Teachers' Conference.

Thames Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 19604, 9 January 1936, Page 4

Teachers' Conference.

ROMAN CATHOLIC GATHERING. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, Jan. 8. Two hundred and seventy-fivo priests, brothers and nuns, representing' the teaching orders of tho Roman Catholic Church in New Zealand, assembled at Auckland yesterday for the opening of the annua] Catholic teachers’ conference. The day’s work was begun with Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Bishop Liston was the celebrant and also present were Archbishop O’Shea, Bishop Whyte, the Rev. Father R, McCarthy, S.J., Xavier College, Melbourne, and the Very Rev. Father J. C. Thompson, Director of Catholic Primary School Education, New South Wales. The delegates were later welcomed by the Mayor, Mr. Ernest Davis. The session opened with the presentation of the annual report by the president of the Catholic Teachers’ Association, and a paper, “Errors in Modern Education,” was read by Father Thompson. The conference will last for three days. HISTORY OF CHURCH. * COMPILATION ACCEPTED. The necessity in New Zealand of a history of the Catholic Church form the first coming of its missionaries 08 years ago, showing its valuable contrbiution to the Dominion’s na-

onal growth, was urged by the

: Rev. Father P. McKeefry, editor of "Zealandia," in an address to the conference yesterday. Father McKeefry pointed out that in the early history of the missionaries there was colour and romance which would lend itself most attractively to the compilation of an interesting history which would be useful in the schools. From Bishop Pompallier's day doAvn to the present the Church's teaching and life have been in harmony with all that was best in national ideals.

The suggested work of compilation was accepted with enthusiasm by three speakers, Mother Josephine, of the Sisters of Mercy, Takapuna, Sister Domitille, Litt.D., of Sacred Heart College, Christchurch, and Father Smith, of St. Bede's College, Christchurch, who pointed out that there was already a good deal of material available for such a compilation.