MASTERTON.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XII, Issue 27, 24 October 1884, Page 15

MASTERTON.

October 15, 1884. Last Sunday was a rei-letter day for the Catholics of Masterton, when about thirty children approached the altar to receive Holy Communion for the first time. Toe scens presented to us on that occision would, doubtless, never be witnessed by us here were it not for th-j unceasing exertions of our worthy pastor, the Rev. Father Treacy. Father Treacy came to this parish about January last, and found that there was no Catholic school, the church, was over £1,000 in debt, and only a small bare cottage remained for our new priest in which to provide himself with the necessaries of life. Bat, true to bis race and his country, he appealed in earnest to those who have always at heart the comfort of their " Soggarth Aroon," and the people soon repaired the cottage and provided for the Father's wants, and now he has got a neat and comfortable home. We have now got a new school built solely by the priest's exertions, who made a house-to-house collection, and received, as h3 announced in [the church, the handsome sum of £150, which was increased to over £200 by the proceeda of a concert.

The proceedings of last Sunday, then, were the happy result of our new school, and, to use the priest's own expression, he '• paid away the first dividend on their money "on that occasion. There are now over 70 children attending the Catholic school in Master ton. Let us hope the people will rally round the good priest and give him the means of carrying on the good work, and thereby show that even in the midst of godlessness a hope btill remains of preserving the religion of our fathers, and that when the present generation will have passed away, a few will still remain to show that our churches were not put up merely fo. 1 the exigencies of the present. Perhaps St. Patrick's Church was scarcely ever so full at it was at 11 o'clock Mass last Sunday, when both Catholics and non-Catholics came to see a first Communion, being the first time such an opportunity occurred in the Wairarapa. The Rev. Father took the opportunity to explain the devotion of the Blessed Sacrament, and went on to show how God in his excessive love invites the faithful to partake of His ownador ible body and blood, and finally seeing the perversity of mankind, threatens them with^exclusion from His Heavenly Kingdom as a punishment for their disobedience. The Rev. Father's address, which was listenel to with marked attention, seemed to produce a vivid impression on all present. After Mass, the children were treated to a nice breakfast in the school, at which Mrs. Bell and Mrs. Toohill presided, who spared no pains in securing the children's happiness.' This is not the first time these ladies have given valuable assistance in Church matters. In a concert lately given for the " School Building Fund >! they worked with extraordinary energy in disposing of ticket"-, etc. The breakfast ben* over, aud the children having spent truly tne happiest morning of their lives, returned to their homea thanking the priest and people who had provided them with a school wherein they are taught the knowledge of God and how to serve him in this life, and thereby prepare for an eternity with him in heaven, FINNOUQH.

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