DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVI, Issue 16, 23 April 1908, Page 13

DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH

(From our own correspondent.) .April 20. The ceremonies of Good Friday (as far as circumstances permitted) were observed at St. Mj&ry's, Manchester street, and St. Joseph's, Lyttelton. The customary solemnities of Holy Week were csommenced! in the Cathedral with the -office of Te n ebrae on Wednesday evening, the impressive ceremonies concluding on the morning of Holy Saturday. The clergy from most parts of Canterbury assisted. On Holy Thursday evening a sermon on the Blessed Eucharest, was-prea-ched by the Rev. Father Richards, of Hawarden, \tad during the night members of the various societies and others of the congregation watched before the Blessed Sacrament at the Altar of; Repose in one of the side chaptfls. On 'Good Friday morning his -Lordship theJßishop pontificated' at the Mass of the Presanctified. The Very Rev.- Dean Ginaty, S.M., V.G., was assistant .priest, the Rev. Dr. Kennedy and Rev. Father MacDonald, S.M., were deacon and sub-deacon respectively, the chanters of the Passion were the : Rev. Fathers Hulls, S.M., Richards, and- Peoples, S.M. During ' the ad^oratio" of the Cross the usual offering for the Holy Places' >was made by the -congregation. At 3 o'clock in the afternoon tKere was the devotion , of the Stations of the Cross, . and 1 after Tenebrae in the evening, a .sermon on the Passion was preached by the Rev. Father Mac Donald. The Rev. Father Price, Adm., was < master of ceremonies at all the services, and the congregations throughout the week, but especially "on Good Friday,

were very large. On the afternoon and evening of Good Friday a relic of the true Cross was exposed for the veneration of the faithful. . . . \ , During his sermon at the Cathedral, on , the" evening of Holy Thursday, the Rev. Father Richards reminded his -hearers of the sacredness of' Good Friday— a • day the saddest and most solemn in bhe whole Christian Calendar. No one, be said, would violate the memory of a personal bereavement -by .devoting its .anniversary to spoa: ts or riotous enjoyment. Much more then - should that day upon which t.he Saviour of mankind suffered death, appeal to all their finer feelings. He exhorted them to spend it in that becoming and Christian-like manner whiidh our holy religion taught, and which the Church), by her beautiful and touchiu'fily impressave. ritual, had made possible of observance. * At 1 the Cathedral on Eiaster Sunday at the early Masses there were very large numbers of communicants. At< 11 o'clock there was solemn Pontifical High Mass. His Lordship the Bishop was celebrant, the Very Rev. , Dean G-inaty, S.M., V.G.j was assistant priest, the Rev. Father Peoples, S.M., deacon," the Rev. Father O'Hare, sulrdeacon, and Rev. Father Price, Adm., master of ceremonies. His Lordship' the Bishoo briefly addressed the congregation on. the subject of the day's festival, and at the conclusion of Mass imparted the Papal and! Episcopal blessing. Tine music was Gounod's No. 3 M'esse Solennelle, finely rendered by the choir. Miss Katie Young was at the organ, and Professor Scarse i , conducted. The High Altar and' Sanctuary were very beautifully adorned 1 with floral decorations, palms and foiiage plants. The altars of this various side chapels were also tastefully decorated', the whole reflecting much credit on the devoted attention of Miss White and; her co-workers of the Altar Society. In the evening there was Pontifical Vespers, at .which Ms Lordship the Bishop officiated. The Re<v. Father Price, Adm., preached on the Resurrection. At all the Masses the congregations were very large, and at Vespers every seat in the spacious Cathedral was occupied' at an early hour. , The medals.. and diplomas won by the successful candidates in the Trinity College of Music examinations, held last ye a r, were presented by his Excellency the Governor on Wednesday afternoon. The ceremony took place an the foyer of His Majesty's Theatre, which w, a s admiraibly adapted for the purpose, and was very laieely attended. Bishop Grimes, who presided, said that the Christchurch Committee of Trinity College, of which he was chairman, gratefully accepted and acknowledged the. generous offers of medals presented by the gentlemen named. They had ventured to ask his Excellency the Governor to cpiifier upon them the favor of presenting the medals, certificates', and- diplomas awarded, and it was their plea-sing duty t» welcome his Excellency, and to th&nk Kirn for coming and conferring that favor upon them. Comirag as hie did at no slight inconvenience, Ms Excellency gave practical proof, if such were necessary, of the keen interest he had always ta!cen. in -whatever concerned the education of our youth, a proof, 100, of his belief an the refining influence of music sls a prime factor in the great and noble work of education. The medals, certificates', and diplomas to be presented that day would be appreciated by the winners as a mark of their proficiency in music, but the intrinsic value would be greatly enhanced by the fact that the successful candidates would have recqived the token of their success fr o m the hlanfls of the chief representative of his gracious Majesty the King. m His Excellency, in.' the course of a short address, said he counted it as a- very fortunate thing that he was able to be in) the neighborhood at the time that interesting meeting was held, because it was to him a very great satisfaction to show his great interest in the cause of rtva'sica.l education generally, and especially that of the Trinity College of Music. The Work that) was being done i n this Dominion, by Trinity College and by the Assoela/ted Board was an admirable one, and ,he was quite sure that as the years went on the advantage o£ having the very best teaching, the very best examiners coming out from those Boards, absolutely unbiased as to where pupal s came from, and who. held certificates of proficiency themselves which no one could deny, and setting the same examination for England, Ireland, Scotla-nfl, and for every part of the- whole Empire must be one that would very soon produce a very decided effect upon the musacal education, not only of New Zealand, but generally speaking all over the Em>pire. At the same time, he did not wish to be considered amoH? those who thought that everything good came .from England and nowhere . else. He .was an Irish-

man, and thought a e;ood deal of same of the things thieyv nfa'd in Ireland. He was one of those who admired and had the greatest confidence in the advantage of the rising spirit of nationality which was developing itself i n tMs Dominion. - Referring to those 1 who thought that we ought to have a teaching staff here under the University or other body, .and not- have the examinations conducted from Home, has Excellency said he had' the greatest possible admiration in theory for .their arguments, ■ ( but in actual practice so far as." he could speak from three years' living in this country, he thought they 'were at present a little while before theSr time. Meanwhile the two organisations, Trimty Co'lege and tHa Associated tfoard were doin? a , great work. He thanked the committee very much for having invited Mm to taT<e part in the ceremony that afternoon. There was a medal offered—the Plunket Medal— to the candidate who passed the best examiina-tdon an music in New Zealand, and' DiMiedln seemed t 0 be taAirag that medal, but he only hoped that he would come down *o Christchurch - .on some future occasion 1 and hand it to a Christchurch boy or girl.

On the motion of Mr. H. H. Lougnnan, a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to his Excellency for presenting the medals and diplomas.