THE VINCENTIAN FATHERS IN WESTPORT.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXI, Issue 1, 4 May 1894, Page 20

THE VINCENTIAN FATHERS IN WESTPORT.

(By a Visitor.)

Three Fathers of St Vincent, viz., Fathers Hanley (principal), McCarthy, and Lynch, after concluding a most successful mission in the Empire Citj, commenced their religious crusade on the Wist Coast on Sunday morniDg, April 8, under the most favourable circumstances, in the neat and commodious church of St Canice, which, en passant 1 may observe, equals, if it doee not surpass, the Catholic churcheßof the city in the straitß. Father Hanley, assisted by Father Lynch, opened the great work at 11 o'clock Mass, Father McCarthy having gone to Charles'on and Addison'a Flat, to which places he devoted one wetk. The opening Mass at Westport was celebrated by the esteemed parißh prießt, Father Walshe, an old and valued friend of the writer of these notes. At the termination of the first Gospel, the pious principal of the Vincentiana delivered the first instruction of the mission, explaining its meaning and objects, and exhorting all present, not only to come every morning and evening throughout the coming fortnight, but also to bring those of their friends who were lukewarm in their holy Faith to hear the important instructions and sermona. Right well were theae irjunctions laid to heart, for during the fourteen days, morning and nigbt, it was my proud privilege to witness the large attendances, never cnce diminishing, but, on the contrary, like the rolling snowball, they gathered in dimensions. Father Lynch, in the evening, delivered tht first sermon of the mission. The youthful Vincentian at once commanded the attention of the vast congregation, thereby making doubly assured the success of the great work in view. Father Hanley took up the work on Monday evening. His ser. mons are marked with devout piety and firmness. His discourse on •' Hell " wag most soul-stirr ing. Throughout the first week Fathers Hanley and Lynch divided their labours alternately each day. On Monday 16th, a change was made, Father Lynch took his departure for the week, performing the work of the mission at Mokonui, Granity Creek, and Waimangaroa ; Father McCarthy filling his place in Westport, where alljwere in expectation to hear him, as his fame as a pulpit orator bad preceded him ; and these expectations were not disappointed for those assembled heard as fine a discourse upon the Blessed Sacrament as could be desired. Love and veneration for the adorable Sacrament was shown by the rev Father to have existed in many lands and among many peoples in the far off ageß, but in speaking of the devotion to it of the people of Ireland then it was that the eloquent Vincentian rose to the occasion. He spoke then in the double capacity of a priest and of a patriot, causing the blood to flow fast thiough ones veins, and to make you proud of being a Catholic and an Irishman. To Catholics the Bermon was full of enlightenment and devotion, and will be of long-life service to them. After the sermon a procession of the Blessed Sacrament took place through th-i church under the supervision of Fathers Hanley and McCarthy, comprising the children of Mary, who exposed for the first time their handsome new banner, the girls attending tbe convent school, the boys from the same institution every one of whom wore a white sasb, and a number of little girls robed in white veils, who walked before the Sacred IIo"t borne aloft by Father Walshe under a canopy carried by four fine young fellows, viz., Messrs Murphy, McLaughlin, Curtain, and O'Malley, the whole forming as good a procession as could ba witnessed in the larger cities of the colony. To the Rev Mother Regis and the good Sisters of Mercy is due great praise for this magnificient result. On Tuesday evening Father Hanley preached a fine sermon upon the evils of intemperance, and afterwards enrolled large numbers in the Society of the League of the Cross, that great institution inaugurated by Cardinal Manning and Father Nugent. On Thursday evening Father Hanley again spoke in bis usnal devoted and earnest manner in praise of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, after which he enrolled the men and women of the parish. Mr Sontgen was chosen president of the men's society, and Mrs Labath of the ladies, each containing guilds of a dozen persons with a head over them. It was a great move, and as Father Hanley said, "It was the most important step of the mission." On Friday evening Father McCarthy delivered his third and last sermon in Westport on " Prayer." This, in my opinion, was the best of his efforts. Long before the dawn of Christianity he showed that even the pagans prayed to their false gods, then quoting largely from the Bible, " I take my stand by the Bible," reiterated the Vincentian again and again throughout the discourse, an ejaculation which must have sounded foreign to the ears of the Protestants present, when we remember that they arrogantly arrogate to themselves the sole right to dispense the truths of the Book of books. As m big first sermon Father McCarthy selected great and well-known historical events of many nations, ancient and modern, to prove the efficacy of prayer. Bobieski before Vienna, Henry V.of England at Agincourt, Owen Roe at Benburb, Brian Boru at Clontarf, William of Germany at Sedan, all of whom prayed before those great battles, victory crowning each effort. It was a powerful and instructive sermon, and lam sure that the need and efficacy of prayer were chiselled into and sealed in the memories of tbe attentive listeners.

On Sunday the concluding offices of the mission were perform^ morning and evening by Father Hanley, who was, by the way, ordained to the priesthood by our own good Bishop Moran. In the morning he delivered a great discourse upon the great Catholic ' devotion to our Blessed Lady, and in the evening went over the ground of the mission, pleading and exhorting the packed congregation wh ; ch l'stene^ to be Ptpnrifnpt and trno tn tbe pood intentions formed during the mission, and inter alia spoke of the needs of a Catholic newspaper, and recommended highly the NZ. TABLET, which should be in every ( a'hohc houbehold. After service large numbers were again enroll d in both tbe Sicrcd Heart and League of the: Cress soceti pa . I must here gay that an enormous body of both sexes approached Holy Communion during the mifesiou, particularly on the last Sunday morniDg. To the cioir is i)u> a word of praise. F^r a place like Westport it is really ere litaUe. Rossi's "TantumErgo" was rendered well by two female voices, particularly by the alto voice, and here I must compliment this young lady upon her rendering of her variouß part 9. The other lady would do well to pay attention to her respiration and phrasing. A gentleman, lately from Dunedin, rendered in good style Hummel's "O Salutane," but marred it at the conclusion by taking liberties with the score, and this applies to one of the chief sopranos, who persists in forcing in grace notes not in the score, especially towards the end of the strain. In musical circles this is obsolete and in bad taste. Tbe altir decorations were splendid and tasteful ; and to tbe good Sisters and young lady assistants much merit is owing. Thus the mission concluded and was an unqualified success. The three missioners ure all Irishmen imbued with a fond love of Ireland. Father Hanley is from Dublin ; Father McCarthy from Cork city ; Father Lynch from Meath. After Westport they divided— Fathers Hanley aud Lynch to Cape Foulwind, and Father McCarthy to Denniston ; and of the latter visit I will relate, as it was my happy privilege to accompany the patriotic Father during this part of his visitation. On Sunday morning, April 22nd, at 9 a.m., amidst a perfect tornado, pelting rain, and deuse fog, enough, in all conscience, to daunt the religious ardour of any person. But be it recorded to the credit ci the sturdy coal hewers, on the summit of the tremendous hill, they, with their wives and young children, braved tbe elements, coming three miles to hear preached to them the " Glad tidings." For four days, morning and evening, Father McCarthy worked with a will, the weather continuing tv be bad the whole time. In spite of all the atverse circumstance?, numbers attended the whole course of the mission, the young men in particular (many of whom had not received communion for years) turnel up creditably. The closing pcene of the mission was most affecing, when tbe whole congregation, with lighted candles ia their hands, renewed their baptisimal vows. Standing in front of the altar with a crucifix held aloft, Fither McCarthy said :" My brethren of the Faith in Dennis'on, pb Brian Boru at Clontarf held before the valiant Irish soldiers the form of the cross to inspire them wi h courage against the foes of their Faith and Fatherland, I now hold it before you that you too may be inspired with courage and hope, in defence of the cioss of Christ, and renew again your baptismal vows. I shall never forget that sight that night ia that ltttle church on the summit of that bleak hill, 1,900 feet above the sea level. It reminded one of the p;nal days. At 4 p.m. next day Father McCarthy started down the long forest track to the tram at the bass of the bill. When tbe dppth of tbe bush was reached a most affecting sight was witnessed, all the Catholic boys and girls of Denniston had met here to bid fatewell to the young Irish Vincentian who had in four days drawn them all to his heart. As he stopped in front of them ones of the boys called '• three cVieerß for Ireland," their fresh young voices echoing through the wild-woods. T.D.Sullivan's poem, "Deepia Canadian woods we've met," immediately flashed before me as those cheers from those young descendants of the G*el reverberated through the faastnesses of the dense forest. Father McCarthy, who was visibly affected, shook han Is with every child, nearly all of whom were crying. As he departed they accorded him three hearty cheers. The scene was most touching, even the sturdy fellows who accompanied the Father down the track had their handkerchiefs out. It was the love of the children for thtir soggarth aroon. As dusk fell we reached Westport where Fathers Hanley and Lynch had also just arrived from the cape. On Friday morning, the 27th, the three Vincentians left for Reefton and three better missionaries it would be hard to find. May God bless and favour them in their noble work.

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