Diocesan News

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1, 7 January 1909, Page 13

Diocesan News

ARCHDIOCESE OF WELLINGTON

(From our own correspondent.)

v anuary 2. His Grace the Archbishop will open a new oratory at St. Bride's Convent, Masterton, on Sunday, January 10. Mr. L. A. Frost has been appointed a member of the Executive of the Wellington Catholic Club, vice Mr. E. lieydon, resigned. There was Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament at St. Joseph's, Buckle street, on Sunday from the last Mass till Vespers, at which the usual procession took place. ■ Keen interest is being taken in the wool sale to be field in Wellington on January 8, as it is expected to be the largest ever held in the city. The catalogues will comprise close on 17,000 bales. Mr. B. Leydon, who was till recently a prominent member of the Catholic Club, and left Wellington to take up a Government position at Marton, has now been transferred to the King Country. The monthly meeting of Thorndon Women's branch of the Sacred Heart Association was held in the Basilica -on Wednesday, December 30, when 'there were about 200 present. The Rev. Father Peoples gave an instructive discourse on the Blessed Virgin Mary, and his Grace the Archbishop officiated at the Benediction. Among the many visitors to the Catholic Club during the Christmas holidays were Messrs. Keogh and J. M. Murphy. The former, who arrived from Pretoria (South Africa) by the s.s. Morayshire, is a journalist, and intends making his home in Wellington. Mr. Murphy is the popular president of Wanganui Catholic Club. The members of the choir of the Church of the Sacred Heart, Thorndon, met recently to' bid farewell' to Miss Evelyn Henderson, ' who is leaving Wellington for South Africa. In presenting Miss Henderson with a_gold bangle from the members of the choir, the Hon. R. A. Loughnan, M.L.C., referred to their departing comrade's eight years of sterling work in the choir, of the esteem in which she was held, and of her untiring enthusiasm in matters relating- to church .music. On behalf of the members he wished" her bon voyage to her new home, and expressed the wish that her services there would be appreciated as much as they had been in Wellington. A wedding, which created much interest throughout the Hutt Valley,, took place at the Catholic Church on Wednesday, December 30. The contracting parties were Miss Margaret McGrath, second daughter of Mr. John McGrath, of Taita, and Mr. W. H. McMenamin, eldest son of Mr. J. McMenamin, of Lower Hutt. The ceremony was performed by the Very Rev. Father Lane, assisted by the v Rev. Father Walshe. The bride's wreath and veil, trimmed with Limerick lace, were gifts from the Sisters of St. Ursula's Convent, Cork, Ireland. The bridesmaids were -Misses Mary McGrath, Etta McMenamin, Amy McParland,- and Ivey Dunphy. After the ceremony some three hundred and fifty guests assembled at the residence of" Mr. McGrath, at the Taita, where the wedding breakfast was partaken of in a\large marquee. The annual picnic and sports held at Very Rev. Father Lane's grounds adjoining the Lower Hutt Catholic Church were very enjoyable. About 2000 persons were present. Amongst the visitors were Rev. Father Hickson, S.M., Sir Joseph and Lady War,d," Colonel Collins, and other prominent Catholics. A splendid programme was provided. The excitement of the day was on the tug-of-war between eight aside teams from Hutt and Wellington, which after a ,-strenuous pull in the -final was won by the former team. 'The Hutt Brass Band was in attendance, and gave some splendid selections. The success of the picnic was due .to the untiring efforts of the committee and the secretary <Mr. J. Rodgers). On Monday evening, December 28, a, social gathering and concert were held in the Town Hall, Lower Hutt, as a supplementary function to Satur- . day's sports and picnic. There was a large attendance. Mesdames Casey, Hayes, and Sullivan, assisted by a number of others, were in charge of the refreshments. The

executive and Messrs. J.- Hayes and C. O'Brien worked hard towards the success of the gathering. On Day services at St. Gerard's Church of the Redemptorists, Hawker street, were well attended. There were three Masses celebrated, and at 10.30 Solemn High Mass was celebrated by, the Very Rev. Father Clune, C.SS.R., assisted by the < Rev. Fathers McDermott and Lowham. The choir of St. Gerard's, under the conductorship of Mr. F. J. Oakes, sang Abbe Lambillotte's Mass in D, and were assisted by several members of the Wellington Professional Orchestra. The Rev. Father McDermott preached a short sermon on the feast of the day, and at the conclusion of the Mass the Very Rev. Father Clune from the altar thanked the choir and orchestra for their very fine efforts. He remarked that the choir had only been in existence for some six weeks, and the production of such a fine. Mass in so finished a manner - reflected the highest credit upon the members and' the conductor, Mr. Oakes. At the fete held in the Home of Compassion, Island Bay, on Christmas Day there were two bountifully laden Christmas trees — one in the boys' and the ' other in the girls' ward. Amongst those present were the Very Rev. Dean Regnault (Provincial), Fathers Hickson, Yenning, and Rev. Father Forster, S.J. ~ln the afternoon a musical entertainment was given by Misses Davis 3 D. Guise, Ruby McDonald, A. and R. Siegrief, Eileen Ward, and Wilson, Miss Putnam playing the accompaniments. Several selections were given by the Battalion Band. Afternoon tea was dispensed by the committee, consisting of Misses C. Guise, F. Guise, Eileen Ward,. and* Messrs. C. McDonald, G. Wright, and A. A. Amodeo (secretary)j assisted by Miss R. Mcllligott and. Mr. W. Wright. Rev. Mother Mary Aubert took the opportunity "of thanking .all who had given their -services in making the lot of the inmates of the home happier and brighter, and was pleased to see\that their efforts had been attended with success. The secretary (Mr. Amodeo) wished to thank all who had contributed gifts, etc., to the home during the Christmas holidays. s - The annual gathering of the Wellington Catholic Club at the Marist Brothers' School on the evening of December 21 took the form of a reunion between the old boys of the school and the Marist Brothers. ,The festivities (says the Neio Zealand Times) also included congratulations to Mr. J. E. Fitzgerald on his candidature for the Wellington Suburbs seat. There was a. very large attendance. The presence of Archbishop Redwood gave full recognition to the work of the club. He was supported* by the Rev. Father Hickson and Rev. ( Father Yenning. The Hon. R. A. Loughnan, M.L.C., was amongst the visitors.' The chairman (Mr. A. H. Casey) stated that events 'had" arisen at the .last moment to prevent the Yen. Archdeacon Devoy, the Very Rev. Father O'Shea, and Mr. Martin Kennedy being present. Mr. J. J. Devine, speaking to the toast of ' Catholic Education,' gave a resume of what had been done in the way of providing Catholic schools for the past/ thirty years. His Grace the Archbishop, in replying, said that the Catholics had obtained the only real and solid system of education in this Dominion. Man's education o\ight to be in accordance with what he was made for,. Every man was made for a supernatural end. If they did not educate a boy or • girl to that end it was a great mistake. That was what the State education in New Zealand did not do. The system was lopsided. - The system of Catholic education in New Zealand was such that a • young man could be educated up to the university on Catholic lines and -in a Catholic atmosphere. -,s, s The Bishop of the country, he went on to say, would one day be a New Zealander. That change would come just as it had done in the United States. Already some fifty New Zealanders had come out of St. Patrick's College to join the ranks of the clergy in the Dominion. The Catholics were stronger to-day than if their schools had been provided by the State. Their , adversities had united them, and to-day they were a great force in the country. Democracy was on its trial, and he believed that in the future the Catholics ' would be the light of this" country. They would be able to grant the working man his rights, and give him* justice.. If people did not follow the^ Catholics they would fall into the gulf of Socialism. Seven-eighths of what the Socialists were asking for was right, but in the remaining eighth they wanted to destroy religion and the home, and if there was no religion people would get what was known as an atheistic democracy. He could not imagine anything more horrible. They had that in France to-day. He was very pleased to say that with the exception of Belgium the Catholics in New Zealand had advanced more than any other country, in accordance with the papal teaching. ,Speeches were also delivered by the Chairman, RevBrother Justin, Messrs. E. J. Fitzgibbon," S. J. Moran, Rev. Father Hickson, and others.