where he saw them comfortably located, and obtained for them patent deeds for 160,000 acres of land. He shortly afterwards commenced the erection of churches and schools, and went forth as a pious missionary in the single-heartedness of faith, sacrificing every social and domestic comfort, and the privileges of civilized society, exposing himself to numberless privations, and struggling against almost insurmount able obstacles, in order to administer the consolations of religion to the few and far-distant inhabitants of the then nearly impenetrable forest. He devoted the greater part of a life, more than thirty years, entirely to the mission of Upper Canada. For some years, he carried his wallet on his Herculean shoulders, through its wilds and fastnesses, hundreds and hundreds of miles, under cold and hunger, to preach the word of God, and administer the rites of our holy religion, to the widelyscattered Catholics, many of them Irish, who first braved the difficulties of settlement. By his zeal, his prudence, his tact, his energy, perseverance, and good sense, he saw them, as they thickened about him, placed in that scale and position in society which they ought to hold, in spite of the vilest intrigue and rankest bigotry. "During his episcopate, he made several voyages across the Atlantic, on the subject of the affairs of his extensive diocese, and though in his seventy-eighth year, he did not hesitate, in conformity with a resolution passed at an aggregate meeting of the Catholics of Upper Canada, held at his residence at Kingston, on the 10th of October, 1837, to undertake another journey to England, for the purpose of raising funds for the erection of a Catholic college in Upper Canada, and for the promotion of British emigration in that rising and important colony. Bishop Macdonell accordingly left Canada during the summer of 1839, and arrived at Liverpool on the 1st of August of that year." The following paragraph gives the result of his laborious mission to the wilds of Canada. "It would require a volume to relate the almost unparalleled exertions of this venerable prelate to promote the interests of religion in the country of his adoption, from 1st November, 1804, when he landed at York, Upper Canada, to the close of his earthly career in 1839. Suffice it to say, that he found that now important province nearly without a priest or an altar; and by his own individual labours, he raised forty-eight churches in thirty-five years, and left behind him a respectable and zealous priesthood of nearly forty individuals, who, imitating the example of their illustrious and revered prelate, are extending the kingdom of Jesus Christ, and planting churches in regions where the sound of the Gospel has been only lately heard.” Justly abhorring the doctrinal corruptions and superstitious practices which these labours were designed to diffuse, yet what generous Protestant can fail to do homage to the virtues of such a man, or wonder that those doctrines and practices retain their hold on the minds of a people who are called to witness such eminent self-denial in their advocates? * But to return: Roman Catholic settlers have thus, by the pressure of * Another illustration of self-denial, with the same object, is supplied by the following article from an American paper, "The Bangur Whig : "A Catholic College in the Woods of Maine.-A few years since, the Catholic Bishop, Rev. Mr. Fenwick, purchased a half township of wild land, No. 2, 5th range, on the Aroostook Road, for the purpose of establishing a college for the education of the young. Several of the lots have been sold to settlers, who have made a vigorous beginning in farming, and now make quite an appearance of thrift. calamities at home, been driven, not only to Canada, but Australia. A large portion of the emigrants to the latter are from Ireland, and it is lamentable to add, that a great part of the convicts in those penal settlements are also natives of that too long neglected country. These men retain, amidst all their vice and degradation, a strong attachment to the Romish faith; and the colonial government have thought it politically right, to assist bishops and clergy of that communion, to settle in those important territories. Indeed, in almost every colony and possession of Great Britain, Popish bishops, and vicars apostolic, are found, who, in the spirit of Macdonell, labour to establish the authority of Rome, not only in the consciences of their own people, but in the minds of the Protestant settlers around. The following list of twenty-seven colonial bishops and vicars apostolic is transcribed from the "Catholic Annual Register for 1842," to show how the meshes of the Papacy are already spread in every part of our colonial empire. Right Rev. Joseph Signay, Bishop of Quebec. Pierre Flavien Turgeon, Bishop of Sidney, coadjutor. Ig. Bourget, Bishop of Montreal. Anthony Tabean, coadjutor. J. N. Provencher, Bishop of Juliopolis, V. G. at Hudson's Bay. Michael Fleming, O. S. F., Bishop of Carparia, V.A. of Newfoundland. Donald Macdonald, Bishop of Charlotte Town, Prince Edward's Island. William Fraser, Bishop of Tance, V.A. in Nova Scotia. Daniel Macdonnell, Bishop of Olympus, V.A. Trinidad. Richard P. Smith, Bishop of Agna, coadjutor. Benito Fernandez, V.A. of Jamaica. Wm. Bernard Collier, Bishop of Milevis, V.A. in the Mauritius. John Fgnnelly, Bishop of Castoria, V.A. Madras. Patrick Carew, Bishop of Philadelphia, V.A. Calcutta. Pietro d'Alcantara, Bishop of Antifelle, V.A. of Bombay. "A large, two-story, wooden building has been erected, and is about finished. It is the intention to erect wings to the main building, probably the next season. On the college lot, about one hundred acres have been cleared, and several families are settled upon it. "We learn that several young men have been educated in Europe as teachers for this college, who, on their return, will commence teaching at the college, under the direction, probably, of the Rev. Bishop. 'Thus, in the attractive region of the Aroostook, amidst the wildness of nature, the main building of a college has been erected, and the foundation of a great religious educational establishment has been laid. "The Pioneer, to the 'granary of the north,' as the fertile valley of the Aroostook has been called, will find in the deep woods the cross erected, and an institution established for promoting Christian education, as authorized by the church at Rome. To the believers in that creed it must be a source of satisfaction, and will be an additional inducement for them to settle in the neighbourhood. "The vigour of the Romish church in propagating its doctrines, and giving them a commanding influence, is without a parallel in the history of sects." Right Rev. Luighi Maria Fortini, Bishop of Calama, coadjutor. Antonino Pezzoni, Bishop of Esbona, V.A. of Thibet and Agra. William Clancy, Bishop of Oriense, and V.A. of British Guiana. Hughes, Bishop of Eliopolis, V.A. of Gibraltar. The same publication gives the names of an archbishop, vicar-general, and twenty-four clergy, in New South Wales-and of four in other parts of Australia. These gentlemen, besides the money they obtain from the English government, of which more anon, draw considerable sums from the treasury of the Euvre de la Propagation de la Foi,* and the corre spondence that is kept up in the Papal countries, for the purpose of planting Romanism in the colonial empire of Britain, may be learned from the following paragraph, which may be taken as a specimen : The "Univers" of the 23rd July states, that "the Right Rev. Dr. Polding, Archbishop of Sydney, and Metropolitan of Australia, attended lately an extraordinary meeting of the central council in Paris, of the œuvre of the propagation of the faith. * In a recent number of the "Boston Recorder," the following article, referring to the operations of this Society, appeared :— "Through the Quarterly Paper' of the Foreign Evangelical Society, we learn, that the receipts of the 'R. C. S. for the propagation of the faith,' for 1839, amount to nearly two millions of francs, which exceeds the receipts of the preceding year by about 550,000 francs. And it is estimated that the number of faithful adherents to the Romish church is 100,000,000, and that the time will come, when the amount of their annual contributions will rise to 17,000,000 francs. These are the statements of the report. And is it yet to be believed that America has nothing to fear from Romanism? In North America alone, are expended 356,610 francs by this Society, for the propagation of Romish corruptions; and with an archbishop, and fifteen bishops, and 500 clergymen, and a Catholic population of 1,250,000-with eleven seminaries, sixteen colleges, forty-five boarding schools, forty-two charity schools, twenty-five asylums, containing 1000 orphans, seven hospitals, and fourteen other eleemosynary institutions, already established, have they not a firm foothold? And how the great men of Rome herself contemplate this matter, a single extract from their report will show. 'Their union, (i. e. the union of the Romanists,) [secures] for them an infallible preponderance, in the midst of the perpetual divisions of heretical opinions. In the Atlantic States, they form a powerful minority. In the greater part of the Western States, they form a plurality, and at some points, perhaps, a majority of the inhabitants. But great sacrifices are yet demanded, to confirm and extend these admirable results.' Thus clearly is Rome looking forward to the future, and not far distant occupancy of this land of the pilgrims; and to this event are all her measures tending; the anticipation of it prompts the New York and Pennsylvania movements in regard to their school funds-and emboldens them every where, to urge their claims to special favour and protection. Unhappily, we are like the simple countryman, who, out of pity, took the frozen serpent into his bosom, and gave it warmth and re-animation to his own destruction." The prelate gave an account of the consoling and truly wonderful results of the labours of the Catholic clergy in that land, whose population, for the most part, is composed of criminals who are undergoing their punishment, and who are arriving daily to swell out the numbers of transported felons. A few years ago, Dr. Polding, assisted by two or three clergymen, could only induce 200 to go to communion; but now, the number of communicants amounts to 23,000, out of a Catholic population of 50,000 souls. It is particularly curious to see the crowds of convicts who are placed under the spiritual care of the bishops immediately on their arrival, and whose edifying conduct excites the astonishment and jealousy of the Protestant ministers. The favour of the English government is accordingly bestowed on the Catholic priests, who prove themselves to be auxiliaries, capable of seconding it in its attempts at regeneration through its penitentiary system. Two new bishoprics have been created in Australia by his holiness, and a third one will be established as soon as the resources of the œuvre will allow it to provide the necessary sums of money. It was, in order to disclose his wants to the holy father, and to bring back with him some assistants, that his lordship came to Europe." To reclaim abandoned criminals, by any means, is a benefit to society, which statesmen will know how to appreciate; but assuredly there is but little occasion for the Romish Church to glory in the number of Irish felons its ministers have reclaimed in the penal settlements of Australia, seeing that they became such while in the full enjoyment of the services of the Pope's most efficient sons—the Romish priests of Ireland.* By the parliamentary paper on church establishment, (Colonies,) 25th February, 1839, it appears that £14,763. 118. 4d. are annually paid for the support and extension of Popery in the British colonies, colonies that in a few short generations will control the destinies of the whole pagan world! Further to strengthen their efforts, there is now a scheme in progress, which is to add other means to those obtained from the faithful of France, and the heretical of England-Ireland, poor Ireland, is to be taxed, to send out her missionary priests, as will be seen in the following advertisement :— *"The New York Freeman,' of July 9th, copies from the Bengal Catholic Herald,' a letter to the Vicar-Apostolic of Calcutta, from the Rev. Mr. M'Encroe, of Norfolk Island, dated September 30th, 1841. The rev. gentleman says, 'I am here for the last three years, in the spiritual charge of about 900 unfortunate Catholic prisoners, about one-half of whom are sincere penitents, and are labouring to expiate their past offences. This island is both a paradise and a purgatory. Our former classfellow, the Rev. Mr. Murphy, succeeded me in Sydney when I volunteered to come here. I am very happy with the poor men. I have a Rev. Mr. Walsh, who studied in Waterford, as my assistant; he is from near Tramore. The government provide us in every thing. I am glad to hear of your removal to Calcutta, and of your being likely to restore peace to that distracted church. It is consoling to see the spread of true religion in almost every quarter of the globe. Ireland is once more sending forth her teachers to enlighten the nations that sit in darkness. The French Missionaries are doing much in New Zealand. I was the first to receive Dr. Pompallier on his arrival in Sydney some time ago. He has converted upwards of 40,000 in New Zealand. I correspond with him; he is my nearest neighbour to the south."" CATHOLIC COLLEGE AT DUBLIN FOR THE FOREIGN MISSIONS, THE SACRED CONGREGATION OF THE PROPAGANDA AT ROME, And the Immediate Patronage of HIS GRACE THE MOST REV. DR. MURRAY, ARCHBISHOP OF DUBLIN. A number of clergymen, considering the lamentable want of Catholic missionaries in the colonies, America, and other foreign countries; seeing also, that there are in Ireland, hundreds of highly-qualified young men, who would most willingly consecrate themselves to the laborious, but consoling duties of the foreign missions, were a college founded to educate them for that purpose; and knowing, moreover, the desire of the faithful to contribute towards so holy and sacred a work, have resolved to live in community, and devote themselves gratuitously to the establishment and direction of such a college at Dublin, as the most effectual means of supplying those vast regions with apostolic missionaries. The commencement of such a work is always the most difficult; but now that the plan of this college, so much wanted and so long desired, has been sufficiently matured, and fully approved of, it is confidently hoped, that all Catholics will be prompt and generous in contributing towards its immediate establishment. They cannot subscribe to a work better calculated to promote the glory of God, to extend the kingdom of Christ, and to secure the salvation of souls. It is encouraging to see that this undertaking has already obtained the warm approbation, and generous support, of both clergy and laity. The following documents show the gracious manner in which it has been received and sanctioned by the highest authorities in the Catholic church: Extract from the Rescript of Approbation at Rome. "REV. SIR,-You may easily conceive with what pleasure the Sacred Congregation has received the memorial which you have lately submitted to it, for it must be known to you, that there is nothing more ardently wished for by the Sacred Congregation, than that the number of priests who may be destined to discharge, efficiently, the duties of apostolic missionaries, be daily increased. For now that the missions are so numerous and extensive, nothing can be better timed than the establishment of such houses, by which it may be effected-that as 'the harvest, indeed, is great, but the labourers few, the Lord of the harvest' may from those houses' send labourers into his harvest.' "Finally, what must confer the greatest honour on the same house, and be a peculiar incentive to have so holy a project carried on prosperously, it is my most agreeable duty to give you the certain assurance, that our Most Holy Father Pope Gregory the Sixteenth himself, has most cordially given, in the Lord, his highest approbation to the design of establishing that house; and that, in order to secure the more abund ant fruits from it, he has most affectionately imparted to you and your associates, his apostolic benediction. "In the meantime I pray God to bestow on you every blessing. "Rome, from the College of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, 28th Feb., 1842. "To the Rev. John Hand, Priest of the "Diocese of Dublin." "Yours faithfully, "J. PH. CARDINAL FRANSONI, Prefect. "I.A.B. of Edessa, Sec. |