ECCLESIASTICAL AND OTHER !INFORMATION

BISHOPS' ENGAGEMENTS Southwark
For Mgr. Amigo, Archbishop, Bishop of Southwark: May 4. Visitation and Confirmation, at Lewes, 3.30. May 7. Visitation and Confirmation, at South Wimbledon, 8 o'clock.
Nottingham For Mgr. Ellis, Bishop of Nottingham: May 4, Preaches at Holy Cross, Whitwick, Leicestershire, 11 a.m. Confirmation at Whitwick, afternoon. May 7. Attends annual meeting of Nottingham Diocesan Union of Catholic Mothers at the Mikado Cafe, Nottingham, 2.30 p.m.
Northampton
For Mgr. Parker, Bishop of Northampton: May 4. Visitation, a.m., Confirmation, p.m., Corby. May 7. Presides Diocesan Synod, Cathedral; Solemn High Mass, 10 a.m.; Chapter meeting, p.m. May 11. Visitation, a.m., Confirmation, afternoon, Lowesmft; Confirmation, Yarmouth. May 14. Distributes prizes, Notre Dame High School, Norwich. May 15. Sings Pontifical High Mass, Lady Margaret House, Cambridge. Visitation, Cambridge, evening. May 18. Visitation, a.m., Confirmation, p.m., at Gerrards Cross. May 21. Sings Pontifical High Mass and attends golden jubilee celebrations, St. Bernard's Convent, Slough, May 25. Sings Pontifical High Mass, after which the Papal Blessing with Plenary Indulgence will be given, Cathedral; Confirmation, 3.30 p.m., Cathedral.
Portsmouth
For Mgr. K ing, Bishop of Portsmouth: May 4. Confirmation, English Martyrs',`Reading, May 11. Confirmation, Buckland. May 15. Ordination, Douai Abbey. May 17-18, Catenian Rally, Bournemouth. May 29. Confirmation, Lee-on-Solent. June 1. Confirmation, Corpus Christi, Portsmouth.
APPOINTMENTS Nottingham The following appointment is officially announced in the diocese of Neuineham : the Very Rev. Humphrey Wilson, to the Chapter of Canons.
ANNOUNCEMENTS Confirmation at Westminster
There will not be a Confirmation on the third Sunday of the month in Westminster Cathedral, but candidates may \present themselves for the Confirmation after Vespers on Whit Sunday, provided they have the usual cards. They are asked to be in their places in the Nave not later. than 3.30 p.m.
Travelling Mission The centres to be visited this week are Downe and Knockholi, in the perish of Orpington, Kent. Mass will be said on Sunday, May 4, at the Guide Camp, Cudham, and at Holly Cottage, Knockholt. Times will be announced locally.
Invalid The Rt. Rev. Mgr. Provost John E. Hadican, rector of St. Mary's, Grimsby, Lines, who has been a patient in St. Hugh's Nursing Home, Cleethorpes, for three months, has now been removed to the Convent Nursing Homo at Woodthorpe, near Nottingham. Mgr. Hadican, who is reported to be making " some progress towards recovery," will celebrate the golden anniversary of his ordination on December 21, next.
Chairmen and secretaries of diocesan C.P.E.A.s have been invited to meet in London at the end of May to discuss the formation of a council, which, while preserving full diocesan autonomy, would co-ordinate activities and suggest broad lines of policy for the movement. Westminster and Southwark Diocesan Councils are :sponsoring the meeting.
Birmingham Drama Group
The next meeting of the Group will take place at St. Vincent's, Moseley Road, Birmingham, at 3 p.m., on Sunday, April 27.
Y.C.W. Girls' H.Q.
The national headquarters of the girls' movement of the Young Christian Workers has moved from 400-402, Regent Road, Salford, to 15, Lansdowne Road, Kensington, London, W.11. All correspondence will be accepted at the new headquarters as from May 6. Gifts of furniture, crockery and household utensils will be appreciated and would greatly assist the establishment of the new H.Q.
Catholic Nurses Thew will be a meeting of the Westminster Virgo Fidelis branch of the Catholic Nurses' Guild, at Virgo Fidelis Convent, 189, Old Brompton Road, S.W.5, on May 4, at 3 p.m. A talk will be given by Miss Bartlett, of Servito House.
Publications
Well-known Catholics contribute to a feature " Books That Have Influenced Me." in the current issue of the Circa/ Magazine. They include Cardinal Griffin, Mr. Beales, R. Walsh and Joan Morris.
" Truth, Liberty and Parental Rights " is• the title of an article by Dr. Messenger in the May publication of the Southwark Record. Other contributors are Mgr. Ilallett and Mr. Chambers. There is something for everyone in the fifth issue of New World Youth magazine, now availabld, news of films, sport, short stories and an article by Mr. Pat Keegan on Germany.
BROADCASTING Mr. Douglas Woodruff (The Tablet), Mr. Ivor Brown (Observer), Mr. Jon Kimche (Tribune), and Mr. W. W. Hadley (Sunday Times), will be the speakers in the series " Editorial Opinion," In the Home Service on Tuesday, May 6, at 8.15 p.m. Mr. Christopher Hollis, M.P., will talk on " De Tocqueville's Democracy and the Marxian Analysis," on Thursday, May 8, at 7.40 p.m., in the Third Programme.
SOCIETIES St. Stephen's Guild The third annual meeting of the National Council of Priest Directors of the Arch-Confraternity of St. Stephen (for Altar Servers) was held on April 15 at Birmingham. Priests from five dioceses were present. The principal points of discussion were bow to get cohesion among the various parochial branches of the Guild, how to spread the Guild, and how to secure a " tradition " in a branch so that it does not die out if a new parish priest shows less interest than his predecessor. Many practical and important decisions were reached. A new edition of the Guild handbook is now in course of publication ; Guild medals unfortunately are at present in short supply, principally owing to the recent restrictions on industry—but it is confidently hoped that this deficiency will soon be rectified. Branches are now allowed to award distinctive (e.g., silver or chrome) medals to servers of 10 years' standing. For all particulars concerning the Arch-Confraternity of St. Stephen, write to the Rev. E. S. Sutton, Priests' House, Park Way, Ruislip, Middlesex.
K.S.C., Birmingham Mgr. Bright, Auxiliary. Bishop in Birmingham, was the " guest of honour " on Wednesday, at a dinner at the Grand Hotel, Bitmingham, held In conjunction with the coming of age of Birmingham No. 127 Council of the Knights of St. Columba. The guests included Use Supreme Knight, Mr. T. Leyland, J.P., and Mrs. Leyland, the Provincial Chaplain, Mgr. Roskell, many clergy, the leaders of other organisations and many knights and their ladies, front all parts of the Province. The Grand Knight, Mr. S. J. Wilson, presided.
K.S.C., Stoke-on-Trent Nearly 100 members of the K.S.C. walked in procession of the Blessed Sacrament at Stoke-on-Trent on Sunday on the occasion of the initiation of 22 new Members.
C.Y.M.S., Westminster On Sunday, April 20, at Breakspear College, Abbous Langley, a one-day Retreat was organised by the Westminster A.D.C. of the C.Y.M.S. Approximately 100 members were present, representing the Fulham, Welwyn Garden City, Watford and Westminster branches of the Society. The Retreat was given by the Rev. Fr. Joseph, Superior of the Salvatorian Fathers, Abbotts Langley.
London Scouts
Upwards of 2,500 Scouts and Wolf Cubs, representative of all parts of London and suburbs, assembled in the Mall between Buckingham Palace and the Admiralty Arch on Sunday afternoon for the Catholic Scout Guild's annual rally. Led by the Guild secretary and thc Ilth Acton Rovers carrying the Guild flags, they marched to Westminster Cathedral where, on entering, the salute was taken by Sir Henry Digby Beste, C.I.E., K.S.G., R.T.N., the Chief Scout's Commissioner. After the service the Cubs and Scouts reformed in the Cathedral grounds and marched past His Eminence Cardinal Griffin, who took the salute from the steps of Archbishop's House, supported by Sir Henry Digby Baste, Er. Hussy, Mr. Delauney and the Guild secretary, Trade Unionists
The seven parishes comprising the Deanery of Edengrove formed a branch of the Association of Catholic Trade Unionists on Tuesday evening
of this week. Fr. Williams, the Spiritual Adviser, spoke on the Papal teaching on social justice, with particular reference to workers' associations. Mr. E. Hitchcock outlined the aims and objects of the Catholic Trade Unionists' Association. Mr. Sean McGrath was among the other speakers. OBITUARIES
THE REV. EUGENE LOFTUS
Solemn Requiem Mass for the repose of the soul of the Rev. Eugene Loftus, parish priest of St. Mary's, Blackbrook, St. Helens, for the past seven years, was offered at St. Mary's, yesterday, Thttisday. He was 54 years of age.
A native of Ditton, Lancashire, Fr. Loftus came of a large family. Educated at the English College, Lisbon, he was ordained priest on March 16, 1918, and served at St. Joseph's, Wigan; St. Alphonsus, Liverpool; St. Hugh's, Liverpool; St. Cuthbert's, Liverpool (as parish priest), before going to Blackbrook in April, 1940.
FR. JOHN ASHTON, Si.
One of the oldest members of the English Province of the Society of Jesus, Fr. John Ashton, died at Burton Hill, Petworth, on Monday, April 28, in his 85th year.
Born in Wigan on February 7, 1863, and educated at Mount St. Mary's College, Spinkhill, Fr. Ashton joined the Society of Jesus at Roehampton on September 7, 1881. Before his ordination to the priesthood, which took place at St. Beuno's College, St. Asaph, on September 25. 1898, he taught for three years at St. Francis Xavier's College, Liverpool, and for four years at Mount St. Mary's College.
On completing his theological studies he was successively minister at Mount St. Mary's College, a master at Aloysius's College, Glasgow, and at Wimbledon College and Prefect of Discipline at Beaumont College.
From 1904-1917 he was on the church staff at St. Aloysius', Glasgow, and from 1907-1914 at St. Francis
Xavier's, Liverpool. He was then Superior and parish priest at St. Ignatius', Preston, from 1915-1919 and from 1919-1927 was at St. Joseph's, North Woodside Road, Glasgow. For the next two years he was Superior and parish priest at Bury St. Edmunds and in 1929 was engaged in the work of giving retreats at Craighead House, Bothwell. From 1930-1943 he was Spiritual Father at St. Beuno's College, St. Asaph. Since 1943 he has been living in retirement at Burton Hill, Petworth.
THE MARQUESS OF BUTE We regret to announce the death of the fourth Marquess of Bute, at his residence, Mount Stuart, on the Isle of Bute, on April 25.
Lord Bute was born in 1881 and educated at Harrow and Christ Church, Oxford. He was chiefly interested in building and architecture and his work in the restoration and preservation of old buildings in his own country will be long remembered. To Westminster Cathedral he contributed the Byzantium chapel of St. Andrew and the Saints of Scotland.
Fr. Leslie J. Walker, Si., Dean ot Campion Hall, Oxford, former chaplain to the Marquess, hi the course of an appreciation published in the Times this week, wrote of him: " Nor was he merely a kindly but also a deeply religious man. In the ceremonies of the Catholic Church, to which his family belonged, he took the keenest interest, as his father had done before hint, and nothing irked him more than to see them badly performed. A type that is fast dying out but. one that if we consider it in all its aspects cannot but command our respect."
HERMAN FAIRCLOUGH
Herman Fairclough, first Young Christian Worker leader in the parish of St. Anne, Sutton, St. Helens, and secretary of his section, died on Monday, April 21, aged 21 years. Requiem Mass for the repose of his soul was offered at St. Anne's on Friday, last week, when over 200 young men and women attended.