PRESENTATION TO THE CHURCH OF THE SACRED HEART.
New Zealand Tablet, Volume XX, Issue 3, 23 October 1891, Page 29
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PRESENTATION TO THE CHURCH OF THE SACRED HEART.
The girls of St. Joseph's school, Dunedin, having resolved to present to the Bishop a sanctuary lamp for the Church of the Sacred Heart, North East Val'ey, Thursday, the 15th, was chosen for the purpose — it being the ninth anniversary of tbe ordination of the Bey. Father Lynch, Adm., to whose exertions the erection of the church is due. Besides His Lordship and the Rev, Father Lynch, there were present on the occasion, the Mo9r Rev. Dr. Grimes, S.M., Bishop of Christchurch, the Rev. Father Aubry, S.M., end the Rev. Fathers O'Neil and Murphy. Proceedings commenced with tie following programme, which was performed by the pupils with their accustomed taste and skill — Chorus, "The Pop ,'s An' hem" ; duet (concerted), "Lago Maggiore " ; vocal duo, " Treasures of the Daep " ; Recitation, " A Public School Idyl"; vocal trio, "Sea Nymphs"; duj (concerted pianos), "Meadow Scenes"; vootl duo, "Let Joy be Ours." A " Vivat March" then took place. The children in detachments and each bearing in her hand a wreath of foliage and flowers, marched to music up the hall, and under a series of archeß formed by girls, who, two by two at regular intervals oa the liae of march, held up boughs of ever grejns. On the arrival of each detachment in front of the raised chair in which the Most Rev. Dr. Moran sat, with the Bishop of Cbristchurch on his right, a letter of the word "Vivat 11 was formed with graceful evolutiins, in which the wreaths carried by the girls were waved. The time of the march was still preserved, and the effect was novel and etriking. On the conclusion of this demonstration, an address was read as follows :—: —
May it please your Lordship, — We, tbe children of St. Joseph's school assemble before you with great joy oa this fifteenth of Ootober, the anniversary of the ordination of our zealous, able, and devo'ed priest, Rev. Father Lynch. We choose this day as a fitting one on which to make our presentation of a Sanctuary Limp for (he new church of the Sacred Heart, N. K. Valley. Our dear parents with most willing hearts have enabled us to do this work, for we know that this lamp is to burn, not before a piccure or a statue, bat before the living Heart of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. The special devotion of our school tbia year has been to the Sacred Heart of Jesus oni as a result we feel that we are led by love and guUed in paace. Our vivats to-day, expressed in the metre of music and motion, whilst conveying our usual enthusiastic greetings to our Bishop, must also expresj our congratulations to Rev. Father Lynch, and our prayerful hope that he may reach the fifth decade of ibid bappy aniversary. We also wish that your Lordship's illustrious at.d v ry rev. guests, Bishop Grimes and Father Aubry, whose UGexpi j cted presence among us is such a pleasure, will condescend to accept a share in our vivate, as an expression of greeting and cordial welcome We have great pleasure in announcing to your Lordship that our usual lessons in domestic economy are now about to take the practical turn which a range and kitchen appliances afford. Tour Lordship's wia'iea about our education in cookery and household management will be easily carried out with the aid of the very handsome little range furniahed us by Barmingham and Co. We invite your visit to the next room. We are, your Lordship's devoted children, The Pcmls of St. Joseph's.
The Bishop, in reply, said he had to return them thanks for the lamp presented to him. It was there on a frame, and they had given
him in a casket the money to pay for it. He need hardly say that, ■o far as he himself was concerned, he was very much obliged to tbem, not only for the presentation, but also for the sentiments they had expressed, the language they had made use of, and the entertainment they had given. He was sure he was ouly expressing the sentiments of all present in saying that they had been highly gratified by their tinging and music. It had given him great pleasure to hear them speak as they had spoken of the Sacred Heart of our Divine Redeemer. The offering would be the me*ns of making them still more dear to Sacred Heart, and of obtaining graces for them. They were nnder deep obligations to their parents for enabling them to offer this lamp to hang before the Blessed Sacrament in. the Church of the Sacred Heart. They day they had selected for making the presentation was a very appropriate one. He, the most rev speaker, would not have accepted the presentation had it not been made to the Sacred Heart* Bo far as he was personally concerned he had had very little to do with the building of the church. It was a touching commemoration of the anniversary of Father Lynch's ordination. But for his exertions the foundation stone of the church would not be yet laid, might not, indeed, be laid for many years. He had exerted himself aad got up a concert and carried out a a art-union to a successful issue, and had realised a sum of money to pay for the erection. When the church was opened, however, it would i iot be completely free from debt. Something would still remain owing for the site. But the faith and generosity that had given their h elp in the past would not fail in the future, and the debt would, no doubt, be soon wiped out. He thanked them very much. He also t hanke I them for the share in their address they had given to the Bi Bhop of Christchurcb and Father Aubry who had kindly come to visit them. His Lordship would not think it too much to say a few w i rds in acknowledgement- There was a request also which they migi! t ask the Bishop, and he (the moßt rev speaker) was sure he would b c happy to grant it. His Lordship added that he would suggest rj aat Dr Grimes should be invited to be present at the opening of the ct mrch of the Sacred Heart. They would all give him a right royal well ;ome and be delighted to see him taking part in the ceremonies. Th c invitation was seconded by acclamation.
The Most Rev Dr Grimes then address- ad the children He said he had been surprised by what he had witn< issed. He had comedown to see their venerable Bishop, but he did n ot expect to taka part in such an agreeable entertainment. He wai i not only surprised, but gratified. It had spoken eloquently of the ability, taste, and care of their devoted teachers, the Dominican num , and of the fruitful manner in which they (the children) correspond led with their efforts. Befort he left his diocese on his late visit to Europe, he had wished to come down to sea the senior Bishop of tin o colony, one who bad so long and co ably devoted himself to every good work, especially to the great work of education. He had be en prevented by illness, but on returning to the colony he had resolvi id thit this should be one of his first visits. He had expected to see ( ,he Bishop, and the priests of the mission, and the noble institutions, b at hia expectations had fallen ■hort of the reality. As the invitation given him to be present at opening of the Church of the Sacred Heart was the first request their Bishop had made of him, it woi lid be bad taste on his part to decline it. He would be very hap py to accept the invitation if he possibly could. He had been very much pleased with the display of ability and musical ts Jent he had witnessed the previous evening during the short visit i laid by him to the entertainment of the Catholic Literary Society, in w hich, also, some influences of the Convent were to be recognised. As to the request mentioned by their Bishop, he had no right to grant it, but with his Lordship's kind permission he wo uld do so— it was to grant them a holiday. The announcement was. n ceived with loud applauie. The children then sang a chorus, and oi i its conclusion the Rev Father Aubry spoke a few words. He tba aked the children for the share they had given him in their welc jme. It gave him great pleasure that his first visit to them occunre don this occasion. Father Lynch was a very old friend of his. Sei enteen years ago they had »tood io the relationship of master and pui .il. And he could tell them that Father Lynch had been a very good boy. He had soon to send him to a higher class. He had done bis s urns and learned his lessons bo well that now he could build fioe cv niches. A.I depended on a good beginning. If they did well whai they now had to do, they would do well all their lives until the c nd. He saw an inscription on the wall which he understood to mean that all present were invited to celebrate Father Lynch's golden jul tilee when it arrived. He accepted the invitation, and would not f iil to fulfil the engagement if he could. The rev. speaker conclu led by again thanking the children and congratulating their teacbe rs.
•dP^be "oat "'• and rev. visitors were then invited by the nuns to inspect a kitchen range which had been generously presented to the school and set in an adjoining room by 1 tlessrs. Barningham and Co, who had become acquainted with the des ire expressed by the Bißhop on a recent occasion, and the promise of the nuns to comply with it, that cookin? lessons should be given U » the echool- children. The -ranze is the far-famed «' Zealandia." tad i a admirably adapted for the
purpose required. The visitors expressed themselves highly pleased with the arrangement and very sensible of the generosity shown in the gift. This terminated the visit to St Joseph's school.
