NOTABLE RECORD

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25179, 17 April 1945, Page 7

NOTABLE RECORD

TEACHERS' JUBILEE FOUR MARIST BROTHERS The unusual occurrence of a quadruple golden jubilee* will be celebrated by the Marist Brothers' teaching order this week. The members concerned are well-known New Zealand educationists, the Rev. Brothers Borgia and Phelan, of Sacred Heart College, and Vergilius and Paul, of the Marist Brothers' Juniorate at Tuakau. A Solemn High Mass of thanksgiving will be celebrated at St. Patrick's Cathedral at ten o'clock on Saturday morning, the celebrant being the Rev. Dr F. Terry, a former pupil of the Marist Brothers. Bishop Liston will be present. A smoke concert will be held at the Vermont Street School in the evening. Three of the four celebrating their jubilee are New Zealanders, Brothers Borgia, Phelan and Vergilius being members of South Canterbury families. Brother Borgia was educated in Sydney and has taught at many Marist Brothers 1 schools, including the first school opened by the brothers in Pitt Street. He has twice been director of Sacred Heart College and has held the same post at St. Joseph's College, Sydney, and at a Marist school in West Australia. From 1930 to 1936 Brother Borgia was Provincial of the Order in South Africa, returning to New Zealand in 1937 to take over the directorship at Sacred Heart for the second time. His retirement was announced at the end of last year, but he is still teaching at the college.

Brother Phelan was one of the foundation teachers at Sacred Heart in 1903, and has also had overseas teaching experience. He was* for ten years director of the Marist Brothers' School in Wellington and has also held the same post at the Alarist Brothers' Novitiate at Tiniaru. He is at present on the stall' of Sacred Heart College. Brother Paul, who is a native of France, left that country when' the religious orders were expelled in 190.'5. Given the option of abandoning the order or leaving the country, lie came to New Zealand .the following year and has taught here since, his work .being mainly with the junior Standards. He also taught at the Pitt Street School. One of the prime movers, with Brothers Borgia and George, in the foundation of the Marist Brothers' Old Boys' Rugby Football Club in 1904, Brother Vergilius was trained in Sydney and taught there and in Victoria at different periods. He was on the staff of Sacred Heart College at two different times and is at present on the teaching staff at Tuakau. A Jubilee Bursary Fund to aid in the training of novices will be started to mark the occasion and the first donations will be handed over at the concert on Saturday night. HOUSING RUAKURA STAFF (0.C.) HAMILTON, Monday The transfer to the Agricultural Department of 18 houses and 12 flats, which were built by the Government for munition workers in Hamilton has been completed. Ten houses and eight Hats have been converted into suitable dwellings for families and are now occupied by research workers employed by the Ruakura % Animal Research Station. The remainder are expected to be ready within two months. A munition factory has been taken over by the station and has been converted into temporary chemical laboratories.