CHURCH OF THE SACRED HEART, NORTH-EAST VALLEY.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XX, Issue 37, 1 July 1892, Page 18

CHURCH OF THE SACRED HEART, NORTH-EAST VALLEY.

On Sunday, the Sunday within the octave of the Feast of the Sacred Heart, the patronal feast of this church was observed. The earlier Mass, at which several of the children of the district made their first communion, was celebrated by his Lordship the Bishop. At 11 a.m . a Missa cantata was celebrated by the Rev Father Lynch, Adm, the Bishop also being present. The altar, which is a handsome construction of Oamaru stone, had been nicely adorned for the occasion, and the statues of the Sacred Heart and St Joseph with the Divine Infant — very beautiful works of art, which stand respectively on the Gospel andJEpiatle sides of the sanctuary arch— each occupying a spacious stone pedestal, with a Gothic canopy of the same material above it, that projects from the wall, , bad been honoured ss well with a tasteful strewing of foliage and flowers at their feet. At tbe rear of the altar, the apse has recently received an important addition in the shape of three stained glass windows, manufactured by Messrs Gille and Co of Lyons. The centre window rapresents the Sacred Heart — the figure being majestic, and the colours, in which red predominates, brilliant, without being glaring. The window on the Gospel side represents Our Lady oF Perpetual Succour with the Infant Jesus in her arms. The design is taken from the miraculous picture of tbe Bedemptorist Father?, but the drapery and colouring are different. Our Lady wears a robe of ruby red and a flowing cloak of bright blue. The tints are extremely rich and the effect of the whole is most striking. On the Epistle side, the window represents St Joseph with the Divine Infant. Tha chief colour here is an emerald green. The figures are particularly well designed and the execution is most meritorious— the whole effect is very fine. These windows are a notably ornamental feature in the church, adding greatly to its beauty. The choir was formed of members of that of St Joseph's Cathedral, with their organist, Mr Vallis, as conductor and Miss Kate Moloney, organist of the church, as accompanist. The singing was remarkably good, the more massive concerted parts crisp and full, the harmonies well observed throughout. The solo singers were the Misses Mills and Morrison (soprani), and Murphy (contralto), Messrs E. Eagar and E.Dunne (tenor), and W. Woods and J. Cantwell (bass). The music performed was the " Kyrie " from Mczart's 12th ; the " Gloria " from Mozart's No 1, and the " Credo," " Sanctus," and " Agnus Ddi " from Weber's Mass in G. Mohr's beautiful " O Sanctissima " was very effectively sung during the offertory, and both before and aEter Mass there was a hymn to the Sacred Heart. The music of the Benediction, which took place on the termination of Mass was as usual. The Bishop, who preached, prefaced his sermon by a few remarks. It bad been intended, he said, to celebrate the feast by a High Mass, but circumstances the temporary absence of one of the priests of the diocese among the rest— prevented this. A young priest ordained at Home for the dioces9 could not reach Dunedin earlier than September or October. Next year, however, he hoped the intention would be carried out, and on all future occasions tha celebration would be made as solemn as possible. His Lordship went on to say that they were not yet quite free from debt. Father Lynch, who bad undertaken to build the church, had discharged all, or almost all, the debt incurred by him. Something, however, still remained owing on the site. That had been his (the moat rev speaker's) concern, and he was stiil in debt for it. He hoped that the generosity of the people would ere long result in payiDg the balance due. His Lordship further thanked the choir for their presence. He said that, although he was not personally an authority respecting musical performances, he was aware of their merits, and knew how high they stood in the estimation of those who were so, He would take this opportunity also of thaDking them for their services in the past, which had been most valuable. He confidently looked forward, moreover, to their rendering even greater services in the future. The subject of the Bishop's sermon was the Real Presence— a doctriue of the Church, he explained, that, as taugbt by the Apostles and their disciples, had prevailed frum the first, and had Dever been denied— although in the ninth century the moda of Christ's presence in the Blessed Eucharist had been questioned— until Berengarius, in the 10th century, contradicted it, and by the renown of his character and learning, led many people astray. He had, nevertheless, died penitent for his error in a monastery at Tours, expressing fear of the judgment because of those whom he had misled. The Bishop went on to refer to the beautiful ceremony of that morning when a number of young hearts consecrated themselves to Jesus and bound themselves as it were to His Sacred Heart. It was a happy day

for them—the happiest of their lives. He urged them to be faithful to their promise never to offend Jesus by the commission of grievous sin. He congratulated the congregation on the progress which religion was making in that part of tbe city. Tbe building of their beautiful church was tbe outcome of love to Jesus, in whose honour it was erected. It was his intention to place a priest in the Valley as soon as circumstances would permit, and to open a school. He must, however, wait a little. He had a horror of church debt, and disapproved altogether of the policy of building churches, and presbyteries, and schools, and paying for them afterwards. Everything would come in God's own good time — first the school, and then the priest, who could do bnt little without a school. The most rev preacher also gave some particulars of the lives and martyrdom of Saints John and Paul — victims of Julian the Apostate, whose feast occurred on that day. The ceremonies were carried out in all respects with a solemnity worthy of the occasion, There was a large congregation many of whom had come from the city, and from other parts of the suburbs.