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nynCIAL ORGAN OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF PERTH, ESTABLISHED 1874. Registered at the G.P.O., Perth, for transmission by post as a newspaper. NO. 2,283.
May
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PERTH, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 1947.
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SEVENTY-FOURTH YEAR.
Legion Plans for Full Christian Life SUCCESSFUL CONGRESS After six months of preparation and planning, last Sunday saw the culmination of the first Legion Congress held in Perth Among other presince 1941. parations legionaries made two novenas of special prayers and, where possible, of Holy Masses and Communions, ending on the Feasts of the Immaculate Corr ception, December 8, 1946. and of Blessed Grignon de Montfort, April 28, 1947, respectively. The Congress was held under the patronage of His Grace the Archbishop. Its aim to deepen the spirituality and increase the zeal and efficiency of every legionary in Western Australia; its theme, that naturally good motives are not good enough, that only supernaturally good motives befit a true Christian. Sectional conferences for legionaries, grouped according to their particular duties or responsibili ties, began on May 1. The last of these were held on May 8, when five sectional conferences were conducted simultaneously in different parts of the city. Proceedings last Sunday began with solemn Mass at 11 o'clock in St. Mary's Cathedral. The celebrant was Rev. Father M. M. Byrne, Rev. Father F. Martin assisting as deacon, and Rev. Father Hogan as sub-deacon. His Grace the Archbishop, assisted at the throne ..y Rev. Dr. Knox and Rev. Father also and Rogers, presided, preached the very inspiring occa-
Priests and lay legiontroops, the Legion is held in very high cores. in aries vied in the depth and arknown white and coloured, whose prae- esteem wherever It is spreading quietly dour of the discussions which sidia had done valuable work Italy. remembered by and inspired other people to emu- and solidly; it is thought by will long be Of praesidia for many to be the organisation that those present, who comprised late them. Italian people, Rev. Dr. Knox will save Italy from Communism. I:early every legionary in the. After lunch spiritual directors metropolitan area; even from said, it was meet and fitting that praesidium assembled in the Chapter Hall Kalgoorlie there were five who Roman the first should have beer formed among for a sectional conterence, pre- had made the trip espec,ally to he servants of Propaganda Col- sided over by His Grace the attend the Congress. These considerations over, Rev Legionaries began How right that these Archbishop. lege. humble people, their household their general session, bt.. a*. 2 Father Hogan spoke briefly on a sional sermon. aspect of legionary particular that to St adjourned they o'clock After Mass legionaries and work so closely resembling spiritual directors sat down to of Mary at Nazareth, should be Mary's Cathedral for Rosary, Le- service and the most memorable Christ gion prayers, and Solemn Bene- Legionary event in five years to honour the first lunch in the Cathedral Hall. At 3.45 p.m. the gen- was ended with the closing prayDuring lunch Rev. Dr. Knox, through Mary's Legion in Rome, diction. Vice-Rector of Propaganda Col- as Mary herself was the first oral session of Congress was re- ers of the Legion. (Text of His Grace's sermon lege. Rome, spoke of the Legion's on earth to honour Him in per- sumed with the consideration of Finally, said Pr. Knox, reports from sectional confer on Page 9.) beginnings in Italy; of its intro - son. Auction through Allied
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Perth Has Australia's Finest Tenor
Ten Years on the African Mission
A Catholic Yugoslav with a Future
Experiences of Australian Priest
Father Martin illustrated the clash between the missionaries and the witch -doctors in a humorous story of how one of the latter came prowling about a medical clinic conducted by One of the the Sisters. nuns recognised the man and resolved to teach him a lesson. She invited him to inspect the clinic, and as lue viewed the electric therapy invited machine, Sister, terhim to hold the as soon As minal knobs. he had grasped them, the nun promptly turned on the current and gave him a generous circuit of electricity. As he danced in anguish, unable to release himself, the good Sister read him a little homily on the perils attending "snooping." He shouted wildly that the devil had hold of him. and when the current was shut off disappeared out the door with a Dagwood rush. The incident thoroughly discredited t h e witch -doctor, for the natives said that Sister's medicine was obviously much stronger than his.
At present in Perth as the guest of His Grace the Archbisis Rev. Father Frederick hop, young Yugoslav tenor only reMichael Martin, who is returncently arrived in this State on ing to missionary work in the the Misr. Born on the island of of Port Elizabeth Vicariate Via in the Adriatic, he had sung A native of VicSouth Africa. for some years in his parish eduwas toria, Father Martin choir, where the potentialities of cated by the Brigidine Sisters at his voice were recognised by the Port Melbourne, the Christian organist. With the encourageBrothers at St. Patrick's College, ment of his parish priest, conand the Jesuit Fathers Ballarat, certs were organised, and the After at Xavier College, Kew. young singer began his training. eight years at Corpus Chtristi After completing his term of that Baptism was given because MarFather Werribee, Seminary, he military service, during which the child was going to die. The tin sailed for South Africa in acquired a wide reputation as a Catholic population is small, but 1937, where he was ordained by singer, Mr. Soljanic studied at a large number of death -bed conArchbishop McSherry, whom he the Conservatorium of Zagreb, versions occur. The natives aphad met at the Melbourne Euand privately under Madame pear to believe that Catholicism charistic Congress in 1934. Father Kostrencic, a well-known teachis a hard religion in which to Martin has been on his first er. Subsequently he gave many live, but a beautiful one in which holiday home in 10 years. It was his inpublic concerts. to die. The priests on the mistention to study at Prague unsion field also experience great misa been has Martin Father der Scarpi, and later at Milan difficulties through the promisClaver MisPeter at St. sionary under Carrozzo (Gigli's teacher), cuous morals of the natives and sion, East London, and St. Franbut war intervened, and M. Solinfidelity in marriage. cis Xavier Mission-, near Port remain to constrained was janic Established in 1847, the Port Elizabeth. The vicariate, which 1944. in Zagreb until March, Elizabeth Vicariate is staffed by covers 27,000 square miles, has He then managed to escape of a million there are many excellent con- secular clergy from Ireland. a quarter almost through Italy to Egypt, where MR. ANTE SOLJANIC. natives in its population. The verts to the Catholic Faith. Nat- Father Martin is the only AusE.N.S.A. ht. was engaged with majority of these are pagans, eager- tralia there, and there is but one in the entertainment of Allied prano), and Maestro Patene, con- clinging to their old tribal be- urally religious, they learn Five or God and His South African priest. Christian ly of the tr000s. ductor of the Naples Opera liefs and customs. All of them, personal love for each of His six other South Africans are, After the war ended, M. Sol- House. for Holy however, preparing Orhowever, believe in God and the creatures makes an indelible imjanic resolved to come to West There are increasing voM. Soljanic is a Catholic, and immortality of the soul. Many of pression on their minds. The ders. live. his cousins where Australia, has a great liking for Church the natives live in reserves, while greatest stumbling block for cations to the religious life On arrival he was introduced to music. among girls, and at least a dozWhile in Egypt he sang others migrate to the cities, Rev. Father Ahern, of Belmont, several times in the Cairo Cathe- where they perform unskilled lab them is the variety of Christian young native women nave enIt is also difficult to en churches. who in turn put him in touch dral. They root out their superstitious be- tered the ranks of the DominiHe will be heard for the our for the Europeans. As with Father Albert Lynch. Sisters in this Vicariate. can time publicly in Perth at a are not permitted to live among liefs and practices, for the witch. a result he was "auditioned" and first at the Capitol Theatre on the while population, but have doctors, though declining, still Father Martin urged daily given a temporary engagement recital inst. their own "locations," and in wield a powerful influence and prayer for the Missions. So long with the Australian Broadcast- the 22nd. in indescribable do everything to set the natives as there were prayers, he said, Mr. Soljanic is considered by many cases live ing Commission. Before his depoverty. He attriagainst the Christian missionary. souls would be won. parture he was invited to sing several competent judges who are many other If a child dies after baptism, its butes the large number of deathWhile there in Italy by Gino Becchi, a lead- have heard him in Perth to be the prayers Sacrabed conversions to to the is attributed the field death best, bodies in the if not finest, missionary one of the Caning Italian baritone, Maria with greater financial resources, ment, the natives not realising for the Propagation of the Faith. iglia (perhaps Italy's first so- tenor in Australia.
Fair, lithe, and pleasant mannered, Mr. Ante Soljanic is a