ST. BENEDICT'S CONVENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13170, 7 May 1906, Page 6

ST. BENEDICT'S CONVENT.

LAYING THE FOUNDATION-STONE.

WORK OF THE SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH.

Bishop Lenihan laid the foundation-stone

of the now convent in Gladstone-street yesterday in the presence, of the Mayor (Mr. A. M. Myers), Hon. T. Thompson, M.L.C., Mr. F. E. Baume, M.H.R., Mr. G. L. Peacocke (University College Council), Mr. E. Mahony, and others, and there was a large attendance of the public. There were also present with the Bishop the Rev. Fathers Gillan, Macmillan, Holbrook. Dignan, aHcl i'dge.

The procession in connection with the ceremony started from St. Benedict's presbytery, and was headed by acolytes bearing the censer, holy water, and cross, the Bishop and clergy following. As the. procession drew near the convent site the orchestra, under Mr. S. Jackson's direction, played the. "Pilgrims' Chorus," from Tannhauser," and when all were seated the choir sang the hymn, "Hail, Hail. Joseph, Hail." The Bishop pointed out that he had been very busy of late laying foundation-stones and performing similar functions in connection with churches, convents, and other institutions in the diocese, but nothing gave him greater pleasure than to be there that day to assist in the splendid work which was being done in the interests of education by the good Sisters of St. Joseph. SPEECH BY THE MAYOR.

The Mayor said he had been obliged for the past few weeks to devote his attention to questions exclusively of a municipal character, and some of them of a controversial nature; hence it was most refreshing for him to turn his thoughts to a subject of no less importance than those to which he had referred. He could not say it was of a less controversial character, as the past and present British Cabinets had already experienced to their cost. Education was a subject bristling with controversy, but he refrained from touching upon that aspect of it. Whatever their opinions on disputed points might be, he thought all would a-ree with him that the aim of the good Sisters of St. Joseph (who were only established in Australia some 40 or 50 years ago by the late Rev. F. Tennison Woods, the Govern talent Geologist of New South Wales) > each the neglected children of settlers and farms hands in the back blocks, was wort' all sympathy. (Applause.) It was on natural and si i ) mate - that their success in ex£nd°rh - Sh ° lW g^Chlally lo »d them to extend their operations to more populous ex r ted S ' a lf oothat,np0o that , np . W , similar Son all over Australas a. The revered Bishop * Luck brought these self sacrificing ladies to-Auckland in 1885. and now they had charge of schools at Surrey Hills and PaH - of e 'Z dl d- S ' and th * tau^hfc in <*««* parts of the diocese not on y children of European origin, but also Maori children pursuing their self-sacrificing work in the backblocks of Auckland province and else whero m New Zealand with the true zeal and energy that characterises their wod rh V r- V toin r '-of In th eStabl . ish, '" S thr scl '° °< si » me towns of the colony, and necessarily bo h n " u "?P*«ti« with other schools! £r£n public and private, the sisters were serving not only their pupils and"' their Church, but also the whole community for they supplied the healthy stnnulus of com petition, which was as vitally necessary To S^ear^h^rf I "^^^^ mended £f" and could not "efram he S m V rom '°hunga"-a writer n the New Zealand Herald— had preached a capital sermon on the sub ec of showing our love for individual and things by making some self-sacS He strongly commended the sisters' work to those who wished to show their sympathy plate.) m a ° rOUghly P"ctical4 11 (Ap

OTHER ADDRESSES. h?J r i«F' E ' ? aume ' speaking as one who in V kCn * d ««P and practical interest in m.the cause of education in New Zealand said one °* the most striking feature-of educational work _ was the intense interes take in it by his Roman Catholic fellowcitizens m the education of their ch ldren. They were determined throughout the world to spare neither effort, time nor money to give their children V-fittfg education, no matter under what conditions they might; live. , On« found communis of women devoting their lives to the good of others, and so the Sisters of St. Jofeph gave their lives to educating the 3 believing that they could serVe Go?! best rarhnl W Y ? I , endeaTOU <° make Roma, Catholic children good children and good Mother Var T ° W ° rk b6gUn by the -Uotner Mary many years ago was not undertaken m a spirit 0 f self t or lor personal advantage of any sort; it was for the education of the children of poor people, who might not be able otherwise to obtain it. He was glad that the school were now inspected by the Government Inspectors, who were enabled to grve such h.gnly satisfactory reports about them an the Sisters of St. Joseph were compfcu .oiw ly successful. (Applause.) The S alli e^ ?rentS ,°f Hs ? d that education a good thing, and he hoped that the sisters would be shown in a practical manner "that their efforts in its- cans* wore thoroiMdv appreciated. (Applause.) 1OT o my Mr. L. Ma bony felt pleased to be present at the ceremony, because he had "in a humfe y of°S? 6t fe ,g i°- d ° With '-"fog *» sisrers ot ■ bt. . Joseph in possession of their property which formed part of a block once m jeopardy. It bad' been valued at so much a foot for residential purposes hut through the good offices of Mr. Tom pest it was reserved to be part of the estabIwhment across the road {St " Benedict's), i u aparfc , for rftl purposes: and it would be enlarged in time, so that the SmLT UIC Stll further €xtend their stab ii.-mment. (Applause.) rith'; () - ei '? lc ! lJeacocko remarked that every Tight-minded man would admit (hat the Boman Catholics wore deserving of the high «* commendation for the manner in whfch" they supported their schools. Every an any body of citizens who did anything i !?* V' V of promoting educational' facilities was doing a groat national work, for the increase of educational facilities was adding to the stream ° '"'"""'""l nutriment of the whole nation. Mr. Beacocke also re erred to the most satisfactory reports of the school., under the Sisters of St! Joseph furnished to , the . Board of KducatioT by The choir bavins, sung "Brightly Gleams Our Banner," the Bishop formally laid t e stone o the new building-part of'which is already erected. A collection was take tip. and over £100 was contributed to the building fund. The new convent is being built in brickIt will be two storeys, and will contain refectory, classrooms, community-room dor. m.tones, and a chapel. The architects are Messrs. Eirahonev and Sons, and the hU fV; M £ u- •V lo,lonf '- Mr ' T - Mihonl* and Mr. Holland were presont at the ceremony.