Borstal Chapel Dedicated

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30879, 12 October 1965, Page 28

Borstal Chapel Dedicated

<N'ew Zealand Press Association) INVERCARGILL, Oct. 10. Thirteen years ago the Invercargill Borstal became the first institution administered by the Justice Department to receive a fulltime chaplain: today it became the first to have a chapel put into operation.

“In handing over the chapel to the churches in the National Council of Churches and the Roman Catholic Church. I hope it will be an instrument in the healing of many lives,” said the Minister of Justice (Mr Hanan) in a dedication service in the chapel today. Mr Hanan handed the chapel over to the chaplains, the Rev. G. L. Sweet and Rev. Father G. T. Keyes, on behalf of the Justice Department. Father Keyes made a plea for more post-release hostels in New Zealand. “I make a plea today for the extension of post release hostels. 1 am sure that if we had them in Auckland. Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin, there would be no difficulty in keeping them full,” he said’

A post-release hostel has been established for three years in Invercargill, and Father Keyes said “Almost every second day 1 have a boy come to see me to ask if 1 will take him in at the hostel I run here in the city. “It is a source of anguish and sadness to me that 1 have to tell him my place is full.

and that I don't know whether I will be able to take him. "This is why I appeal today to the representatives of churches and other organisations to give this matter careful consideration I believe it Is a matter of Christian concern,” he said.