GOLDEN JUBILEE

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 91, 14 October 1926, Page 13

GOLDEN JUBILEE

MAEIST BROTHERS.

i As far back as 11th January, 1876, a general meeting of Catholics was held at St. Mary's Cathedral, Hill street, to discuss the question of providing schools for the education of Catholic children of Wellington, and on the 15th May, 187G, the first community of Marist Brothers, under the late Brother Sigismund, arrived in Wellington and received a very hearty ■welcome. Fifty years have now passed, and in that period the Brothers have opened schools throughout the Dominion, with the result that a few years ago the Superior-General created New Zealand, with Samoa and Fiji, a, separate province for ■ administration purposes, with its own provincial and governing council. Hitherto New Zealand formed part of the Australian province. The creation of a new province added responsibilities i .to the New Zealand BrotEers, among them that of finance, as they were immediately required to make the necessary arrangements to provide a training college and juniorate for the purpose of training aspirants for the Brotherhood in this Dominion. A very fine property was procured in Ttiakau, Auckland, where a college lias been erected, and here a great number of New Zealand boys are being trained for' the ranks of the Marist Brothers. As the Brothers give their lives and their services free for the education of Catholic youth, they have to depend on the generosity of Catholics for the purchase, erection, equipment, and maintenance of the Tuakau training college. Last evening, at the Marist Old Boys' Club, a large and enthusiastic gathering of Old Boys and sympathisers attended for the purpose of discussing ways and means to fittingly celebrate the golden jubilee of the Brothers, and at the same time to take advantage of the occasion to raise funds to extinguish the debt on the Tuakau College. . Mr. L. Sievers (president of the Old Boys' Association) presided, and among those present were: Very Rev. Father Cullen, Admiral B. A. Chancellor of the Arch-diocese, Rev. Father J. Kelly, Rev. Brothers Justin (provincial), Siegisford, and Leo, Dr. P. Lynch, Messrs. P. Verschaffelt, J. A. Scott, J. J. L. Burke, T. B. Gusscott, P. D. Hoskins, P. A. Lawlor, T. O'Brien, J. Black, H. Myers, and T. Tracy. The following programme was mapped out:—Sunday, 12th v December, general Communion at St. Mary of the Angels', Boulcott street, to be followed by a breakfast; Monday, 13th December, public celebration at Town Hull. Adyantago will also be taken, of the occasion to entertain sixty of the Marist Brothers, who will be in Wellington for their annual retreat at St. Patrick's College. In regard to finance, a committee of five members from each of the city parishes, under the parish priest, will take charge of this matter. Two members' from each parish will form the executive "committee, ;md these will be nominated from the five parish members. Mr. P. D. Hoskins was appointed lion, general secretary and treasurer, and Mr. F, J. O'Driscoll hon. assistant-secretary.