Diocesan News.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVII, Issue 34, 24 August 1899, Page 3

Diocesan News.

ARCHDIOCESE OF WELLINGTON.

(From our own correspondent.)

August 19. The sum of £26 was cleared from the second social held for the renovation of the Marist Brothers' School. The fourth and last social of the Thorndon parish, to assist the Basilica it urnishing Fund, is to be held on next Tuesday in the Sydney street Schoolroom.

The Very Rev. Father McKenna, of Masttrton, has secured the services of the Fabian Dramatic Club for the Sth October. ' Conn the Shaughrann ' is to be produced in aid of the convent in his district.

The Yen. Archdeacon Devoy leaves on Sunday next for Nelson, After a short stay there he and the Very Rev. Father Mahoney proceed to Greymouth to be present at the silver jubilee celebrations of the Rev. Father Carew.

Tuesday last was the first anniversary of the Marist Brothers' Old Boys Association. In honour of the occasion a concert, over which the Yen. Archdeacon Devoy presided, was held in St. Patrick's Hall on that evening. Messrs. Kays. Taylor, Flannagan, Dunne, and Walsh gave songs, and Mr. Samuels a stump ppeech. His Grace the Archbishop and Father Ainsworth have been conducting a most successful mission in Wairoa (Hawke's Bay) The various exercises were very well attended throughout. His Grace and Father Ainsworth are announced to open a mission at Meanee on to-morrow (August 20). Constable Ryan, who, a short time ago at great personal risk rescued a man from drowning, was on Wednesday evening presented by a few of his admirers with a pocket book, a smoker's companion, and a marble clock suitably inscribed. The presentation was made by Mr. W. Ferguson, secretary of the Harbour Board.

Miss N. Gallagher, a member of St. Joseph's Choir, has succeeded in passing with distinction her examination in the tonic sol fa system of singing. This examination was the first of its kind held in Wellington, the candidates being drawn from the teachers in the different public schools. The certificates were presented by Mr. Blair (Mayor) on Saturday morning. The Marist Brothers' Old Boys' As*,' ciation bccial was held in the Choral Hall on Wednesday, and was most successful in every respect. There were about a hundred couples pret-ent St Mary's orchestra, conducted by Mr F. J. Oakes. supplied the music and songß were contributed by Mr. Dunne and Miss Huett. Messrs J Weybourne, Cadigan, and Laurent made vory capable M.C.'s. The examination of the Catholic schools in the district, controlled by the Wellington Education Board, was begun this week by Inspectors Fleming- and Bakewell. The examination is being held more as a guide to classification than as a test one, and though the children had been only six months in the classes in which they were examined 1 am informed that the results were highly satisfactory.

The Rev. Father McKenna is erecting a fine church at Pahiatua to rep'ace the older structure, which has become too small for the needs of the congregation. The church, which is a roomy and welllighted wooden building, is fast approaching completion, and should soon be rendy for the sacred purposes for which it is intended. It stands at a short distance from the handsome presbytery erected a short time ago by the Rev. Father.

Father Lane (Lower Hntt) has decid'd to postpone, for a short period, his projected vi«it to the Old Country. His object in doing so is to arrive Home in the f-ummcr of 11)00, thus avoiding the severe winter of the \orth Wuh tMs ,>n,l m view, hp will d U-r his journey ti 1 the t.trly p irt or \u- t x, ir. The u-v.-ie id F >th< j r\ shattered health h.is . ado ,i p uo.l „! „i>, li, r ,..r lu ,i r ,c , matter of nt-eesMty, ami his "-i- m<s - >no a>v 'ojon— ill wi-h him cordially a full enjoy '.cut, t hi* w 11-eani d holiday, a complete restoration to health, and a saie ai*d *pee iy iei vi n. I learn that the Bngidine Nuns at Masd'iton are making substantial progress, de;-pite the brief period that ha.-> elapsed since they entered into possession of their handsome and finely situated new convent. The children of the primary school are progressing admirably under their fostering care, and their select day and boarding sohools already show signs that the Brigidine Nuns will achieve in Masterton the success which has given tho houses of their Order so high a place among the educational institutes of Australia. The new convent grounds are now handsomely laid out and planted, and the whole appearance of the place is striking and attractive to a degree.

A large and enthusiastic meeting was held in St. Mary's Chapel, Hill street, on Sunday, August 13, the object of which was to elect a committee to work up a bazaar in aid of the furnishing fund of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. Mr. D. Ryan was elected secretary, and Mr. R. J. Collins, treasurer. Tbe bazaar is to be held durir>g Easter week, next year. The following are to be the stallholders :— No. I.— Mesdames Grace, Butt, Baldwin, and Turnbull ; No. 2.— Children of Mary, presided over by Mesdames Collins and

Truman ; No. 3.— Mesdames M. Kennedy, B. Darby, and O. M'Ardle; No. 4.— Mesdames E. W. Gibbs and R. Duignan ; No. .-».— Mesdamcs Allen, McAllister, and Saunders ; No. (i.— Mrs. Ames and MLses Hewitt and Casey ; No. 7.— Mesdames Cimino and Savien. WANGAXUI. (From a corespondent.) August 17. Only a short time ago the good Sisters of tho Convent, actuated. | no doubt, by a desire to keep pace with the tiTc- id'V) •-h-'rOi md to their already extensive curriculum News has just been i\ chived that Miss Adelia Doherty has obtained irom Messrs I'itman and Sons, a certificate of proficiency. >>ueh an i.irly proof ot the soundness of the tuition, imparted by the good M-in<, m Ihi- desirable art, is most gratifying, and speaks well for ihe ability -aid application shown by Miss Doherty. The devoted priest, whose parish includes To Itoti. a small tow nship about 7 miles beyond llawera. has b< en in communication with the Wanganui Education Hoard, with a view to obtaining permission to give religious instruction to Catholic children attending the Ie Roti school. The instruction was to be given during 1 scboi'l hours. although in a different building. The Board's reply was that they had no objection to allowing the use of the school for purposes of religious -instruction, before or after school hours, and that the teacher need not permit children to leave before dismissal, even when the parents ask that their children be allowed to leave early. Although reports of the doings of St. Columb i Club have not appeared in the N. Z. T \hlkt ior some time, still it has been doing very good work. The Very Rev. Dean Kirks prize is ivusing a healthy rivalry among the members. JRev. Father Tymons (piesident) has kindly donated a prize ior the best essay on a standard author. The test will take place in a fortnight's time The usual fortnightly meeting of the Club was held last week, the attendance being quite up to the average. Mr. Pilasc^ rp.-id a carefully prepared paper on 'Thought.' He dealt with his subject in a thoroughly logical manner, and, on concluding, was highly complimented by the rev. president. The Rev. Father Tymons read a very interesting paper on ' Literary Taste.' Several other members contributed itema, and altogether a pleasant and profitable evening was spent.