THE UNIVERSAL PIOUS ASSOCIATION OF FAMILIES CONSECRATED TO THE HOLY FAMILY AT NAZARETH.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXI, Issue 2, 11 May 1894, Page 6

THE UNIVERSAL PIOUS ASSOCIATION OF FAMILIES CONSECRATED TO THE HOLY FAMILY AT NAZARETH.

Preparations for the formation of this association in Danedin had for some weeks been undertaken. The names of families desirous of joining it had been given in at St Joseph's Cathedral to the Very Rev Father Lynch, Rector. The ceremony was announced to take place in the Cathedral on Sunday last at 3 p.m., and at tbe early Masses the great body of those who had been enrolled received Holy Communion. At the 8 a.m. Mass the number was so large that it was found necessary by the celebrant, Father Lynch, to request the people to approach the altar by the passage in tbe nave only, returning to their seats through the aisles. This arrangement prevented anything like confusion which otherwise, owing to tbe crowded state of the cburcb, would have been inevitable. At this Mass and again at 11 a.m. Father Lynch spoke on tbe approaching ceremony and the association about to be formed, expressing himself in substance as follows : — It was the great desire of the Holy Father that the Association of Christian Families should find a home in every parish throughout the Church. The necessity of organisation in this age of association was apparent. The enemies of religion banded themselves together for the carrying ont of tteir nefarious schemes. Christian people should unite in promoting domestic virtues and psrifying family life. On the healthy tone of family life depended the purity and vigour of national life. Tbe new Association made the " family" tbe nnit of membersbip, and so was differentiated from long-existing societies of individuals. Even from the early d«ys of Christianity tbe Church bad, all through the centuries, recognised the desirability of pious unions. Tbe " Agapae "of tbe first Christians were followed by the guilds of med.asval times, and the guilds, which in the pre-

Reformation period were bo common, were succeeded by the contra* ternities of our own day. Three names were noteworthy in connection with modern organisation of religious societies for lay people.— Henri Belletable, a non-commissioned officer of Liege, in Belgium, had much to do with the Arch-confraternity of the Holy Family, which the fiedemptorist Fathers hud established in many lands. Frederic Ozanaro, the great French writer and lecturer »t the Borborne, helped to rock the cradle of the world-wide " Conferences of 8t Vincent de Paul." The " Pious Union," with which the name of Count de Muu was intimately connected, numbered its members in France alone by hundreds of thousands, almost innumerable. Pious associations, nnder different titles, were to be found in missionary countries as in the older civilised lands. There were now societies for married people, and for single persons, societies of lawyers, doctors, singers, soldiers, societies for people of every rank and condition, and for various needs and purposes. Long before the modern trades unions sprang into active existence, trades unions on a religions basis were to be found in Europe. The traders, for instance, on the Seine, formed a corporation to keep the bridge* in order for travellers. The guild of " masons" helped to baild and repair churches. In the list of eocitiies, devoted especially to the cultivation of mind, we found the Arch-confraternity established at Bologna for the oironlation of good pictures. The association of Bordeaux, for the spread of wholesome reading, had in England at the prssent time a representative in the Catholic Truth Society. At Ober-Ammergau there was a society of actor*, all monthly communicant*, who every ten years produced the touching Passion Play. The fraternity of the Immaculate Conception of Bouea looked to tbe religioas tone of current poetry. We must expect that the poor have not bien forgotten. The Bedlam hospital was founded by tbe guild of drapers. In 1399 tbe guild of silversmiths built a hospice. At thf present time the 8t Vincent de Paul Society was doing magnificent work for God's poor. Spiritaal work was the special object of most religious societies. Societies for the conversion of sinners, for the promotion of temperance, for the propagation of the Faith, and for the souls in Purgatory, were numerous. We had confraternities to hononr tbe various mysteries— tie Blessed Trinity, the Cross and Passion, the Saored Heart, the Biassed Virgin, St Joseph and the patron saints. To give an idea of the extent and long continuance of this practice of gathering tbe people together for common prayer and common work, it might be mentiontd that in one of tbe English cities in mediaeval times there were fully 900 such guilds. Tbe good effect of piout associations had always been recognised since the time when tbe Divine Master Himself said that where two or three were gathered together in His name there was He in tbe midst of them. To confraternities in general the words of St Bernard might be applied. la them "a man lives more holily, falls less frequently, if be falls it is less grievously, be rises more quickly, walks more steadily, reposes more tranquilly, is more copiously bedewed with showers of grace " An instance of the value of confraternities was seen in the cbange effected in Limerick by the Holy Family with its 5000 members. In Rbeima in a factory a few years ago, out of 694 operatives above the age of 12, 457 were members of the Pious Union, and there were 6000 communions during the year in tbe factory chapel. From speaking of confiaternities of individuals for special purpose?, Father Lynch went on to speak of the new Aesocittion of Christian Families. Ho looked upon the wish of the great Pope Leo XIII. aa a command. All Catholic families should became enrolled. It was all-important in these days of anarchy and wild Socialism to cultivate the virtues which made tbe Holy Family of Nazareth the ideal family. He urged them to have a picture of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in a conspicuous place in their houses and accord it particular honour. The men would imitate in their daily life the strcng virtues of tbe just Joseph ; the maidens and mothers tbe modesty and matronal virtues of Mary ; the children would learo tbe much-needed leeson of obedience from Jesus, so long subject to Mary and Joiepb. He promised, if they complied with the easy conditions of membership, above all of following their beloved Bishop's wise advice, if they recited the Rosary every evening as a family act, that in each household there would be peact, charity and abiding happiness. The ceremony took place as appointed in the Cathedral at 3 p.nj Ihe church was densely crowded. Indeed tbera was hardly standing room to be found even at tbe extreme ends, althoogb the children had been admitted within the rail of tbe sanctuary. Everyone who entered the church was presented on entering with a little pamphlet, containing explanations of tbe objects of the association, its rulei, the form of consecration, and other prayers— last, but not least, being an instruction and exhortation as to tbe recital of tbe Rosary, which bad been dictated by the B shop, and of which more anon, A very pleasing feature of the great congregation— as was also noticed with rejoicing by the Bishop— was tbe proportion it contained of young men, in whose presence the fruits of the labours of tbe Christian Brothers were notable, and a most consoling promise for lie future of Catholicism in Dunedin was evident. Tbe grown girls were likewise strongly mustered, testifying well to the care of the goed nans. The shrine and altar of Our Lady of Perpetnal Succour which stand

on thj Gospel Bide had been illuminated, and the decorations ot snowwhite Sowers and rose-coloured lamps standiog out from a back ground of gilding that brightly reflected the light of the wax candles, bad a very beautiful effect. On the Epistle side a picture of the Holy Family had been draped wilh crimson, and adorned with foliage. The high altar, as usual, had been tastefnlly and richly arranged for Benediction of the Bleesed Sacrament by the Dominican nuns. Ihe devotions commenced with a hymn to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the congregation taking part in the singing with the choir of the church. The Bosary of the Blesßed Virgin, conducted by the Bey Father Murphy, followed, being offered especially for the Bishop, and after this a hymn to Our Lady of Perpetual Succour wat. sang. Father Lynch then addressed the congregation. He spoke of the great interest taken in the institution of this association by the Bishop. His Lordship, be said, had this ceremony of consecration greatly at heart, and had yearned aod prayed for its success. He was the first who had entered his name for enrolment as the head of a family. He bad received Holy Communion that day to gain the indulgences conditional on praying for the Holy Father's intention. He and his household had taken precedence in repeating the act of consecration. He ha^ been watching from his window the people as they came up to the church and had been delighted at their numbers.— We have since learned that he had recognised them individually, few, if any, who entered the chnrch eacapiDg bit notice.— He was now watching and blessing the children who, at his request, were comiDg in procession so that he might see them pass. The Bishop, said the very rev speaker, a few days ago on reading the proofs of the pamphlet that had been given to them, had expressed a wißh that something should be added re■pecting the devotion of the Bosary. He had therefore asked him if he conld himself feel equal to saying a few words that might be read to hie people as coming straight from his own lips. He said that certainly he could, and at once dictated a passage. Considering the long illness of the Bishop and the state of weakness to which he had been reduced, the speaker said, they would no doubt recognise with astonishment the strength, clearness and beauty of the utterance Father Lynch then read the following : —

" The Association of the Holy Family of Nazareth is Dot intended to supersede the practice, now bo happily general in families, of the recital of the Boaary of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the evening before retiring to rest. On the contrary, the intention ie that it should rather help to the promotion of this pious and holy custom which experience proves to be the source of innumerable blessings, wherever it prevails. Nothing, in my long experience, contributes more to the inculcation of the Christian spirit, and the development of vocations to the prieethood and the religious life, than the recital of the Bosary in families, as a family act. Nothing tends more powerfully to create and strengthen the practice of a truly Christian life in individuals and society . I therefore earnestly hope that as these two devotions march, as it were, band in hand, in the love and practice of the faithful, they shall never be separated. I ferventb pray that whilst the old times devotion of the Bosary continues to b practised, as in the days of onr fathers and our own early days, so this new form of devotion to the Holy Family, so strongly recommended by the Holy Father, shall never be separated in the devotion of the people from the Bosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, iever Mother of God."

On the conclusion of the address a procession consisting of members of tbe Bociety of the Children of Mary and the school children entered the church by the doors of the nave, and went forward.in line to the sanctuary, where room had been provided for them. The Children of Mary wore their regalia, the pretty blue cloaks and white veils of their society. The school girls were dressed io white and also veiled, and banners of the Sacred Heart, the Blessed Virgin, and St Joseph, as well as those of other Saints, were borne at intervals. That earned at the bead of the boys was the banner of St Aloysius, which had been beautifully embroidered and presented to the school by Mrs Sligo— late Miss Kate Henry. A hymn to St Joseph was ■nng meantime. The people then knelt, and, led by Father Lynch, made an act of contrition, and this was followed by tbe act of consecration. Afterwards prayers were offered for special intentions, including those for the Pope's intention necessary to gain the indulgence of the day of enrolment, Next a hymn to the Holy Family was song. Benediction of the Most Holy Sacrament was then given by Father Murphy, the music rendered by the choir being the "O Salutaris," Arcadelt's •• Aye Maria," andithe Gregorian " Tantum Ergo," according to the Batisbonne edition. On tbe conclusion Father Lynch blessed rosary beads, imparting to them tbe indulgences connected with the association, and other pious objects He asked the congregatioo to offer the Bosary with their families in their homes ence at least before Pentecost Sunday, for the Most Bey Dr Moran, that he might still be spared. The Bishop, he said, although unable to take part in the active work of his diocese, was still a guide of Inestimable value, and a power. The ceremonies throughout were solemn and impressive in the extreme.