CATHOLIC CEREMONIES AT MILTON.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIX, Issue 34, 29 May 1891, Page 2

CATHOLIC CEREMONIES AT MILTON.

On Tuesday forenoon Pontifical High Mass was celebrated at Milton. Tbe Most Rev. Dr. Morao celebrated Mass and preached, Fathers Lynch and O'Donnell being deacon and sub-deacon, Very Rev. Father O'Leary assistant priest, Fathers Newport and O'Neill masters of ceremonies. Though the weather was unpropitioos, the attendance was large. The music snng at tbe Mass was rendered by an admirable choir, and was of a bigh order. His Lordship, addressing tbe congreg it ion, said that as they all knew they bad met to lay the foundation stone of tbe new church building, and he would call upon them, as be was bound to do for tbe good of the Church, to.beetow tbeir offerings to wards the expense of the building. But as tbe day was damp be would say to them be c what he would otherwise have said at the laying of the foundation stone. Bo tbonght he could coogratulate them upon tbis day — a* on this day the Milton congregation made a step and a very great one, in advance. For many years the little building ia which they now were sufficed for their purposa. It wai for a long time past crowded wlien services were hell, but still, all things consi lered, tbe building had been sufficient, This, bowever, was not the oise any longer. Twenty years or mere had elapsed since this church h-d been erected, and, notwithsUndiog the fact that the population of, tbe

district had not increased very much, this congregation had increased considerably. Now the time had come when it was necessary for them to endeavour to provide a larger building and more accommodation. They were not yet in a position to erect a structure devoted entirely for the purpose of a church, because there was something to be provided by them which was just as necessary as a church, and, perhaps, under existing circumstances, more necessary. The urgent requirements of Christian education for their children demanded of them great exertions in order that they might discharge their duties to the young in providing for them a ChristUn education. The building, the foundation stone of which he was to bless that day, was to be utilised for a twofold purpose ; and therefore tbeyiwould call is a schooUcbapel. If in time the nnmber of the congregation increased, and Providence blessed them with a little more means, they would oonsiderthe erection of a building fora church entirely: and he had no doubt whatever that before many years such a church would be erected. In the meantime they were doing the best they could under the circumstances— providing both a church and a school for a few years. He had said that the necessity for the mtans of having • Christian education for their children wa3 almost more urgent for them than the building of a church, and if he consulted his own sentiments he would say it was more necessary than the erection of a church ; because, if their children were not brought up as Christians, in a few years there would be no need for church building. Now, their faith taught them that the most important thing to them was their religion ; because on that depended their lot in all eternity, and for the sake of religion everything else must come secondary. They were under strong obligations to their children. As the Apostle aaid : " He who neglects hia own, especially those of his own household, has lost the faith and become worse than an infidel." There was ft system of education provided of which they did not take advantage, because that system ignores God and places itself in direct opposition to Christ. There could be no religion without Christ, for there was no other nameunder Heavenwhereby aman could ba saved ; and the system of education which ignored Christ waa one which they could not accept. No doubt this non-acceptance on their part of the system of instruction provided in the Colony placed them at a very great disadvantage, but their salvation and that of their children waa their great paramount consideration ; for the sake of their children's salvation they should make these sacrifices. With them it waa not a matter of taste or choice, but one of necessity and conscience ; for if they failed to provide religious education for their children, they would be the cause of the loss of the souls of their children as well aa the loas of their own souls. He had asserted again and again for many years that the Colon* 's system of education waa a godleaa one, and he would repeat that assertion- it was godless. Thoae who were tbe advocates of it had from time to time said that it waa not, and gave aa their reason that God'a name is mentioned here and there, quite incidentally, in the school books. Now, such a reason aa that was unworthy of any intelligent being. The mention of God here and there in the books connected with any system of instruction did not make that system religious any more than the mention of a pagan god in any school reading book made that system a pagan system. The Government Bystem of instruction set itself in direct opposition to Christ. If they made an examination of the Government school books, they would find from first to last no mention of the name of Christ. In the booka recommended by the boards for the use of the pupils Christ's name was utterly ignored. So far as that system of education was concerned the children brought up under it were not taught the existence of Christ, even as an historical fact. The general community of the Colony ia professedly religious and Christian ; but how it could tolerate a system of education which seta itself up in opposition to Christ he could not understand. The people of this Colony had allowed themselyes to be led by those who were influenced by the secret societies of Europe— those who insulted the name of Christ and His Divine Majesty every hour. The one object of those societies was the destruction of Cbristianity. For many yeara they had been trying to destroy the Christian religion, andjthey endeavoured to get godless schools in order to ultimately destroy Christianity. Those societies knew that if they succeeded in rearing np the rising generations in pagan principles there would ultimately be no Christian religion in the world. But, thank God, they (the Catholics of Milton) were not apostates, they had still the Faith, for which they were under obliga tions to Almighty God, for faith was God's gift. As their Redeemer, said : "No man can come to Me nnlesß My Father draw him.', Faith was the gift that came from heaven— the greatest of all gifts the foundation of everything in religion ; therefore they should be grateful to Him, and guard the gift as the most precious of all treasures. Out of gratitude to Him for that gift they must abstain from jevery thing that would endanger themselves or their children, and must provide a Chriatian education for tbeir children. And they did endeavour to do this, though no other portion of the community did. They were in earne:t, deeply and sincerely, about it. Any man who did not believe in the sincerity of the Catholic body and their conscientiousness in this matter must bs blind ; for he had only to look About to ae* whftt the Catholics were doing in provid'ng religious

education throughout the Colony. Supporters of the godleM system asserted that Catholics were the enemies of education. Bat who were the enemies of education, and who its friends T What stronger proof of tbeir sincerity and earnestness could there be than the sacrifices they were making for el oca t ion ? Who were the people anxious to mak* s icrifices to promote real education — the real development of tbe mind, the real training of the heart 7 The Catholics, of coarse, who else ? Who put tbeir bands in their pockets, not for the purpose of making money, merely fitting their children for " billets," as they call them ; bat for the purpose of giving their children a real mindtroining, and, what was of more importance, a real heart training f The Catholic portion of the community, and no one else. Many people were very glad to have the cost of education (instruction it should be called) of their children fall upon the community at large, and many men who availed themselves of the contributions of their unmarried neighbours in order to get instruction for their children should be ashamed of it. In this matter of education Catholics were trying to do their best for their children ; and there were a few — a very few— enlightened men not belonging to their body who contributed. The man who could bring himself to say that Catholics are the enemies of education was a man without sense without reason ; and if he bad intellect, be was without conscience and was a reckless man, because that statement was utterly opposed to facts. " What will it avail a man if he gain the whole world and lose hia own soul ? " lha Bishop then congratulated bis people upon the generosity and determination with which they had hitherto laboured to support Catholic schools for their children, and exhort I t hem to cootinue tt is great and glorious work to the end. Whilst they would not cease to provide Catholic schools, they would not cease to demand, as their right, a fair share of the money spent by Government upon the instruction of children, and those who persisted in refusing them this were robbers and plunderers. They were taking under false pretences, the money of Catholics and, because they were Btronger and more numerous they denied justice to Catholics : but in the end they would have ju3tic3, because truth is great and justice must prevail. In conclusion, he exhorted them— though, he said, exhortation was not necessary from him — to persevere in doing what they had done in the past in the matter of having a Christian education for their children . After ♦he Mess a procanion was farmed and marched to the site of the new church, where the foundations were blessed and the atone laid according to the prescription of the Roman ritual. Psalms and litanies and tbe hymn " Veni Creator " wera beautifully sung by the choir of priests. Subsequently, the bishop, as prescribed in the Roman ritual, sat on a chair on the platform, with crozier and mitre, and exhorted the people to come forward and placs their contributions on the foundation stone. Those who were present did so, contributing the handsome sum of £170. which, supplemented by the proceeds of the children's concert in the evening, made the sum realised for the day beyond £200 At St. George's Hall, ia the eveiinj, the pupils of the local Dominican Convent Schools gave a music il aad dramatic entertainment. The atteadance was large, the dpacious hall being packed in every part. Knowing that the children had had only a limited time to prepare for the concert, the auiieace was evidently at the outset not disposed to be critical ; but the efforts of the juveniles were creditable throughout, aad were frequently heartily applauded. The opening choruß waa " Oft ia the stilly night," by about sixty of the pupils ; then followed the kindergarten drill, in which a number of exercises calculated to a healthy development of the boiy were gone through. The little ones U9ed miniature dumbbells in good style, taking the time for the various movements from the piano accompaniments. This item was something norel to tbe onlookers, and at its conclusion there were demands for a reappearance of the juveniles. Pianoforte solea were contributed by Misses Mand Baldwin, Scanlan, and Annie Lynch ; a pianoforte duet by Misses Baldwin and Taylor ; and choruses by the convent pupils and boys of St. Joseph's School. The song " The Blind Girl to her Harp " (to harp accompaniment by Miss Lynch) was nicely given by Miss Robertson. Being encored, the performers essayed a duet (harp and piano), but it came to an abrupt termination, one or two of tbe harp strings snapping. The principal item on the programme proved to be ths fairy drama " Cindarella," by pupilß of the Milton Convent High School. Several of those taking characters in the piece did exceedingly well, speaking their parts clearly and distinctly, and, what is more, not mechanically. It was also noticeable that with each and all there was none of tbe awkwardness generally seen connected with first appearances of amateurs. The comedietta 'D'y* Know Me ?" by boys of St. Joseph's School, also went smoothly. Bishop Moran on his own behalf, as well as for Father O'Neill and the school children, expressed hearty thanks to the audience for their large attendance and for tbe recaption tbe entertainment bad met with throughout. He mentioned i hat, as would have beea noticed, many of the children were suffering from colds, and were hoarae ; but he was gratified to know, by the liberal applause bestowed, ttba the cn 4 ;rtaiament was appreciated. A pleaiant gathering was then brought to a close by boys of St, Joseph's School singing the chores "QoodNigat."