CATHOLIC SCHOOL.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 24, 29 January 1912, Page 11

CATHOLIC SCHOOL.

FORMAL OPENING CEREMONY. The new Marist Brothers' School, which has recently been erected by the Catholic authorities of the Thorndon Parish in Hawkestone-street, wae blessed and formally opened by His GrUce Archbishop Redwood yesterday afternoon in the presence of a numerous gathering of clergy and parishioners. In addition to his Grace there were prosent the Yen. Archdeacon Devoy, the Very Rev. Dean Regnault, S.M. Provincial, tho Very Rev. Father O'Shea (Vicar-General), the Rev. Father Hicks ( on (administrator ol the Thomdon Parish), the Rev. Father Peoples, and Brother Frederick (who will have charge of the school). Subecqueiit to the ceremony the Rev. Father Hickson gave a brief statement of tbo financial position. Nearly four years ago the land on which the school had been erected was purchased at * cost of £2000, nhieh was borrowed at 5 per cent., aud tho school itself had beeu erected at a cost of about £2100, leaving a total debit of 6t>me £4100. The money fot the erection of the eohool had, however, been lent free of interest for, five years by three gentlemen who were interested in Catholic education, ' and to wW the parish as a whole was very much indebted. They would also need to expend £200 or i 3300 in repairing tha ( adjoining house «o a? to make ' ifc a suitable residence for the teaching etaff. H« was sure that the "people qi the parish would respond generously to the invitation to reduce the debt. He also expressed his cordial thanks to and appreciation of the work done by tho architect (Mr. John S. Swan) and the builder (Mr. P. Hudson), who 'had carried out their duties iaithfully and weii. His Grace Archbishop Redwood fully endorsed these remarks, and went on to deliver an address on the Christian ideal ol education. The more an educational system approximated to the Christian ideal, he said, the more it was commendable; the more it deflected from that ideal the more it was condemnable. Spiritual interests were eupreme. taking precedence over the physical and, intellectual; and, if a conflict were possible, even over the moral,,, Christi&jiity in uisted that 'no scheme of education was complete or prepared for complete living unless it prepared for the life to come as well as for this life. The children of the Catholic Church had paid dearly for their adherence to that ideal— ln tht. erection of this sqhool, for instance — but the result was worth the price, and the priqe would be paid as long sa it was required. '"More shame for tht> Governments, which, like our own, tine, an^ mulct and penalise Catholics foi their sturdy maintenance of that liberty which alone guarantees a complete, peifeqt, all-round education." He dcdi cated the school to hfe holy patron, St. Francis de Sales. Its erection had required a large outlay, and the duty rested upon them all to reduce the debt as far as their means would allow. They could not employ "their money for a better purpose than ensuring tot theii children a thoroughly complete" .Catholic education, guaranteeing as far. as in them lay the faith and morality, guar anteeing that they would be to thejn a joy and glory, that they would honour the Church, that they would be the pride and strength and vigour of the commonwealth, and, finally, fellow citizen* with them in the Rinsdom of God for all eternity. A collection was then' taken up and realised the sum of £150. •