REV. MOTHER MARIE ST. BENEDICT, ASHBURTON.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVII, Issue 18, 6 May 1909, Page 704

REV. MOTHER MARIE ST. BENEDICT, ASHBURTON.

The intelligence was received at the Sacred Heart Con-vent, Barbadoes street, on Sunday (writes our Christchurch correspondent), of the death at the Ashburton Convent of Mother Marie St.- Benedict, of the Institute of Notre Dame des Missions. Although having attained the ripe age of 74 years, the late' Rev. Mother was not, apart from the usual tendency to minor complaints, to the knowledge of the members of the community in this city, in any imminent danger of death, and the notification of the fact came somewhat as a shock. The late Mother St. Benedict was the last of the original Land of those Sisters of" the Missions who came to establish the community in Christchurch. Mother St. Benedict and her pioneer companions arrived at Lyttelton on Sunday, February 9, 1868. On arriving at Christchurch tliey were met by the then pastor of the district, the Rev. Father Chataigner, . S.M., who (according to the writer of ' The Church in New Zealand ') made whatever arrangements were possible (under the circumstances of their arrival* earlier than expected) for their temporary housing. Mother St. Benedict was identified with the convent here until about fourteen years ago, when she was transferred to Ashburton, where she had remained ever since. The late Rev. Mother was of French nationality, and at the time of her death was about the oldest member of the now world-wide Order. In the Cathedral on • Sunday his Lordship the Bishop recommended her soul to~the prayers of the faithful, and offered Mass on this(Monday) morning for the same intention. Requiem Mass will be celebrated on_ Tuesday at Ashburton for the repose of the soul of 'the late Rev. Mother, the funeral obsequies immediately following. His Lordship the Bishop will be represented by the VicarGeneral, the Very Rev. Dean Ginaty, S.M., on the occasion.—R.l.P.