Europe there would be nothing to surpass St. Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney. St. Patrick’s, in Melbourne, would (compare favorably with the most stately edifices in Europe, and Brisbane had plans of a cathedral which would eclipse anything else in Australia. WWW VICTORIA. y, Another fine property has been acquired by the authorities of the Irish Mission to China for ecclesiastical purposes (writes the Melbourne correspondent of the Catholic Press). The property known as .“North Park,” near the Essendon railway station, and the adjoining property known as. “Rosebank,” have been purchased with the object of supplying a conveniently-placed preparatory -novitiate for the training of missionary Sisters for China. The Sisters of the Good Shepherd in Victoria have suffered the loss of Sister M. de Pazzi (Abbott), who died at the Oakleigh Convent on the 6th ult., and Sister Mary of St. Elizabeth (Sheehan), who died at Abbotsford on .the 9th ult., Sister M. de Pazzi. joined the Order 35 years I ago in New Zealand, but spent the most of her religious r life at Oakleigh. . Sister Mary of St. Elizabeth entered . the; convent at Abbotsford as far back as 1874, and during these"'long years-rendered valuable services to the community.'; '* ’ A ' fine example "of Catholic charity (says the Catholic iVmpls“shown in the will of Miss Margaret Jane Conway, of St. Kilda, Melbourne, which was proved recently. She ; left-property worth £34,170, distributed as follows: After. ••several bequests to ( relatives and friends, £2OO was bequeathed to the Very Rev. ; Dean Hegarty, of Carlton; i £loo'to the Rev. Father John Barry (Adm. St. Patrick’s jCathedral); £2O to Our Lady of Victories’ Church, Camberi well; and £IOO to the Rev. Father Lynch; of St. Mary’s ; Church,” East St. Kilda, of which £SO is to be used for the -Catholic primary -schools . in the parish of East St. •Kilda». r . Testatrix directed that the residue of her estate

should 'be'’divided into 17 equal parts, to be distributed as follows: Two each to St. Anthony’s Home, Kew; Foundling Home, Broadmeadows; St. Joseph’s Home, Surrey Hills; Receiving Home, .Grattan Street, Carlton; Little Sisters of the Poor; and the Archbishop of Melbourne, for the erection and maintenance of Catholic primary schools; and one part each to St, Vincent’s Hospital; St. Vincent de Paul Society, East St. Kilda; St. Augustine’s Orphanage, Geelong ;> St. Vincent de Paul Orphanage for Boys, South Melbourne; and St. Vincent de Paul Orphanage for Girls,;South Melbourne, SOUTH AUSTRALIA. ; - J Dealing in an editorial with the proposed extension of the’ Cathedral at Adelaide, the Southern' Cross points out that the design of building a Cathedral in Adelaide,* dedicated to St. Francis Xavier, was conceived first by y. Dr. Murphy, its first Bishop. Owing to many difficulties, all he could do was to build the old Church of St. Patrick at West Terrace, and this served as a Pro-Cathedral for "many years. Later on, in 1858, when Catholic population had increased, the Bishop erected the main portion of the Cathedral. In the time of Dr. Reynolds, further room was necessary to accommodate increasing numbers of worshippers, and so the Archbishop built the eastern wing. Unfortunately, the original plan of the church was departed from, and the wings or aisles were out of proportion. 7 Archbishop O’Reily was ever busy on diocesan finance, and had no time to undertake the completion of the cathedral. This work is being now undertaken by his Grace Archbishop Spdhce. The architectural fault caused by the disproportioned aisles is to be remedied. The western aisle is to be made as wide as the eastern. The base of the cathedral tower, the front of the church, and the new choir gallery will be- built. A future generation will see to t\e erection of new sacristies, the sanctuary, and the chapter-room. TASMANIA. His Grace the Coadjutor-Archbishop of Hobart (Most Rev. Dr. Barry) took up his residence at the Deanery, York Street, Launceston, on Thursday, September 27. At the 11 o’clock Mass at the Church of the Apostles, on Sunday, September 30, his Grace explained that while he took over the duties of parish priest of Launceston the people would understand that his episcopal duties extended all over the State. He would, therefore, be absent at times from the city, but he would be in touch with h’s ' assistant priests. The Launceston parish had a very fine record, and he felt he would have the whole-hearted cooperation of the people in occupying that very hign position in future. Dr. Barry paid a tribute to the Very Rev. Bernard Murphy, who left Launceston in the course of the week, to take charge of the/ important parish .of St. Joseph Hobart. Father Murphy, he said, had done splendid work for the Church in Tasmania, and, being one of the consultors of the Archdiocese, he was now going to a position which would bring him into close personal association with the Archbishop (Dr. Delany).

Music Examinations

CONVENT OF OUR LADY OF LOURDES, TE AROHA. The examination in connection with Trinity College, London, was held by Mr. Mallinson, P.T.C.L., at the convent, Te Aroha, on September 17. Following are the results: — A ' : Associate Diploma (honors)—Muriel Taylor 83. 'Senior (Singing)—Evelyn Ray r 78. Intermediate (Singing)— Muriel Frear 69. Intermediate (Piano) —Bernadine Morgan 68. Junior (Singing)— Noonan 64; (Violin): Delia Glynn 69; (Piano): Elsie Tilsley 75, Daphne Noonan 75, Nita Gilpin 74. Preparatory (Violin)Cyril Spicer 68. First Steps (honors) —Eileen Butler 86, Eileen McSweeney 81 (pass): Elsie Douglas 75, Ronie Horn© 60. r - ■ ■The theoretical results of June examination are also, to hand. ‘ Final examination for Teacher’s Diploma: Licentiate;- Marguerite Bruce. Senior— Carle 78. - Advanced Junior—Cyril Spicer 68. Junior (honors)—Alexandre Geisler 95, Hazel Corbett 95, Elsie Willis 92; (pass); Lilian Gaynor 76, Elsie Tilsley 69, Violet Elliott 68. Preparatory (honors)Robena Munro 95, Muriel Comes 98, Roderick Lockett 93, Charlotte Munro 83. ’■