Archdiocese of Wellington.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXV, Issue 17, 27 August 1897, Page 6

Archdiocese of Wellington.

(From our own correspondent.) Aug-ust 21, 1897. Sunday being the Feast of the Assumption, the festival was observed ma fitting manner at St. Mary's Cathedral. H~h Ma? KTfS ST^ ™ ° elebrate J* h ? the K «v. Father Hickson. the Key. Father Holly being deacon, Rev. Father O'Meara sub-deacon • and Rev. Father Gallagher master of ceremonies ' His Grace had for assistant priest at the throne, the Very Rev. Dr Watters Smkh^Vr 6 1 i eVOti °T l rende ™ff<>f MozLt's Seventh Ma ■ § 0 £l, t a ' P hra GS Maria " bein? auu e as an offertory, Cross's OSalutans was sung at the Benediction after the Mw His Grace preached an c oquent sermon appropriate to the festival lhe choir was under the conductor.,hip of Mr. M. C. Rowe and Mr" J. ilearsley, jnr., acted as organist. ' ♦* ¥ iSB F, ltty B o lan ey of Dunedin assisted the choir of St Mary of rw T 5 cie i> ne 7, Organ > now in course of erection at St. Joseph's Mr t:; Y f $ T r et >r l \ ******& on Sunday, the lyth proximo ment on X N ? lson , has kmdl ? rented to preside at the instru- ! ment on the occasion of the opening ceremony was hekffn «? °l ? • 1 ?? al £ r ?? oh of the Iri * h National Federation was held in St. Patrick's Hall on Monday night, Mr E Carriean presiding A letter was received from the Secretary of the S receXTn Z W the receipt of JWJ W sent Home Kft a* c £ Und f' Uud hpartil y banking the branch for £ assistance A number of pamphlets containing the speech of the sso coniP^ot t>T/' ove r tasatiol ! of Inland were received, and also copies of the Freeman* Journal containing a list of subscribers busitsTTw ff T V f^ . A l ter the *»°««« on of some routine early date! the branch should hold a social at an <W JJ f he ° a . tholics ° f Palmerston North took occasion of the birthX t f eir PoP«lar Pastor, the Very R ev . Father Pattern, to present .him on Monday evening with an address and a purse of sovereigns The presentation was made by Messrs. Hanlon. Murphy and (ramble and Mesdames Hanlon and Sellars The address U ?A Mr i»^f nloni . W l!i ) T d that the P ari^ioners decided not to let father Patterson's birthday pass without expressing their sense * ma f aer which he had performed his duties a, their spintheirSn a f Fat f^r Patterson, in reply, thanked the donors ior wnrfc g w I * A 6A 6 km / manner m which they had spoken of his work. He had not hoped for any such gift, being satisfied to get fenTSJi h r eaft6r - H i S ¥°& Were fuithhl1 ' affectionate and dutiful, and he was proud of them. The present position of the church in Palmerston was the v ork of his lifetime, and he had been amply compensated for his labours by the thought that his people were well worthy of them. "wu^ic mat nis Xi . , A wen-attended Catholic " «.or ial " was held in the Skatinj? Rmk on Wednesday evening, which was very sati*fact -ry, considering that the weather was not pleasant and that the conversazione in honour of the Governor was held on the Mine date The first p- ir t of the programme was devoted to comic smd sentimental son^s and incidental humour by the Excelsior MiiMr- K th-- c .ntributf.rs being Messrs. P. Jeffries. J. North, T. Smith. W Ru-i-11 (' ii.-ht foot. H. Grimstone, G. M organ. A Craig. P. Bri<Mr s a.>\d 11 -iirth^ I understand that the Hawked Bay Edivan.-n Bo'u-d 'has acceded to a request of the Rev. Father Gro»an thit the Catholic schools m the district be examined by the lioinl, inspectors \ similar request wa-, made to the Wellington Hoard s O ,, ie time '-i-o but it was refused on the ground that the inspectors had too uuv-h to do already, and the Board had no funds to employ extra a-ssist-&UC6. A private entertainment was given in St. Patrick's ColWe on Thursday night the items consisting of instrumental selections by the College Band soncrs by two of the professors, and a lecture by the Very Rev. Dr. Matters on his recent trip to the South Set Islands, with some supplementary remarks by Dr Martin The Very Rev Father Devoy presided, and amongst those present wu-u the \ery Rev. Father Lane. Rev. Father O'Meaia. Dr. Mackin etc Dr. Watters, m the course ot his remarks, said that the trip extending over some weeks, which he made in company with Dr Mirtin was the most enjoyable holiday he ever had. Ifc was a new world to them— the inhabitants the scenery, the tn.pu al M-ctiition the geological formation of the Mauds, and many other matter, coul-l not tail to interest. the most unobservant visitor, and leave a H.stniJimpression on his mind. Tonga was the first island of the -rout) visited, and here the first sight they beheld was a number ot native lads engaged m the British game of cricket, a pustime is very much m favour with the ri.ing generation. Our visitors next proceeded to the Catholic mission station, where they wove most heartily welcomed and hospitably entertained. There was a fine stone church, with stained glass windows, in connection with this mission and in passing. Dr Watters remarked that many of the churched which were vwted during their trip would put to shame a number of those in this Colony. Dr. Watters then gave a very interesting description of the mode of living of the TWa 1 slides S dress, tood, the manner of preparing the national bcu-ra>'e the making of tapa cloth, from which the greater part of their cfotliiii.la made, and the prep iration of copra, which is one of the principal articles ot export, and is manufactured from the cocoa nut Of the Islanders he spoke in very complimentary terms ; they are hospitable gracious, courteous, and intelligent. He was particularly struck with the earnest and reverent manner in which the imhes assisted at an early service in one of the churches, and ruiorwd to the noble and wjlf-Hacnficinf. wo t k done by the missionaries some of whom had lived there for thirty or forty years mnmtmno- to ■ thebpintu.il wants of the natives, whilst others who had breathed I their last m th Oa e remote lands had been laid to rest aniidbt the

scene of their labours, and amongst a strange people for whom they had sacrificed much. Apaia and Babia were also described and here a nnish was made, until some future occasion, when Dr. Matters means to describe what he saw in the other islands which he and Dr. Martin called at. Dr. Martin wa.s also to have spoken at some rpm t VV\ VVV VU v Butferini ? from a relaxed throat his remarks had to be bnef. Th b few words he did speak showed that he was thoroughly at home on the lecture platZTZ Tm iA v Btyle is fluent a7id exceedingly humorous, so that should he consent to take up the subject on a future occasion there will be an intellectual treat in store for those who will have the good iortune to be present. In concluding his remarks he asked the rector to grant the students a holiday as a set off to that pleasant one which Dr. Matters and he had enjoyed so much. Besides the instrumental selections Riven by the College orchestra during the evening Father Mahony -rave a vocal item, which was done justice to by the singer's fine rich voice, and Father Clancy contributed Karatonga, a rollicking composition after the style of •• I'm off to 1 niladelphia," which had been written by the R.v Father on the occasion of the starling; of the Rector and Dr. Martin on their holiday trip. Needless to say this item brought down the house and the inevitable encore was demanded and acceded to At the conclusion of the proceedings a hearty vote of thanks, on the motion ?* th ? Very Rev Father Devoy, was accorded to Dr. Watters and Dr. Martin. Dr. Watters, in returning thanks, said he was very happy to accede to the request of Dr. Martin that the students should get a holiday. The selection of the day would be left to the Rev. Fathers Bowers and O'Sullivan. Hearty cheers were then g-iven tor Dr. Martin, the Rector and the Very Rev. Father Devoy