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NEW SOUTH WALES.
ARCHDIOCESE OF SYDNEY.
THE EIGHT REVEREND ABBOT GREGORY
Many of our readers throughout this
and-the colonies of Victoria and Queensland
will regret to learn of the serious
illness, and, from the disco ura<nu>
accounts by the last mail, of the probable
demise by this time of the above muchesteemed
ecclesiastic. Dr. Gregory as
he was popularly called, assisted, as
Vicar-General, the late Archbishop, in
the administration of the affairs of'the
Archdiocese when it embraced, with
Tasmania, the colonies named.' As an
ecclesiastic he was much esteemed by his
Catholic friends, and as a gentleman in
his relationship with all members and
sections of colonial society, 1 no one held a
higher position or commanded - mote
general esteem than Abbot Gregory. As
an evidence of this assertion, we may
allude to the very complimentary address
presented to him by Sir Charles Nicholson
Mr. W. Macleay, and other gentlemen of
the Australian Club, on the last occasion
of|his departure for Europe. The news
sent on the 7th March stated that he was
then over nine weeks prostrated, and
that but slender hopes were entertained
of his possible restoration to health. We
will anxiously look out for the earliest
intelligence regarding his illness, and will
hasten to communicate to the public the
character of the news that will reach us.—
Freeman's Journal, 5th May.
ST. AUGUSTINE'S CONVENT, BALMADF.
Last week we reported the opening of
this Convent by his Grace the Archbishop
of Sydney. We may now add a
few words of interest. The Freeman's
Journal, in an introduction to its report
of the ceremony, says :—The building is
mainly built of brick, and is situated on
a commanding height near the Adolphusstreet
ferry. The laud upon which the
convent; is built was the property of
the Jesuite Order in Melbourne, and
has been generously given by them for
the purpose for which it is now used.
The building is a handsome and commodious
one, and is admirably adapted
for the purpose of a convent. To meet
the decline in the hill upon which it is
built, one side is only two storied, whilst
the other is three stories in height, or
has what is more generally called a
ground story. After the formal opening,
his Grace said that he was pleased to see :
that the building had sprung up in such
a short time; the foundation-stone of it
being only laid by their lamented Archbishop
just before his death. He was
pleased tosee suchalarge number present,
and he would be wanting in his duty if he
did not publicly thank the Jesuits, who
had so kindly given the land for the
building. He also took that opportunity
to thank Father Cahill, the Superior of
the Jesuits—who was present—for the
execellent panegyric he had delivered ia
St. Mary's a few days ago, on the
occasion of .the celebration of the Month's
Memory of the late Archbishop. Dr.
Crane then eloquently. addressed those
present.,
THE BISHOP OF NEW CALEDONIA.
(CatJwlic Times, 3rd May.)
Monseigneur Vitte, Bishop of New
Caledonia, whom ill-health compelled to
revisit his native land, arrived in Sydney
per Torres' Straits Mail Steamer on
Saturday. He is accompanied by the Rev.
Pere Prat, as Vicar-General. They will
leave for Noumea by the first steamer,
taking with , them Pere Simonin (who
arrived here with Father Heuz6, and who
has been awaiting, the arrival of Hi*
Lordship). Whilst in Europe his Lordship
completed arrangements for the
foundation of a .branch of the austere
Order of La Trappe in his diocere. Whea
he waited upon ithe Pope to ask hii
approval of the establishment and beg him
to nominate it as a priory, his HolineM
expressed himself highly pleased with the
project and . very willingly granted foil
approbation for jin Abbacy. \ The Abbot
and twelve Trappist were'Expected to
leave Bordeaux last month. By the same
vessel in .which they were to embai
several Sisters' of St. Joseph and Little
Brothers of Mary were to leave for the
same destination. - The MariBt Brother*
have five schools in MBw Caledonia
the Sisters of St. Joseph have four.
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