ARRIVAL OF SISTERS

Taranaki Daily News, 29 July 1935, Page 10

ARRIVAL OF SISTERS

FROM MANUTAHI BY ROAD WARMTH OF HAWERA’S WELCOME. FIRST CHURCH STILL EXISTS. “There was already a good Catholic school at Hawera, founded by the first pastor, Father Pertius, in 1875, but Father Mulvihill, who took charge in 1884, saw the advantage of a convent school, and so within one year of his coming he brought the Sisters of the Order of St. Joseph to the parish,” stated the late Monsignor P. J. Power in his book published in conjunction with the jubilee of the Hawera Catholic parish in 1925. “Many residents of Hawera and the plains,” continues the account, “still recall the welcome the Sisters received that Sunday in February, 1885. Every buggy within, a radius of 10 miles was commandeered. All met the Sisters at Mantitahi, then the rail-head, and were followed by another line of buggies from Waverley and Patea.” Another account describes the reception of the Sisters, the Rev. Mother Hyacinth and Sisters Clare and Bridget, as hearty and well carried out. As the procession from Maniutahi of about 15 buggies and 30 horsemen, the horses decorated with green, white and blue rosettes, neared Hawera it was met by a contingent of about 50 children, the girls being dressed in white with blue sashes. A short halt was made at the convent grounds to enable the priests and the altar boys to vest, and then the procession, with the cross-bearer and two acolytes in front, and the buggy in which

the Sisters rode at the end, passed under a gaily festooned arch of welcome. The Sisters were conducted to their places on the verandah, and the choir sang “Hail, Holy Joseph, Hail.” At its conclusion the Rev. Father Mulvihill, by specLJ faculty from Bishop Redwood, blessed the convent and dedicated it to the Child Jesus. Short, eloquent addresses ryere given by Fathers Mulvihill (Hawera), Cassidy (New Plymouth) and McManus (Pahnerstori North). The children retired to a ground prepared for a picnic, and the adults to the presbytery and grounds for lunch. The Convent, which was a temporary one, was known as the Convent of the Holy Infancy. It was situated on two sections close to the presbytery, and was described as being well and comfortably finished and furnished. It will interest many to know that the presbytery referred to consisted, at the time of the arrival of the Sisters at Hawera, of the first combined church and presbytery, originally a small cottage shifted from the Waihi cemetery near

Normanby, with a two-storied addition added by Father Ryan, of the American mission, who was in charge of the Hawera parish in 1878. "The new building,’’.said the late Monsignor Power in his jubilee booklet, “had on the ground floor two rooms, the walls of which were only eight feet high, xhe walls of the upper rooms were five feet high with a slanting ceiling eked out of the roof. It was the finest building of *cs at Hawera and was said to be the cynosure of all eyes. It was sold some 25 years ago (about 1900) to Mr. John Finlay, who had it re+erected on a beautiful site above the Waingongoro beach.” The building is still to be seen in practically its original form on the present road to what is now known as the Ohawe beach. It is the - 'dence of Mr. H. J. Finlay, a son of Mr. John Fin. .y, and his wife and family. , WOMEN TO THE FORE BUILDING OF INFANT SCHOOL. When the proposal to build the present catholic infants’ school in Little Regent Street, Hawera, was first mooted, a committee was appointed to inquire into methods of raising the necessary finarce. As they had, a short time previously, succeeded in raising the sum of only £46 after pursuing , a vigorous campaign, they recommended that the necessary sum be raised by a loan from the bank, for which they, personally, wouxd. be guarantors. This, however, did not meet with the approval of the late Power, who enlisted the aid of the women the parish and launched out on what the men considered was a forlorn hope.

With the receipts from social gatherings augmented by many substantial cash dona' - the necessary money was obtained and the St. Patrick’s school was dedicated, free of debt, on December 28, 1913. The ceremony was performed by His Grass Archbishop O’Shea, then Co-adjutor-Archbishop of Wellington, and now Metropolitan of New Zealand, who was paying his first official visit to his native parish since his consecration. The children of the school, in recognition of the event, presented him with a golden chalice. TROTTING MONKEY MAGISTRATE’S SENSE OF HUMOUR. Many incidents both grave and gay will be discussed during the festivities at present being held in connection with the jubilee of the arrival of the Sisters of St Joseph at Hawera, but none caused more amusement at the time than the legal proceedings taken against Mr. John Collins in the Patea Magistrate’s Court a few days after the arrival of the Sisters. With his horse “Monkey,” between the shafts, he had gone to Manutahi in his buggy for the purpose of bringing the Sisters on to Hawera. He received a summons to appear at the courthouse at Patea to answer a charge that he had driven his horse at greater than a walking pace across the old Patea bridge. “What have you to say to this?” asked the magistrate when Collins duly appeared before him. “Your Worship," was the reply, “I was in a hurry and I trotted ‘Monkey.’” The magistrate, who had a saving sense of humour, turned to the police officer and said: “You should not have brought such a charge before this honourable court. There is no harm in running a monkey across a bridge, or up a tree for that matter. The charge is dismissed.”