MOUNT MAGDALA.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17382, 10 November 1924, Page 10

MOUNT MAGDALA.

NEW CONVENT BUILDING. Tn the presence of ■' l« ••>£<' rr ; presentative gathering of citizens and. Roman Catholic clergy yesterday afternoon Bishop Brodie blessed and laid the foundation stone ol the new convent which is being built for the .Sisters of the Good Shepherd at Mount Magdala. For many years the Sisters have been inconvenienced through lack of room for themselves, and the new building, which will be a large, roomv one, will make their situation a good deal more comfortable. The amount of the contributions received during the afternoon was £2700. His Ford ship presided over the meeting after the ceremony of blessing the stone had. been performed and with him on the platform were the Mayor and Mavorcss, Mr and Mrs J. A. Flesher, Mr G. AYitty, M.l\. Air and Mrs \Y. Mach in. Air and Mrs J. R. Hayward. Air Walter Clifford. Dean O’Donnell. Rev Father ,7. O'Connell, Pastor of St Mary’s, Drs Kennedy and Heaney, the Rev Fathers Price, Cooney and Campbell, C.S.S.R* Apologies for absence were received from. Sir P. Heaton .Rhodes and Sir George Clifford. Dr Kennedy, speaking on behalf of the prioress and sisters of the convent, said that he was pleased to see that so many people had proved their friendship by being present at the ceremony. The new building had been in the mind of the founder of the convent, Dean Ginaty. but it was not until recently that they bad been able to embark upon the work. Tbe new building would not only provide. a good, com- | fortable home for the sisters, who had been housed anywhere during tbe last few years, but it would also make conditions even more comfortable for those women and children who shared the , convent with the sisters. He paid a tribute to the fatherly interest that Bishop Brodie had taken in the institution since his consecration nine years ago. At that ceremony lie had taken a. vow to he a father to the fatherless, and everybody knew how well the bishop had obeyed the injunction of the church. Speaking of the founder of the convent, be said that lie would like to think that there were some there that afternoon who had been at the laying of the original foundation stone close on forty years ago. He recalled how Dean Ginatv in his declining years' spoke of the appeal that, the work done by the Sisters of the Good Shepherd made to all classes. The dean had said that lie did not know what catholicity was until he had started to get the work going. The nurserymen had laid out the gardens, the neighbouring farmers had lent their teams to till the ground, and the city merchants had provided goods that were wanted. All these people appreciated the fact that the sisters were doing a work that had as its object the welfare and elevation 01 womanhood. Bishop Brodie, in opening his address, said that lie wished first to thank the Mayor and Air Witty for being present. He then went on to say that his duty that afternoon was to tell of the nature of the work of the Good Shepherd community arid to enlist the sympathy of the audience un its behalf. In the days of the French revolution, he said that there was a great scholar who in his impious writings had clone much to bring about the deluge of impiety in his unfortunate country. But. like St Paul of old, he was struck by the enormity oi the wrong he had clone. He became inspired to trace the history of Christianity since the time ol the Divine Founder. He reviewed the various activities for the relief of the poor, the care of the orphan, the redemption of slaves and the tending of the lepers. The speaker felt that he could safely imitate that great man by adopting his method of outlining the inspiration, and the sublime syim pathy of the Good Shepherd work. The institute of the Good Shepherd found its inspiration in one of the'most touching stories in the whole Gospel narrative. The Institute was established in France nearly one hundred years ago. At that time it was found that there were girls and women worn out with sickness, infirmity and agrwho were in the world friendless and alone To provide for them Mother Ala He Euphrasia Peletier was inspired bv God to found the Institute of the Good Shepherd, so that their lives might be cheered and brightened bv the sweet influence of religion. As time went on the work became "amplified, and now it extended to all who were in need of assistance It was due* to tile Rev Father Ginaty that the work was established in the Christchurch Diocese. That day he made an appeal for assistance on behalf of the sacred cause of charity. The sisteis had already 350 souis committed to their care; all these having to be housed, clothed and fed. which could n °t he done without great personal sacrifice on behalf of the sisters and without the most careful industrial and economical organisation, and. above all, tbe p-enerous co-opera-tion and generosity of neople who bad shown themselves and would show them selves ready to co-operate with the sisters in their sacred and noble work. The great work of erecting the new buddings would cost mnnv thousand pounds, hut he hoped that it would l>e opened free of debt, and consecrated to the work of the sisters. The Mayor said that lie was pleased to acknowledge the great work that had been done in the institution during the last forty years. Ft was famed throughout New Zealand, and perhaps farther than that. It did not matter what creeds people belonged to, for they should never forget that the social work was the work’of all. H<* had no doubt that the communitv recognised the splendid work of self-sacrifice that was done by the Sisters of tbe Good Shepherd. They did their work without reward other than that of gratification in knowing that they were working in the Mast°r s service. I here was in some sections of the community a misapp rehensmn ns to the work that was being done, but a visit to the institution was all that was necessary to remove that. Mr AY itty. in his address, urged the children to remember always the work that the good Sisters had done for them. “ Without their self-.sacrifice you would never have had a chance,” he said. A vote of thanks to the speakers was moved by Father O’Connell and seconded by Mr J. R. Hayward. During the afternoon collectors were busy, and the visitors were entertained at afternoon tea by the Sisters.