OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF PERTH, ESTABLISHED 1874 Registered at the G.P.O., Perth for transmission by post as a newspaper. NO, 2,314.
PERTH, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1947.
'PHONE B 6950 Box A35, G.P.O G.P.O. Perth
450 Hay Street, Perth.
PRICE THREEPENCE.
SEVENTY-FOURTH YEAR.
Native Boys' Orphanage 100 Years Old (By a Past Director.)
Now So far Bishop Salvado. for a few sidelights on the subIn the history of the founda- sequent history of this InstituOne tion and early years of the New tion so dear to his heart. Norcia Mission, written by Bis- of the three foundation boys, hope Salvado ,its founder, there and the very first native to be is no page so bright as that in baptised at New Norcia, accomwhich he tells of the opening of panied Father Serra to Europe the Orphanage and School for in February, 1848, but succumbLike all mis- ed to the climatic conditions of Native Boys. sionaries in every land, Father the Old World. Salvado and his companion, When, in January of the folFather Serra, had very soon rea- lowing year, Father Salved() Misof their the hope that lised sailed for Europe in the interWe ests of the Mission, he took with sion lay with the children. can, therefore, understand their him two other boys from the Or unbounded joy at being able to phanage, whom he intended for make a start in trat direction. the monastic life. These two They had not been in the bush were clothed in the Benedictine quite two years. They had gone habit by no less a personage through a great deal and had ac- than His Holiness Pope Pius IX, Of this they and were placed in a Benedictine complished much. felt sure when they discovered Monastery in Italy. They prodeeply at- mised well for the future, but, natives, so that the tached to their children, were unfortunately, the brighter of prepared to part with them at the two died in that Monastery least to the extent required for in 1853, and the other was their upbringing according to brought back to Australia in the ideas of the missionaries. May, 1855, his health seriously A start was made with the undermined, and died at New boys. A rough-and-tumble hut, Norcia in August of the same dignified by the titles of Or- year. phanage and School, had been This last build Needless to say, no more at- of a priest -monk to the school came famous far beyond the dining -room. put up for the purpose and the boundaries of the Mission was ing is still extant in front of St. Very tempts have since been made made it possible to give christened "St. Mary's." St. Mary's boas the maximum of schooling formed as far back as 1870 and tlephonsus' College, by which it appropriately the Feast of the along those lines. was Orphanage has always been which was fixed at two hours in flourished until its organiser and has been put to different uses. Conception Immaculate chosen for the inauguration of good enough for our native boys. the morning and another two in master, one of the lay -Brothers, The rest of old St. Mary's was this most important, if humble, Here they have always received the afternoon, exclusive from the red in 1898. Somehow, it van- demolished in 1924, following Similar is the inmates' transfer to their But let Bishop all the education they have time allotted to their training in ished soon after. establishment. needed. the story of a string band, or- present, palatial new home. Here all their wants, music, vocal and instrumental. Salvado tell the story: Since 1930 this good work has ganised and directed by the same' Built by the late Bishop Torres "The eighth day of December, both spiritual and temporal, have As choristers, the boys' in 1914, this was not quite ready 1847," he says, "shall always be always been provided for by the been shared by two priests from elan. the Abbey. A lay -Brother at - hoir sang in the church as early for use at the time of his death. remembered by the Australian Benedictine monks. as 1865, and continued to do so in October of the same year. occasionally until a few years The present Lord Abbot (Dr. after the bands had disappeared. Cataln) saw to its completion, But if they stopped singing. and ,on July 13, 1924, the Hon. hey have never ceased to give Minister, Mr. Hickey, at his invaluable service as altar boys. Lordship's invitation, officially aborigines as one of happy mem- 'this good work was inevitably tends to the boys' material wellAs a building, St Mary's Or- opened the new home for the naory, since on that day, dedicated suspended while Father Salvado being. Outside school hours the phanage tive boys. has gone through sevacquire to to the Immaculate Conception of was away in Europe from 1849 boys are trained eral stages, keeping step with Since then many a time the the Mother of God, the Orphan- to 1853. And even after his re- habits of industry by occupying the lest of the Mission. The remark: "Too good for natives!" to nothing them in suitable work home at age ('College,' Bishop Salvado turn, he could do next uriignal rough-and-tumble little has been dropped by visitors to calls it) of New Norcia for the for his boys for the next six nod about the Mission, while hut gave way in 1860 to much the Institution. But, we need sons of Australian aborigines years, because, although he was those boys who have reached the larger, though hardly more pre- not explain, this opinion is not. was opened and placed under now a Bishop, he was not in school age limit are employed It was in the various departments of tentious quarters. To these and never has been, shared by As the charge of the Mission. her special protection. first fruits of a heavenly bless- only in 1859, following his ap- the Benedictine Abbey under the were added, a few years later, a the Benedictine Monks, who for Sport is also brick cottage to serve as kit- the last hundred years have mining, three young native boys pointment as sole Superior that lay -Brothers. were on that day received, and lie could infuse new life into the given due attention at St. Mary's chen and dining -room, the slab istered with unfailing solicitude The boys' remark- and clay structure being reserv- to the needs of soul and body of they, freely forsaking the corm half-dead body of the Mission in Orphanage. pany of their parents and with general and the Boys' Orphanage able aptitude for cricket, foot- ed for dormitories and school- these little ones of Christ, bearStill later, but within ing always in mind that: "A? Now he was not ball and swimming is well known room. the latter's consent, remained in particular. He had a large number Mention was made above of the past century, a separate long as you did it to one of these with us from that day; their alone. example being soon followed by of helpers, Benedictine monks the boys' training in music, vocal schoolroom, also of brick and My least brethren, you did it to The better to impress like himself and likewise animat- and instrumentau, but this is a mortar. was built adjoining the Me." others. on the minds of the natives the ed by the Apostolic spirit. This topic that cannot be dismissed Of late solemnity of that occasion, we goes to say that the training of with just a mention. gave them two rations of food, the native boys could now be at- years, thanks to the pains taken In by the present Director of St. on immedately after the solemn tended to most thoroughly. reception of the three boys, and the school room, in the work- Mary's (Rev. Father Helladius the other in the afternoon; a shops, in the fields, those boys Ros, O,S.B.), our native choriscustom which we followed from had the monks as their constant ters have invariably deserved that (lay on, thanks to the abun- mentors, who by word and ex- the unstinted praise of visitors dant harvest we had gathered." ample helped them to become to New Norcia who have heard in the pro "Within a month three more useful men and good Christians. them singing either Cathedral on special occasions At the meeting of the UniverVery soot boys were received. as an part integral of the mon- sity Senate held last Monday, And so, without interruption the applications far exceeded Without in- astic choir, or in their musical the Rt. Rev. Monsignor Mcaccommodation, from 1859 to 1947. the available Mahon, M.A., Ph.D., H.Dip.Ed., The transformation of these terruption, but not without al- entertainments at home. More recently still, the boys was appointed a member of the boys must have been very rapid, teration in the system when the first furnished a most pleasant sur- newly established Faculty of to judge by Bishop Salvado's times required it. Thus the impatience to speak of it, for two generations of school boys prise by the rapid and efficient Education, which will direct a even before mentioning the doub- were given more of the sort of manner in which they responded four-years' course in the theory ling of the daily ration, he life to which their forefathers to the efforts of the said Father and practice of teaching leading This The Ros and an assistant priest - to a Degree in Education. accustomed. breaks out into these beautiful Lad been words: "Oh, how great was the school hours were reduced to a teacher to train them into a professional qualification will be Uniopen students at the to all consolation we experienced when minimum-two hours a day-so brass band. Their performances intend we had as our altar boys those as to have a maximum of out- in this capacity during the New versity, whether they same boys who a little while be- door life, But at the opening of Norcia Centenary Celebrations teaching in State or private The Diploma of Edufore were in the darkness of the new century an alteration last year were very creditable in- schools. death; who a little while before was due. The boys brought into deed, and left no doubt in the cation is now granted to graduone year's study folates after the time were from the Orphanage at this to what these audiences as used to run away sight of an European as from for the most part the grand- youthful players might achieve lowing their degree course, a wild beast Consolations of children of natives born and with regular and persevering A Degree in Education is conThey coaching. this kind make a missionary for- reared at the Mission. sidered a better training for get all the labours and dangers could, therefore, be kept at their But it must be remarked here teachers, as the emphasis will be the of his apostolic ministry, they desks a little longer than their that neither as choristers nor as on teaching throughout Little by little instrumentalists can our native course. The first meeting of the even make him feel that he pays predecessors. great lengthened the school hours were so boys appear in a new small a too price for be said to new faculty was held at the Uniuntil, in 1924, the appointment role. A brass band that be- versity on Tuesday. and special graces." I
New Norcia Celebrates Another Centenary
A New Faculty of Education Monsignor McMahon Appointed
,