CHRISTCHURCH.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIII, Issue 47, 20 March 1896, Page 15

CHRISTCHURCH.

(From oar own Correspondent.') LEESTON.

AFTER celbbrating an early Mass at the pro-Oathedral on Sunday morning week, the Very Rev Father Cnmmings drove to Letston, where he arrived in time to preach at High Mass, The words of his text were: "To know Thee, O Eternal Father and Jesus Christ Thine only Son is eternal life." The very rev preacher, in the ourss of an eloquent discourse, showed that a religious education was the greatest of all necessities, and was one which the Catholic Church alone was commissioned and able to impart. The sermon ended, the Vicar-General made a collection ani about £40 was gathered, and this money, also what was promised, will be devoted to the maintenance of the local Catholic Bchool, now under the charge of the Sisters of Our Lady of Missions. There was a large ccngregation present. The object of the visit wap, however, not only to advance the welfare of the school, but also to organise a local committee and to establish for the first time in the district a branch of the Confraternity of the Holy Family. At Vespers, which were also largely attended, be explained fully the nature and objects of the Confraternity, and when his discourse was orer, about fifty persons presented themselves for affiliatioa and became members of the Sodality. After Benediction, in order to form a church and school committee, be called a meeting of tbe Catholic laymen of the parish. He occupied the chair at the meeting, which was well attended and very enthusiastic, and tbe following gentlemen were elected committeemei :— Messrs William Holly, Patrick O'Boyle, John, O'boyle, William O'Brien, Michael Stapelton, — Bowen, and William Holly (junior 1 ). The meeting accorded to the Vicar-General a very cordial vote of thanks for presiding oo the occasion, and for his able and salutary ministrations daring his visit to the district, He returned so this city on Monday week, and, while Le was in Leeston, he was the guest of the local parish priest, the Bey Father Chervier, THE SCHOOL AT HALSWELL, At the recent distribution of tbe prizes to the pupils attending the Catholic school at Haliwell, the usual entertainment was dispensed with, in consequence of the death of Mr and Mrs Booth. Amongst the prizes, which were distributed by the Very Bey Father Camming?, was a valuable cross and a neat little time-piece, presented by Mrs Stratz, of Obristcburch. Tbe cross was awarded to Miss Leo Kennedy for good conduct, and the time-piece to Miss Kathleen Kilbride for regular attendance. Tbe Vicar-General complimented tbe pupils and the teacher (Mies Booth) on the wcrk done during the year, particularly the needlewoik. He alluded to the feelw-gs of respect and esteem existing between the people of the dis'net and the teacher, He thought the cummi tee deseived LViHy commeLdation for ths energetic manner in wh eh ti cv had conducted the school, and for its flourishing condition, fioanc.allj &-,d otherwise. PUNCH AND JUDY versus EELIQIOUS INSTRUCTION, The followirg letter, written by the Rev Robert Wjod, of Alaa'erton, and addressed tathe editor of tbe Lyttelton Times, appears in the issue of that newepapcr of Siturday la t: — " fair, — As the editcr of the Times, is interested about tbo way concessions are granted to caterers of amneement by our school authorities an 1 the res'rictions laid on moral and religious teachers, tbe following faevs may find room in your columns :— (1) " In September, 1891, the Rev W. E. Page (Church of England), Rev J D ikes (Wesleyan), and myself (Presbyterian) applied for tie use of ihe MasteiUn fcciool to give an onsectarian religious lesson. We asked that on the d>y we gave our lesson the coarse of teaching in the school should last tnly Lur and ••half hours — that is, half an hour more than tbe mm'mum time prescribed by the Act. This meant that the school teaching would stop at 3 p.m. instead of 330 p.m. Our request was refused. The door wa3 shut against v?, and for tha committee to say the r< quest was granted is untrue. (2) A few weeks afterwards a travelling Punch and Jady showman came round. The use of tbe school was granted to him. It was granted, the head master tails me tc-iaji by authority of the committee There is no reference to it in the committee's records. The present members of the committee generally know nothing about tbe enow, and feel safe in saying that if the show was held it was beld after school hourp. I was assured at the time by several parties that on the day ihe show was beld school teaching closed at 3 p.m. The head maFter has no reference to it in bis " log-book," but frarAly sa\ sts t bat the school teachi.g did probably close eailier tbsn usual to ensbla tbe man to arrange his show so as to begin his performance at 330 p.m. The thowman got a concession of time — thirty mioutes or less— that we leachers of morals failed to get. (3) This case does Lot s.and alone. It is quite an usual Ihing to shorten echo"l hours when the children's love of amusement may be gratified. The teacheVo ' lo^-book " notes that the schcol was closed early to allow children to see "shows." A parachutist came round here some time ago, and ihe sc 1 00 l was closed early to enable the children to see this person rise into the air. Teachers and children went and paid their shillings to be hum-

bugged. There web no ascent that day. Tha purveyor of pleasure easily gets time concessions from oar echool authorities ; moral and religions teachers in the North here get none. (4j Witbin tbe last few montbß the Church of England minister here go' use of the school building for a religious lessen at the close of a five hemra secular instruction. The \< cal Liberal journal, tbe Wairarapa Star, has been unwearied in i.s denuoci&tic n of tbe school commi tee for thus daring to allow morels and re. igion to be taught in tha fc'iool by a minister of religion. duld 'becular' fana'icism go one step lurther ?" THE M MORIAL WINDOW. The solemn unveiling of tba memorial window precteJ in honour of the late Reverend Mother Mane St G'thiiel, ibf first and u- t'l recently the prioress of the Conven^ of the Sacred Heart iv Bar^adoes street took place at the pro-Cathe 'ral at Hi^h Ma f9f 9 on Sunday last. The very beautiful and ant-tic window wh eh h i t8 been solidly placed in its pres. Nt posi'ion by Messrs Taylor auri O»-k'ey, plumbers in this city, is tbe result of a movement to raise a suitable monnment to the memory of the deceased priore*". Mi ssrs li. P Lona>g*" f M. Ta- lor, E. O'Connor and the la c A. J. White are the erigiua'ors of the movement, and the window, up n which a stnal b >lance is still owing:, has been subscribed to by fr er>ds ru d tx-pupils of the late Reverend Mo her in Christchurcb and throughout tne Colony. The window is the workmanship of one of the moi-t f.smous manufacturers in the world, M. Lucienßegul.',f f Lyotß, Fiarcr, and is really an exquisite work of art. The window, which h«s b->en placed in the middle of the north side of tbe pro-Oathedral, is 12ft by 6ft, and the subject is tbe Archangel Gabriel making known to the Blessed Virgin Mary that she was abont to b c>me the mother of a divine infant who would be tbe Saviour of mankind, also tbe Blesßed Virgin receiving from the hande of the archangel the message coming direct from the most high council chamber of Almighty God. The two figures — one of the Blessed Virgin, and the other tbe archangel — are life size and extremely pretty. Over them is the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, and on a fcroll is tbe imcription " Are Maria, gratia plena " A splendid v.-se, on which the monogram " Aye Maria " is artisically wrougM, appears between tbe fwo figures, and in the vasa there is a magnificent lily of Jericbo. Undtrceath are smaller flowers which are emblems of chastity, charity and humility, and tha wbole design oq ihe window is surrounded by an ornate border. The inscription at the root is executed in Roman letters i.nd is : " Pray f. r the soul tf the Reverend Mother Marie 8t Gabriel, late Prioress of the Vlonastery of Notre Dame des Missions, Ohristchurcb, Died July 25, 1893. On wbese soul sweet Jesus have mercy" The name of the deceaied lady, who w»b a near relative of the Rev Father i-/. M. Ginatr, S.M., wis in tbe world Elizabeth Conachy, and she w*s « rative ( f C-stlebellingnam, County Loutb. In I* nd, where &be wa« born in 1853. At the age of 14 6he wei t to Lj one, in France, and j ined tbe Oidt r uf the bisters of Our Ldy of Mies'ons. In 1867 *he was tent to De«), England, where she rt maineii until 1870, at which time the Fr mco-Prus9ian war was goidg on. Bbc returned to Ly<.ns, where, in the followiDg year 1871, she made n ligums pro ession, ami was s nt b^ck to Deal and wrf9 char^td v*i h a scr-oul and an orjhannge. She w»s named supi nort«B "f a monastery at Armfiiiiine in 1877, f-ud in Novtmber e>F t!)i j ••nine 3 enr -h ■ *?.< Earned sup<" lun ss of Ibe m uasirrj in this ci y, whe'P 'b" nrriv. din 187S Toe Sujeruiess Gen rai visited New Vii, land 10 1883, and s c was aci mpauu-l duurg her ecjourn in the Colt ny by Mother tit Gabne , who assisted the Supmortss G ntral in feiunding bouses of ibe Ordtr iv New Plymouih, Ashburton, Pakekobe and Hamilton. Mjthcr St Gabriel was moreover appointed in 1883 Vicar Provn cial and Assistant Gei eral. After l»bouring ass.duou^l) in this city for seventeen years she visited L', o:.p, where in a -h ji t tirm.- afte- h. r a rival she died In ibe fortieth ytar of her a^e. H r g r tat iilen's I'tii amiable q lahtit s fined bor in an emimnt eiepree for ihv most ripper Bible posi'i'.ns. Her genial and ovint; oisp suion endeared hi rto alla 1 1 ; ersons who came in cort.ict wiih her. P rpons w o kn,w h r wtll will remember hr calm simplici'>, r.er ac lye, open-hearted, yet unobitrusive kiLd'uss, and h^r p^tienc, hutni 1 y a/ d ooe.dit.LC' — virtues which betok n a sml deep 100 ed in grace. Ibe very Bey Fa hi r Cumni^gs fad ilapp, t-nd when ibe curiain which screene.l the n onume-ut was drawn afeuie, he gave 11, e loreguiDg sketch of tbe life of ibe deceased pnorese. lie sptke also id beautiful terms of ber many virtues and of l.er numerous good wcrks. He said, aimng other things, that c. fam us accient ora or bt<tt<6 th t it is difficul . for two rtstsonp, to epe k t-uitably of the dead. For should one say tuo lrtleof them, a fin against charity would bo CLmmit'ed, and shou'd ore cay t< o much, 'hen thugs no e>-py to understand would be spoken. All persons a^ieu thit Mother $g Gabriel was a taleijted and holy woman, and wheD a peison peiforms a multnude of beroic actions, as she h»8 do c, we ate re^m.nded of tbe 'Ueds of the apottles and mnrtyrs. V t we carnot compare ber to these illustrious personages. Nor can we cor>fiu.e to ttiocu our ideas, for God's power is unlimited ar,d is manifested in a small rl wer as well es in his greatest works. The operati ns of diviae gracs offentimss th ne forth in tr c simple r.l'gi us in her couvtur, or even in a wem n en^agtd in dom stic dv i< 8, 1 s bnlhintly ss in the apostKs »ni ruartvs. Examine ibat mrmu.ia pciur.-, which repieseuts the hlessej Virgin in tbe b'ime at Naziruth, a, ci fioru tne two lions in the (c- g'', in the hou3e of D»vid. You «ih sco iii thu picture a larfje plajt, Iso Bev.'ial small ones, whic 1 figure tbe life of the. late ptiiires 11 . For each oc.e 1 f the latier dispL.jd hh preity colours, f-hedß us awf>et perfuinei and 19 as windeiful as ihe large plaut. Mo'nerSt Gabriel has woikcdfor years in t-'iiic-tiu^ your childre i, many of w hom ate now womtn, also iv h'ttnelag to your sick nnii destitute, anei these lab iU!9. when rank amurg tie modt importan 1 , i »re a (-ufficiei^t record 10 thow that she WriF anel to eu title her io jour veueration. A collec urn was iv .1c hi ihe vaiious hervict 8 to defray the ct'Bt of the monumi n', t»cd the! bm mnt n cestary to pay all (xpenaeß 10 connection tbereio will vicubUtss coon bu raiecd.