AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXI, Issue 2, 28 October 1892, Page 18

AUCKLAND.

( Prom our own Correspondent .) Auckland, October 20, 1892 Ybbtkbday afternoon a large meeting, consisting of the clergy and laity of the Catholic diocese of Auckland, was held in the Marist Brothers' School for the purpose of making arrangements for the reception of Right Bey Dr Luck, Roman Catholic Bishop of Auckland, on his return from bis trip to Europe. The Very Bey Father Paul, V.G., presided. There were present in addition to the Revs Dr Egan, Fathers Lenihan, Hackett, Gillon, and Downey, several representatives among the laity. The chairman, after stating the object for which they were met. said that the Bishop was expected to reach Auckland from San Francisco by the mail steamer which will arrive here on the 4th November. He thought it was their duty to Bee that a suitable reception was given to him. It was in their interests that he had been absent sc long, and it was for those present to suggest the best means of welcoming him on his return. The chairman suggested that a committee, representing the various parishes be formed to make the necessary arrangements. The suggestion was well rec.ived, and the following committee was .lected : —St Patricks-Messrs D. G. MacDonnell, C. Canning, M. J. Sheahan. Ponsonby-The Hoa J. A. Tole, Messrs P. Darby and McGuire Newton-Messrs Bropby, J. T. Boylan and Green. Parneli-Messrs Kilfoyle, Fallon and O'Brien. Onehunga-Meesrs Hutchinson, Kelly and Leahy. The parish priests or each parish were also appointed ex ofiicw members of the committee. It was further agreed-" That bis Lord BD ,p be met on his arrival at the wharf by the committee, and that an address be presented to him at St Patiick's Cathedral, at such time as may be fixed by the committer, and that it be an instruction to them to prepare a suitable address and make what other arrangements wera necessary." Mr Tole then moved-" That the commiitee be empowered to spend the necessary sums for drawing up the address and providing carriages, etc, for reception." The motion was fX?' r,va a ? te ,° f tbaQkß bad bee ° pasbed t0 the Vef y ** Father PauJ, V.G., for his services as chairman, the meeting terminated. The reception committee remained behind and made all the necessary arrangements for the receptioa of the Bishop. In the face of a stiff north-east blow, accompanied with a heavy tZIZ 1 IT I' etber witb a friend « joarne y ed on last ss ™ d *y morning week to the Church of the Sacred Heart, Ponsonby. Mass tZ ohnf /t a L° Baal at 10 a - m ' b * the Re * Fath « Q«l". The choir assisted by Misses Neilson and Beban. of the Opera Com^ pwy rendered Haydn's Imperial Mass. I must here say that it is a long time since I have heard it done so well-and this, bear in mind, t? DM T ° 86Veral ° f the membe " thron e h the inclemency o known d I BUCC6BBfUI rendWiDg ° £ the " Im P eiial ." Uis well *hi^ ft P MgreatmeaßUreM greatmeaBUre UPOD the »l»wo«olol.t,who en steady, but the Credo was given with spirit and precision The TotA-nor?a a r all 7 * "P™ 0 ™ taken b/^J A Tole (tenor), and given with taste and in a truly devotional manner Subsequently the "Credo" was somewhat marred bjT*££2 Z7T°d 1101I 101 " 8 ' bdDg f " t0 ° '"»' -dTackTng tC t ESS " v : they gave it as their opinioo that the Sacred Heart Choir was noi

only the best in Anckland bat in New Zealand. I should here mention that the choir was conducted by Mr Baxter and Miss Mary Tole ably presided at the harmonium. In my last letter I referred to the untiring zeal of Messrs Neilson and Behan in singing at our churches here. On their last Sunday, which was very wet and unpleasant, this is tbeir record : after singing through the whole of the Mass at Ponsonby, they drove in a cab to St Benedict's, in Newton, and acted similarly there, and in the evening, joined by Mrs Neilson, they sang four times at St Patrick's. I cannot too highly commend these good people. Before leaving Auckland, Father Hackett presented Mrs Neilson with a nice and serviceable present, and well she was deBerving of it. On Sunday, October 16, at St John's, Parnell, the renewal of Baptismal vows took ploce. The altar had been elaborately adorned under the care of the Sisters of Mercy. In the morning the children assembled to sing at the early Mass, and their beautiful young voices delighted all who attended. la the evening the renewal of vows took place, the church being crowded. The girls were dressed in white with wreaths and veils, aud having been carefully trained in the various hymns, the whole ceremony was of a pleasing and affecting nature. Father Lenihan spoke of the necessity of obedience to their parents, the dignity of the title of Christian, and the necesflity of pleasing God by the observance of the Commandments. The whole congregation stood up and repeated the words of their profession of faith, the children holdi ng lighted candles. The ceremony concluded with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Mother Gabriel presiding at the organ. Here is an interesting piece for you :—": — " Mr W. T. Murray* with the consent of the city schools committee, is to give instruction!, ou the Bible, after school hours, to those of the scholars who wish to remain." Who is W. T. Murray ? He certainly must be a man of many parts, in that he is ambitions to solve, in double-quick time, the most knotty and delicate qnestion now claiming the attention of the keenest intellects in the world. What hitherto has been the result to Protestantism of this so-called " Bible instruction " f For answer, turn to the divers contending sectß and isms. Where there is prevarication there ia error. This defies contradiction. It is not unreasonable, then, to surmise that as Mr W. T. Murray gives another twist of the handle of that reproductive machine called "Bible instruction," we will have brought into existence a further crop of militant churches, each one of whom may hereafter claim, from diametrically different standpoints, as their founder, Mr W. T. Murray. At a recent meeting of the Auckland Catholic Literary Society the N.Z. Tablet came in for high encomiums from Mr Win. Tole, who, as a constant reader of that paper, strongly recommended it to tha Catholics and Irishmen of the Colony, but in particular to the rmng generation.