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KILKENNY FRANCISCANS IN SOUTH AFRICA AND ELSEWHERE.
"The Father Mathew Record" for April, under the heading of "Mission Echoes," quotes an article from "St. Joseph's Sheaf" from which we excerpt the following:— "In all, 1,195 Capuchins are at present at work in the mission fields of the Church, and they have been entrusted with no less than 49 Missions. In Africa, where the Irish friars have been now called to work, the Capuchins have been at work since 1624, when they first went to Morocco. To-day there are six different Capuchin Missions in Africa: Congo, Gallas, Gibute, Seychelles, Erythraea, and Dar-es-Salaam, with 150 Capuchin Fathers. The earlier Missions were to Morocco, Egypt and Abyssinia, and the Abyssinian Mission gave the Order two of its first martyrs, Blessed Agathangelus and Cassian. The Irish Fathers are thus going to a land which has many memories of their brethren in the past. The immediate occasion of their going brings us back to the Franciscan centenary celebrations held in Dublin two years ago. Dr. Riley, Vicar-Apostolic of the Cape of Good Hope, Western District, was present at the Capuchin celebrations in Church Street, and was most anxious that the Irish Capuchin Fathers should come out and help him in his great work. But the Irish Capuchin Fathers had already made up their minds that what they wanted was a 'real Mission'—meaning by that a Mission to the Pagan; and at first they hesitated. Further negotiations made it plain that the work they would be called upon to do would be among the Kaffirs of South Africa, and they then gave their consent. They have now been formally entrusted with a new district to be administered by themselves under the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda. Two of their number, Fr. Edward and Fr. Canice, both natives of Kilkenny, have gone out in the past few weeks to inspect the new territory and to make the final arrangements preliminary to a formal transfer."
Father Canice (Bourke) and Father Edward (Walsh) belong, as most of our readers know, to well-known families in Kilkenny city and county, respectively.
The "Record" adds, from itself, as follows:—"A general mission was preached in the Church of the Sacred Heart, Capetown, S. Africa (beginning on 24th February), by Very Rev. Fathers Canice and Edward, O.S.F.C. (from Dublin). Father Edward also preached in Woodstock and Bondebosch. Father Canice has temporarily taken up work in Paroo. In this district there is an orphanage in which a large number of coloured children are being brought up in the Catholic Faith. There is a great opening for spiritual work amongst the natives, but a lamentable shortage of priests. The prayers of our readers and especially of our Franciscan Tertiaries are earnestly asked for the success of our missionaries."
In its "Franciscan Column" the "Record" says:—"From the issue of the 'Southern Cross,' Feb. 20, we learn that a meeting of the Third Order in St. Mary's, Capetown, on Feb. 15, was addressed by Very Rev. Fr. Edward, O.S.F.C. (Dublin). Fr. Edward gave an inspiring lecture on the rule of the Third Order—its dignity and privileges, and show through the spirit of the Third Order the world to-day could be brought back to Jesus Christ."
The April "Record" also includes the feature of "Notes from Rome," an interesting and discriminating series of paragraphs on Roman happenings of Irish or general Catholic interest, by Father Hilary, O.S.F.C. (son of Mr. and Mrs. Michael McDonagh, Bishop's Hill, Kilkenny) while, as a further matter of special Kilkenny interest, it has a lecture on "Rome" by Father John, O.S.F.C. (son of the late Mr. T. Butler Sheastown, Kilkenny), who handles his important subject lucidly and informatively.