KEW KOBOIA 534 NEW KOBCIA
aside 100,000 acres for a penitentiary. After many His Excellency, Sir Gerald Strickland did the honoifl efforts an enabling act was approved 20 June, 1910, on the occasion, in the midst of brilliant surroundin^B. which provided for a Constitutional Convention to Sir John Forrest, Commonwealth Treasurer, State meet at Santa Fd on 3 October, 1910. The constitu- ministers of the Crown, and many leading oitisens tion was ratified on 21 January , 1911, and on the same from the capital, motored eighty-*two miles to New day the President signed the oill for the admission of Norcia to emphasise their appreciation of Bishop New Mexico on the condition that it amend the Torres' effoits to bring the benefits of a sound Chris- article providing a method for the amendment of its tian secondary education within the reach of all. constitution. 'Diis amendment was submitted to the The college started with a roll call of fifty boys, people, approved, and on 6 January, 1912, President and became popular from the start. The first year Taft issued a proclamation, making effective N^ ended with a roll of 117. Boys rush^ in from every Mexico's admission as a State. The laws passed by Quarter and soon made a name for themselves and the succeeding legislatures have provided for the tneir college at the public examinations and continue following: workmen's compensation, income taxes, to do so vear after year. St. Gertrude's Young commission form of government for cities of 10,000 Ladies' College of New Norcia, and St. Ildephonsus or more, a State mounted police, night schools for Boys' College are amongst the most popular and suc- iUiterates, an annual franchise tax on corporations, cessful secondary schools in Australia, and do an a permanent budget system, a child welfare board, enormous amount of ^ood. Bishop Torres had now and a department of health. The suffrage amendment his monastery, his diocese, and nis two aborigine to the Federal constitution was ratified on 19 Febru- missions. New Norcia and Diisdale River, well ary , 1920: the prohibition amendment on 20 January , equipped with priests , churches , convents , and schools . 1919. New Mexico's contribution to the European Dunn g his fourteen years as superior, abbot ordinoriiM War was 12,439 soldiers or .33 per cent, of the United and Bishop of New Norcia, His Lordship accom- States Army. The national guard members joined plished more than most men can boast of in a Ufe- the 40th Division at Fort Kearney, California; those time. The secret of Bishop Torres' success may be of the national army, the 92nd Division at Camp attributed to his possession of a keen and penetrating Funston, Kansas. The summary of casualties of intellect, his great determination and his superhuman the New Mexican members of the American Expe- energy. He worked perhaps indiscreetly hard, rarely ditionary Force is as follows: deceased, 10 officers, taking five hours rest out of twenty-four. He was 218 men; prisoners, 8 men; wounded, 20 officers, his own draftsman, his own architect, his own super- 604 men. visor of works. He directed everyone and every- thing within his monastery and his diocese, 'and did New Korcia (cf. C. E., XI — 5b), a Benedictine so to the complete satisfaction of all. He died 15 abbe5r nullius in Western Australia. Since the report October, 1914, at the age of fifty-three, widely and of this mission published in 1910 the New Norcia deeply mourned, and Very Rev. Father Bas, O.S. B., Mission has made considerable progress. As a prior, continued to be superior during the in terrefpum. native or aboriginal mission little change has taken Rt. Rev. AnselmCataltin, O. S. B.. Abbot Visitator
Slace, but as re^rds the white population of the of the Spanish Province of the Beneaictines, was sent
fission, we notice this progress more particularly from \lanila to preside at the election of Bishop
in the all important matter of education and in the Torres' successor, and to his own surprise was elected
hi^er appreciation of the fine arts, music, painting, to succeed, 26 March, 1915. In a few days after,
etc. Indeed, people of every class and denomination the newly elected abbot set out for Rome to have the
are often attracted to the Mission to listen to the election confirmed by Propaganda, the Congregation
music, or to see the many excellent paintings to be of the Council, etc. The confirmation of an aboatial
met with in the monastery, church and coUeg^, election ordinarily belongs to the abbot general, but
many of which are from the brush of local Benedictine in the case of New Norcia the abbot is both abbot
artists and in the opinion of many compare favorably and ordinariuSf and as such the confirmation comes
with the works of the old masters. within the jurisdiction of Propaganda. 'The election
In the first edition of the Catholic Enctclopedia, bein^ canonically confirmed, Abbot Catalan returned
there was not much to say on the subject of education to his monastery and diocese in Australia, and was
at New Norcia. St. Gertrude's Ladies' College was installed in his cathedral after High Mass on the fol-
not long enough in action to forecast its success, and lowing Sunday in the presence of an unusuidly laige
St. Ildephonsus Boys' College was only in embryo, con^gation. and amidst great congratulations and
The buildinK of this college was redded generally rejoicings. During his seven years administration as
as a foolhardy idea, and even when it was built men abbot ardinariu8 Abbot Catalan retained his hold
of position and exi)erience, gasing on its magnificent on the affections of his monks and people,
dimensions, were inclined to be skeptical of their The term of his office so far is not marked by any
future usefulness. These, however, were false geat improvements in or around the monastery ,
prophets, although it was hard for the casual observer His Lordship's attention having been engaged m
to see how these colleges, so far removed from civilisa- other directions, viz. in improving the mission prop-
tion in the wilds of the Australian bush, could be a erties outside the orbit of the monastery, and stabil-
success. Abbot Torres, however, with a keener ising the mission finance after the heavy drain of
perspective into the future than most men, persevered Bishop Torres' re^me, a very necessarv work indeed,
with his work, furnishing and equipping his college and already showing ^;ood results. The only source
in an up-to-date fashion, until St. Ildephonsus was of revenue the Benedictines of New Norcia have is
ready to receive students. The expense of building, the product of the soil, and the spendinj^ power of
etc., of these two colleges was an enormous drain on the mission for legitimate undertakings is in exact
the New Norcia Mission, for all this had to be delved proportion to the returns from the land. The
out of (^e Mission Lands by the Benedictine monks, Benedictines never trade on borrowed money,
without a pennv of outside help from any quarter. After a period of hostility on the part of the natives.
When the college was ready Bishop Torres, who during which the missionaries were sometimes in
had set his heart on securing the Manst Brothers as danger of their lives, they have succeeded in winnins
teachers, went to Italy for this purpose and returned the friendship of the savages. Some hundreds m
successful. He soon after opened his new coU^ these nomads flock around the Mission and willinfliy,
with an ideal staff of Marist Brothers. The official even cheerfully, help the Fathers in any work mat
opening ceremony took place 22 February, 1913; turns up, clearing the land, planting, garaening, etc.
