Timaru

New Zealand Tablet, 10 September 1908, Page 15

Timaru

(From cur own correspondent.)

August 31.

A meeting of St. John's Tennis Club was hold in the club's room on Sunday afternoon, Rev. Father Kerley presiding. The report and balance sheet of the past year showed the finances of the club to be in a very satisfactory position, there being accredit balance of £$. The election of officers resulted as follows : President, Rev. Father Tubman ; vice-president, Rev. Father Kerley ; secretary and treasurer, Mr. M. Schaab ; committee — Dr. Loughnan, Messrs. McKennah, Yenning, and Dunne, and the Misses Mara, Rissel, and McGrath. It was resolved to get,' up a euchre party to supplement the club's funds before th;-.. - opening of the season. ' On Thursday evening the boys of our school ,to the number of over i.oo, were, .entertained by the ladies of the parish, the event being to mark the close of the school's football season. -^ Rev. Father Tubman presided, and there were also present- Rev. Father Yenning, Brother , Egbert and school staff, Dr. Loughnan, and Messrs. M. O'Meeghan, J. Reilly, T. Brosnahan, Jordan, Murphy, Dunne, and Doyle. The proceedings ,\vere most cis- ' thusiastic, and the following toasts were honored : — ' The Pope,* by the Rev. Chairman; 'The King,' .by Rev. Father Yenning; 4 The School Team,' by Rev. Brother Egbert; 'The Clergy,' by Mr. Doyle; ! The Brothers,'' by Dr. Loughnan; 'The Old Boys,' ' by one of the school lads-, Father Yenning and Messrs. Doyle and Danne, responding; and-' The Ladies,' by Mr. Dunne. Th.; " school football team has had a victorious career this season**'* winning, the banner from all the schools of South Canterbury,*"'' and also carrying off one of the grades in the seyen-aside tournament. Most of the speakers referred to the splendid educational work done in the school by the Marist Brothers, and to the freely admitted fact that the success of the school did not stop with sport, but was also extended to the educational and ip-

ligious work. The flag won -in the competition 1 was unfurled by Master' O'Meeghan; amidst great cheering. * Songs were" rendered by Mr. Murphy and Masters O'Meeghan and Brosnahan. The young ladies of the parish did the catering^ and. helped to make the function the success it was. '

September 7. This (Monday) morning about 4 o'clock the Church of the Sacred" Heart had a narrow escape from being totally destroyed by fire. Some' passers-by noticed the smoke rising through the roof of the 'sacristy, and at once gave the alarm. The fire brigade turned out promptly, and succeeded in" confining the flames to the sacristy, where it evidently originated, the south side of the sanctuary and part of the roof over the organ. Tha damage is estimated at about and it is mostly" covered by insurance. The Rev. Father Tubman, with Rev. Fathers Le Floch and Kerley, gave the brigade every assistance, and Rev. Father Kerley, with some difficulty, owing ; to the 'smoke, removed the Blessed Sacrament. It is intended to practically build^a new sacristy, and roof the whole building with iron,- probably putting it over- the shingles on the unburnt portion. The, loss of vestments was most serious, and it will take time to replace the fine collection that had been gathered together ; some chalices and a monstrance were also destroyed. The value of the sacristy's contents may be put down at and the damage to building being about makes the total as before-mentioned —^4oo.