Diocesan News

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 50, 14 December 1905, Page 5

Diocesan News

ARCiiDIOCESti OF WELLINGTON

(From our own correspondent.) i December 9. iiis Grace the Archbishop will administer Confirmation at Wellington South on Sunday. The Rev. father O'Dwyer has been placed in the Pahiatuj, parish to assist the Rev. Father T. McKenna. The convent now being erected at Island Bay for the Sisters oi the Sacred Heart is rapidly approaching completion, and even now presents an imposing appearance. It is the object of much admiration on the part of the many visitors to this part of the district. For some days past Catholic Maoris from various parts of New Zealand have been arriving at Otaki to take part in a singularly interesting ceremony. When his Grace the Archbishop last year journeyed to Rome, he was. the bearer of a quaintly and picturesquely worded address from the Catholic Maoris to the Holy P'ather, and bore also with him a number of valuable gilts for presentation to his Holiness. The text of the address was as tollows :—: — ' To the most Holy Father Pius the Tenth.—Greeting to you, O Father, dwelling in the house of mourning ot our Holy father Leo the Thirteenth, who has gone to eternal uappint-as. We, your children, exclaim from this corner of the Globe, "Go, O Leo, ta Cod, to our Holy Mother Mary and to Saint Peter. (io the exalted otic, the powerful one, the holy one, go the bright star of God.' ' With these words we conclude our lament for the Holy Father Leo XIII. 0 Father, may you live for ever ; you who have taken the place of the dead. Our hearts are filled with great joy that you have been elected to fill the seat of the holy ones. In you we see exemplified our proverbial saying, " When a chief falls, another immediately rises in his stead." 10, Father, we, your children, are assembled here ai Whangaehu on this the 10th of April, 1904, in the year of Jubilee, for the consecration of our Church, which is called the Church of Our Blessed Lady conceived without sm. Many Catholic natives have come to he piesent at the gathering on this occasion. From N'gatiapa, Ngawauiki, Ngatituwharctoa, Ngatikauhata, Ngatitciangi, Ngatikapu, Ngatitkorehe, and Ngaitahu , tubes at this gathering on ttiis day many words ot welcome and congratulation were expressed lor you in the presence of his Grace the Archbishop. Aou are our father, and you will lead us to the light vhich will bung us to the Aik of eternal salvation. We, >our clnldien, make application to God for you, and hope m our hearts, that you will not forget us, your children We now conclude, may you live for ever, and may God guard and protect you.' The address and gifts were duly presented by his Grace to the Holy Father, who in return sent a letter and a number of gifts to the Maoris. The letter is as jollows — ' Most Illustrious and Reverend Lord,— His Holiness has lecoived the address sent to him through your Grace from the chiefs of the Maori tribes in New Zealand, expressive of the affectionate and heartfelt sentiments of all their Catholic people. Accordingly, I ask }ou by direction of the august PontifT to convey to the knowledge of those good tribes and their chiefs that his Holiness has received with the greatest pleasure their homaire paid hofh to himself and to his predecessor, Leo XIII , of holy memory. The perpetuation of the devotedness which the Maori people of New Zealand profess for the Vicar of Christ is ample proof that they preserve pieciously the spirit of faith in repaid to the Roman See, arid that their life is always actuated by the pieeepts oi Jesus Christ, whoever happens to be the person who continues His preaching to them from the heights of the Vatican. Wherefore, the So\ereie;n Pontiff, Pius X , embraces with paternal affection all his Catholic children in New Zealand, and while he thanks them for the discharge of their duty, he reciprocates Kvith 'each of them greetings expressed in their address. And, moreover, as a pledge of his particular benevolence, his Holiness imparts his Apostolic blessing to the chiefs- of the aforesaid tribes, and to all the faithful belonging to them, whilst further adding that Ins Holiness bestows- a like favor in a special manner upon your Grace, who devotes the labors of your apostolatc to the said people, I remain, with sentiments of the most sincere esteem, your Grace's sincere servant, ►£« MERRY DEL 'VAL (Cardinal).'

His Grace accordingly visited Otaki for the purpose of making the presentation. The gathering of Maoris was a thoroughly representative one, and was conducted under the auspices of the Catholic Maori Mission., The proceedings began on Wednesday, which was devoted to welcoming the strangers. On Thursday evenine; a speech was given by his Grace the Archbishop in the mission house, in which his Grace detailed his experiences while away from the Colony, and gave an account of his interview with the Pope. Friday was set* apart for the usual feasting. Before dinner the people came into a wide circle and the head men formally handed to his Grace the great collection of food, for which the Archbishop thanked them. High Mass was celebrated in the chapel by the Yen. Archdeacon Devoy. The Rev. Father Tymons, of Palmerston North, was deacon, and the Rev. Father Maillard, of Wanganui, was subdeacon. The choir was composed of Rev. Fathers Ainsworth, Clune, Moloney, Lacroix, and others. After the Mass, his Grace, assisted byi Very Rev. Fathers Lewis and Binsfeld, administered Confirmation to the European and Maori children. During the service two beautiful illuminated *windows were unveiled in the chapel. The presents from the Pope consisted of framed photographs of his Holiness signed with his own hand, pictures of the Blessed Virgin; mosaic, gold, and silver crosses, and medals. These were handed to the priests of the mission. A procession was then formed which proceeded to the .spot where the first miission house on the West Coast of the island was erected. Mother Mary Joseph Aubert, whose name has been for so many years prominently associated in this Colony "with the cause of the sick and distressed, is about to increase her facilities for doing good. This wonderful lady, not content with the work she has done so far in the city, has decided to have large and commodious building erected on her property at Island Bay. Mr. James ODea, the architect, is at present calling tenders for the work. 'The buildings are to be known as ' Our Lady's Home of Compassion,' and will comprise a school for the education of waits and a large hospital for the reception of incurables. The buildings will be of brick, and, occupying as they will a most prominent, site, should form one of the land-marks , of the locality. They have been designed on the most modern lines. The sanitary arrangements have been carefully studied, and fire escapes will be provided where required. On the first floor of the bchool building a chapel has been provided for the use of occupiers generally. When erected the buildings will present a fine appearance, and form yet another of the many monuments of the untiring zeal of Mother Aubert in a work that so thoroughly deserves that aid which the State neglects for some reason to give. ' , j