ST. PATRICK'S YOUNG MEN'S CATHOLIC SOCIETY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume II, Issue 1127, 25 June 1867, Page 6

ST. PATRICK'S YOUNG MEN'S CATHOLIC SOCIETY.

Oue readers may not generally be aware that another of those useful institutions for the improvement of the young Catholic community of Auckland has been commenced a few months back under the patronage of Bishop Pompallier and the clergy, the object of this most laudable undertaking being to discountenance sin of all kinds, to induce members frequently to receive the Holy Sacrament, and uniting on certain evenings of the week for mutual improvement and devotional exercise. The management of the Society is uudcr the patronage of his Lordship Bishop Pompallier, the Eev. Walter McDonald being the spiritual director, and a president, vice-president, treasurer, secretary, and committee of eight members. On Sunday morning, at the half-past 7 o'clock Mass, about forty of the members received the Holy Communion, and after the conclusion of the service wended their way accompanied by their officers to St. Patrick'* school-room, Hobson-street, where a splendid breakfast was prepared for them, and friends, &c. We observed on entering tho school-room a good sized likeness of their Bishop, and at the upper end a large and beautifully-finished picture in wool-work .representing St. Patrick. There were also some flags displayed in other portions of the school-room, giving it a pleasant and animated appearance. Shortly after the Bishop and clergy were announced, and upon the right reverend gentleman being seen to enter, the whole of tho people rose and remained standing until his Lordship had taken his seat. Including members of the Society, their friends, and others receiving invitations, about 100 persons sat down to breakfast. Immediately to his Lordship's right sat the President, Mr. Jno. Play ford, the Very Eev. Walter McDonald, Private Secretary, Eev. P. O'Eeilly, and other gentlemen ; to his left the Very Eev. Dr. McDonald, Vicar-General, the Eev. James Norris, Opotiki, Mr. Patrick Darby, Mr. Peter Grace, and others ; opposite the Bishop sat Mr. Geo. Leahy, the Vice-President, and at the extreme table Messrs. Mahoney, Treasurer, and Leonard, Secretary. Breakfast being over, Mr. Playford rose and said, as we have got some wine, I ask you to fill your glasses, and drink to the health of his Lordship Bishop Pompallier (cheers). After the applause, his Lordship rose and delivered a very edifying and impressive discourse, during which he remarked upon the'importancc of such an undertaking, as the commencement of a Young Men's Catholic Society. He exhorted bis hearers to follow in the straight path, to fight the good fight, and keep the faith, and their sure reward would be the sharing of God's kingdom hereafter ; he impressed upon his young hearers the after blessings that attended all children who follow their parents' and friends' advice, and hoped as the Young Men's Catholic Sr ;iety commenced so favourably, and its future looked so bright, all those who took part its management would recollect that " those who put their hand to the plough are not to look back" but go on steadily and perseveringly. His Lordship concluded by giving his blessing to those present, and trusted God would prosper their undertaking. Mr. Playford then read the following report, after which the members, friends &c, departed. Auckland, Feast of Corpus Christi, 1807. To the Right Rev. Ur. Pompallier, Bishop of Auckland. My Lord, —It is with feelings of revorence for your loved character that I beg leave to approach your Lordship on this solemn occasion. I have heard from your devoted clergy, and from many of tho old residents in this province, accounts of your Lordship's zealous efforts, for the last thirtyone years, to propagate the faith, as received from the Apostles, in this colony, and in the many islands of the South B<>as. I have also myself observed, since my arrival in this city, your devoted attention to tho duties of the episcopacy, and your unabated efforts to support Catholic education and the interests of literature. Thus, from my own observation, and from the roports of others, I feel confident that the Society that I now have tho honour to represent will meet with your Lordship's cordial support and approval.

Before reading to your liorJship our first report, I must respectfully a elicit your benediction upon myself, and upon St. Patrick's Catholic Young lien's Socioty ; and in return I and my brethren will beg the intercession of tho blessed Virgin, Mother of Q-od, and our lioly patron, with tho Hiver of all good gifts, that grace may be abundantly poured upni you to enable you to fulfil jour labour of love among us for many years to come. (Signed) John P. P-layford, President. I will now read to your Lordship the first report of Patrick's Catholic Young Men's Society : — My Lord Bishop, Very Reverend and Reverend Gentlemen and Brethren, Tho officers and council temporarily appointed to organise St. Patrick's Catholic Young Men's Society respectfully submit to your Lordship the following report of their proceedings : — This Society originated at a meeting held on March , 13, ISB7, agreeably to tho wishes of your Lordship, at which it was agreed that the officers and council should be elected, who were to act as a committee for framing tho laws of the Society. From that time we have continued to meet weekly in our hall. We have accepted with some slight change the admirable rules formed by the very Rev. Dr. O'Brien, of Limerick, and now generally adopted by similar societies. Work of a like character occupied our attention until the 4th of April, when we began to receive members; -from that time our members have steadily increased, and we have now 4S on our books. Car next care was the formation of a library, and for which we have to thank those friends who have ko generously come forward with loans and donations of books. Wo have now 172 volumes. As soon as our funds permit we shall endeavour to form a thoroughly Cathol'c library, which will be a means of acquiring lcnowledgo superior to all others, and aa a source of heaithy and refined enjoyment. Our reading-room Ims not been so regularly supplied with periodicals and papers as we would wish to sec it, but wo trust shortly to bo able to put before | the members tho following :—Herald, Daily Southern Cross, Australasian, Sydney Freeman's Journal, Tablet, Nation, Illustrated London News, Auckland Journul, Dublin Weekly Freeman, San Francisco Bulletin, Dublin Review, Brownsoc's Quarterly Review, Duffy's Magazine. We have also endeavoured to provide innocent amusements for such of our members that take less interest in literature, but owing to the smalluess of our hill we havo not sucsoeied so well as we could wish. Under the able management of two gentlemen, who havo kindly offered their services aB teachers, tho recitation and instrumental music classes, though young, are progressing. A class for vocal music will shortly bo CfttabliNhed. The finances of tho Society are in a healthy condition :— Receipts from subscriptions, donations, &e., ... ... ... ~,£12 '1 6 Expenditure ... ... ... ... 10 1G 9 Balance in the Treasurer's hands ... £1 7 9 The guild is the firat principle of the Society, and constitutes the essentially religious portion of our organisation, we have not yet succeeded in bringing it into complete working order. The attendance at the devotional meetings has been at best but meagre. If the members would only exert themselves and endeavour to attend these meetings, without doubt the blessing of God will be both upon them and upon the Society. And now, my Lord, on this our first anuual meeting, which is one of the greatest importance to us as a community, wo think it our duty to address a few words to your T ordshipYou, my Lord, and a few faithful priests havo spent the best and most valuable part of your lives in this heathen, la'cfd—away fronl all the endearments of home and civilisation—in the arduous duty of converting the heathen; and now that the presence of Europeans entails additional labours on your Lordship, it is but just that -we should assist you in bringing our people together and leading them to virtue and the practice of our holy religion.

It is a good omen of the success of this Society to sec around ua bo many respectable' and intelligent men ready to assist in this glorious work, and w. feel confident that, with the help of God, wo shall suoooed beyond our most sanguine expectations. Wo need not dwell upon the necessity of establishing this Society,'for we believe your Lordship is thoroughly convinced of that; but we call upon the members, and othor Catholics, to assist us in c wring forwurd the work that has been so happily begun. Although a Society established to put down sin and falsehood, and to extend virtue, intelligence, truth, brotherly love in our holy Church, and to take especial care of the young, by providing means of | improvement and inocent recreation, must necessarily entail some little sacrifice of time and ease on the part of thosa engaged in its management. Now, brethren, having set before you what we consider our duty, we would say a few words on the result. Why, the result will be, that we shall make for ourselves an everlasting name ;we shall God willing, live to see the matured fruits of our labour in many a happy home; we shall soe our people respected, our young men growing up in the fear of God, an honour to their parents and the religion they profess ; we shall see our people assisting at the most • solemn and glorious exercises of our religion, and coming to these p'easing re-unions at which our clergy will feel happy in sharing our pleasures. What sacrifices can be too great to attain bucli results as these ? We will conclude in the words of a saintly dignitary of "our Church, who eays :—" Tli-'; true object of our Society is to fit ourselves, by selfdiscipline and self-improvement in all that is good, to become instruments to advance God's honour ard love among men. Much, too, has been said about organisation, its efficiency and its power, and rightly too, if it be a true organisation. This, you know, means the growth of a natural body according to the law of its creation.. An organisation in the Church, whatever be its name or object, must be the natural growth of the Church, created by her law of orderly obedience, which, circulating through her, being her orderly obedience, must be the life-blood of the society; her charity mu6t be their charity, her humility must be their humility, the soft and ever-breathing indications of enduring healthfulness. A scheme of good may be commenced, but what will it be if it has not the spirit of the Churoh ? Like the baloon which, as it inflates, indicates impatience to quit the earth, and throw off all control; it obtains the desired liberty, it rises, it is admired; it carries along for a while tho gas becomes exhausted, it falls a flattened thing, its artificial life is exhausted. So all societies in organisation with the Church must be one with the Church ; they must form one in he; organisation, having one and the same circulation with her, thus deriving from her the principle of their vitality. Societies growing out of the Church otherwise constituted, what are they F A mere wart, an excrescence on the body corporate, the unsightly matter of disease and decay. It is necessary to understand this well, for in these times, if zeal abounds, so also do rashness and self-conceit, an ambition to be employed in good without any effort to bs good, and many other dispositions alien to the wisdom that comes from above, which is pure, simple, and peaceable; which directeth them under its blesßed influence to seek the manifestation of the Divine Will, through the channel by which you well know it is communicated to us. May this mind be ever in you, and 'may a life-giving blessing ever attend.y.ou, and lend strength and steadfastness and holiness, collectively and individually, to the members of the Young Men's Society." (Signed) Jokn- Joseph Playtoed, President. Gbokge Leakey, Yice-Presideat. Peter Leonabd, Secretary.