ROMAN CATHOLIC NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 502, 8 May 1909, Page 9

ROMAN CATHOLIC NEWS.

A now Roman Catholic Kindergarten will bo opened in about a 'week's timo in Sussex Square, under tho control of tho Sisters of Mercy. , An effort is being mado to increase tho parish collections for the Cathedral Fund > this year, in tho hope that it may bo found possible to fix a date for tho commencement of tho work. Tho Cathedral will bo. erected on ; tlio block of ground containing , St. Joseph's Church, St. Patrick's College, and othor Roman Catholic buildings, and it will face cither Buckle Street or Tory Street. With tho completion of tho Cathedral, St. Joseph's Church will bo no longer used, The authorities do not intend to commenoo tho erection of tho Cathedral till they can provide, without unduo financial strain, for. a building of Bufliciont sizo and dignity, tomeet tho requirements of many years to come. ~ ■ ■ It is intended to request power of Pirliament, noxt session, under tho Catholic Lands Act, to leaso tho valuable site in' Victoria Avenue, Wanganui, on which; stand tho Roman Catholic Church, convent, schools, and priests' residence. Tho site, which has a frontage of 400 feet, is now so near ■ tho business portion of the town that it can ill be spared for church purposes, for-which a moro suitablo site, with an elevated situation, has been secured in Guyton Street, a fow minutes' walk distant. If Parliamentary,! authority is obtained, the church, oonvent,' and other structures will bo rebuilt on .this site, and tho old sito let for business purposes. Tho convent is not nearly largo enough for present requirements, and tho. church is getting old, so that it will bo an advantage to replace these buildings. Tenders 'aro being called for tho erection of a new chapel in connection with ■ tho seminary at Meaneo. , " ■ Archbishop Redwood aid most of. the Now Zealand bishops aro expected to attend .an important Australasian Congress of tho Roman Catholic Church, to bo held in Sydney in October. Tho congress is held onco every four years, at. Sydney and Melboumo alternately,: for tlio purposo of discussing all ' varieties of. church work. Especially interesting is tho_ medical section of' tho once, at which medical moil discuss with leaders of. tho Church the decreasing birthrate and . other questions that affect, morality. Two. congresses liavo been held previously, and it is expected that tho ono callcd for October next will ho tho largest ,to date.'' ■ , ' - , ; Tho Rev. Placido ■ Huault,. S.M., whoso death was reported recently from Sydney,' was for fourteen years connected with • St. Mary's Scholasticate, Meaneo, and was for - a year stationed in the To Aro parish. Wellington. Ho was a fellow-student or tho Very Rev, Dean Regnault, S.M. . (Provincial) at tho College of St. Meoh. After brilliant studies, ho entered the novitiate of the Society of St. Mary, completed his courso. of philosophy: and theology in Spain ;, and and was appointed to tho .chair of philosophy in ono of. tho French seminaries. At the special roquest-of his superiors ho camo to New Zealand,' and was professor of theology and'master'of novices at.'. Meanee, where (says tho. "Tablet") ho was very much esteemed for his leai-ning, "and hiß : strict obscrvanco of tho religious rule. His zeal was also ono of his distinguishing'char- 1 ncteristics. Holidays did not mean far'him idle times, but change of work. Many people will still remember his solid , instructions and his retreats to confraternities'and children who ivero preparing for . their first Communion. A few years ago ho was called: ■ by.- his superiors to tako charge of the im- : girtaut parish of Vil'a Maria, Hunter's Hill., e wrote tho books, "Tho Mother of- Jesus'' and tlio "May Queen," and it is said that, at tho timo of his death lib was engaged on another important work. His loss at a comparativsly early ago 'will bo keenly' felt by the'members of his'society. ,