Commonwealth Notes

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LI, Issue 8, 21 February 1924, Page 35

Commonwealth Notes

•V- NEW SOUTH WALES. Very Rev. Father Gleeson, the Superior of the Redemptorist Fathers, returned to Sydney the other week from the Philippine Islands, where he made visitation of the houses of his Order. J ■ The residents of Fairfield, in the words of Rev.,, Father / V> .... A * . J. Walsh, are in the happy- condition of living amicably together, and Protestants!'and Catholics alike aspire to do everything for the progress and prosperity of the, district. It was the pastor’s pleasure the other Sunday, at the blessing of the foundations of the new church by the Archbishop of Sydney, to pay tribute to the broad spirit of toleration and generosity of ' his 'Protestant neighbors in co-operating wfth their Catholic neighbors in matters affecting the welfare, of the new church (says the Freeman’s Journal). In, welcoming his Grace to the district, Father Walsh explained ' that had it not been for unforeseen difficluties the foundations of the church would have been laid some months ago; nevertheless, their joy had been increased on that occasion by the visit of his Grace. A few years ago few amongst them anticipated such an event as that taking place that afternoon, particularly as in those days the Catholic families could have been counted on the fingers of one hand. As the district advanced the Catholic people grew in numbers; and in respect to their church he publicly said that great aid and co-operation had been given by the non-Catholics of the place. There existed that day amongst the residents a grand, friendly spirit, and a spirit of tolerance as ' well as of generosity. Due to that feeling, the various Catholic functions had been very successful, and he hoped that the same feelings would continue to exist. He could assure them that out of the new church there would not go forth one word to hurt the feelings of anyone or tend to diminish the spirit of kindness which existed among the various denominations of the district. Sunday (says the Catholic Press for January 31) was a wonderful day at Orange. It was an epoch-making occasion in the annals of Catholic education in Orange, if not in the west. The foundation stone of what is promised to be one of the largest and best-equipped Catholic schools in the State was laid, and with the ceremony were associated many striking features. The most striking of these were the most adverse weather possible, and the most generous and loyal spirit conceivable. In the face of cold westerly winds and lashing rains, the people of Orange, together with a- large number of visitors from other centres, flocked to St. Joseph’s Church in the afternoon to demonstrate in a practical manner their sympathy and co-opera-tion with the Bishop of Bathurst (Dr. O’Farrell)' and the Administrator (Rev. Father Kelly) in their ambitious programme for the improvement, enlarging, and modernising of Catholic buildings at Orange. Included in the scheme is the establishment of a Bishop’s House, and improved accommodation for the Sisters and the students. The, scheme is costing, approximately, £13,000, in addition to which further outlay will be necessary for the furnishings. The gathering was honored by the presence of the Most Rev. Dr. Sheehan, Coadjutor-Archbishop of Sydney, it being his Grace’s first trip across the Mountains. His Lordship Bishop O’Farrell and Very Rev. Dr. O’Reilly (Rector of St. John’s College), were also present. An appeal for donations towards the building fund resulted'in the extraordinary sum of £5790 being given or promised. \ VICTORIA. Xavier College, Kew, will welcome a new rector when the boys resume on February 12, in Father Frost, who was their sports master last year (says an exchange for February 7). He was . vice-rector of Clongowes Wood, near Dublin. Very Rev. Father Sullivan, who has been rector of Xavier for the last six years, was appointed Provincial, or head of the Jesuit Order of Australia, and thus has '* had to retire from the control of any one school. He has. been very popular in .Melbourne, not only at Xavier, but among all the public schools. His predecessor, Father ; O’Dwyer, yeas ' equally popular, and so ' Father Frost enters on his duties rs regtor following two splendid men. Father Sullivandias done good work on the Council of Education,

but owing to his new duties necessitating his being frequently absent from Melbourne he may have to retire. He will be much missed in public school circles. The Month’s Mind for the late Right Rev. Dr. Gallagher, Bishop of Goulburn, on January 23, in the presence of a notable gathering of prelates, clergy, and people, was celebrated in SS. Peter and Paul’s Cathedral, Goulburn. An eloquent and impressive panegyric was delivered by his Grace the Archbishop of Brisbane (Most Rev. Dr. Duhig). A graceful tribute is to be paid to his Grace the Archbishop of Melbourne by the. past pupils of the Sacred Heart Convent,. Burke Road, East Malvernviz., the presentation of a Corpus Christi (Werribee) College Burse to the value of £6OO, made up of offerings of sixpences given in response to the past pupils’ appeal. His Grace will attain his 60th year on March 4, 1924, on which occasion the gift will be presented to him. Dr. Mannix was con-" secrated in Maynooth by his Eminence Cardinal Logue (Primate of All Ireland) Archbishop of Phasalus and Co-adjutor-Archbishop of Melbourne, with the right of succession, October 6, 1912, and arrived in Melbourne on Easter Sunday of the ■ following year. He succeeded the late Archbishop Carr, May 6, 1917. Whilst his predecessor bent his energies to the completion of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Dr. Mannix completed the system of higher education for his people, lay and clerical, by the erection of Newman and Corpus Christi Colleges. QUEENSLAND. Rev. Brother D. G. Purton, M.A., principal of Rostrevor College, Adelaide, S.A., has been transferred to Nudgee College, Queensland. His Grace Archbishop Duhig, of Brisbane, since his return from Rome in January of last year, has travelled about 14,000 miles, and administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to nearly 4000 young people. Ten new churches, as well as several other buildings, have been dedicated, and on the whole the advancement of religion in 1923, well maintained the record of previous years. The Very Rev. Father William Lee, P.P., V.F., Rosalie, Brisbane, and the Rev. Patrick Brady, P.P., Maryborough, have been raised: to the rank of Dean. Both priests have done splendid work in the archdiocese to advance the interests of. Mother Church, and have received numerous congratulations from their brother priests and their Catholic people. The two new Deans were class mates in Ireland and arrived in Queensland in 1893 to begin the work on the mission. Dean Brady, who is a brother of the late Father P. Brady, who for many years was P.P. at Maryborough, was in charge of the Gayndah parish, where he built a magnificent convent and church. Dean, Lee, during his pastorate at, Rosalie, erected a beautiful church costing about £12,000. . A presbytery was also erected, and the school renovated and enlarged. The cyclone which ' struck Brisbane at the week-end (says an exchange for January 31) did considerable damage in the suburbs. On Saturday afternoon the Church of the Little Flower at Kedron, Wooloowin, opened a few weeks ago by Archbishop Duhig, was blown down. A number of people were in the church, parishioners waiting for. Confession, and members of the Altar Society .preparing for Sunday, when the storm broke. Noticing a movement in •the roof, they were hurrying from the building when the roof fell in, and two or three people received abrasions. The building, which was of timber, cost upwards of £2OOO. ——

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