CHURCH JUBILEE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 28 July 1925, Page 8

CHURCH JUBILEE.

ROMAN CATHOLICS IN HAWERA

SOME EARLY HISTORY

“A little sketch,’’ as th e author modestly states, of the history of the Catholic? Church in Taranaki is contributed b.v Alonsignor Power in connection with the jubilee of the work of that .Church in Hawera. In a short preface he says it is intended to be a storv that would interest children, and he adds that if it has. appealed to the heroic? in youthful hearts, and if this little sketch should be read sometimes by many of our children in Taranaki and should touch the hearts of some of them, the labour he has gone through in gleaning information will lie well repaid. Any reader of the booklet will acknowledge at onc* e that every line must be of interest, even to those who do not know the district. Lo those who do, the interest is naturally th e greater. Dealing with the parish ot Hawera, Alonsignor has much to toll that is o) the deepest interest to people ol the district. He says: “The parish of Hawera was founded in 1875, with Father Pertnis as priest in charge. It is easy to imagine the thoughts that filled the* mind, of this gentle son of the Church’s eldest daughter a.s he came to take charge of a little flock in this the youngest of all lands. . . He began- his work, in Hawera in a very humble way, for the Catholics of Hawera were few and far between. A small cottage .shifted from the Wnihi cemeterv formed a combined church, and presbytery, the whole measuring 18ft. by 16ft. 'lt was not rainproof. The Archbishop on the occasion of his firstvisit had to he continually shifting the altar stone to escape the drip, drip, as he was saying Mass.” The author tells how Father Pertuis in time built a little Gothic church, getting the, walls up first and gradually adding roof and windows, and, adds the author, ‘‘the priest was very happy.” Another sentence that makes the refer, ence to Father Pertuis interesting to many in Hawera is the following; ‘‘He was not long in acquiring a- fair grasp of the English language (the padre was. a Frenchman). Ho had an excellent tutor in the late Colonel Malone, who was himself a good French scholar. The pupil sometimes startled the tutor, even from the pulpit.” The first name in the baptismal register is that of John O’Keeffe, on June 13, 1875; and the. first wedding that of Edward Collins and Margaret Cun. ningham, on February 2, 1877. Mrs. Collins, who survived her husband, is now living with he r daughter in Disraeli Street. Father Pertuis opened the first Catholic school in 1875, the first teacher being Miss Ellen Coakley. She was .succeeded by Miss Guerin —now Airs. A. J. Whittaker, of Auckland. These ladies were responsible for much of. the early training of Archbishop O’Shea, Father Malone, and many others. The name of Father Pertuis is still revered in many homes.

Father Ryan, from the American Mission, was in charge during the greater part of 1878. He added a little two-storied building to what had been Father Pertuis’ house and first church. “This was the finest building of its day in Hawera, and was said to be the cynosure of all eyes.” Lt was sold some twenty-live years ago to Air. John Finlay, who had it re-erected on a beautiful site above the AV'aingougoro beach. “When Air. Finlay, who is a broad-minded and scholarly Irishman from th e ‘Black North’ was asked by me what he intended to do with it, lie replied, ‘I mean to sanctify it by turn, ing it into an Orange lodge.’ Mr. Finlay dearly loves a joke, and his jokes, are always good, lie loves to lie seri-r oils, too, - and die was quite serious when he organised a public function a few years ago to honour the memory of Father Holland.” The late Dean Grogan came in January, 1879, and remained five years. He was a man of powerful constitution and a great horseman, and “on his good horse ‘Tom’ he would be in Kai Iwi and Oaomij in the same week. In many respects he might have, sat for the portrait of Father O’Flynn.” Among the priests that have been given to the Church by Hawera are Father McLoughlin, of the Alosgiel Seminary; Father MoHardy, of St. Patrick’s College, AA r ellington; Father O’Donnell, of St. Joseph’s, AVellington; but the first were the late Father Dan Malone and His Grace Archbishop O’Shea.

The late Father Mulvihill took charge in 1884 and remained until 1898, and lie it was who, seeing the need of a Convent school, brought the Sisters of St. Joseph to the parish. In ISB7 Father Mulvihill built the new church, Mr. Turnbull, of Wellington, being the architect, and, Mr. George Syme, of Hawora. the contractor. Later the church was lengthened bv twenty feet, and that isi the chinch of to-day. He had large ideas of making Ha.wera a great educational centre, and had ambitions to establish here a big boarding school, but the authorities decided otherwise.

It was in May, 1898, that Monsignor Power took charge, and. at once pushed forward educational work, the foundation stone of a new school being laid in the same, year and.the school opened the following year. Writing of the means of travel in those days, Monsignor Power says that on his first Sunday he said Mass at Manaia at 9 ti.m., and set out for Kaponga to say a second Mass at 11 a.m. “How I got there,” h e odds, “it would he hard to tell; the mud and Hie ruts, were beyond description, and midway between Manaia and Kapuni I was dug out by a friendly farmer.” It wa s not long before church buildings were erected at Manaia and Kaponga, and not long afterwards a Convent school was also built'at Manaia, This was followed in 1994 by a church at Hkaiawa, and in 1905 by one at Auroa* In the same year Eltliam and Kaponga were formed into a, separate parish. In 1907 the work prpg res seed, and in 1908 the Dean (a s Monsignor then was) left on a well-earned furlough to Europe and the Old Country, where he spent most of the year. In 1910 the Ha.wera church was enlarged by 30ft. and a large porcli, and this building still gives accommodation for all ordinary occasions. Additions were also made to the school. On one page of the booklet is shown an excellent plan l of the proposed new church, showing a noble edifice, and it is the dearest wish of Monsignor Power to see this completed. For it lie has worked very zealously. Interesting reference is made to many devoted church workers, and the author completes the Hawera section with a eulogy of the faithful work of Mr. .James Bartlett and Mr. E. Ctillinan. Both are still residents of Ha. worn.

The work i.s a valuable contribution to the. history of the town and district, .for it is by* no means confined alone to the work of the church, but contains many an incident and many a •personality known to old residents, and its value will be much greater in the wars to comd.