NEW’CHURCH AT BRYNDWR

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26263, 7 November 1950, Page 8

NEW’CHURCH AT BRYNDWR

OPENING OF ST. MATTHEW’S

The new Church of St. Matthew’s, in the parish of Bryndwr, was officiary opened on Sunday by Bishop Joyce. Bryndwr is the newest parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Christchurch and Bishop Joyce said that it could nave the distinction of hav» ig the fir&t new church opened in the second century of the history of Unchurch in Canterbury. Bishop Jfcyce recalled that when the first church was opened in the City of Christchurch there was a total congregation of 15. The opening of t:.c new church was a further proof of u»e material and spiritual orogress whicn had been made in the r diocese in 109 years. The new church, through its naffie of St. Matthew’s, would also serve as a permanent for priests and people to a .former Bishop, the M »sl Rev. Dr. Matthew Brodie, who nid done so much for the diocese. The parish priest of the new Church, (the Rev. Dr. G. W. Harrison. DO), the Rt. Rev. Monsignor Kennedy, lit parish priest at Papanui (the Rev Father P. Timohey). ani two prominent members of the Bryndwr parish (Messrs Roy Saunders and W. P. Cosgriff) also spoke. ■ The new church, a large Wooden structure in Jeffreys road, is intended as a temporary building, to be replaced with a stone building as soon as possible; and feund his daughter in the passage, said Mr Millhouse. Within a few seconds he. and a neighbour, Mr W. Pattinson. had seen Constable Mollov at the front door, with his wife and their son. the accused. Cross-examined by Mr Taylor, Mr Hillhouse.said the reason he had- made up his mind to turn his son out after he had dodged him when they came out of the hotel was because the accused had promised his sister he would come straight home off the bus from Greymouth. If he had walked home with him, witness said he Would not have turned his son out of the house. Mr Millhouse sa : d he was more incensed about his son after discussing him with his wife and daughter on his return home without the accused. Witness denied that he became provocative himself wheri he had had drink. His daughter had p’eaded with him to try and correct accused’s ways because of his being in constant trouble, said Mr Hillhouse. His Honour: What sort of trouble? Witness: Trouble with Court sentences. His Honour: What for?' Witness: All sorts of things. He knew of no reason why his son should have wanted to injure his sister. Margaret, sa’d Mr Hillhouse. His son and daughter had had quarrels in common with families, but no serious quarrels. Mother’s Evidence . Mrs Elizabeth Hillhouse, wife of the previous witness, and mother of. the accused, detailed happenings leaning VP to the shooting incident. She said she had advised her husband to go to bed and talk it over with hjs son in the morning. When her son arrived home and the "door, her husband, who hawlocked the door and had the key in ms pocket, told the accused to go and get as many miles as he could as there was not a'bed there for him that night. When hjer husband had gone to the front door, she put her foot in it to hold it open. Her husband pushed her back, and this, she thought, angered her son. He had threatened to shoot his father. Her husband pushed her son down the path and she then took the rifle from the front porch and took) it through the house and placed it under the building at the back, said Mrs Hillhouse. She said she then went for Mr Pattinson, who brought her husband back home. Witness went out and spoke to the accused, and at this stage her daughter must have Sone on her own initiative, as nobody ad sent On her return the accused came to the back door and asked for his rifle.

She had put him off until she heard a car. said Mrs Hillhouse. Thinking it was the constable, she thought it would be safe to .ive her son his rifle,-and handed it to .him. She saw her daughter coming out of the sitting room, and then walked down to meet the constable on the bridge. She then heard a shot, and told the' constable hq was too late. •

Meeting the accused-near the front door, she had asked the accused who he had shot, said 4\4rs Hillhouse. He replied. “I have shot Margaret.” Cross-examined by Mr Taylor, the witness said that the accused and her daughter were the best of friends. T don’t think Billy ever intehdefl . to shoot Margaret.”. There had been previous arguments in the home and drink had caused a good deal of trouble.

After the shot was fired, the accused just standing, holding the gun, on the grass said Mrs Hillhouse. Before getting the rifle accused seemed "a bag of nerves.” He would never have ■•'hot Margaret but for being excited, was quite certain. The accused was under 21 and had been told not to frequent hotels, and this had some bearing on the trouble. The Court rose at 9.30 p.m until to-morrow morning.