News of the Week.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume V, Issue 237, 16 November 1877, Page 11

News of the Week.

We learn that the Rev. Father Hennebery opened his mission at Christchurch on yesterdsiy evening.

Pontifical High Mass will be celebrated at St Joseph's Church, Dunedin, on Sunday next at 11 A.M. A collection will be made on the occasion for the purpose of defraying the balance tliat is due on the vestments received lately from London, and of which a considerable portion of the cost has been paid by the contributions of the Altar Society.

His Lordship the Bishop of the Diocese held a visitation at Oamaru on Sunday last, when the sacrament of Confirmation was administered to forty-three recipients. On the Monday following His Lordship examined carefully the children attending the Catholic school, of whom upwards of seventy were present, and expressed himself highly gratified by the proficiency shown by them. The Secretary of the Canterbury Board of Education has hel.l an inquiry into the complaint made by the Rev. Father Binsfeld, respecting the Government school at Loburn ; where it is asserted that Catholic children were obliged to attend instructions in the Bible. We understand that it is admitted there were some grounds • for the complaint, but as we have not yet received particulars of the matter we refrain from commenting upon it until our next issue, when we hope to be fully informed.

Mr George Robektson of Melbourne is about to publish the fourth series of the "Vagabond Papers." The table of contents bespeaks an interesting collection, and, although doubtless we shall find in it many principles and views put forward with which we can by no means agree, we are prepared also to discover much that is alike instructive and brilliant.

We arc informed through a private source that a letter, dated Lyons, Sept. 18th, has been received from the Rev. Father Charcyre, in which it is stated that he was about to set out for Rome to urge in person the plea noU ej)ticoj>ari. He says, " God alone knows what is my fright at the thought of returning to Auckland as a bishop." It is, however, considered that the promptings of the venerable priest's humility are not likely to meet with success,

The report of the Commissioners for Victoria for the Philadelphia Exhibition has been published by the Victorian Government. It contains the information |procured by the Secretary of the Commission, who was instructed to acquire full particulars of all such exhibits as he believed likely to be of profit to the inhabitants of the colony employing him. The work is one of much utility, and has been well brought out.

The Illustrated New Zealand Herald for November contains, as usual, several interesting and well-executed illustrations. One which represents sufferers in the Indian famine is terribly ghastly, but we believe unhappily not exaggerated. That named " Falls on the Lobster Rivulet, Tasmania," brings before us a charming scene, and n *' View in Christchurch " is calculated to convey a most pleasing impression of a New Zealand city.

The Government school-masters still continue to show their teeth. At Gisborne, recently, the chairman of the School Committee granted permission to the Catholics to make use of the schoolroom on Sundays for the celebration of Mass, but the teacher, a Mr Maberly on being informed of the matter resisted so rudely that it was resolved at a meeting of the members of the Catholic congregation to refrain from taking advantage of the permission granted. The difficulty, however, is about to be surmounted in the best possible manner, for the Catholics have determined on erocting a church, and at a meeting held for the purpose of discussing the matter, and over which the Rev. Father O'Reilly presided, it was resolved not only to commence the building at once, but that, as Gisborne was in a position to support a Catholic clergyman, the Very Rev. Fathor Fynes, V.G. should be communicated with on the subject. It was further resolved that the necessity of devising means of providing Catholic education for the children was apparent.

The drawing in connection with the Dominican Convent Art Union was held on Friday last in St Joseph's school room. The prizes, of which there were 122, were distributed with wonderful impartiality by fortune through the different districts of the colony, some of the best going to the holders of single tickets. Of the Roman pictures— which, although not first upon the list, were the most valuable of all— the Aurora went to Captain West of Port Chalmers, the Sybil to Miss Sullivan, of Bluff Harbour, and the Italian Peasant Woman to Mr. Maxted, of St. Kilda, West Coast. The prize presented by His Holiness the Pope, and for which there were many competitors, it forming the chief attraction to Catholic subscribers fell to the lot of Mrs. Brazil, of Moa Flat, and the other works of art found owners scattered up and down throughout the colony. Much satisfaction has been expressed by those who were successful, and who have s 0 far received the prizes won by them, at the value and beauty of the various pictures which are found to surpass the expectations formed concerning them. The drawing was conducted on the usual art-union principle.