DIOCESE OF DUNEDIN.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3, 18 January 1900, Page 20

DIOCESE OF DUNEDIN.

One of the founders of St. Joseph's choir in Father Moreau's time passed away last week in the person of Mrs Hesford, fortified by the last Sacraments of the Church. — R.I. P.

We have sincere regret in announcing the death of Mrs. Columb, wife of our much esteemed fellow-citizen, Mr. C. Columb, The deceased lady was held in great respect in Dunedin. She passed away on last Friday after a long illness. We take this opportunity of expressing to her bereaved husband and family the sentiments of our deep sympathy.

The Rev. J. J. Cahill, of Brewarrina, diocese of Wilcannia, N.S.W. (brother of Rev. Father Cahill, of Dannevirke), arrived in Dunedin on Monday. He is at present on a visit to his old college companion, Father Delaney, at Lawrence. Another clerical visitor, the Rev. M. O'Reilly, C.M. (editor of the enlarged and breezy Catholic magazine, the Austral Light), arrived in Dunedin from Melbourne on Wednesday morning. Fathers J. McCarthy (Melbourne) and J. McCarthy (Numurkah, Victoria) are at present also on a trip to New Zealand, and are at present at Queenstown.

A meeting of the Bishop Verdon Testimonial Committee was held in St. Joseph's Hall on Tuesday evening. Despite a rattling and continuous downpour of rain there was a good attendance. The chair was taken by Father Murphy, who was appointed permanent chairman of the committee. Excellent work was shown to have been done by Father Murphy, who had furnished the secretary (Mr J. A. Halley) with an enormous list of possible contributors. It was decided to provide the collectors with proper printed forms and to apportion the work of collecting so that each would work in a given portion of his own ward. The secretary is working with great energy ; a meeting of the South Dunedin congregation is to be held on Sunday evening in furtherance of the testimonial fund ; great enthusiasm and earnestness are being displayed by the committee ; and everything 1 bids fair to make the proposed presentation a great success. Preparations are being made on a great scale for an art union for the extinction of thedebt on the beautiful new church whichforms bo handsome and conspicuous a feature in the architecture of Queenstown. The permission of the Colonial Secretary has been obtained for the holding of the art union. Father O'Donnell and a strong committee have the matter in hands ; a capital display of art work may be confidently looked for ; and everything gives promise of great success. Further particulars will appear in later issues. There is evidently not to be much lagging in connection with the early opening of the new Provincial Seminary at Mosgiel. In accordance with instructions received from his Lordship Bishop Verdon, Father Murphy has already made arrangements with a large firm in Dunedin for a portion of the furnishings of the

Seminary— the beds, to wit The Bishop has decided to open the new Seminary bhortly after his arrival in Dunedin in April next, and the Colony will then be furnished, for the first time in its history, with the means of practically fostering here in our midst vocations for the secular priesthood among the young generation of New Zealandera.