DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH

New Zealand Tablet, 23 August 1906, Page 14

DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH

(From our own correspomdent.) August 20. On last Wednesday evening the pupils of St. Joseph's Catholic School at Rangiora gave a very successful entertainment to a large audience in the schoolroom, the programme consisting of vocal and instrumental music, and elocutionary selections. The Rev. Father Hyland presided, and the young people acquitted themselves in a manner most pleasing, and creditable to their teachers, the Sisters of the Missions. The two Sisters of Nazareth, who h^ave for the past few months been engaged on the West Coast collecting in the interests of the Nazareth House, returned home just prior to the retreat. They were everywhere received most kindly. They express gratitude for -what had been done for them, and through them to the institution they represent, an-d upon which Westland has a claim in common with all other parts of the diocese. St. Mary's School, Manchester street, conducted! toy the Sisters of Mercy, was recently examined by Mr. (Jr. K. Mulgan, Inspector under the North Canterbury Board of Education. In his detailed report the Inspector says :— ' It is evident that a good deal of ear-n-est and painstaking work has been done during the year, and in certain directions the appearance made was highly commendable.' Most of the compulsory subjects ranged from satisfactory to good. In Standard VI. there were eight pupils : five obtained certificates of proficiency, and three certificates of competency. In the other standards a good proportion of the pupils was promoted. Mi-s K. Zachariah and Miss N. De la Cour passed the first examination, which was held in July, in connection with St. John's Ambulance Association." Miss Vera De la Cour passed the local centre (advanced grade) in the theoretical examination of the Royal Academy of Music, held at Canterbury College last June. The above are all pupils of the Convent of Mercy, Christchurch. The pupils of the Convent High School obtained the second prize in the schools' competition at the juvenile bazaar, as the following letter from Miss Maude will show :— ' I have much pleasure in enclosing cheque for £5, as being the second prize in the school competition won by your scholars. The work was beautiful, an-d the prize well merited.' Writing on board the ' Teutonic,' which left New York on July 27, and was expected to reach Liverpool on August f>, to the Very Rev. Father Le Menant des Chesnais, Y.G., his Lordship Bishop Grimes gives some interesting particulars of his movements and expei iencos since It aving Ran Francisco. At Salt ' Lake City, where he was a guest at the College of the Marist Order, he was entertained at various social functions, notably an elocutionary contest, the judges of which weie a prominent member of the United States Senate, a member of the local legal profession, and another scholar of high degree. At Buffalo _City he was kindly received by the Bishop of that See (the Right Rev. Dr. C'olton), with whom he spent a very pleasant time. A stay at Washington followed, in which city the Marist Fathers have two splendid establishments. The scholasticate contains over fifty pupils training for the priesthood and religious life. From Washington the Bishop journeyed to Baltimore, and was the guest there of his Eminence Cardinal .Gibbons, who ' intended shortly proceeding to New Orleans to invest Bishop Blenk, recently transferred from the See of Porto Rica to the Archbishopric of the former place, with the pallium. Bishop Grimes here expresses disappointment at .failing, to meet the Archbishop-elect of New Orleans (who is also a member of the Marist Order), owing to circumstances of travel. Reaching New York from Baltimore the Bishop was the guest at the Oathedral rectory of the Right Rev. Mgr. Levalle, whom foe describes as a charming host surrounded by a splendid body of American priests, all devoted to their work. On the eve of his departure from New York the Bishop visited the great diocesan seminary, which is believed to he the | finest an<l best equipped ecclesiastical college in the

world. Originally intending to land at Quecnstown this plan was found, inexpedient at the time, and he proposed going on to London, making Leicester Place his residence whilst in the Metropolis ared . headqiuarters in England. , -