ARCHDIOCESE OF WELLINGTON.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIV, Issue 11, 19 March 1908, Page 13

ARCHDIOCESE OF WELLINGTON.

(From our own, correspondent.) __ „ , March 14. His Grace the Archbishop and a nunVber of the clergyleave to-day for Miasterton in connection with the Silver Jubilee of the Very Rev. Dean McKenna. » No effort is being spared to mak© the' garden'fete at •the Borne of Compassion a great financial - success. The local press contained warmly sympathetic references to Mother Albert's work for afflicted children. The weather promises to be all that could be desired, and, large attendances are anticipated. _ The sports to" be held to-day on the Basin Reserve, under the auspices of the Catholic Club and the Hibernian Society, promise to be highly successful. Record entries ha'.e been received and great interest has been aroused in athletic circles. An Irish national concert is to be -held on Tuesday evening, for which the best- available ta!ent has been secured." . The meeting of -parishioners on Sunday last in the Church o| St. Mary- of the Angels to assist- in the inauguration of a Catholic Club, was the largest and most enthusiastic of its land yet held here. Mr. Martin Kennedy nresided, and' his Grace the Archbishop, Very Rev. Father Regmault, .S.M., Provincial, Very Rev. Father U&hf-a, S.M., V.G., Yen. Archdeacon Devoy, antt Rev. *at hers Hickscn, Herbert, JMuloney, and "Venninj? were among those present. Mr. Kennedy, in starting -the business of the meeting;, said that on previous occasions the idea of estalftishina; a general Catholic • club had been d. scussed and proposals had also been made to build a hall, which it was trusted would be a credit to the Catholic community. At the last meeting held for this purpoce it na:l been suggested that the h?JI should be of a character that it might be suitable for the purnose of holding pujjliic meetings or concerts as well* as for the transaction ' cf the .business of the club. It was however, thought by the ma-ority of those interested in the matter that this idea, although good enough in its intention,- was somewhat beyond their means, even if it was desirable,' because the initial cost of the bud'Hi-ne: would be very considerable. But now Vthey had met together under more favorable auspices, because his Grace the - Arohfoisfion nad provided them with a suitable site for- any building they might decide upon erecting. Hlis Grace was not* presenting them with the fee-simple of the land as * it was not in his gift to bestow. It was a portion of the uhurch property of which he was the trustee, and he w»<?" only able to give the club a forty-two years' lease. 'But he had promised that so far as it rested with Him the i title should be perpetual and the rental merely nominal.

The only question, therefore, was that of providing, at all events, some portion of the cost of the building. About two years ago, he (Mr. Kennedy, had promised +0 give tte sum of< £500 towards the est&olishment of a Catholic Young Men's and two ' gentlemen who de--sired their names to be withheld, had promised £500 e&,ch. These sums had been placed, in the hands of the .Rev. Father O'Shea, and the only condition made by the donors was, that another £1500 should be raised ' towards^the same object. Some collecting work had- been done by the Catntoiie young men's societies, which now brought the total up to about £2000 cash in hand, and there were a few hundreds jnore promised. They all recognised thie importance of the proposal, and the necessity for the existence of such a hall. Much good work had been done in the little hall at present in use, which 1 had fairly demonstrated the need for increased accommodation. Such a building would find plenty of occupants, it was desired to form', a Catholic society apart from the ■ existing societies, but it was not intended to shut out the societies " now in existence, for everyone recognised the excellent work they had- done. It was thought that - the new hall should be domimted by the laity ,of the Catholic coimmiunity in Wellington. His Grace the Archbishop had no objection to this course 'being taken. It was proposed that the society should be registered, and should be conducted on a broad democratic 'basis ; that all male Catholics of the city should be eligible as members om the payment of a very small subscription, so that each member might feel that lie had a personal in- ' terest in the bualdijng of whic-h. he would, be a part owner. When a sufficient number of names had been enrolled a committee of, say, fifteen would be appointed, including several representatives of the clergy, a nd that commdttee wauld see to the registration of the society. It was suggested that the hill should be a two-stowed building, but that, and other details could be determlined later on.

. The Rev. Father O'Shea moved :— ' That this meeting of Wellington Catholics affirms that the time has now arrived when the work of establishing a Catholic Club and of providing a Catholic Hall and Club Rooms should be undertaken.' He said the clergy would 'be quite satisfied to see the whole of "the management, in in© hands ,of the laity, and indeed they were only too pleased to see such aLle laymen taWn* the matter n nanfl. He saw a great deal of necessity for the establishment of an institution such as that proposed Younsr men- naturally desired to become members of such associations, and unless Catholic Clubs were provided they would join others. They had provided schools for the children, and they, should provide for the risn* «neraSetlhSfn. 8011001 * that a <** ™f*

Mr. v J. J. Devine seconded the motion. He said that the proposal was one which was almost entiS for laymen to, carry out. There were probably about W 000 Catholics >in Wellington, ak-d as a community ?hey were fS T^Jf* to the matter of chu ™hes and schools and they hopdd soon to have a Cathedral. Indeed they had a great .deal to congratulate themselves vp O n,' b£t they greatly wan-ted such) a ball a s that proposed which, c The motion was carried unanimously. Call JS\ m °-\ 1011 ° f Mr< A " H * c asey ..seconded' by Mr J W mJ+ *a . Fltz g ibbon > act ing secretary to the • modern nt addressing the meeting said that although the club was- not f o r the use of the young men only still it I^Vf 7^ 3163 16 young men^ n tlSs OCC S to mal <*' of 20 vi ° rt - ?e? c *&&*** c appointment of' a^and *L 7 ?^ g men to pled^ e tlh^selves to -raise £25 S and in this way realise tto balance of funds requiJed^' this su^Slon 66 WaS afterWards S6t U P gave effect to

I unaerstanid that the committee, appointed t 0 frame a constitution and draw up rules, will recommend that all Catholics above the age of 20 be eligible for 'mfemhSship, and that the' subscription for the first year, ii n i view

at a heavy initial expenditure, 130 fixed at £:L ..This will make- the club a democratic one. The "next meeting; "is to 'be held on Sunday, 29th March.