DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXII, Issue 5, 4 February 1904, Page 5

DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH

(From our own correspondent.) February 1. All the Catholic schools of the district re-open tod.iy (Monday) after the Christmas vacation. Brother Basil succeeds Brother Paul as principal of the local Manst Brothers' teaching staff. The latter goes to Wellington Miss Helen G. Schmidt, pupil of the Sisters of Mercy Collegiate High School, Colombo street, is among the successful candidates of the Matriculation examination held in last December. 1119 Lordship the Bishop Icit town on Saturday last for Akaroa 1 1 is stay there is expected lo extend over ten or twelve days, dm ing which tune he will visits Little- Rncr and other settlements on Banks Peninsula. The Christchurch Catholic Club executive committee met on January 2G, the president (Mr R O Duncan) piesiding The nominations of six new members werO leieived and a vote of thanks passed to a friend for a supply of magazines and Catholic newspapers Accounts amounting to £10 8s (id were passed for pay ment Duiing his iecent visit the Earl of Ranfuily inspected the new cathedral and ascended to the towers Ilia Excellency was delighted with, the experience, and expressed the conviction that in design and construction! he had seen nothing to surpass it When completed, tho cathedral Would rank as one of the most beautiful ecclesiastical structuies in the southern hemisphere, and far ahead of any in New Zealand. The Governor has taken very great interest in the cathedral from tho first, and when in Chnstchuith rarely loses an opportunity of going over the works The St Patrick's Day celebration committee held a fust meeting at ttie episcopal residence on last Thursday evening, his Lordship the Bishop presiding The \eiy Rev \ itar-General and the Rev Father O'Connell were amongst those present In a few opening remarks the Bishop said that the present celebration, when earned out, would be the thud organised for tho purpose of establishing the home for our destitute, alThcted, and orphaned, the desirability and necessity of which could not be doubted Some people had approached him with the suggestion that the object o.t tha celebration should be transferred to the cathedral building fund, tout however much he and all of them regarded the importance of the latter work, he had, as, Bishop, but one answer • the establishment of a Nazareth home was a noble cause , it appealed to all, irrespective of race or religion ; it was intended to benefit all, and, as such, it would undoubtedly gain the sympathy and support of every citizen. Since the committee

February 1

had last met, he (the Bishop) had been in continual negotiation with the head ot the Congregation of the Sisters of Nazareth. A final tetter from them had been received, and the agreement embodied therein had received his assent. As matters now stood, the Sisters might be expected to arrive at any time during the present year. The reason advanced by them for so long delaying their advent was that, owing to the war in South Africa, where many of their houses are situated, the ranks of the community had been lessened. Recruits had to be sent, there, but it was hoped that at least six Sisters would form the foundation in Chnstchurch Mid that other" would be added each year as required Already aoi application for admittance had been made to him by an intending inmate for the Home who was not of our faith, and probably, therefore, a non-Catholic would be the lirst to enter. The re-appointment af Mr. W. Iloban as chairman, Mr. P. Burke as hon' tleasurer, and Mr. E. O'Connor as hon. secretary was tenfirmed, and the minutes of the final meeting held last year were adopted. It was decided to suggest to a general meeting of both city parishes and adjoining districts (to be held next week) to suggest the advisability of having an excursion on St. Patrick's Day, with a grand national concert in the evening Messrs Bmke, Hoban, and 0 Connor were meanwhile "deputed to gather all available informatian in regard to both projects