NEW CHURCH AT PAPANUI.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17402, 13 March 1922, Page 4

NEW CHURCH AT PAPANUI.

OPENED BY BISHOP WHITE, OF DUNEDIN. •

Th© newest church in th« Bom&n Catholic parish of St, Mai'jV-Uia PapaflUi OhuieH'-was bleseed and open* cd yesterday morning by hLs Lordship Dr, White, Bishop of DuwidU), flutigequently, Hi# Maes » ecUihratod by th» Eev- Father O'Contiell, &M,, tiw Rev. Father Powltotf, 8.M,, of St, Bede's, acting a# deacon, the Itav. Father McCarthy, S.M, of Bt. Vcde a, as sub-deacon, and the }U>v. i'uthoi' Ktman S.M , as waster of ceremonies, Bia Lordship -pi'6aoho<l im otanwiit sermon on l'salm 120: ''Except tho Lord build the house they labour in vain who "mild it " The preacher said that when Solomon built his temple, ho used every effort to make it magnificent , abnyo everr other. We could not ma without emotion the solemn dedication of the teinplo to God; yet, with all its magnificence and glory, tho tempi© fell short of the poorest of Catholic churches because in the latter, there was the presence of our blessed. Lord. The preacher went on to deal with the hue raments from Baptism to Extreme Unction. M Speaking with regard to tho Bamment of Matrimony, Dr. White deplored the tendency nowadays to roitard matrimony lightly. Fortunately, however, he said, such was not the case with Catholic*. To :this treatment ot matrimony was due much of the corruption in public life, n° ve^" crowded state of tho Divorce Court. Proceeding, he suid that in the earlier days of the Church many Ixsautifui cathedrals were erected to the glorification of God, end tho arts and sciences were made use of to beautify them. Hence we lind so many beautiful sculptures, paintings, r»id compositions of music associated with, the Church. Jhese were availed of to testify to the Lowl that nothing was too good for Him who condescended to remain in tho Tabernacle to be our comfort and consolation. The new church at Papanui had been built by the grac© of God with the po* operation of the priests and parishioners He congratulated all concerned on the success of their efforts, atid prayed that Jesus Christ might bless the church. He hoped that great numbers would attend the Mass and the devotions, and that there would be full confessionals and numbers at the alter to receive the Blessed Sacrament. Humble though tho little church was, concluded Ihis Lordship, it was yet more sublime than Solomon's temple, because. tho Lord Jesus Christ was present in it with .them. ... The Very Iter. Dean Regnault said that as he was responsible for the erection of tne church and the school adjoining the old church, the parish priest had requested him to welcome his Lordship the Bishop of Dunedin,. and to thank him on behalf of the priests and people of Papanui for his gracious condescension in blessing and opening the church. His Lordship had intended to spend the greater part of Lent m administering the Sacrament of Confirmation in the various parishes of his own diocese, but on receipt of the speaker 8 invitation he did not hesitate to come, and he offered his services in other directions if required. Thus he would administer the Saorament of Confirmation at St. Mark's in the afternoon. His Lordship's venerable predecessor also, at the request of the speaker, came to Canterbury some years ago to open, another church, not"unlike that at l nui, in South Canterbury. So church in Canterbury pwpd a debt ot gratitude to the ; bishops of Dunedin. It might interest his Lordship to i know that the first Catholic congregation m Christchurch after the cathedral _was that of Papanui, As far back as 1876 or 1876 'a Catholic school witasrcstablished in an old building at the cornet of Harewood road and North road, opposite the old cemetery. The site was now occupied by Bichley s buildings. The teacher was Mrs Henry, arid sho was assisted by Miss Carter. The old church which had done duty until tho present moment, known as the School Church, erected by the late Rev- Dean Ginaty, of venerable memory, in tho year. 1878, on a site secured by one of the parishioners, Mr Kennedy, one of whose eons was the Very Rev. Dr. Kennedy, of Temuka. It was opened and blessed by the founder, Dean Ginaty, oil September 15th of the same year. On the following day the old church was transformed into a school under the direotion of Miss ICeeley, whose assistant was Miss Booth, the Sisters of Mercy taking charge in 1894. Tho Dean paid a tribute to those who had supported the parish in its earlier days, whose efforts Were, he said, a splendid example to those who followed them.'. As far back as 1916 the sum of £SOO was collected for the erection of a new church. Later the Rev. Father Seymour organised a number of socials to augment the funds. The. speaker thanked the architect, guilders, and othors who had assisted to erect the church, the cost of which, up to the present, had been £2675. The school had cost £631, so that tho total sum spent in Papanui during the past few years had been £3307. The sum of £2400 had been subscribed to date, leaving a debt of £7OO or £Boo, i which waß quite a small matter considering the assets of the church in Papanui. The choir of St. Mary's Church, under Miss Ward, sang Loesch's MassAt the offertory they sang Liscombe's "Ave Maria." v . A collection taken up in aid of the building fund realised the sum of £152 4s.