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Perth, Thursday, April 16, 1964.
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Nuns Expelled From Ceylon Hospitals Come To Australia •
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Among the last of the seven nursing congregations to be expelled from Government hospitals in Ceylon were the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary.
Four of the order's nursing Sisters passed through Fremantle on the "Iberia" on Wednesday on their way to Melbourne. The Sisters are Sister M. Cana of Canada, Sister M. Gabriel of Brisbane, Sister M. Keenan of Sydney and Sister M. Frances Theresa of Melbourne. Sister Cana had previously been expelled from China. The nuns had been working in the Colombo General Hospital and two leprosaria. Before their departure the Sisters received expressions of real affection and deep regret on their leaving, even from high officials of the Government which removed them. In a farewell reception for sonic of the Sisters, Mr. J. B. Obeysekera, Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health, said: "The departure of the nursing nuns from this country to me is like the removal of a vital part of the country's administration." He recalled that the nuns were the last of a hardworking band of Sisters who came to Ceylon in 1886 and who had built up the country's medical services virtually out of nothing. He added: "It would be selfish, on the part of the government, to retain their services any more because they could be of help to other countries where their services are most needed. Now that Ceylon's medical services have gone ahead, we should try to stand on our own." But even as the Sisters left, some of the old charges which were raised against them six or seven years ago by extremist groups were being repeated. Buddhist fanatics were agitating for the removal of the Sisters as long ago as 1957, and the government formally announced two years ago that they would have to leave their posts before the end of March this year. There
were as many as 250 nursing Sisters serving in government hospitals in various parts of the country. At various farewell receptions tendered to some of the Sisters, doubt was expressed as to whether they could be adequately replaced. The Colombo Superintendent of Hospitals, Dr. M. J. de S. Jayasekera, in a talk, stated that the hospitals would not be able to attain the quality of the work performed by the Sisters for some time. Leper patients at the government hospital at Mantivu, where the Franciscan Missionaries had been for 42 years, joined to pay tribute prior to the nuns' departure. In a joint address they told the Sisters: "When something is cut into two, each part bears the wound of separation. You identified yourselves with us, and this pain of separation wounds you, too."
Pope Expands Commission Pope Paul VI has extended the scope of the 11.':-,istifical Commission for Motion Pictures, Radio and Television to include "daily and periodical press" and changed the commission's name to that of the Pontifical Commission for Mass Media. A motu proprio, "In Fructibus," specifies that the c ommission now has the authority to implement the "directive norms of the decree" on communications media and that it is to prepare for the Pope's approval "an appropriate pastoral instruction" which w ould help bishops "in the fulfilment of their pastoral activities in this sector" of mass media. The papal document also stresses the importance of the co-operation of laymen with the commission and in its work..
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Pictured ( left to right) are Sister M. Cana, Sister M. Gabriel, Sister M. Keenan and Sister M. Frances-Theresa.
Cottage Homes Scheme DETAILS WERE RELEASED THIS WEEK OF A LARGE SCALE PROJECT TO CATER FOR THE NEEDS OF ELDERLY PEOPLE IN THE ARCHDIOCESE. The Cathol ic Cottage Homes Guild is to erect thirty-six home units on a 2acre site in Grand Promenade, Dianella. His Grace the Archbishop hopes to eventually establish 'pockets' of these group cottages throughout metropolitan the area. Wo-,:;. will commence in about two months on the 32 home units and recreational hall and the first stage should be completed THE PROPOSED CHURCH AND PRESBYTERY by the end of October. Work will also commence immediately on a church single units will comprise allocateci,to applicants who sible and will be responand presbytery on an ad- a bed-sitting room, kitchen can contribute approxisible for all rates, taxes, jacent site. and bathroom. Laundry mately £ 1,000 for a repairs and gardening. ReThis scheme will sup- facilities will be shared double unit or £ 800 for a sidents will be responsible single unit. In these cases for their own electricity plement the many chari- among every four units. rent will be free. Where and gas. table organisations which DOUBLE UNITS donations are less than this are already catering for Plans for the double amount, a graduated scale the welfare of the aged in APPLICATION units are not yet com- of rental will be fixed in the community. pleted, but they will have proportion to the amount The cottages will be SOME DELAY a separate bedroom in ad- contributed. available to males who are over 65 and females over A spokesman for the dition to the bed-sitting 60. It is not necessary for LOW COST guild said that the delay room. applicants to be in receipt in this venture sprang The State Housing ComWh en full rental units of the pension. from the difficulty in ob- mission is preparing the taining a site in a suitable plans for the project and become available the rent Although a number of locality. He said that it until tenders are called, would be in the vicinity of 2 per week for a double applications have already was not desirable to build the actual cost of each the cottages in an area in flat cannot be accurately unit and £1/10/- per been made to the guild, those wishing to seek resisingle unit. which a similar organisa- determined. dency should make applition existed. It is expected, however, The Catholic Cottage cation to Father F. Walsh Each of the cottages will that the majority of the Homes Guild hopes to at the Church Office, Vicbe fully furnished and the first stage of units will be keep costs as low as postonal Square. Perth.