THE CHURCHES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 159, 30 March 1908, Page 8

THE CHURCHES.

NEW CATHOLIC CLUB. SUCCESSFULLY INAUGURATED. ,• About Mifty persons attended a meeting held in StlxMary's Church,, Boulcott Street, yestorday afternoon,-at which it was dccided to'form a " Wellington Catholic Club." Mr. Martin Konnedy, who was; voted to the chair, stated that a meeting held thrie weeks before had affirmed tho desirableness of forming a general Catholic Club,, and erecting a .hall'which'would serve, for club purposes, arid might . .also bo let for. meetings; The present mooting was :formed ,to inaugurate the club, appoint' a management' committee, and . adopt rules', for the club's."government. Mr. E. J. Fitz'gjfibon read a draft con-stitution-for the club, which had "been drawn up .by a committee. Tho objects wore stated to: bo the provision of .better';'opportunities for the. social and intellectual: intercourse of Catholics,: and the general promotion of their 'spiritual'and. other welfare. "It was proposed that the club should comprise honorary, ordinary, and life members, and that members of- tho last-mentioned class .should, .not 1 be eligible to. hold office. ' All Catholics over 20 years of ago were eligible for membership. Application to join: the club must'.be'niado to tho committee, and bo . accompanied -by. one quarter's,subscription in advance. > Tbelsiibscription for'ordinary members would be lffs. a •'year,.'paid 'in''advance, .or 12s. .if paid by tho quarter. / : .Mr". A. H. Casey read the committee's estimate of receipts arid ' expenditure. The expenses for the-first year were roughly computed at £204. allowing that £50' would: bo paid as rental for the site to tho Archbishop. No'rental has yet been fixed, and His Grace stated at the previous meeting that the rental , would bo nominal. - The committee estimated that the sum of:£36 would provido magazines,' etc.-,, for. s the--reading , room, .making the total expenditure, for the. year £240. As regards receipts, tho subscriptions of _ honorary members: might • be oxp'octed to bring in £50, .revenue fronl two billiard tables £60, half a dozen concerts or' dances £30, and from lotting the large hall, intended to scat 600/ the committee' hoped to get 1 at least £50. ' This made'a total of £190, leaving £50 to be derived from'ordinary members' subscriptions in .order to meet, expenditure. Tho cost of erecting tho hall was estimated at £3300, and of furnituro (including a piano • • and two.' billiard: tables)£3Bs, making, with' the 1 first year's' estimated; expenditure, a-total'requirement of £4000. ; To.wards this amount the sum of £2600 was already in hand or -promisedj and,indefinite donations promised, .with the result of a canvass iiow made by the young'meii ; 'were expected .to raise the amount- to £3000. - That would ■ leave an 'amount- of- £1000 to, be'. finai;ce'd, 'in'-order (.that- the building and .furni-ture-might be paid for in cash. T • ' The! Chairman' said' that :'he"'did' not 1 think the .-rental for the site would amount' to -£50,and whatever, the sum was'i'hei'expectecl-th'at the! greater, of it. would be received' 1 back in contributions -to the club". : . - The present hall,-, it', w.as' stated, ; will "be" , handcd ;-oVer !; -to the. Boys' Club." .

1 ' On the motion,of.;Mr.',Fitzgibll,pn,-,s!pcorided by Mr. ,J: -J: Devine,--it was''-resolved-uri- ■; anjmously:/'.-That!.i.Catholic.Cluh bh.fbrmbd'ito -.be; palled tlio Wellington iCathblic ,Club, and ■ thh t':-..a1l thoso' present -enrol- -themselves' \ as riiembers, and' that.:th'e " rules ' as'-read:;be ; adopted.".. - ' !'l ; 'v,T: '.' The following officers '-we'r.e^■'.•: blected i—' ■ Patron, His - Grace Archbishop' 'Redwobd • • > president, 'Mr. Martin Kqnji.edy:' vjcb-nreßi-derits, ..tho Very Revy. Father O'Sheaf.S.Jl., V.G., Messrs. J. J. Devine' arid Maurice O'Corinor; secretary.. Mr.' .J; W:'Callaglian; treasurer, Mr.' ll.' Seward;;' 'librarian, Mr. . ; ' Gerald Dob;; management' enmnjitteo, • 'thef j t fbrbgoing, ex officio. Messrs. B.'Doherty, A.. .H.-- Casey,-/B. J.'-Devine, H.yM'Keown; J.' ' M'Gowan, E. J! Fitzgibbori l , Townsend, E. J. * Leydon, and L. Dwan: trustees', Messrs. Martin Kennedy,' J. 'J. Devine. and E. J. Fitzgibbon; auditors, Messrs. Janies O'Siillivan, and T. J. M'Govern. : Two of tho clcrgy remain to -bo appointed tho Mariagqment Committee by • the Archbishop! ■ One 'of these will: act'' as! Spiritual Director,of the club! . '•'• ','■■ •'' ' 'It was agreed that the nine committee-men olected' by the !club itself shall all retire !at the end of the first year, and thereafter thrco : members shall retir.o anriually. :. ' The'site of. the proposed-riejv club'.rooms'is ' ..at the side of- St. Mary's taking in ' part of the present tonnis court. ■ . V; BAPTIST ANNIVERSARY. '''.!.'SUCCESSFUL- CHINESE CLASS. '' .Tho thirtieth anniversary of tho Vivian Street Baptist' Church was-.bbserved-yester-day....The'.Roy. A- S. Wilson, ; of'Waoganui; and late,- of Perth' .Western! Australia, preached to. large congregations'.both :in the' 'mornirig apd'evening. ; The!"subject , of'his' morning , sermon.: was -" Tilings ' that" precede' .revival;"'N His...evening text/; V'.Wteit-lis t'hjit. t-o do .with thoe.follow..thou• me,": aifordpd' iiispiratio-n.fpf'.afyery'elbq'tfent'discourse; iri 'wdi'ic.h' tlio speaker'.'urgi^' the A ;young;:peoplfe',' in particular,' >to '; take"- a-.. defmito ' religious stand! i:- •..> .i'-...'.-'.V-!. ■""'.•■• ■ . : 'Tip annivej;sary.!social wili:.be..held.-.m : vthe church; on Wednesday, evening. ..j.Th?i .annual; report-states that tho church-membership, is 320, : a net increase''of ,18 "for'the year;' • .The vation of the/church'.were'special. influences' affecting, the:finances;, Towards"!these' objects.' £150 was paid from. the general account, which shows "iri; consequerice'- a ' trifling- dbbit balance.' -The 'grand'total .'of'receipt's is . £1319.': '/The special meetings for -mehyveiro'a successful: feature of the year's: work,' which will he-repeated during the-'cbriiiing' winter.' The Sunday . School membership' of 209' is l 8 less.-thim last;year,..but the'.average'.a'tterid'-. aiice 'of .143 !is tho same. . In': the 'Baptist

Union. 'examiriatibri two* prizes "arid one! pasi \certificato were won. by -pupils, of the school and in the : local; Sunday. Schools',exariiinatior four .first, prizes and a numberof'.pass certificates' were obtained..- "' The' membership ol the '.Internatiorial; Biblq -Rea'ding vAssociatioii is now 150. • All the. other organisations'ol the; church -are doing- 'prosperous' work,' pecially, the Chineso class, whose membership lias irinreased about 150 perXcent. sinco Mr. R. C. O'Connor, took charge.' ' It is notice-able-.that' 'when 'any -members return■'froin''a trip-to China they, always;go back to the class. There . are about thirty members ,at present. More teachers are badly needed:: A . Dojunion representative, paid a visit to the. Chineso class last evening. The members, who are mostly: laundrymen,' ''seemed to take part ,in the service' with much intelligence and enthusiasm. It" was stated-that the' membership: could: be- raised to' fifty almost immediately' if -moire- ' teachers were forthcoming. 'As many of the,scholars have to be taught English, as wjell'as Christianity, progress is naturally Very, slow,-and it:'is really • desirable that there should be a. teacher to .each pupil.: . Some of the Chinese are much quicker in acquiring knowledge than: others,' and they,do not care to .be'kept back:while their lowor comrades go over the old ground. Ono of the pupils present evening had just returned from a, visit to-China. In their' Sunday, attire,!which reached in, many cases the heigljt: of; European ' fashion, .the Chineso appeared quite transforiried from the hiinible tradesmen; of .daily' life/ " ' ■It is understood tli.it ut-the Congregational meeting in conncction with' the anniversary of tho Vivian Streot Baptist Church on Wed.nesday evening a -campaign will ' be inaugurated .--to increaso tho membershipof '■ the Sunday.School. / . ■; . ...: -I

SUNDAY OBSERVANCE. ' At 1 St. PauPs ! pro-Cathedral : - yesterdaj', mornirig tho Rev. T. 11. Sprott continued, his course of sermoris on "Sunday Observance." , Ho pointed out'that it was a.mistake to.supposo that the Fourth Commandment was merely a matter of Jewish ceremonial, for it dealt with the'whole life of man in time in its primary aspects of work' and r rest. Tho command, "Six days shalt thou labour," was just as authoritative' as the references to the seventh day's rest, and every idler and loafer disobeyed the commandment. It was significant that .in the' Church Catechism tho summary of the Fourth Commandment was, that we should servo God "all the days of our life." At the Savov Conforence iu the 17th century it was proposed to add the words "especially on the Sabbath Day," but this was resisted,"- no doubt because it was folt that it might tend

to obscure the full scope of the! commandment.' ' In his capacity for,' work man was made in- the image of God,'- and as God's work in creation was progressive, from lower to higher,'so all true human labour should .co-onsrate with tho.Divine in tho betterment of-tilings, and in moving on towards; perfec : tion.;. This thought dignifiediall true labour. The Fourth Commandment dealt nvith fundamental principles of human life,, and should find : a response in. the lrioral consciousness' of mankind. '. J,■ REQUIEM MASS).', A Requiem Mass for tho . late -Rev. Father Pidgcon, of the. Redemptarist'Order, was celebrated at St. Joseph's: Church, Buckle Street, on . Saturday morning ,',at 9 o'clock. His Grace, Archbishop Redtto'od, S.M., presided. . The, Rev. Father: Clu'ne, C.SS.R., was .celebrant, Father FinriertjyS.M., deacon, arid Father . Bowderi,-S.M., sub-deacon; and Father Hurley, S.M;, master; of ceremonies. Among the clergy present'were the Very ltev. Father Rognault, S.M.,',^Provincial : of the; Marist .Order';. •. the, Yen.', Dpvov, tho Very Rev.'; "Father- O'Sliea,: S-M';,. - V.G.Fathers;'- Hickson, ' Goggan,; Honing, Herbert, Venning, Moloney, Bartloy,' Graham, ' M'Carthy,. : Gilbert, O'Reilly, and O'Brien, C.SS.R.' The choir was. composed of tho clergy, who, under the leadership of. Father. Moloney,, sang ' the Various parts of-tho Sacred.'.Liturgy. His Grace, tho Archbishop, spoke at the end. of Mass most touchinijly . of. the saintly life of tlie late Redemptorist Father, .and exhorted all to pray for. tlio happy repose of.:his soul.' •The' funeral ..cortege was very large:' At the grave His Grace conducted the. service, and a most touching feature of the-services in' the-church and nt tho" grave'."was tho'exquisite singing of. the Sisters of: Mercy and pupils. •. 'N. .: " V , \ A CHINESE MISSIONARY.

The Rev. T. Howard Smith, of: the London, Mission, Peking, spoke on'the, subject, of mission work in China< at : tlic, 1 Congregational Church, Wellington Terrace, yesterday,morning. He contrasted the present; open .field in China,'.with .former' hostility to., o.utsido ;in T fluonce, and dwelt on the'advances made: by Cnristianity in the last de'eade': As showing tho changed, attitude.'of the 'Chinese towards tho-missionariesi he'stated Wat-'in.some cases native: temples, had - heeir'ilianded:'over for Christian .■''service'.' '' In-' ■ tlib -; 'evening- .Mr. Smith' spoko in the Congregational Church, at Newtown. " v . . On Thursday evening Mr.- Sjnith. ,will deliver'a: locturo on "The'Siege'fof the .'Legations, and tho Forward'Moyeirient in' China," in thq Terrace. The lecture will bo illustrated by lantern slides. CONGREGATIONAL, CHURCU FOR MASTERTON ,The project of a Congregational, church for. Maistertop is! being': kept-''steadily. in 'view. Williams has -promised a site; and the! Rbvs. J. R. Glass6n,:Macdoriald Aspland,: and W: A.' Evans,. Cq'ngregatibnalV':'miriiste'rs ; of the city, will ; go to Mastertou!to-day- to make a selection. .