LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2884, 30 June 1909, Page 88

LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR.

B - f OPENING OF THE HOME. a B The formal opening of tlie new and spacious Home for the Aged and Infirm, which has been built on an admirable site " at Anderson's Bay, and which is under 1 the charge of the Little Sisters of " the 2 -Pcor, tcok place on Sunday afternoon in 1 the presence of a very large assemblage, s representative of all classes of the com- - munity. There was some display made . with bunting, and a staging lia-d been erected at the front of the building to 3 accommodate the speakers. _ v 3 Bishop ' Verdon, on coming forward, said r that on behalf of the Little Sisters of the ' Poor he had to thank those present for • coming to assist at _ the opening of .the Home. Thanks were due in a most special J manner to his Grace the Archbishop of Wellington, who had put himself to very 1 great inconvenience by -undertaking the 3 long journey from Wellington to come and 1 assist to bless the Home, and to encourage 1 them, by his presence and by his wotds. ± Thanks wero also due to his Honor Mr .. Justice Williams, who was always ready to r encourage every" work -of true charity, arid,. i who had manifested', his" kind sympathy t with their work 'from its . commencement. - It gave .him (the speaker) very great ■ pleasure to see the Mayor of -Dunedin wibh J them, and many representatives, of the I suburban boroughs. They had .also present , members of the legal and" medical profes- ■ sions, and to all the Little Sisters wished 1 to extend their kindest thanks. About five ; year 3 ago the Little Sisters came to Dunedin, and they had been fortunate enough to secure one of the most beautiful sites ■ about Dunedin for a home, but with the buildings ..they were able to provide good r accommodation for only about . 20 of the aged and infirm.- In a very short time j the available rooms were occupied, and ■ the Little Sisters were obliged to 'refuse ' admission to' many who wished to enter. j It was suggested that temporary buildings I should be erected to give* the accommoda1 tion that was needed, but the ".'.ittle Sisters wisely judged that it would be poor economy to spend money on temporary buildings. Accordingly it was decided that perm&nent and suitable buildings , should bo erected. About a year and ahalf ago they laid Nthe foundation stone of th© present Horne — a Home that wou'd make many old people happy. — ("Hear, ' Jiear.") Since the Little Sisters came to Dunedin they had laboured with untjr1 ing energy and zeal, and had provided i for every one of the old people committed ! to their care. They had brought sunshina to the decfing years of many who had corns through storm" and adversity. In. the discharge of their "self-imposed task they had given- an example of the purest charity, and jt" gave -him pleasure to" say that since the Little Sisters came to Dunedin they had , been treated , with- unvarying kindness and courtesy by all classes and ■ denominations. — ("Hear, hear.")- 1 The building whioh was to be opened was erected at a cost of about 3610,000. It' was 170 ft, long, 52ft wide, and 63ft high, and it was "provided . with the most up-to-date heating apparatus throughout the whole building. Electric light-_ and water , were in every part, and everything had been done that oould, promote the health and comfort of the old people. The Little Sisters of the Pcor had been entirely dependent upon charity for the maintenance of their home. They had net been disappointed in the past, and they looked forward with confidence . to the future. — (Applause.) Archbishop Redwood said : Ladies and Gentlemen,— The -Catholic Church understands woman's soul, and draws all the energies of that soul into her service as no other religious society, no other institution of any sort, has been able to do. ■ This on the part of fhe Church is a token , of supreme wisdom — wisdom so marvellous and so fruitful that it is a striking manifestation of the Divine guidance under which the Church lives and moves. v The Church commits a large part of her works to sisterhoods; and so effectively do they perform their task that they rank among her choicest and most valuable agencies. Were these , sisterhoods to disappear, we should miss from the harvest fields legions of workers whose place could never be > . filled, w<> should miss from the pages of ,' history marvels and triumphs of religion - and charity whicti have won for the Church the love and admiration of ages, and have most convincingly evidenced her ' ' divine life and power.- : The Church is the [ visible kingdom of Christ, and her mission ; is to build up His invisible kingdom in ', the souls of men. In thie- great spiritual ; wo.rk. how precious to her is the co-opera- | tion 1 of . the sisterhoods. The potent in- 1 fluence of their example and of the ideals . they hold up to the* world is invaluable. • j Our frail humanity, wrapped as it is in ; j matter; permeated as ifris Avith the atmo- | sphere of passions, ' finds- great difficulty to rise into the pure and serene region of Christian life and Christian virtue. Even J the observance of the Commandments, the p?sontial condition of adoption into Christ's kingdom, is hard to flesh and blood, and the incessant struggle which it entajls easily ends in discouragement and despair. To the timid and baiting ihe Church points out those who, by God's grace and their own firm will, rise to sublime h«ighte , Qf holiness far above the ordinary standard of Christian life, and says : "If these, your fellow mortak. do so much for God and His Christ, will you not do at least the little that is required of you?" Humanity is swayed by ideate; and ideals it must have to perform its greatest of tasks, its incorporation into the kingdom of Chri=t. Such ideals the Church provides in the example of the noble-minded and noble-hearted portion of her children, who embody in their daily life the counsels of the Gospel and show forth in its highest; and holiest forms the holiest and highest virtue of Christ and His religion. The timid and irresolute men and women who tremble before tho^ struggle which they must undergo to keen themselves in the service of God hear the voice of the • Church crying to them : " Behold my sisterhoods ! See to what sublime heights these daughters of Eve attain ! Cannot you at least keep the commandments of God, while they follow out thp counsels ,of the Saviour? Cannot yoii at least tread the beaten, path .of Christian duty, while they mount to the very summits of Christian perfection?" _ And what man 1 acquainted with, the sisterhoods of the ! Church will say that the example given by them does not contribute with supreme efficacy to the work of drawing souls to the love and service of Christ? Tho con- • vents of the sisterhoods of the Church are

r^»M»iV»iMiMiV i ~' *~-~V J *'~ *'■ *-~' : ~- --** vV v Ti" ) '^B 1 sanctuaries -of supernal life, centres of' I hope and inspiration to all humanity. And 1 in creating and fostering them the Catholic •' Church ■ blesses and enriches all mankind. How milch this city of Dunedin is blessed' and enriched by its sisterhoods of various^ religious orders ! First of all, in ths matter of Christian education. Never more than in our day has teaching been an imperative duty in the. Church. She must impart a religious knowledge. oar-. ticularly in +he> early years of childhood, most thorough and complete, in order to encounter successfully the dangers which, beset her children op all sides. Unbelief is rife : a critical spirit is abroad questioning every doctrine of revelation, testing every stoiie of religion's foundations. Only by the* most careful and exact instruction in religious matters can future genorations of Christians face the trials which await then- faith. The air we breathe and the conversation we hear are psrroeafced with naturalism. Where God and* His Church are not ruthlessly set aside there reig-ns a spirit of indifference- more, deadly. _perhaps, than active hatred.- To remain unscathed, souls must he saturate! with faith; they* must be prepared for the coming- struggle by- a -thorough drilling in . the principles a.nd in the practice- of ■" their religion. - Such" .a training-- demands the opportunities' which ere da-ily given by the schoolroom : it means that'^eligious -knowledge- must have it« place. si<lf» by side with secular knowledge. And this is of especially urgent neoeesit-y in our- time, because - there "is danger -that secular instruction, if .withdrawn from the in- " fluence of religion, will be impregnated with the poison of .unbelief or of indifference end become a positive stumblingblock for 'the faith. To-<lay. therefore, the "Church must of necessity be -not only the teacher of religious truths, bufc elso of ■ secular- knowledge. She appeals; -accordingly,ngly, to her devoted sisterhoods. To their hearts and hands, in orders like the Sisters of St.j -Dominic and the Si B fcer6of Mercy. s she entrusts hor children, that, while they endue their minds with ell tho graces of human knowledge, they els<> build them up into firm and devoted Christians. Go on, therefore, devoted sieters with your noble - work. Teach our children the truths of earth; but teach them elso the .-.truths of .heaven: fit , them to discharge with credit their duties to their country and society, but also teach, them, to serve- their God and insure their eternal salvation. The little ones of to-day will be the men and women of to-morrow. Ae^ they are fashioned now. so will they be in af ter-dife ; as they will be, 60 will the Church be, whose life and destiny are so •closely woven, wibh the Jife and destiny of her members. But the Church is not only ihe teacher of truth; &he is also the dispianser of charity. And here what a glorious vieta rises " before us ! Hec Founder, while preaching the -kingdom of heaven, went around doing good— healing" the "sick, feeding the "hungry, comforting thra afflicted. Accordingly the Church will be- a power to brrghten earth ami to rajse humanity to higher levels of comfort and bappiri'SSo. Her social work throughout the, ages was. no accident of her-, history, - no ' assumption of a. task foreign to her , nature and heir mission. The Church is the incarnation of the divine love 'which reaches,every sphere ,of human life and human, activity. Wherever she passes there must bo less evil, less misery, more good, and" more happiness.- Men "believe in the'promise of bliss in heaven when they are made - to feel that an earnest of this promise .is giv-en to them on earth. Do good — Christ seems to say to His Church, — do good; firat win the love and co'nfjdenoe o£- men by kindness and mercy, then speak to them of the world beyond,- and they will hearken. - to your message and give jt credence, . Here, again, the Church appeals to her sisterhoods. She bids them open their" hearts to every ill, physical and moral, with wihioh poor humanity is smitten. She bids them feed the hungry, visit the' sick, comfort the afflicted, take care of- the aged poor, and feeble, >be mothers to the .motherless, friends to the friendless, coneoiera to the. wayward and She bids them build' asylums for the. orphaned, hospitals_for the infirm, refuges for the outcast, homes for the poor and the aged. ■ She asks .them, in the full strength of their faith and love, to venture even further. When » war. strews the ground with writhing victims she summons them to the battlefield and the ambii-,'. lance ; when pestilence rages and calls for hecatombs, she bide them to be thero — there where poverty and misery reign in every shape and form ; wherever a hand is stretched out for mercy, there 6he calls them to be, and there thi?y are, working in God's name and wi.th God's strength — work;- , ujg even troto- death, if need be^-for suffering and sorrowing" humanity. Be-hold ttia cha.rity of- Catholic sisterhoods in general, ; ' and of the Little Sisters of the Poor in particular. Where- tKat- charity is God is felt . to be near. From Gcd, indeed, must come the spirit of sacrifice, the heroic courage f# - the enduring patience, that /make emeh charity jioss-rble. ,* Prom God come "th«"~ joyousnes", the saintlineea .which that charity sheds upon poor, forlorn humanity. \v,her:ver •it strokes the brow\of suffering or soo.thes tKe heart of ihe afflicted. Ye<s, :, ! I

ifoe work of the sister.hooJs is the work of j I God. J&od alone could uplift human nature t and such" planes of holiness an-d self-rrnmola- v tioli. But it is al&o the work of human - j nature- co-operating with divine grace, and j c rising with, it to sublime heights of sane- j tity and sacrifice. The achievements of the 3 sisterhoods _£jv»_Jjh« arliiev.smenis artd-tKfe 1 honour of ; the glory of the t sisterhoods is the glory of all women. In ] creating and fostering her religioue orders c of -women tiie. Catholic Church has bsen the < greatest benefactor of womanhood. She < exhibited rarest wisdom in her knowledge t of woman — of woman's Jntuition of high 1 idealsr'Of her power of 6cJf-sacrifice_; and ; by calling into action the qualities of 3 .woman's mind and heart she proved her ! ability to draw to herself the love and nsvereacia of th<& world. Through her sister- 3 hoods and "her brothejioods she provides ! some remedy or alleviation for every phase j of human misery.. Not content with pro- i viding homes^ for- the helpless babe, - the i orphaned eliikl. for all tho&s yet on the j threshold of life, she secures retreats, like ; t3ii& one, for the destitute and aged poor during the last years of their mortal pii- i grimace. She ' has provided here, for those who bars been d tabled in the .battle of life a~hom«' — and hotrmnah there is in that < «}sar word !-^=-a home in which they are tea- -• d-arij- nurs&d in their declining years by devoted sisters, who welcome oot only mombers of i ha- Catholic Churah, but' those- also \of every form of Christianity, and even tkosa without any faith at all:* No distinct son is znaAe of 'person, nation, colour, or 'creed ; for true charity embraces &LL The only Question proposed to - -the applicant • for shelter is this : " Ara you" oppressed by poverty and asx;? If co. then come to us, w? will provid? you -a horne 1 ." But, it may be asked. What fruit of -their labours fells to the members of the" sisterhoods? What prize are they, to win? JiVhat reward •may-tnVv hope tor tfaoir lifelong' eel£-immo- - lation, for tteir innumerable daily acts of virtues unseen by mortal eyes? What do your Li.(.k> Sisters of the Poor work" for 1 ? ■ What is your aim and hope?. If questioned you would answer: "Wo work for- God; to Him we look for cur reward.!' Here lice rtas mysterious secret of t>he devotion of the leg-ions of women who take up their cross and fol'ow Christ, never loobin-cr back, sure that with Him all will be well. The sisterhoods of the Church are a puzzle to these who know only earthly aims and earthly cai^.o. But no eartblv aims are youte, my dear sisters ; no earthly gains are. roujt^t by the consecrated daughters of Christ, silver and gold, honour and fame, cou'd not repay your heroic deeds- Earth .holds v.o recompense by • which your lives ,miy b« ni-osureo. God. and God alone, can g.'w you an adequate return. Heaven is your aisr., Heaven your reward. Ycu piescni; to the world an admirable instance of ihe va«.-t difference between mere human philantlirojih.y - and genuine Christian rhariiy. It is i:of mere humanity you \ie\v :n tho s-ctFOJi of tV» aged poor and afiik-re-iV. No* mew human compas=:on ycruntts you m yoftr cJevotednesa to tho «i>i stressed. Ko; your -faith sees 'in each- - -. of them- another- Jesus Christ, your divine -i-spou^o, to whom you ha\e in yo;;.r_ reJigious profession"- been .solemnly • and irrevocably * consKimted. * Your faith assures jotT^hat Jesus Clirist is prossnb in our miofttiv*^ two different ways — in the tiberna.'jle antfi in the person of the poor 'and • afflicted, • ?iW hungry, the thirsty, tbf> stranger, -andFVhe dutca3t; for-our Lord has identified "iErnsel£ with" each, and every one of ilieiiv: ' " Amen, I say to you as iong a* "you did it to one of these. My lost brethren, , You did it to Me." (Matt. xxv, *0.) THira 3'our dharity 6oars immeasurably ab4vc all ins re beneficence, all merely husnari philanthroßhy, and ,is as superior to 'it; '-an Heaven is to earth-, as God is to niati. This is the ' explanation of the perfection of your charity— its strength, its uritinng patience, its heroism, its Tnotherlinesi, its deep respect, its ex- i qudsite and sisterly delicacy — Us ineffable j eoroething which the unchristian world is j forced to admire, but cannot realise or j explain. Wonderful instances a-re recoi-ded ! in history of : this identification of Chrisi j Himself with the poor a-nd suffering, j The great St! Martin of Tours, while yet j only a catchumen, was- a young cavalry j soldier in the Roman army under the j Emperor- Julian, and was poor of a i trooper's jpovarty, possessing only his uni•form, , his arjns. and his military cloak. One day, 'near Amiens, in Gall, a poor ragged man' fasked him for an alms in the name of'^Christ. Instantly he severed the cloak in two -with a cut of his eword and gave on 4 half of it to the wretched shivering be tra-r. And lo ! , that night Christ aopeai ?d to Martin clad in the b&ggar's lialf- ?loak^ and said:" "ilartin, a catechumen has clad Me with" this garment." Agaik, T'« read in v the Acts of tile Apostles that • Saul— after his conversion called "S Paul— was on his way to D&maecus. br athing thi-eits and^ slaughter against thfe Jbrisfcians.- when suddenly a dazzling ligh from Heaven struck him blind, so thai he "fell from his horse, and - falling to th> ground, he heard a voice eayingjto him: "Saul! Saul! why pevs«cu'test thou ilej" See, my brethren, how -Jesu? Cniisf identifies ' Himself with •crery member of His mystic body, whether that member ba pensecuted^or , assisted. Knowin-sr -this* witti^ the light of faith, the Little^Sist^rfit oF.^}^" Poor see in everyone whom t th&y^^sistl?aiid nurse another- Je^us .Chri3ty'ahd%seafc;;him accordingly. Q, the dignity;" •andf'"tha.i r eublimity, and the tendeness. of Christian ""-charity ! May it long flourish in this fine establishment 'to tho comfort, . joy, - i&t d; liappiness of all its inmates,' Sistets, ai,p,d aged poor, until t<he quiet peace ' Df . this charitable home is, changea with.: the -vasion of eternal peace in the bosom; of God, for e\jer. Amen. — His Grace,' before he retired?; offered his congratulation^ on the erection of such * splendid * birildirfg for the Little Sisters of. the "Poor.., 1 Thyre the aged and infirm would "have a hbme/'.wKejp& ey«ry comfort would bo pr^ided: ''He congratulated the city upon Itui.'ywg ' such atn institiition, and particularly congratulated" the inmates who would.be rendered happy, in their declining years. As the'- Little SisteTS- were- entirely dependent ui»n ' charty.' -he would, in their nanie, or rather .in the name -of Jesue ■ Ohrist, -whom, they reprerented, appeal to those present to -respond to- the invitation to 'contribute to -the- collectionto be made. __ . l His Honor" Mr Justice Williams , said , lie felt it „& .gTgafc^ honour: to "te. prefent ' on -the-?occii^sn" -of the.. opening ,<>f , tbat. rciagpni'Scettt "m^t-Kitjon which the - .Little Sisters.- of ; tha' Poor had founded. It was an institutioij 1 for the -relief- of the^a-ged and .infirin poof of both sexes, and there was no class of people, .requiring care and attendance njorethan tlieaged poor. It irae not a gooti^Ching to be poor, and he

knew himself it was not a good thing to be old, but when poverty and infirmity . were added to old age an immense sym- j pathy was neoe^ary in order that tfo© close of life might be rendered tolerable, j j!h&t sympathy the 'Little Sistei-3 of the _ Poor were offering. They gave up their lives to -the poor. He could conceive that" m tho building every comfort was provided lor the aged and infirm, and could imagine that the old and infirm could have no sweeter place in which to close their eyes- The poet Dante told of , a young man who took to iiim6elf a bri-de against his father's wishes. That j young^ man was St. Francis, and the bride ; he took was no lovely woman, but poverty. ; St. Francis wedded" himself to poverty, ; gave up ' his riohes^ in order that,', he might help others. The Little Sisters of the Poor followed that ' noble exitenoe. They gave their lives in • ministering to the poor. Ths re were very j few who could reach th© height of self- j abnegation. These sisters ha-d reached it, ! and in this materialistic age their «-xample j was noble and inspiring, and we could help j thorn in their good »york by contribution, j He hoped tho establishment would moet , i with the success it -deserved, and that the j close of the lives of many aged men a.nd | [-women would be made happy through the j noble services which the sisters renckared them. — (Appluu&e.) ; I The Mayor -of Dunedin (Mr J. H. Walker) expressed , his pleasure at b2ing present/ One of his predecessors in office^ (Mt Loudon) had bc-en present at the lay- ' ing of the foundation stone, and it was therefore fitting that he (Mr Walkar) should ba prcasnt at th& openlnz. He joined in congratulating 1 the Little Sister on the work they had accomplished. He, with Mre Walker, had been over the Orphanage with the R-sv. Father Ccffey, and he had be?ji struck by the affection displave'd by the iittls ones for the reverend gent!sm&n._ Tho I/ittls Si.MxSrs'ciepended upon the charity of the- people of Dunedin. and he hoped that the 6tipport accorded them would increase. He had read that this was th--J smallest of some 500 similar institutions in the world, end he hoped that that would not continue, but r.hat the institution would grow. As representing:' the city, >c thought in erectimr the buildincr they had er-ected .a very valuable asset for the city, and he trusted that, it might in every way be found to be just what.' they wished.— (Applause.) • Mr J. M. GalUawav f=a:d be felt honoured as a nrivate individual and a non-Catholic at being asked to address those present. He had some ■exTj-erienoe of tho poor law ."^ministration o£ Now Zealand, and he. could not «ay that thf> pent- !;iw administration had ausrht to do wirh^charity. The dole distributed by law orel extracted by hw could not take the place of charity. Hp thou arh t the^^<;ta^^*u^s_^aJi£d^-ih£~ LitMe Stetere ofthp Poor be^-au?- 3 they took th* rv'aco 6 : st<?-? -did in a family. They minisk-Tod" to the poor, not rieciu-v 3 _it was their <-luty, but because thsv ha<T do-cli^jtccl their lives to the rc-or. They eould_ so vrke-r-e a" strong iDoiioeman would hesitate "to show -his face. Ix>eo>K=e the purpose for wftich t.hev wore thrve was- known. They should hivf» found Ihe only true h«inpin.-ss In the world— il'ivF c* bringing happiness to ethers.— (Applause.) Th-P "R«v. JFetf'Ov CofFev- mtitrratcd t.hat. tho co!l.-cfcrrs wauld ?o round, that ther-* would bty rlAorj- devotions in tV cJiar^l. and that then tliofG nresflnt- Would 1>? -it liberty fo po r^i'ou^h tt>e inetifution and make a thorough inspection of it. The function then concluded.