DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVI, Issue 21, 29 September 1898, Page 19

DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH.

(From our own correspondent.) September 26. During: the past week the Vicar-General received a letter from the Right Rev. Dr. Grimes. The following are a few extracts from the letter, which is dated Antwerp, Belgium :— 'l have just reached Belgian with excellent letters of recommendation from Rome to the Belgium hierarchy. The Holy Father himself advised me to go to Holland after I had visited Catholic Belgium. The Cardinal Primate of Belgium has given me a most cordial reception. He invited and urged me to come to the Eucharistic Congress which opens to-morrow. He says he will strongly recommend my work to the bishops of his country. He suggested to have a notice of our mission put in the Belgian newspapers. On Sunday last I assisted with his Eminence the Cardinal, four mitred prelates, twenty-eight bishops, and a host of priests and people, amongst the latter the leading men in Antwerp, at a procession through the streets here. It was a grand sight, and a noted manifestation of faith in this degenerate century. I mean, of course, degenerate as to faith and true Christian principles.'

His Lordship writes at a later date : — ' I have just taken part in the Eucharistic Congress. I never witnessed a more sublime spectacle. I think, outside a general council no grander sight could be seen. The Congress opened on the Wednesday evening and closed at noon on the following Monday. So deeply was I interested that I took part in all the sermons. There were two sermons given on each morning, and three during each afternoon. It was truly grand and consoling to see about 30 bishops all mitred, and hundreds of priests, and ten thousand people of every rank and intellectual position. The Press, the Bar, the Senate, and the University sent their best writers and orators. All were united, thoroughly united, and there was not the slightest shadow of doubt of their sublime loyalty to the Real Presence of our dear Lord in the Sacrament of His love. Everyone was vying with each other as to the multiplication of means to increase the devotion for the same august Sacrament. Tbe leading lay writers of Belgium boldly proclaimed their attachment to our holy Church and to all her teachings, and declared that they gloried in being faithfully and loyally united to bishops and priests. The future of a country possessing such noted leaders is assured. Belgium is truly a Catholic country. Very shortly I hope to send you two more priests. They are both excellent men, and one is a Belgian. They will set out for Christchurch next month.'

Referring to the local collections in aid of the building fund of the new cathedral, his Lordship says : — ' lam sure that all, both priests and people, will assist in the work when they recollect, in spite of his well-knovvn personal repugnance for such a tusk, that their bishop is undergoing so much labour and anxiety in order to get a nucleus of a fund wherewith to start the work. Ido not think I can possibly return this side of Christmas. I must not discard the favourable dispositions of the Belgian hierarchy.'

We learn through a note from Brother Arthur, Christchurch, that Mr. J. Bradford is the artist who is largely responsible for the present beautiful appearance of the stage in the new Catholic hall, Barbadoes street. He painted four new side wings, skies, fringes, an immense top piece (20 sq. yds.), rotouched all the scenes, iixed the whole concern on pulleys, etc., and built the dressing-rooms, etc. Mr. Bradford, we are informed, is a non-Catholic, and the Brothers appreciate highly his valuable services. We learn from the same source that the next entertainment to be given in St. Aloysius' Catholic hall will take place on Thursday, October lllth, and that Mr. Thomas Falvey is organising a grand gymnastic and dramatic display. The pupils of the Marist Brothers will take part, and the proceeds are to be devoted to the erection of necessary additions to the school premises.

On Tuesday evening last a grand vocal and instrumental concert, under the auspices of the Pro-Cathedral choir, assisted by leading amateur artists, took place in the Catholic Hall, Barbadoes Street. The opening item was a piano solo, ' Home, Sweet Home ' (Mazurette) which was well rendered by Miss K. Young. Mr. A. Young san,' 'My Bonnie Barque ' (Marks?) in excellent style, and in response to an encore, ' Admiral Blake.' Miss A. Bryant was very successful in the song ' The Carnival ' (Molloy), and Master Percy Angarde in the comic selection, ' The Crocodile.' The Convent children acquitted themselves admirably well in a very pretty Swedish dance as well as in another number of the same character named 'The Iris Drill.' Mr. C. Read sang ' The Garonne,' also the ' Queen of the Earth,' very pleasingly, and for the former received an encore. Miss A. Hay wa.td sang with much power and finish ' Sunshine and Rain ' (Blumenthal), and later on ' The Legend of the Bells ' (Planquette). The chorus in the latter item were well sustained by the Pro-Cathedral Choir. Miss A. Hay ward also sang in excellent style with an orchestral accompaniment, 'Alas, those Chimes.' Miss Falvey was very happy in the song ' Mamma don't be cross.' MissFalvey and Miss Gardiner executed well the solo parts in the ' Cider Song ' (Planquette), the choruses to which were again well taken up by members of the local choir. Mr. R. Peterson received a double encore for a humorous song (character), and Master F. Cronin was encored for the comic song 'My wife's relations.' The members of the Gerbasi Band (which included two violins, a flute and a harp), were repeatedly encored for the instrumental selections ' Norina ' (Donizetti) and'Zamba' (Herold). There was a good attendance, and the concert, which was in aid of the hall fund, was a thorough success, Misses Funston and C. O'Brien presided at the piano. The Vicar-General and a number of priests were among those present, and the hall, which has been well lighted and renovated since its removal presented a very neat and pretty appearance. The stage and scenery also looked well, and the newly-constructed dress circle renders the hall one of the most cheerful and convenient structures of its kind in the city.

At St. Mary's on Sunday evening last the Rev. Father Marnane in very commendatory terms referred after his mortuary notices to the late Sir George Grey. Although not a Catholic, yet he was a just and fair-minded man. He was, moreover, impartial and unprejudiced, possessed of high genius, and the death of such a man was therefore a national loss. It was men of his stamp that succeed in binding together in the bonds of hnman charity a people of different ways of thinking. Lady Grey, who predeceased by a few months her distinguished husband, was, however a devoted Catholic. She was a convert to the true faith, and for years prior to her demise, frequently took an active part in charitable works in the vicinity of her London residence.