NAZARETH HOUSE, CHRISTCHURCH

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVII, Issue 3, 21 January 1909, Page 91

NAZARETH HOUSE, CHRISTCHURCH

LAYING THE FOUNDATION STONE

(From our own correspondent.)

Under very favorable auspices generally, and more particularly as regards the weather, the foundation stone of the new Nazareth House, on the site of the Community's recently acquired property, ' The Grove,' Sydenham, was laid on Sunday afternoon last in the presence of an assembly of several thousand persons. With admirable forethought, a covered-in platform was erected by the contractors, Messrs.- J. Smith and Son, for the accommodation and convenience of those directly participating in the function. The stone was blessed by his Lordship Bishop Grimes, who was attended by the principal diocesan clergy. Among the clergy present were the Very Rev. Dean Ginaty, V.G., Very Rev. Father Regnault, Provincial, Yen. Archpriest Le Menant des Chesnais (Temuka), Very Rev. Father O'Shea, V.G. (Wellington), Very Rev. Dean Carew (Greymouth), Very Rev. Dean O'Donnell (Ashburton), Very Rev. Father Price, Adm., Very Rev. Dr. Kennedy (Meanee), .Rev. Fathers Le Floch (Timaru), Bowers (Geraldine), Ainsworth (Hokitika), Lowham, Hills (Leeston), Tubman (Timaru), Richards (Hawarden), Bell, Creed (Kumara), O'Connor (Ross), Aubrey and Tymons (Waimate), Kerley (Timaru)^ Lee (Lincoln), Nouyoux (Ahaura), O'Hare, Hoare, Moloney, Cooney (Lyttelton), Taylor (Greymouth), Le Petit (Fairlie), McDonald (Temuka), Aherne (Ashburton), O'Dwyer (Greymouth), Hyland (Rangiora), Bonetto (Akaroa). A guard of honor to the Governor was formed by members of the Hibernian Society. His Lordship, having blessed the stone, addressed his remarks to ' his Excellency the Governor, Sir Joseph^Ward, and the very reverend and dear Fathers and friends,' said that one and twenty years ago he paid his first visit" to the West Coast of this island. Like every observant traveller, he was deeply impressed with the grandeur* of . the scenery on the way, the lofty mountains, the charming bush with its varied tints, the magnificent gorge, the copious rivers and streams, and, above all, with the cordial hospitality of the people, hospitality which had become a very household word. He visited most of the mining districts, and there it was that he was struck with the first discordant note. It was the painful sight of many aged and worn-out miners drawing near to the end of their long and laborious careers without the prospect of any comfortable homes, without any kind hand of friend or relation to soothe their declining years or to help them to prepare for the last long journey, from time to eternity. Then it was he conceived the idea of inaugurating some kind of institution such as that of which the foundation stone was to be laid by his Excellency that day. At that time the boon of olcf age pensions was not even on the distant horizon, and he resolved, if God spared him, to bring from Europe a band of devoted Sisters who would soothe the last days of aged and infirm miners and others in similar circumstances. He turned towards the Little Sisters of the Poor, who had a world-wide reputation for philanthropy, or, rather, charity. Sickness overtaking him, he was obliged to visit Europe sooner than he intended, and saw the founder of the Order, whose Sisters were then counted by thousands. She received him most graciously, and promised him in the near future to send a mimber of her spiritual children to New Zealand. Alas ! death took her from her family, and hundreds who were willing to come out to this country were swept away by an epidemic, and so the negotiations fell to_the ground. His attention was "then directed to another institution — that of the Sisters of Nazareth. Their headquarters were then, as they were still, at Hammersmith, in London. He studied the objects and aims of .their institute, and found their work was even more comprehensive than that, noble as it was, of the Little Sisters of the Poor. Besides the aged, the Sisters .of Nazareth watched over the ■ infirm, no matter what their age ; they attended little orphans and waifs and strays, the blind and even the incurable. The head of the Order (who, he regretted to say, had been taken away from them by death during the last month) received him kindly, and promised she would do her best to establish a - branch in Christchurch. It took years to bring negotiations to a successful issue, and 'only four years ago a devoted band of Sisters had:. left everything that was dear and near to them to come to New Zealand to devote themselves to suffering humanity. Their devotion was hailed with gratitdue and delight, and the local press did all in- its great power to help them further in their noble cause. Since their coming some 180 individuals had passed through their hands — thirty-three old men, fifty-four aged women, and eighty-seven dear littla children. At present they had over eighty-seven in their care — many of them hopelessly paralysed, besides many blind and infirm and a great number of little children. At

that time the noble institute of Mount Magdala had not begun their great work of an industrial school. The ladies of Nazareth were ladies who had practically ostracised themselves from the society to which their culture and refinement certainly gave them- a right. They bade farewell to the family which was as dear to the heart of a Sister as to any other — they bade farewell to their country, and, in fact, they made slaves of themselves for Jesus Christ, and slaves to His poor. In the name of the devoted Sisters, in the name of the dear orphans, in the name of all present, in the name of suffering humanity, he begged to tender his Excellency the united expression of their gratitude and delight . at the presence of his Excellency, and their gratitude was enhanced by the fact that his Excellency had encountered a rough-passage with boisterous seas to be present with them that day. He was no prophet, but he might say that he foresaw and fearlessly predicted that the work which was being inaugurated by the laying of the foundation stone would have a long and glorious futuro in their midst. Hundreds and thousands would go through the institution, and would be lovingly cared for by the Sisters of Nazareth, and would thank God for what had been done on their behalf. In conclusion his Lordship expressed the hope that the Great Giver of all good things would bless the institution, and that the devoted Sisters would live there and continue to give practical proof of true charity — religion, pure and undefiled — by living among and attending to the most appalling kinds of suffering that humaaity was heir to. His Lordship then presented Lord Plunket with a handsome silver trowel bearing the following inscription: ' Presented to his Excellency Lord Plunket, K.C.M.G., on the occasion of the laying of the foundation stone of Nazareth House, January 17th, 1909. Collins and Harman, architects ; J. Smith, builder.' His Excellency Lord Plunket, after apologising for keeping the people waiting, referred facetiously to the fact that when he was on a fishing excursion or attending the races in Christchurch, tlie weather was invariably favorable, but on this, his first official function, the elements had been unkind;. He supposed he must blame the Government for it. If -the railways had gone wrong he could have attacked the right person (motioning to Sir Joseph Ward), but he supposed the Minister of Marine could not be called to task for the rough passage that he (his Excellency) had experienced His Excellency assured those present that it was a special pleasure to him 'to accept their kind invitation to^lay the foundation stone of Nazareth House. The function he was taking part in was particularly appropriate, for his office, as representative of his Majesty the King, gave much support to charitable institutions, especially those that helped to alleviate pain and sickness among the poorer of his Majesty's subjects. Everyone knew of that splendid fund — the Prince of Wales' Fund — in which his Majesty took such great interest, and which had collected many millions of pounds for the hospitals of London. He did not know if the House at Hammersmith benefited by the fund, but he knew that the work of the institution was as much admired by those who were outside of the creed of its founders as those within. They all had the greatest admiration for the Sisters, gentle, cultured ladies, to whom the hard task of nursing the little children and tending the sick was a happiness. There must be many unpleasant times in the course of their duties, which included even the collecting of scraps of food for those in their charge. In Wellington they had an institution of a similar kind to Nazareth House, and he might say that it was probably the most popular in that city. There were a certain number of people who thought that the State was doing so much work for the sick and afflicted that they considered it unnecessary to open their ptirse strings when an appeal was being made. But there wore' many whom the State could not touch, and it was hard to find places for the unfortunate cripples and many of the suffering, and it was in this respect that the ladies of Nazareth House were doing such great work. In conclusion, he congratulated the Bishop on the inauguration of the work, and expressed the hope that before he left New Zealand he would pay another visit to, the institution — to find that it contained a population of afflicted humanity made happy and contented by- the ministrations of the good Sisters. At the conclusion of his Excellency's address, the stone was lowered into position, and declared by him to be well and truly laid. Under the stone was placed the following worded document, engrossed on parchment: — 'D.O.M. ' Sub invocatione . . , ' Hunc lapidem primarium benedixit et posuit Rev.mus Johannes Josephus Grimes, Episcopus Christopolitanus, die Januarii 17ma, 1909, feliciter regnante Pio Papa- X. ; Brittanniarum Rege et Indiarum Imperatore Eduardo VII. ; vices regis gerente Domino Plunket.' Also the latest copies of the N.Z. Tablet, the Catholic Times, the Press, and the Eyttelton Times; a photograph

of Christchurch Cathedral, a view of part of the Mother House, Hammersmith, London, and representative current coins of the realm. Among those on the platform were the Right Hon. the Premier, Sir Joseph Ward, Lady Ward, Miss Eileen Ward, Captain Gathorne-Hardy (aide-de-camp to the Governor), the Hon. D. Buddo, the Hon. C. Louisson, Sir George Clifford, Mr. G. W. Russell, M.P., Mr. H. G. Ell, M.P., Mr. T. H. Davey, M.P., and a large and representative gathering of specially invited guess, including Messrs. H. R. Smith (town clerk), G. Payling, J. L. Scott, W. Hayward, sen., R. D. Harman, W. W. Smith, Dr. Crooke, and the ' Rev. I. A. Bernstein.- A pleasing feature of the gathering was the presence of a large number of the little orphans and some of the aged inmates of the present Nazareth House, in charge of several of the Sisters. Ample provision was made for the conveyance of. distinguished visitors and the clergy by carriage' and by tram for. the general public. ' ' The amount laid on the stone, collected in cash, totalled £500, which, with promises, will exceed £600. Several substantial amounts were contributed, hut as the Sisters of Nazareth intend publishing the complete list the names will appear later. On the termination of the ceremony his Excellency the Governor and the Premier drove away amid the loud cheers of the crowd. Bishop Grimes expressed his great gratification at the completeness of the arrangements made for the day's proceedings by the executive (his Lordship Bishop Grimes, Rev. Father Price, Messrs. J. J. Wilson, R. Hayward, G. R. Hart, and E. O'Connor, secretary). The plans of the new building" show that the front elevation depicts in course of erection a handsome brick and stone edifice. The building will not be completed at present, but the main portion of the work will be taken. in_ hand. There is ample provision for refectories, lavatories,play, work, and store rooms, and a heating system by steam • pipes will be installed. The Rev. Mother said that the principal decorations would be comfortable furniture -and smiling faces. Everything was done to make the children and old people feel quite at home, arid, the new building was being erected in as simple and homelike a manner as possible. The building will be of two storeys, the ground floor being devoted to reception and work rooms, a pharmacy, school rooms, and general offices, and the upper portion to bedrooms, the administrative block being at the back. About twenty rooms will be built, and the 'plans show that they will be very capacious and airy.