HIBERNIAN-AUSTRALASIAN CATHOLIC BENEFIT SOCIETY.

New Zealand Tablet, 2 March 1877, Page 12

HIBERNIAN-AUSTRALASIAN CATHOLIC BENEFIT SOCIETY.

*-+ The first anniversary of the establishment of the H.A.C.B. Society in Blenheim was commemorated on the 13th of February by a most enjoyable dinner at the South Star Hotel, the arrangements for which did the greatest credit to the host — Mr. J. Barry. The Rev. Father Sauzeau honored the Branch by his presence, and members with their friends, to the number of about forty, made up the company. Mr. T. O'Sullivan occupied the chair, and in the absence of the President the vice chair was taken by Bro. J. Morrison, P.P. Due justice having been done to the various delicacies which were spread in profusion upon the table, the Rev. Father Sauzeau rose to propose the first toast, addressing the company to the following effect : "Mr. Chairman, Gentlemen, and Brothers, — The toast which I am going to propose requires all the warmth of our feelings and all the energy of our faith ; it is the health of our Holy Father, Pope Pius IX. The name of the present Pontiff will be famous in history for the length of his life, for he reaches 85 years on the 13th of May next, but especially by the length of his Pontificate, which surpasses even that of St. Peter himself. On the 21st of June he will have been 31 years on the throne of St. Peter. Glorious and remarkable events have succeeded one another during his reign, which make it one of the most remarkable of Pontificates. The principal of these are the Immaculate Conception, the Canonization of the Japanese Martyrs, the Vatican Council, and the famous Syllabus, by which all the modern errors were condemned. St. Malachy, Aichbishop of Armagh, in his prophetical vision, calls him " cross of the cross " ; and great, indeed, have been the trials and the persecutions of hia enemies who have robbed him little by little of all the patrimony of St. Peter, and who have assailed the Church in almost every part of the world. He has not an inch of ground he may call his own, and yet, as the Governor of Malta remarked on a similar occasion about two years ago, "no one can see him without admiring his calmness and serenity." His words are flashed across the world by the telegraph wires, and excite the wrath of his enemies and the unbounded admiration of his children No wonder that we, as Catholics, are proud of so great a Pontiff, and so let us wish our Holy Father the Pope long life, health, and prosperity, with the cessation of persecution." Loud and continued applause. And the toast was received with great enthusiasm. The Chairman then proposed " Her Majesty Queen Victoria," during whose long and prosperous reign the position of Catholics throughout the British Empire had been so much ameliorated, that they had comparatively few grievances left, and even Ireland was now, at least, in a fair way to prosperity, and he had little doubt that should the reign of Queen Victoria last a few years longer, and he sincerely hoped it would, many other improvements would take place, giving them still more occason for wishing " long life and every happiness to Her Most Gracious Majesty." Loud applause. This toast having been most loyally received, the Chairman proceeded to propose the " Governor of New Zealand/ one doubtless well-fitted for his exalted station, and against whom, at least, they knew nothing, and they should drink his health most heartily as Her Majesty's faithful and worthy representative. This toast having been duly honored, the " Army, Navy, and Volunteers '* were proposed in a few appropriate words by Mr. Casey. Mr. T. O'Sullivan, as captain of volunteers, returned his hearty thanks to the company for the tribute they had paid to the three services. They knew that a very large proportion, both of army and navy, were Irishmen, and for that reason most of the company had an additional interest in their welfare, and he had no doubt they would all hope and pray for the success of those whose duty it was to defend the British Empire; and who had done so with the greatest honor and success on many a hard fought field, where streams of Irish blood had flowed, commingled with that of the natives of the sister isle. He wished, too, there were more Irish among the volunteers, for as they made good soldiers, he knew they would also gather laurels in the capacity of volunteers, should that force have unfortunately to be brought into active service. Applause.

Bro. J. Ward, jun., said he had the honor to propose " Health and long life to the Clergy," coupled with the name of the Rev. Father Sauzeau — a toast which each one he knew well would receive most enthusiastically, both on account of the great worth of the clergy themselves, and also for the personal interest each one must take in their present welfare for his own sake. When one of us, or our families, are attacked by disease, we are anxious to be where some physician of repute can be called in, and yet under the most favorable circumstances he may fail to effect a cure. But the priest, who is the physician of the soul, unlike those who undera take to cure our bodily ailments, has an infallible specific which* cannot fail in efficacy if the patient really desires it. The wish to have one with such powers at our call should be alone sufficient to make us most enthusiastic ; but we have also to consider the intrinsic worth of the clergy themselves — their lives of self-sacrifice especially of those who have torn themselves away from their friends and country to administer to the wants of the people in these distant lands. Unlike other immigrants, they cam* with no prospect of improving their worldly circumstances, but, on the contrary, with every probability of having much more hardship to undergo than had they remained in their mother country, and, perhaps, scarcely knowing where they would find a house when overtaken by age and infirmities. They would then, he was convinced, drink with enthusiasm to the health and long life of the clergy, and especially our own beloved pastor, the Rev. Father Sauzeau, anl long may he live amoget üb. Applause. The toast was drunk amidst great acclamation.

Rev. Father Sauaeau then said — " I must thank you very sincerely for the very kind manner in which you have drunk the health of the clergy. Last year his Lordship Bishop Redwood and the Rev. Father Garin added greatly, by their presence, to the solemnity of the opening ; this time we are left to our own resources. Cur worthy Secretary has shown, in his speech, how necessary are the prießts in the midst of a congregation, and the great sacrifices they have to make to come to this country ; but they do it with the greatest pleasure when they feel that the people profit by their labora. Although we are few, and, as a whole, not blessed with great wealth, a great deal has been done in New Zealand since the formation of the mission by the union of the people among themselves, and also with their clergy. As a great deal still remains to be done, and as we shall soon, not improbably, have to fight the battle they are fighting in other countries, let us strengthen this unity, and we are sure of success. Isolated or divided we are powerless; united we can overcome every difficulty. You have wished me a long life among you ; and, as I have been already upwards of twelve years in Blenheim, I shall soon be able to say like *be old priest at home, who was complimented on a similar occasion : ' My dear children, I have baptized you all, I have married you all, and, please God, I shall bury you all.' " Great applause. Th« Chairman then aaid it now devolves upon me, gentlemen, as chairman, to propose the toast of the evening — viz., "The H.A.C.B. Society"— a toast which I propose, too, with the greatest pleasure, only marred by the wish that it was in the hands of someone better qualified to do it justice. It is unnecessary to urge the fact that benefit societies do good in many ways. Many a one when sick and away from his friends, with perhaps no means of otherwise obtaining assistance, has felt the advantage of having the doctor engaged by the Society ; has been encouraged by the visit of the members deputed for that purpose, and has received much needed pecuniary assistance. There is also the social advantage to the stranger becoming a member which these societies hold torth, at once affording an introduction and bond of union with niany of those with whom he has taken up his abode. And even should his position cause these advantages to be of no moment, and Bhould he continue paying his contributions week after week and year after year without receiving any recompense, he would at least, have been doing a good action ; and when his last hour arrived, few. indeed, of the many shillings he had spent would afford him as much satisfaction as those paid to funds for the maintenance of so charitable a work. Besides these advantages, our Society had another incomparable advantage to Catholics that it looked abo to the soul, enjoining as it did a regular attendance at mass and the Sacraments, and, as an instance, he had himself been much edified some time ago by seeing the members in a body receive the Holy Communion. The toast was received with great acclamation. °

The Secretary, Bro. J. Ward, jun., responded, giving a short account of the eatablishment of the Society, and of the rapid progress it had made throughout Australasia. All its members had now to bear a great responsibility, for their conduct would be narrowly watched by many wishing to see what kind of men made up this purely Catholic Society, and so they must maintain the honor ot their holy religion; and they should also remember that the honor ot the country from which they took the title Hibernian was at stake ; that country where the forefathers of most of them had lived, and had so long and nobly maintained the Catholic belief and practice under very adverse circumstances, and to whom and their descendants, in many parts of the world, «us, in a great measure, due that freedom which English, as well as Irish, Catholics enioy throughout^ British Empire to-day. Applause. He would conclude by thanking them very kindly for the warmth with which they had received the toast. The •• Blenheim Branch " was then proposed by Mr. Broughan, to which they owed the social gathering at which he was proud to assist that evening ; they had made greal progress during the laßt year, and he hoped they would continue to do so, and that their numbers and influence would continue to increase. n P ; ?*, Morriaon > in responding, said there was one thing especially which he wanted to impress upon the Branch, and upon each individual member which were at present, he might say, upon their trial. Some of the leading members of society here seemed inclined to hold aloof from them, though several leading men had become honorary members. Now he felt sure that this came from no lllieeling, but that they wished before connecting themselves more closely with us, to see what character the Society would maintain and whether we were really capable of carrying out the rules under which wo were banded together; it, therefore, lay with the present members, and those who wore on the point of joining, to prove to them that we were a society, with which no one, whatever his position, need be ashamed to connect his name, and there was no doubt that if they folio x ed out carefully their rules, they would become more and more respected by the whole community. He would conclude by thanking all for the enthusiastic manner in which they had received the toast. The present officers of the Branch were then proposed by Bio Houldsworth, P.P. He had no doubt this toast would be duly honored; their officers had always taken a great interest in the Branch, and their work required great attention and considerable time to be devoted to it. he would, therefore, beg of the rest of tLe Society to assist their officers in everyway they could, and then the Branch would soon become so strong and respected, that all present will look back with pride and say to themselves, each of us helped to bring about this. He would also remind those friends who kept aloof, that— in one sense at least— those who were not with us were against us, for each one who seemed to ignore the Society assisted in keeping others out of it, and as he believed everyone admittted it to be good if properly carried out, he thought it should be encouraged by all who coxild assist in carrying it out as it ought to be

The V.P., Bro. Connell, responded. He thought he could answer for himsalf and brother officers, that they would try to emulate the example of their predecessors, whom they had Been doing their duty with honor to themselves, and to the satisfaction and advantage of the Branch generally, and he begged to thank Bro. Houldsworth and the company generally for showing such kindly feeling to himself and colleagues. Applause. Several other toasts were duly honored, including the Hoat and Hostess and the Chairman, all of whom had so well fulfilled their duties, that it was no wonder their healths were drunk with acclamation, after which the company broke up in an orderly manner, and generally well satisfied with their evening's entertainment. I must not omit to mention that all monotony was banished during the evening by the insertion at intervals of songs, comic, sentimental, and patriotic, many of which were extremely well rendered.