DIOCESE OF DUNEDIN.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 33, 14 August 1902, Page 18

DIOCESE OF DUNEDIN.

At 11 o'olock at St. Joseph's Cathedral on Sunday a Mast of Thanksgiving for the King's Coronation was celebrated by the Rev. Father Murphy, Adm., in the preseno* of his Lordship Bishop Verdon. The music of the Mass (Mozart's Twelfth) was rendered by the Cathedral chuir and orchestra.

His Lordship the Bishop preached, taking his text from the second chapter of the First Epistle of St. Paul to Timothy : ' I deaire therefore firat of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings be made for all men : for kings and all that are in high station, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, in all piety and chastity.' A few weeks ago, said his Lordship, the preparations that were being made for the ceremony of the Coronation of our King were suddenly stopped, and a great sadness was felt over the whole British Empire when it beoume known that his Majesty was seriously ill. The oritioal condition of the Royal

sufferer occasioned the deepest anxiety, and prayerß and supplications were offered up to Almighty God for his recovery, God in Hie mercy was pleased to hear the prayers that were offered so earnestly, and to-day hundreds of millions of his Majesty's subjects throughout the vast British Empire are giving expression to their joy on the auspicious occasion of his Coronation. They were assembled there that day to raise their voices in hymns of praise and thanksgiving, and earnestly implore the good God — • by Whom kings reign and lawgivers decree just things' — that He might bless the reign of his Majesty, and make it long, happy, and prosperous. The accession of a new monarch is an event of very great importance in the life of any nation. The destinies of subjects and their rulers are closely united, and the proppenty of the subjects depends to a great extent on the wisdom and good government of the rulers. People are apt to think that a constitutional monarch is a mere figurehead, fitted to adorn the vessel of State ; but in this they are mistaken, for it may he said with truth that there is no Sovereign in Europe who can exercise greater influence for good than he who wbb crowned yesterday at Westminster Abbey. (Here hia Lordship read a telegram from the Acting-Premier to the effect that the coronation had taken place, and that the King waß not at all fatigued after the ceremony.) This, continued bin Lordship, was good news, and would cause all to rejoice. The Coronation ceremony of to-day has lost much of its significance, but according to the ritual of the Catholic Church the coronation of a king is in the highest degree impressive and instructive We are told in the Old Testament that the earliest kings who were called by God to rule over His chosen people were, by the express command of God, anointed with oil, and therefore in the Sacred Scripture the king was called the ' Lord's anointed.' In the 'Firat of Kings' we are told that 'Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed David in the midst of his brethren, and the spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward.' The sacred unction that the king receives is intended to represent the outpouring of Divine grace which is so necessary to enable him to rule in a manner befitting a Christian king. The ceremonies in the ritual of the Catholic Churoh dearly point out to the sovereign-elect that there is a Sovereign King, a Lord above, from Whom all power oomes, and that whatever power he receives should be employed for the honor and glory of God, the good of religion, and the benefit of the subjects committed to his care. From the coronation of Edward VII. we are tempted to go back to that of his predecessor? the venerable Queen who died in the early part of last year. She was crowned 64 years ago— in the year 183(3— and in that very year New Zealand was visited for the first time by a bishop and a priest of the Catholio Church. What a change there is to-day, when we have an archbishop, three bishops, 1(50 priests, 663 nuns, over 50 Brothers, and a large Catholic population spread over the whole of the Colony. Sixty-four years ago New Zealand was not recognised as a British Colony, yet to-day it is spoken of all over the civilised world ; the richness of its mineral wealth, the fertility of its soil, the salubrity of its olimate have brought about a degree of prosperity that is Beldorn witnessed in a country bo young as New Zealand. The British Constitution is the freest in the world. United to England, we enjoy the greatest liberty, we are free from every external danger, and are therefore in a position to devote our energies to the development of our resources. We should be deeply grateful for all these things, and should remember that all good things come from God, and that we should thank Him from our hearts for all His blessings and favora. The 'Te Deum ' would be sung as an expression of gratitude to God for the restoration of tho King to health, and all should pray that God would grant him a long, a prosperous, and a happy reign. The Catholic pfople should take an interest in all puolio affjiirs, and in every movement which had for its object ihe benefiting of the community and advancing the progress of the country. They were all deeply interested in the welfare of the Empire, and they should pray that Gc d would shower down His blessings on their King, country, and families.

At the conclusion of the Maps hia L -rdfihip intoned the 'Te Deum,' which was taken up and impreseively rendered by the ohoir.

The music of the Macs was sung in a finished manner by the choir, under the conductorship of Mr A. Vallis. The soloists were : Soprano, Miss Blnney ; contralto, Miss Drumni ; tenor, Mr Carolin ; bass, Mr Feil. Mrs J. Woods presided at the organ. After Mass the orchestra played in fine 6tyle ' God pave the King.' In the evening Miss Leonard sang au 'Aye Maria,' with violin obligato nicely played by Mibs Htokes.