Silver Jubilee of the Dominican Nuns, Oamaru

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXV, Issue 42, 17 October 1907, Page 24

Silver Jubilee of the Dominican Nuns, Oamaru

(From an occasional correspondent.) October 7. Last Sunday being the silver jubilee of the advent of the Dominican nuns to Oarcaru, the event was deemed opportune by the Catholic community to mark the occasion by giving tangible expression to the esteem in which the good Sisters are held by their co-religion-ists, and by the people of North' Otago generally. An energetic committee had therefore been called into existence, and had been working to good purpose for some Time past. Their labors culminated on Sunday at ll\e Convent, Heed street, by a presentation to the Rev. Mother of a cheque for £300. All members of the committee were present. By' the thouglitful'ness of the Sisters a lunch was laid in the refectory of the bearding department. The Right Rev. Mgr. Mackay presided, and the Key. Father O'Neill was also present. The lunch over, the chairman of the committee, Mr. O'Grady, made the ' presentation. In his remarks" he dwelt on the great esteem in which the good Sisters are held by all classes in North Otago. This was fully testified by the . readiness and generosity with which they had contfrib-uled to- the presentation. He expressed the gratitude of himself and of the parishioners to the Rev. Mother and the good Sisters for the great blessings they had brought to the families of the parish by the sound religious teaching they were in-parting to The children. He then called upon Mr. -Cooney, the treasurer of the fund, to present the parishioners' offering. TVlr: Cooney expressed the greatT gratification he felt ' in being made the meflium by which this offering had been made to the good Sisters. Although they were offering a creditable sum, it would doubtless be considerably greater had the past season been- more favorable. He, however, assured, the good Sigters that the most ready response had been shown- by all from whom contributions had been solicited. Mr. Duggan said that it gave him the utmost satisfaction to find that the labors of the good nuns had been so appreciated by the people of Oamaru, for to his mind the great work of the devoted Sisters was not always recognised and supported in the manner it deserved. He Bad* the fullest opportunity of knowing What had been done and what is being done .by the Sisters in the Oamaru schools-.*"' The Dominican Nuns in their midst were upholding the traditions of their great Order, and when he said so much nothing further need be said. He assured -those present that no monetary offering could adequately recompense the good Sisters for the true, lull education— the training of the min9 and heart — which the girls of Oamaru were receiving. For his own part he would be for ever grateful to the Dominican nuns for what they had done for his family. ■ Right Rev. Mgr. Mackay responded on behalf of Ihe Rev. Motlier. He said that he knew that the Rev. Mother and tjfe Sisters were grateful for the expressions of goo 9 will and the tangible offering which accompanied them. When the scarcity of money, consequent oh the drought of last season, was considered, the offering was a most generous one. The work of twenty-five years, as shown by their magnificent buildings and beautiful grounds, justified them, no doubt, in looking with pride upon the fruits of those labors ; but the greatest and most enduring work was the sound Christian education which tEe children were receiving. This was the work to which the lives of the good nuns, were consecrated, . and those parents upon whose children these blessings .were bestowed had cause lo be grateful indeed. . He hoped that advantage would be taken of the great opportunities their schools offered, and that the near future would see all their boardintr accommodation taxed to its full capacity. Monsipnor Mackay then, on behalf of those present, offered their warmest felicitations to the Rev. Mother and the Sisters, and expressed fervent wishes for their good health, and long lives of continued usefulness.