PALMERSTON NORTH

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXII, Issue 16, 21 April 1904, Page 20

PALMERSTON NORTH

(From our own correspondent.) Aforil 18. On Sunday last there was laid by his Grace Archbishop Redwood the foundation sttone of a new convent to be erected in brick for the Sisters of Mercy. Punctmallyi at 2.30 pm. the procession left the church by way of Broad street, in the following oilder :—Crossbearer, acolytes, school children, Children of Mary, Hibernians, altar boys, his Grace Archbishop Redwood Yen. Archdeacon Defvoy, and Re,v. Fathers Ainsworth' O'Meara, P. Tymons, and J. Bowden. On arriving 'at the site, where several hundred of the laity were in waiting, the Rev. Fathers Tymons presented his Grace with a silver trowel, and he at once proceeded to bless and lay the stone, under which was placed, according to custom, a bottle containing copies of local papers, cofns, etc, after v/hich t'hef choir, assisted by Hibernians and Children of Mary, sang ' I'M simg a hymn to Mary,' under fhe leadership of Rev. Father AittEWorth. His Grace in a short address spoke of the pleasure it gave him to lay the foundation «tone of what will be a handsonie bunMing, and an ornament to our city, and a convent that will answer the needs of the Sisters for all time. He said it was to be his last public ceremony before proceeding to Rome; and what a pleasure i.t would be to be able to tell his Holiness that His last act ere leaving this rempte corner of the earth, was the starting of slich an institution where that higher education of soul and body, so dear to the Holy Father, woxild be carried out by that devoted Order in every detail. Mr. W. T Wood, MII R., who was also present, endorsed in an appropriate speech his Grace's remarks on the devotedness of the good Shsters and the noble work they wore carrying out in the district ; arfd gave instances that had cc*me' under his notice of the wonderful work their Order was doing in the Sotitih Sea Islands and other places, terminating with a handsome donation towards the new convent. The very handsome slim of £115 9s was placed on the stone. His Grace preached also at Vespers. The Yen Archdeacon Devoy sang the 11 o'clock Mass, St. Patrick's choir rendering in th«i)r best style the ' Kyrie,'! ' Gloria,' and ' Credo ' from Mozart's 11th, and the latter portion from Farmer's Mass.