ST BEDE'S COLLEGE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVIII, Issue 18333, 16 February 1920, Page 4

ST BEDE'S COLLEGE.

OPENING CEREMONY YESTERDAY. The new Roman Catholic college, St cßede's Papanui, was solemnly blessed and opened yesterday by bis Grace Archbisbop O'Shea," S.M., in the presence if a distinguished gathering of clergy from all parts of the Dominion, and a large concourse of the laity. The Mayor j attended in his official capacity, accompanied bv the Mayoress. After the college had been blessed and its flag unfurled, Father Graham, Director of the college, addressed tbose present- The establishment of colleges like St Bede's he said, was a protest against the educational system endorsed by the State. 1/ike other citizens, they contributed through the rates to the btato schools, but in addition they dipped deep into their own pockets „to provide Catholic schools. To date over £22,000 had been spent; on St Bede s—£<j(JUo on the property and £17,000 on the buildings, furnishing and incidental expenses. Of this amount £9542 had been raised. The building they were opening was the centre of the main block, and it was hoped to lay the foundation stona of the north wing in the near future. The speaker expressed thanks on behalf of the college for an endowment of £IOOO from Mr M'Guire, of Leeston, for the education of a boy for the priesthood; also to Bishop Brodie, who had established a scholarship at the college. Dr Brodie, Roman Catholic Bishop of Christchurch, in a brief address, said that St Bede's would supply an urgent want in Catholic educational work: it would provide for that important department of education, the secondary training of Catholic boys. The ceremony that day was a happy realisation of the hopes and plan of the late revered Bishop Grimes, whose generosity; zeal and foresight wore largely responsible for the advance now made ■with the work. Referring to the Church's educational activities in Christchurch, Dr Brodie said that during the past-five years work to the value of £61,550 had been carried out. This expenditure referred to the city and suburbs of Christchurch only, and excluded the activities of other portions of the diocese; moreover, it made no reference to the moneys expended on churches and on charitable institutions. If these items -were included for the whole diocese the total would easily pass the large sum of £IOO,OOO. Dr Cleary wished the college a full flowing measure of scholastic success. He hoped it would be" true to the great principles of Catholic education and iaise up a type of manhcod which would be an asset to the Dominion and the pride and joy of the Church. Archbishop O'Shea said that the college marked another milestone on the v way of Catholic educational progress. In the great work of reconstruction before them the more colleges they had like St Bede's the better would they he able to combat that materialism which had brought about the recent war and which was making peace impossible now. There was no hope of a lasting peace \mles3 it was one based on the teach 7 ings of Christ. They could not have a "Christian people unless they began with the children aud trained them in a Christian manner in a phristian school. Material wealth would not save tho nation—what was needed was men and women of high principles and character. There was no middle course between' Christian education and the ultimate destruction of the nation. The Catholic Church never did better than when it established educational institutions such as St Bede's. ' Father Grabam read a lengthy list of subscribers to the debt extinction fund, including Dr Thacker, :who also promised a silver challenge cup for competition amongst the students at the college. ■ After Dr Thacker had briefly addressed those present the college was formally opened by Archbishop O'Shea and was inspected by those present.