ST. MARY'S, MANCHESTER STREET, CHRISTCHURCH.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVIII, Issue 21, 19 September 1890, Page 13

ST. MARY'S, MANCHESTER STREET, CHRISTCHURCH.

Thb Church of St. Mary's was tastefully decorated by the ladies of the Altar Society and gentlemen of the congregation for the celebration of the patronal fea9t of this new sanctuary raised in Christchurch North in honour of the Mother of God. At eleven o'clock a Solemn High Mass was sung, after which the Blessed Sacrament was exposed. The altar, with its varied flowers and artistically-arranged lights, presented % most beautiful aspect. During the whole of the day the Children of Mary, members of the Altar Society, Apostleship of Prayer, and many of the faithful remained in adoration in presence of our loving Saviour. At 3 o'clock the school-children made their adoration, and the Rev. Father Marnane read an Act of Reparation for the injuries offered to our Blessed Lord in the sacrament of His love. Tespers were sung at 6.30 p.m., and a most impressive, interesting, and devotional sermon was preached by the Very Rev. Father Cummings, Adm. of the diocese. The preacher commenced his discourse by relating the origin of the Festival of the Holy Name of Mary. In the year 1683 the Mussulmans were besieging the city of Vienna ; they had completely surrounded the town with an army of 200,000 men. On the eve of the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, the Turks made a desperate attack on the city. What is still more dreadful, a conflagration took place, which threatened the arsenal and the destruction of the whole city by the explosion of the powder and war materials gathered into it. The shells ot the besieging army destroyed many of the public buildings and a considerable number of the private bouses. Vienna was at that time the bulwark of Christendom. Had the Turks succeeded in taking it they would have pushed their invasion throughout Europe, massacred the inhabitants, and Christianity would have been a thing of the past, recorded only in history. In the midst of the roaring of the cannons, of the crash of the public buildings falling to pieces, of the lurid glare of the devastating fire, sweeping everything before it, the heroic Christians of Tienna had recourse to the Mother of God ; their prayers were heard, the wind suddenly changed and the citadel was out of danger. On the day following, the second day of the octave of the Nativity of Our Lady, a band of soldiers was seen on the slopes of the Kalemberg, moving towards the city. It was the brave Sobieski, King of Poland, who came to assist the Christians of Vienna. On that very day he had assisted at Holy Mass, and asked as a special privilege to be permitted to serve it as an altar boy. He received Holy Cooomunion and with his arms stretched out as a cross implored the assistance of the God of armies, and the protection of the mother of God. " Let us march to battle," cried he ; " we are protected by Mary 1 we shall conquer." He did conquer indeed. The Turks fled away in disorder when he rushed upon them. They were cut in pieces ? their slain, by thousands, lay weltering in their blood. The rest in their flight left all their artillery and baggages and war materials behind them, and the very standard of Mahomed. John Sobieski entered in triumph the city of Vienna and sang the Te Deum. Thestandard emblazoned with the image of Mary, which h<3 carried at the head of the army, was sent by him to the Pope, who, to commemorate this signal victory, established this festival, to be celebrated throughout the Christian Empire. The preacher next explained how the veneration of the name of Mary was in harmony with reason and Christian tradition. A name, he said, is a memorial of the thing represented. When we hear the name of great men 'c g., of Napoleon, Nelson, Daniel O'Connell, etc., it brings before our minds all the heroic things they have done. When a child reads io a book the name of a beloved parent, it brings before it the very picture of that parent and draws tears from its eyes at the recollection of the many favours received from the same . It is for this reason that names of poets.orators, great captains, etc., are chiseled out on the rock, engraven on bronze statues, and carved in wood. The name of Mary is the greatest and most venerable next to the holy name of Jesus. Is it not reasonable that we should venerate it ? This name is a divine one ; it was revealed by God to St. Joachim and St. Anne. In the creed it is mentioned: "I believe . . in Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the Virgin Mary." The greatest saints and doctors ever cherished and venerated it. Witness St. Francis of Assisium, the seraphic St. Bonaventure, the mellifluous St. Bernard and St. AnthoDy of Padua, who had it always on their lips and wished to die in uttering it, after the sacred name of Jesus, and with that the name of the great patriarch, St. Joseph. Having shown the reasonableness, antiquity, and efficacy of the name of Mary, the preacher aptly remarked that that holy name was also that of the society to which he was proud to belong. This society was established towards the middle of the present century by

a humble priest known almost exclusively by his spiritual children Very Rev. Father Colin, who was inspired by God to found it. In 1836 Pope Gregory XVI. approved of it, and entrusted to it the islands of Central Oceania, including New Zealand. Monaignor Pompallier with Father Servant, came here. The bishops gloriei in being the first to celebrate Mass in the " forest-clad regions of New Zealand." On one occasion 5000 Maoris were converted to the Faith. These pioneers of the Faith (Marist Fathers) were the first to feph the sweet light of gospel peace from point lo point. The chief object of the society was to procure the glory of God through Mary. In a society where the soul of Mary animated its members was the Lord of Mary. When they breathed and lived the life of Mary, this glory of God and the extension of His kingdom must ■ecessarily promote God's glory. Mary is the echo of God. After nineteen centuries Christianity came to these shores. Here, therefore, in New Zealand was the prediction of Mary fulfilled across the centuries, " All generations shall call me blessed." Better and wiser men might be called to do this work, but Almighty God chose the Society for this great work. Thanks, therefore, to Mary Immaculate should be given by all, that now we enjoy at the world's extremities all the consolations and blessings of our holy religion.— Let us not torget the names of those pioneers of the faith who sowed in tears what we now reap in joy. After a stirring peroration, in which the preacher urged his bearers to labour stenuously for the one thin; necessary to earn for themselves in Heaven names which would be imperishable in the gloriouß temple of the Church triumphant ; and to true Catholic devotion to Mary the Mother Jof God, he conclnded by wishing that this devotion, being transmitted by parents to children in the last momenta of life, His glorious name would be for them a real password from earth to eternal bliss. After the sermon a procession of the Blessed Sacrament took place. The banners of our Blessed Lady, Sacred Heart, St. Joseph, and Blessed Peter Chanel were carried by representatives of their different confraternities. The Children of Mary with their blue cloaks and vests, the little girls with their snowy white dresses and angelic looks, the gentlemen of the church committee carrying lighted torches, followed the canopy, under which was the Blessed Sacrament, held by the Very Rev. Father Cummings, assisted by the missionary rector and Rev. Father Mar. nane, formed an imposing spectacle not soon to be forgotten. The choir by their devotional music enhanced the pomp of this solemn ceremony. The Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament crowned this memorable festival, and all left the church greatly pleased and edified. The Very Rev. Father Laterrier, Provincial of the Society of Mary, and Father John Goutenoire whose kindness and popularity are proverbial, honoured by their presence the clergy and parishioners of St. Mary's.

. o FEAST OF THE HOLY NAME OF MABY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1890.