DIOCESE OF AUCKLAND

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXII, Issue 14, 7 April 1904, Page 6

DIOCESE OF AUCKLAND

(From our own correspondent.) March 31. The Rev. Father Zatina, of the Order of St. Josoph, of wh,om I wrote previously as intended for this diocese, has left London in one of the direct steamers for New Zeailand. Rev. Father Wust, who has temporarily officiated at Opotika, returned to Auckland last Saturday. While at Op,otiki, Father Wust, saw the township almost wholly submerged by water, owing to the recent heavy rains. At the Sacred Heart Church last Sufaday evening his Lordship the Bishop was present, when, Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton Hodges and Mr. Frank Graham rendered capitally l The Seven Last Words.' There was a large congregation. Goojd Friday is to be desecrated in Auckland by holding swimming sports in one of our docks. The Anglican Bishop, Dt. Neligan, has publicly protested against tjhe desecration of what he describes as the ' 'holiest 'day in our calendar.' His Lordship the Bishop motored out last Saturday, accompanied by the Rev. Father Gillan, of St. Benedict's, to Avondale, for the purpose of inspecting a site for the erection of a new church there. The Bishop was impressed with the advancement of the locality, and expresses the hope that a church will soon be erected. St. Patrick's Choir have begun practising Gregorian miusic in order to comply with the order recently issued by his Holiness Pope Pius X. Last Wednesday week at practice Ms Lordship t?he Bishop attended and gave the members his valuable assistance in the Gregorian chants. Last Sunday evening the choir sa.ng the first psalm of the Vespers, and the ' Tantum Ergo ' at Benediction in Gregorian style. ' Tih-e " 'Church of Rome " and the 'f Romish Ch'uroh," by her octopus-like influence and power, has filled, oUt of all proportion to its numbers, every branch of the Civil Service, * the police, and now controls the Liberal and Labor Federation. 1 So wrote some bigots m the local press. It was thought that the * Tablet ' some time ago had finally siquelched the ' stuffing ' bogey raised at the Caversham election, b,ut evidently bigotry and intolerance die hard. The headmaster of the Beresford street public Sichoal caned three boys for attending school oil St. Patrick's Day wearing orange ribbons. Hearing the day before that brange would be worn in the school, the master issued orders forbidding it. The caning was a boon far the bigots, who immediately made full use of the correspondence columns of the daily papers. They When caused the mother of one of the boys who way earned to write to the City School Committee, and this body last Tuesday night had the matter under discussion. One or two of the committee were for discussing ' 'bra»s\s money and wooden shoes,' and the ' pio.us, glorious, and immortal memory,' but the majority very wisely laughed at tihe attempt to stir up religious strite, and passed a resolution directing teachers in no way to notice such exhibitions i!n the future. At the quarterly meeting of St Patrick's branch at the HA C H Society Bros. P. J. Nerheny and D. Flynn submitted their report as delegates of the branch to the recent triennial meeting held at Timaru. The report was received and a hearty vote of thanks passed to the delegates. Hon. W. Beehan, P.D.P., and Bros. Stead, P.D.P., and W. Kane, D.S., also spoke in reference to tiie Timaru meeting. It was the unanimous opinion of the speakers that it was the best and most successful meeting held in connection with the Society, and that the hospitality of the Timaru branch was unsurpassed. Bro. D. Mahoney, of Timaru, was specially mentioned for his great kindness and hospitality. Tihe Auckland branch, in order to provide an entertainment fund for the visiting delegates to the triennial meeting in 1907, has decided to levy each member sixpence a quarter for the ensuing three years.