CATHOLIC CENTENARY

Evening Star, Issue 22896, 2 March 1938, Page 18

CATHOLIC CENTENARY

YESTERDAY'S FUNCTIONS WELCOME BY MAORIS (Per United Press Association) AUCKLAND, Mar. 1. The Catholic centenary celebrations were marked by a comparatively ouiet day to-day. The principal function in the morning was the Solemn Pontifical Mass for the Religious. The Hibernians’ Conference was continued, and a conference of the Catholic Women s League was opened. In the afternoon there was a garden party in the grounds of St. Mary’s Convent, Ponsonby. In the evening there was a gathering of Children of Mary at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, when the devotions were conducted by the Very Rev. Father Nerney, S.J., of Melbourne. At the same time the conference of the St. Vincent de Paul Society was continued. There was a Maori concert in the Town Hall later in the evening, and also a reception given by the Catholic Women’s League. ARAWA CONCERT PARTY In the presence of more than 3000 Catholic prelates, clergy and people, the Apostolic Delegate (Archbishop Panico) was welcomed and. entertained in the Town Hall to-night on behalf of the Maori race by a large concert party of the Arawa tribe from Rotorua. A whare set among masses of ferns and foliage of native trees provided an effective setting for the stirring hakas, graceful poi dances and melodious action songs given by Maori maidens and men in national costume. One of the most dramatic numbers was the lament “ Mai Nga Ha,” composed on the death of the Catholic Arawa chief, Mita .Taupopoki, who was a prominent figure at the Sydney Eucharistic Congress. During the concert the Apostolic Delegate addressed the Arawa entertainers in Maori, congratulating them on their beautiful music and skill and the grace displayed in their dances. CATHOLIC WOMEN'S LEAGUE The opening of the conference of the Catholic Women’s League th'is morning proved most successful, delegates’ from all parts of New Zealand attending. They were welcomed by the president of the Auckland branch (Mrs M. Billing). In an address Mrs Milling pointed out that there were 2,900,000 mem-' bers affiliated with the Catholic Women’s League throughout the world, and that the movement had made great progress in New Zealand. Already there was a strong chain of branches throughout the country. VISIT Tfl HOUSING SCHEME An interesting interlude in the Catholic centenary celebrations was .provided to-day when many of the visiting prelates and priests were shown over the Government housing area at Orakei. The party was conducted over some of the houses by Mr J. A. Lee, M.P. The scheme was described by Mr Lee as the best working class scheme in the world and a feature was that seven co-operative contracts had been let to groups of carpenters. In answer to Archbishop Duhig Mr Lee said that the rent charged for houses of that type would average about 25s a week. A carpenter received 2s 9jd an hour and .travelling time if'working at a distance from the city, so that the rental was slightly in excess of one day’s pay. , The visiting prelates showed the greatest interest in the scheme. Several expressed pleasure at the move to give the people a home of their own with a plot of ground.