Religions Reception.

Otago Witness, Issue 1602, 5 August 1882, Page 23

Religions Reception.

. The Tablet reports that a religious reception took place in the Dominican Convent, Dunedin, on Tuesday (25th). The young ladies admitted to the Dominican habit were Miss Mary .GenevieveSaunderson, of Ayrshire, Scotland, ,and Miss Mary O'Neil, of Limerick, Ireland, sister to the Rev. Father O'Neil, St. Joseph's Church. The young ladies were admitted by the Most Rev. Dr Moran, who was celebrant. The clergy invited to assist were the Yen. Archdeacon Coleman, Oamaru ; the Very Rev. Father Ginaty, S.M., Christchurch ; the Very Rev. J. O'Malley, S.J., St. Aloysius' College, 'Wakari; the Rev. J. Goutenoire, S.M., Waimate; the Rev. T. M'Enroe, S.J., and the Rev. N. Fitzgerald, Invercargill ; the Rev. E. Coffey, Ashburton ; the Rev. M. Walsh, Adm., Dunedin; the Rev. W. B. Purton,St. Patrick's, Dunedin South ; the Rev. P. Lynch, Dunedin ; the Rev. W. Newport, Port Chalmers ; the Rev. P. Tracey, Lyttelton ; the Rev. j. ' O'Neil, St. Joseph's, Dunedin ; the Rev. W. Burke, do. The Mother Prioress led the postulants, clothed in elegant and richly-em-broidered white satin dresses, and preceded by twobeautifully-dressedandangelic-lookinglittle children scattering flowers along the choir as they passed, to the feet of the Bishop, seated upon the predella of the altar. Having asked ' those presented as to their wishes, he reminded them at considerable length of the grave and severe obligations they were taking upon themHelves, especially of the three great obligations

of the religious, state— viz., poverty, chastity,' and obedience. The postulants, having assured the celebrant of their willingness to undertake these obligations, were, when a prayer had been said and the first verse of the Veni Creator \ sung, conducted by the Mother Prioress and the Mothers of Council from the chapel, to| be clothed in the religious habit, during the completion of the singing of the hymn by the choir. This done, they were again conducted back' to receive their new names in religion. They were told to spend a year in learning the duties of the religious state, and axperiencing the rules and observances of the Order before presenting themselves for solemn Erofession. Appropriate prayers and versicles aving been recited and the Te Deum sung, the ceremony concluded with Benediction of the most Holy Sacrament. The community in this city numbers 35, of whom 14 are novices. The special work allotted to the Dominican nuns is teaching.