PAPANUI CHURCH.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVII, Issue 46, 7 March 1890, Page 7

PAPANUI CHURCH.

The holy sacrifice of the Mass was offered here on Sunday, February 23, by the Bey. Father Lemenant, a nice congregation being prasent from the surrounding; district. The little church doesn't look very beautiful to an observer from the outside, but inside it is very pretty. The great drawback is, it is not large enough for its present congregation, but afcer some time, that is, whea St. Mary's Church, ia Manchester Btreet, is built, Fathsr Lemenant has promised to improve and enlarge this church. Until then the people of Papanui must have patience and wait till the greater work is accomplished, Lately the Catholics hearing Mass here have enjiyed the sweet music of an organ during tha ceremonies. It has been presented through the charity of the late Miss Delahunty, aad of Mrs. Q. Hunter and other kind ladies of the parish. Speaking of the lastnamed lady, she cannot gee too much praise for her goodness in keeping this little chapel so neat and clean, and the altar decorations so pretty with floral tributes and rare hothouse plants. Her kind ness and true piety are appreciated by all whom she may come in contact with. The Rev. Father in the course of a very beautiful sermon on the present month ; how it shonld be dedicated to St. Joseph and St. Patrick, apostle of Ireland by special prayers and other good works, and speaking to a congregation wh) were Irish or of Irish descent, in very feeling and noble words, reminded them of the debt of gratitude they owed to Patrick, who brought the light of the true faith to that '■ lovely isle of Erin," and how out here in the colonies where their faith ia liable to be tampered with, far more so than at Home, where they could neither see badness nor hear the atheistical teaching of immoral men. they should always in their trouble appeal to that glorious saint, the patron of their own green isle, who, ha was snre, had mighty power to intercede on our behalf before the throne of God. The Rev. Father also mentioned, in a kindly, happy way of bis own, how, by oar prayers to God, and through the intercession of Ireland's apostle, we could help to'get that grand privilege for our native land, a privilege that all the other colonies and depandencies of the British Umpire possess, namely, the making of their own laws by the Irish people.