MARIST BROTHERS

Grey River Argus, 10 June 1933, Page 6

MARIST BROTHERS

Forty Years on West Coast COAIMEMORATION DEBUTANTES’ BALL. h was in the year 1789 that the storm of the French Revolution burst over France, a storm that was destined to sweep away in a torrent of blood the old order of things and to set up a new culture, a new system in its place. And in this tempest the Church, too, suffered; the old religion was attacked as furiously as was the old Government; priests and religious were butchered in scores or driven from the country and the people were left without pastors or served only by those who carried out their duties in disguise, amidst danger ami privaItions. But Cod ha<l not forgotten his afflicted people and he raised up devoted and holv men. who set themselves to repair as far as lay in their power the ravages id’ Godlessness and impiety. I Prominent amongst these was Mar (•('llin Benedict Uhampagnat. who was born on May 211th of that same year 17*9 in a remote country district in iFrame. ami who was destined to fouml a religious rongregation of Iteaeliing Brothers which, within sixty venrs of his death, was to he found } conducting schools in ex cry civilised Icountrv in the world. In the course ’,,f his work as curate in the parish of Lavalla. Father Champagnat was horrified by the evidences he found of religious apathy and neglect, ami his heart was sore. particularly al the sight of children growing up ignorant lot’ God and of religion. ft was then ho conceived the idea of founding a religious order of men echo were to j devote themselves to the Christian education of youth. This idea grad juallv took shape and on January 2, 1817. four voting mon took possession iof a small house which he had pm-',-hased. and the congregation of the Marisi Brothers had begun. The first vears <,f the new Society were one ilong struggle against poverty and hardship, but high courage ami invin-,-tide determination triumphed ovei lull, and at the time of the founder’s death, in 1840. the Society comprised 280 Brothers and 30 aspirants, conducting 48 schools in l-’ranee. I The first school to.be founded outside France was St. Anne’s School, London, in 1852. Since then the spread of the Order lias been rapid, nnd lit the present day it comprises <>vor 9000 members. teaching over i]20.000 children in schools scattered lover every country in the world from .South America to China, from Canada ito New Zealand and the Islands of the South Seas. AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. I The first school in Australia was opened in Harrington Street, Sydney, 'in 1*71; progress was rapid and in i 1872 a Novitiate was opened for trainling Australian ami New Zealand boys desirous of joining the Brothers. The first school in New Zealand was open■cd in Wellington in 1876 at the invitation of Hi" Gram* Archbishop Red wood. But thr Brothers had been associate! with this part of the world long before that lime. From 1836 to IS.-.G. :: I Brothers had left Fram e for the mis ions of Oceanica. I'he first Brother Io set foot on New Zealaml soil was Brother Michael, who lamb'd .••I llokianga with Bishop Pompallier in 183.8. Another striking incident i" the history of the Brothers in New Zealaml is the death ol Brother Euloge. who was killed at Wanganui in 1864. during the Maori War, while he was tending the wounded. The opening of the Wellington school in 1876 was followed by schools in Auckland, (’hrisf church. Timaru. G rey mouth. Invercargill and Napier; of more recent, origin are the schools in Hamilton (Waikato) and Gisborne. A training school at Tuakau ami a Novitiate nt Claremont, near Timaru. opened this year, complete the organisation of the New Zealaml Province and give, evidence of its rapid progress since its erection into a separate Province in 1917.

GREYMOUTH. Forty-one years ago the Alarist Brothers came to Greyinouth. On August 1. 1892. Brothers Charles, Basil and Coleman—all since dead—welcomed the first batch of pupils to the School, a modest single-storied wooden structure. These sturdy pioneers laid the foundations well and truly. In the following year they courageously began secondary classes as a result of which the first pupil secured a Matriculation Certificate in December, 1893The school prospered, the numbers steadily rose, and additions had to be made to the staff. Dean Carew, whose name is rightly held in such veneration all over the West Coast, and whose memory is perpetuated in the name of the present school, assisted the Brothers in every possible way, ami even assisted the staff by teaching for a couple, of hours every day. The school building proved inadequate to the increased members, ami thus it was that in 1922 the “Dean Carew {Memorial School.’’ an imposing wellappointed double-storied stone build

ing replaced this other structure. At the same time a fully equipped Second arv Department was established. The Science Laboratory of this ranks among the very finest in the South Island. At present there arc 150 pupil" in the primary department. 50 in the [secondary; 15 pupils passed their ProGciencv in the recent examinations, six in the intermediate, and seven the Matriculation. But though steady de \ elopment has resulted from the of forts nf the Brothers to impart a sound Christian education the same cannot be said of the endeavours which have been made from time to time to provide them with a suitable habitation. Their present dwelling, though finely situated, is, as might be expected in the case of a sixty years old wooden building, very dilapidated, and pain fully inadequate. To realise what this

means, it ought to be borne in mind that the Brothers are obliged by the. very character of their calling to pass almost the whole of* their lives outside school hours in the seclusion of their house. Hence the necessitv that this should be, not comfortable be it noted, but merely adequate. The numerous friends of the Marisi Brothers feel that something ought to be done to remedy this unsatisfaeforv condition of affairs. The completion of 40 years of unremitting toil on thr part of the Brothers seems a fitting occasion for the public to testify in a practical manner its appreciation of the work accomplished. An opportunity of doing so will be afforded them on Tuesday. 13th June. when tho debutantes’ ball takes place at the Town Hall for the purpose of gathering funds for the above-mentioned laudable purpose. It is hardly necessary to emphasise the necessity and worthiness of Hie cause for which this function is being organised. The West Coast will generously respond Io this deserving appeal.