of the chief members of the musical profession in and about
Liverpool. In this way, on one occasion Miss Santley came to help us.
She was accompanied by her brother, then a boy, who has since risen to
the highest position in the musical world--the eminent baritone, Sir
Charles Santley.

St. Nicholas' was, as it is yet, the pro-Cathedral of the diocese, and
whenever a new church had to be opened, or there was any important
ceremonial anywhere in Lancashire, our choir was generally invited. In
this way I was delighted to go to the opening of the new church at
Lydiate, so that I was taking part in the third stage of the Catholic
history of the diocese--having said a prayer in the old ruin, and
attended Mass in Rimmer's, and now assisting at the solemn High Mass at
the opening of the Church of our Lady, not far from the old chapel of
St. Catherine.

At the time I went to Mass in Lumber Street Chapel, Liverpool, which is
nearly 70 years since, there were but four other _chapels_, as they were
generally called then, in the town--Copperas Hill (St. Nicholas'), Seel
Street (St. Peter's), St. Anthony's and St. Patrick's. It must have been
a custom acquired in the Penal days to call the older Catholic places of
worship rather after the names of the streets in which they were
situated than of the saint to whom they were dedicated. During the
Famine years the bishops and clergy must have found it extremely
difficult to provide for the tremendous influx of our people. I have
seen them crowded out into the chapel yards and into the open streets;
satisfied if they could get even a glimpse of the inside of the sacred
building through an open window. I see by the Catholic Directory there
are at the time I now write thirty-nine churches and chapels in
Liverpool. The schools have increased in a like proportion.

The progress in numbers, wealth and influence of the Irish people may
be pretty well marked by the gradual increase in the number of churches
and schools, which have been built for the most part by the Irish and
their descendants. All honour to the noble-hearted, hard-handed toilers
who have contributed to such work, and greater glory still to the humble
men who, after a hard week's work in a ship's hold at the docks, or
perhaps in the "jigger loft" of a warehouse eight stories high, turn
out every Sunday morning to act as "collectors," and go in pairs from
door to door, one with the book and the other with the bag in hand, to