OPENING OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 41, 15 March 1884, Page 2

OPENING OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.

above new building, particulars of which we gave m last issue, was formally opened and consecrated on Sunday morning last. The Right Rev. J, E. Luck, 0.5.8., D.D. (Bishop of Auckland), specially attended to perform the ceremony. He was assisted" throughout by the Rev. Father O'Reilly, parish priest of Thames, who also has charge of this district. Divine service commenced at 11 a.m., by which time the building was crowded to excess, and numbers could not obtain admission. The consecration 1 of the church was first performed, after which before mass was proceeded with, an address was read to His Lordship by Mr Samuel Hutehinsonjwhich was as follows : — His Lordship raw Right Rrv. Dh 'Luck, 0.8.8., Bishop of Auckland* May it please your Lordship, — We, the Catholics of this district, por tion of your Lordship's Diocesjß, hail with feelings of delight and gratitude this your Lordship's first Episcopal visit amongst us. We have reverently studied your Lordship's pastoral utterances, since our Holy Father the Pope was pleased to appoint you to tbi-* distant See, and m them we can trace the wisdom of God m His selection m conGdintf to your spiritual cave so man)' of His obedient children*. We have racognised m your Lordship the zealous advocate of the cause of Catholic and Christian education, «nd our true and trusted guide m faith find morals.

We, the Catholics of this district, would beg to draw your Lordship's attention to the fact of the material and moral assistance we have obtained for the erection of this building- for the worship of God, from those who are not of our communion. My Lord we cannot, as faithful children of the Church, allow this occasion, to pass without expressing our fervent hope that God m His divine wisdom may soon relieve our Holy Father the Pope of his temporal disabilities. In conclusion we pray God m His divine mercy to grant you, my Lord, health and length of days to watch over our spiritual welfare, and ask your Lordship's blessing on behalf of the Catholics of this portion of your Lordship's diocese and all those who so charitably assisted to raise this edifiice to the worship of God. Signed on behalf of the Catholics of To Aroha, Waiorongomai, and Waitoa districts.

S. W. Hutchinson, N. Cleary, T. Gavin, », P. QUINLAN. His Lor-lship replied m suitable terms, expressed the great gratification it gave him to receive such an address on such an occasion, as demonstrating the right feeling, and zealous care present amongst the members of his rlock m this district* His Louiship dwelt at some length on the great need for a resident priest, now that a suitable place of worship had been provided, but said that whilst it was his ardent desire to supply that need, it was out of his power to so just yet, simply because lie had not got priests at his disposal. He assured them, however, that he would supply the want at the earliest possible moment. He found great difficulty m inducing a sufficient number of priests to come out here from home, and correspondence on the subject was so slow and unsatisfactory that he had fully determined to go home himself and bring a number back with him)^ He could not say, however, whether he would be able to carry out this intention during the current- year of not. He expressed himself as being much pleased with the handsome little church they had erected, and whilst he would heartily thank those not belonging to his flock for their kind assistance, and hoped the friendly feeling thus evinced would long continue, still he felt bound to say that m so doing they had acted inconsistently with respect t« their own principles. On this, the occasion of his first pastoral visit, he would affectionately urge upon his flock, now that they had a church, to show their assiduity by good attendance to the sacraments of the same.

SERMON. xA^TJis Lordsip preached a very able and eloquent sermon, taking for his text St. Matthew, Chapter 16, verse 26, " For what is a man profited if lie shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul ?" He said : Thinking it over as to what particular portion of God's word he would address them from, he decided on the solemn words just quoted, and to warn them not to neglect the salvation of their souls.^A few years ago it would been impossible for him to have addressed such an audience m Te Aroha as was now gathered before him. What had so quickly brought such a number of people together ? They had come, at least the majority of them, directly or indirectly, to seek after (God forbid to adore) gold. Man, whilst he was m the world, was of necessity obliged to seek after woildly things, but there was a proper order for all this, and the divine command was to " Seek first the kingdom of God and His Righteousness " The salvation of our souls was a matter particularly our own, because it necessitates our co-operation. It was a work between the Creator and the creature only. We were at liberty to refuse to co-operate wit.t the grace of Almighty God if we choose, 'and God had ordained that we must be saved by our own free willl God will not save us without our co-operation, or against our will, although He desires that all should be saved. Our future existence therefore was m a great measure left m our own hands, and we were at liberty to go to the right hand or the left. Tue salvation ol; our souls ought to be the one great business of

our life. ; I|^s because 'we forget, and do riot refledi; on buiK,eJ;einal t ;-ift < terests/ thai;'- there was so muoh sin in Jhe world. We were too apt io give, the world first place m onr hearts, and then spare an odd moment now an again to devote to God. unless we make everything else subservient to the one thing needful, we shall miserably fail, and at the last day wake up as from a dream, to find that we acted the part of fools, and that the world we so much sought after would then forsake us. We coujd^only be truly happy m this world by giving God the chief place m our hearts. JfTke sermon throughout was a very able and eloquent address, inviting them to give the salvation of their souls the first place m their thoughts. The musical portion of the service as ably rendered by the choir, and included* Weber's "Mas& m G/' " Aye Maria' 1 (Mrs Lawless), " 0 Salutaris " (Mr HayrSen), and " Laudato." His Lordship preached again m the evening, when the church was filled m every part. The'offertory (morn and eve) amounted to £3S 11s 3d, and £15 more was promised same day. We may add that the contract price of the buil. ling was £248 10s, to which may be added some £J0 for extras. A debt of about £130 still remains to be paid off. >C