DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXV, Issue 12, 21 March 1907, Page 14

DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH

: -. - (From our own correspondent.) „ Marck 18. v The bayard tournament at the Oatholic club rooms is exciting keen competition, and some close games have resulted. (1 ... The Catholic Club members have - signified their Vi»n~ tention of taking charge of the side-shows at'j-,,tne- ~ forthcoming carnival in aid of the Cathedral /debt -ex? tinction fund, and "intend introducing several novelties,. The anmual conference of the Federated Catholic" Young Men's Societies will be opened^ on Easter Saturday in the Catholic club "rooms, Barbadoes street. The visiting delegates and members .of the local • club will approach the Holy' Table -in a body .on Easter Sunday.- * # - Among essay- writers at a recent Exhibition contrf- . several . pupils, of" the. Sisters of the,- Missions were prominent. For those under 16,- -Miss Grace O'Malley "se-j cured second place, and lor those under 13,»Miss "Nellie, - Cronin was... secondhand. Miss Minnie RattrayJhighly commended. Miss Nellie Dwyer, daughter ,of- Mr.- 'Sub-In-spector Dwyer, and a .-"former* pupil '/of the Sisters, of St. Joseph at -Wanganui," has. secured a "number- : of awards in connection with various competitions" at tohe Exhibition, including one ..gold and three silver medalsiin* shorthand, typewriting,- and commercial correspondence. , At the recent _ examination and presentation of" awards at Miss Digby's Commercial School, . Miss".- Dwyer^ se- ; cured, the first.pr ize (gold . medal) in. typewriting, ..-and also the first prize for. commercial ""correspondence.-, (mi. , eluding- .^transcription of shorthand notes, spelling," and" , longhand writing). This talented young -lady, who isworthy. of , congratulation, is also a gold medallist inscholastic, competitions, 'and now occupies a position in. the office ,of the .Commissioner of - Crown »k» k Lands,.. Christcthurch, * ,--'.-' • J v - The quarterly general meeting of the Society xfl St. Vincent de Paul, under the Particular Council of Christchjurah, was held "in the Presbytery on last" Monday^ evening. His Lordship the Bishop presided,^ the Very Rev. Vicar-General (spiritual director) was present, and a large attendance representing the Cathedral, St. Mary's (Manchester street), and St* Joseph's (Lyttel-* . ton) Conferences, and the Association of Ladies of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. The president welcomed in the, name cf all present his Lordship "the Bishop on his return to the diocese. His Lordship" replied in appropriate terms, gave an interesting re- - sumesOf his observations during his travels, having, an interest to the members ct the; society, and expressed, great gratification at' the £fe. and energy displayed in.' the cause of charity, and especially in the work, of - extension. Whilst' in Rome, he had secured the recognition of the Ladies'. of Charity associated with the Society, who \ henceforth would share in the merits and indulgences so profusely granted to the " world-wide organisation. Among the good - works to be accdmpli- : shed, and which he was pleased to know occupied' a large share in their laudable endeavors, was the dis- t semination' of good., Catholic^ literature/ In-" this 'regard he "- once again eloquently advocated the. claims of , the * N.Z. Tablet,' a journal "of which a>ll are justly, proud'. : If, ' *cd-nti»ue*L his Lordship, our opponents would * \ ofnly; condescend to . go to the ' Tablet"' for reliable T Jniorr.: . mation, the opinions they form would. "be very differ^." ent~ indeed. The • Tablet, 1 said: his. Lordship, ought to ] be" in the y homes' of '.far. more ofx-our people than it •is.._. In Australia recently lie w,as "told hy an eminent i prelate that it is -the most "interesting periodical he . knows, and if outside the Colony- we had such fa-vor- \; able comments of our only" Catholic iournal, expressed in. j•; so ".jempliatic - a manner, we then should appreciate it i • mfctre". The Very RevT Vicar-General also, spoke on ike i; same subject^ An amount ' of correspondence from the f Superior Council"- "and." elsewhere "was "dealt with, and '< satisfactory reports 'were," received from the . various ■ Conferences. - - - ' The religious -.celebration of -the festival jday of Ire- ■ lands-p atron saint -was rendered more appropriate, and „ from a ceremonial" point* of. view of . greater- solemnity i owing .- to . ,the fact of the festival falling- this year on '■>. Sunday. Emblems of ,the nationality, of .most of our ! people were conspicuously displayed, and -the fervor with i wihich the' day was celebrated showed conclusively that • interest"/ in- the . feast day of /the, great Apostle of Ire--land, far- from, waning, is. year by year > growing more pronounced. "In all .our churches .special reference was" i made ..to. ..the occasion, and. at Vespers in 'the Cathe»dr'al an eloquent panegyric cf St /Patrick was preachi cd. by the- Very Rev. Father Le Menant "des, Chesnais,. f S.M., V.G., in the presence of a large" congregation.

The social celebration of St. Patrick's -day was, as customary,, confined to the Irish national concert, annually arranged . for the benefit of Nazareth House.- For weeks before the energetic committee devoted touch time and thought to the preliminary arrangements, and were greatly aided by the sympathy. and assistance of has Lprdship the Bishop, the Very Rev. Vicar-General, and the— Glergy. The excellent arrangements were in a great measure due to"" the tact and experience of -the chairman >(Mr. W. : Hobah) and the hon. " secretary *(Mr. E. O'Connor). The eoncejrt . was given in His .Majesty's Theatre on Monday evening, and was a magnificent success,' there "being a record audience present. During the evening his Lordship Bishop -Grimes,- in the name •of the Sisters' of Nazareth, thanked all ,-whb had • .-asV sisted, especially the performers. The 'following, was" the -programme :— lrish overture, 'Erin,' Corrigan's Military Band (conductor, Mr. Corrigan) ; sOng,' ' Off to Philadelphia,' Mr. J. E. Hamill ; aria, cln my wild mountain valley,' Mrs. Arthur Mead ; song, * The memory of the dead,' Mr. Far quhar 'Young ; song, 'Come back to Erin,' Mrs. Gower-Burns" ; aria, -' The minstrel boy,'- Mr.- Frank GrkhanT; songs; "(a) ' Irish lullaby Ji j(b) 'The ninepenny "fiddle, ' Mrs. - Nina -Linay ;" selection, ' Irish airs,' ." Pierrot Banjo Quartette ; selection, Mr»_ William Densem. Part ll.— -Selection, v 'IMy of Killarriey,' Corxigan's Military Band; song, •' Kdllarney,' Mrs. Gawer-Burns;* violin' -solo, ' Irish dance,' Mr. Vere Buchanan; song, * I'm "alone,' Mrs. Arthur 1 Mead ; song, ' The wearin' of -the -green,' Mr. Farqu'har Young ; song, 'My Irish Molly,' Mr. R. Petersen ; ' National Anthem? Mr. R. A. Home, acted as accompanist. ' , A welcome reception was accorded the Rev. Father Marnane, S.M., the popular-pastor of St. byhis. parishioners in the Art Gallery on last Wednesday , evening, on " the- occasion- " of his- return' -after twelve 1 months' absence in the Old Land.: - As, "however, . the usual press courtesies were not extended to- the ' Tablet.' representative, I am unable to give any detailsof the proceedings on the occasion.