CHRISTCHURCH.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVI, Issue 13, 20 July 1888, Page 25

CHRISTCHURCH.

(From our own Correspondent.) The mission which has just drawn to a close has been one of the most successful ever given in Christchurch. The attendance at the evening services averaged a thousand persona. Numbers of people attended from the suburbs. On Tuesday evening Father Cummings preached a most eloquent and affecting sermon on behalf of the suffering souls in purgatory. He earnestly impressed upon his hearers the beauty of devotion to the dead. Be expressed his fears that through thoughtlessness and the forgetfulness which is characteristic of human nature this devotion is too often neglected. In proof of this assertion he instanced the fact that the little box which is placed at the church door for the reception of alms for the dead, upon being opened after three months, contained the prodigious sum of one shilling and one penuv. He concluded bis sermon with an eloquent eulogy upon this most beautiful Catholic devotion, and with an earnest appeal on behalf of those who can no longer help themselves. On Wednesday morning a solemn Requiem Mass was celebrated for the repose of the souls of all the dead belonging to this parish. The solemn inauguration on Friday night of the Apostleship of Prayer and League of the Sacred Heart was a most impressive and edifying ceremony. The Bishop distribut3d the badges to one thousand members. Father Cummings in his usual clear style pointed at the objects of the League aad the great advantages to be derived by persons thus uniting in prayer and in devotion to the Sacred Heart. ; The Altar Society is to be complimented upon the tasteful manner in which the altar of the Sacred Heart was decorated upon Friday evening. The same remark applies in the case of the decorations of the altar of Mary on Monday evening npon the occasion of the dedication to the Blessed Virgin. A marked improvement has been noticeable lately in the decorations of all the altars in the church. This improvement I believe is due to the taste aad zeal of the ladies composing the Altar Society. On Sunday morning at the nine o'clock Mass about two hnndred and fifty children received first Communion. There were about one hundred boys and nearly one hundred and fifty girls, the latter were tastefully dressed in white, with white wreaths and veils. The preparation of all these children for the first reception of the Blessed Sacrament, must have been a considerable tax upon the time of the Sisters of the mission and the Brothers. Immediately after eleven o'clock Mass, tha sacrament of Confirmation was administered by Dr. Grimes to the first communicants. In the evening the mission was brought to a close by the renewal on the part of the congregation, of their baptismal vows. A similar ceremony had been performed by the children during the afternoon. At eleven o'clock Mass Father Cummings announced that it was in contemplation, as soon as possible to establish or re-organise the St. Vincent de Paul Society. This Society has been in existence in this parish for some time, but it has not been in a flourishing state. Such a society, if properly worked, would undoubtedly be made a source ot much good, both spiritual and temporal, in a large community like this. Father Gioaty has returned from his collecting tour in the North Island. The sight of his genial face about the church and the presbytery, has beenjnailed with pleasure by his old parishionres, many of whom would be by no means sorry to see him settle per. maaeotly again in Christchurch. This, however, his devotion to the cause of the poor Magdalens of New Zealand will not permit him to do at present. He is completely absorbed in the work which he has set before him, and appears to be determined to give himself no rest until that work is completed. His friends would wish to see him spare himself a little, for with all his abundant energy and indomitable will there is ft danger that if he continues working so hard as he has been doing lately the lamp might burn itself out too quickly. Father Ginaty laughs at such fears. He has no thought for himself ; all his anxiety is on account of the poor fallen section of humanity foi which he is so nobly endeavouring to provide a home and a refuge from crime. His tour in the North has been most successful. In not one single instance has he ever heard a depreciating remark in reference to the work which he has at heart. Those who gave gave freely, and those who could not give money couched their refusal in terms of regret. Next Sunday being the feast of St. Mary Magdalen, the day was considered by Father dinaty a.9 an appropriate one upon which to formally open the Asylum. The blessing of tbe institution and the opening ceremony will be performed by Dr. Grimes at two o'clock in the afternoon. As a great deal of interest is felt in regard to the institution by persons of all shades of religious opinions, it is anticipated that there will be a very large number of visitors present at Mount Magdala next Sunday. On that day, as the bnilding will be open for inspection, the public will have an opportunity of satisfying themsslves as to the admirable manner in which the work of reformation is carried on by the Nuns of the Good Shepherd. No doubt the result of that inspection will be a considerable influx of guineas into the collection box at Mount Magdala. la ths evening father Oummings will p/each a sermon appropriate to the day, when, probably, a collection will be made for the funds. The Christcburch papers a few days ago announced tha death in Melbourne of Mrs. Lamb, a young lady formerly well-known in Christchurch. Mrs. Lamb was the youngest sister of Father Donnelly For many years, with her mother and sisters, she taught a ladies' school in Christchurch. At intervals death claimed the elder sisters, and now the last and youngest of the three has been called Home, ani the mother is left alone to mourn them all. The deceased young lady was greatly esteemed for her gentleness and kindness, and much sorrow has been evoked by her early death. She died suddenly of heart disease. The 12th of July has been celebrated by the Orangemen of Coristchurch and its environs in the orthodox fashion. Lovers of

jfcff. glorious, pious, and immortal memory " have been laying in ■Pi i of oJlioaßneßS by consuming unlimited gallons of washy tea, rod leads of indigestible pastry in honour of the crossing of the Boyne. It is surprising in an enlighted age with what tenacity bigotry still clings to its old fetishes. I see from the Tablet that Father Burke has been delivering a most successful lecture in Dunedin upon " Men of the modern Irish movement." It is no wonder that our Catholic southern neighbours are well posted on the Irish question when there are clergymen with Father Burkes ability and willingness to instruct his people m what so nearly concerns their nearest and dearest interests, for some unaccountable reason or other we never have lectures of that sort here. Indeed so far as the modern Irish movement or any other Irish movement is concerned there might never have been any thing of the kind since the world began for all we hear to the contrary. Were the Tablet not in existence I am afraid that we should soon come to believe that the old threat had been carried out and Ireland had been towed out into the Atlantic and scuttled. It is human nature to forget, and in time perhaps, if we were nsver reminded of it. we should come to forget our nationality. Profound silence concerning it would soon lead to that end. The year goes round and we never have a lecture or an entertainment which would remind us thatsuchaplaceas Ireland exists. The national agitation goes on and.there are sympathetic meetings held every where else, but no meeting is held here. Why this is so Ido not pretend to explain, I simply state the fact. It is not that Irish people love their country less in Christchurch than they do elsewhere. There are as patrio ie and as intelligent Irishmen in this city as are in any other part of the colony. Then why is it that here Irish peopla always remain in the background 1 Is it that we are afraid in a measure of the English element, afraid that by proclaiming our right to sympathise with our birthland we should wound the sensibilities of the Sison who in Ohristcburch has all the inherited contempt of centuries for anything Irish ? Ido not know. I do know, however, that Irish cult is in some cases quite up to the Saxon cult in Christchurch when the two m»et upon the same platform. The truth of this statement was made evident in the debate that took place a few weeks ago upon the Irish question at St. John's. Father Burke is a finished scholar, a wide reader, and a profound thinker. A lecture from him would ba a treat. Possibly if the Canterbury Catholic Literary Society, or the Hibernian Society were to invite him to deliver his lecture upon the Irish movement here he would do so. The visit of Cardinal Moran to Rome is likely to be followed by some benefit to the Irish cause. Already we learn by means of the cable that his Eminence has pointed out to the Pope the possible danger of a.lowing our hereditary enemies to have any influence at the Vatican, The Catholic faith is deep in the hearts of ibe Irish people. No human wrong done to them will causa them to abandon their faith. Their fidelity has been too severely tried in tne past to give way now. I hardly think, therefore, that the danger pointed out by the Cardinal will arise, at least, to an> R r«at extent. Still, thd Irish people are out human. They are impulsive and passionate, and are ardently aitaohed to their country. To see Ireland free is the hope of everyone of Irish blood. Anything which will tend to frustrate that long cherished and dearly manured hope will fall with crushing weight upon Irish hearts. In some cases the rigid enforcement of the rescript might be followed by the consequences which Cardinal Worm fears It was only prudent then on his part to beg his Holiness to not place L-SVn aiD / haQ it .? )llld bear U P UU the fi^lity of his most faithful children to net risk loosening, however slißh.lv, that bond of union which has », long held firm and slrong between Rome and lieland is very Irishman will rejoice that the patriotic views of Cardinal Moran are receiving in Rome an amount of .-.tiention whic > w pn y '? " ei !' r * lUe th " effect of the mission of the Duke of S f ' t a ?, v th £ "A™ of the party whien he reoresenw. Let us hope that tbe efforts of Cardinal Moran will not go nnsecondod by Archbishop Kedwood, who must by this time have arrived in Bonn. Lately in hew Zealand hia Grace was an outspoken advecate -f Home Rule and of a lull rmed of justice to Ireland. He is now in the 1-OBition :o give an instance of bis davotion to the Irish cause Should he do bo as no doubt he will do, in view of hia lare speeches in New Zealand, and join Cardinal Moran in putting in a good word for Ireland with his Holiness againftthe Duke of Norfolk and similar myrmidons of England, we should soon bear of the enemies of ireland doing as the Tablet hns so often and so happily expressed it— ceasing to " prowl around the Vatican."