Diocesan News

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVII, Issue 19, 13 May 1909, Page 734

Diocesan News

ARCHDIOCESE OF WELLINGTON

(From Our Own Correspondent.) May 8. Tenders are being called for the erection of a now chapel in connection with the seminary at Meanee. On Tuesday the members of the St. Anne's Literary Debating Society held a ' Question Night.' Brother Kieran, of the Redemptorist Order, arrived from Sydney on Wednesday, having been transferred to Wellington. Brother Donatus, of the Marist Brothers, has been transferred to the school at Invercargill, his place in Wellington being taken by Brother Frederick. At the election of the Wellington South School Committee the following members of St. Anne's parish were successful in gaining seats: — Messrs. B. A. Guise, J. Heavey, E. J. Leydon, and J. Wicklyffe. - Last Monday night the members of the St. Aloysius Boys' Club were entertained by Mr. L. F. Reiehel, who gave lantern views of European scenes. The boys heartily enjoyed the entertainment. The tide of immigration flowed fairly strong during April, as far as Wellington was concerned, but the figures show a falling off of 470 as against those of April last year. The total' arrivals were 1141, being 440 from the United Kingdom and 701 from Australia. At the successful social evening held on Wednesday evening in the Town Hall in aid of the building fund jf the new church at Brooklyn, there was a very large attendance. It is expected that about £100 will be added to the fund. There was Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament at St. Mary of the Angels' Church on Sunday from the last Mass until Vespers. The Very Rev. Dean Regnault, JS.M. (Provincial), preached an instructive discourse on the Blessed Virgin. The stallholders and assistants at the recent bazaar in aid of the building of a new Catholic Church at Kilbirnie were entertained by the Yen. Archdeacon Devoy, S.M., at a social gathering in St. Anne's Hall, Newtown, on "Wednesday evening. A very enjoyable evening was spent. The total net results of the bazaar amount to about £450. On Thursday at St. Joseph's Church Mr. Frederick W. Whitaker, second son of the late Mr. C. Whitaker, and stepson of Sub-Inspector O'Donovan, was married to Miss Jeannie Leatchwich, of Wellington, the Very Rev. Father O'Shea, S.M., V.G., officiating. Miss Hilda Scott was bridesmaid and Mr. W. O'Meara best man. The wedding breakfast was held at the residence of Mrs. Elliott, Hayward terrace. The half-a-crown tax levied by Madame Melba for her autograph, in the interests of charity, reached a not inconsiderable sum during the diva's stay in Wellington. On the suggestion of Mrs. Findlay, wife of the Hon. Mr. Findlay, K.C.,, Attorney-General, who was consulted in the matter, Madame" Melba decided to hand over the full amount to the Home of Compassion. This was done on Tuesday afternoon at the Grand Hotel, when the Rev. Mother Mary Joseph Aubert, who was accompanied by Mrs. Findlay, received the gift from the distinguished singer on behalf of the home. At a special meeting of the executive of the St. Patrick's College Old Boys' Association, held on the 30th ult., it was resolved — ' That all subscriptions in arrear prior to the 28th I'ebruary, 1908, be remitted, and that every member be circularised to the effect that such remission has been made conditional upon outstanding subscriptions for the years 1908-9 and 1909-10 being paid on or before the 30th June, 1909.' The object of this resolution was to give all members who had from various causes become defaulters an opportunity of becoming financial, and by this means to resuscitate interest in the association.

An effort is being made to increase the parish collections for the Cathedral fund this year, in the hope that it may be found possible to fix a date for the commencement of the work. The Cathedral will be erected on the block' of ground containing St. Joseph's Church, St. Patrick's College, and other Catholic buildings, and it will face either Buckle street or Tory street. With the completion of. the Cathedral, St. Joseph's Church will be no longer used. The authorities do not intend to commence the erection of the Cathedral till they can provide, without undue financial strain, for a building of sufficient size and dignity to meet the requirements of many years to come. Notwithstanding the inclement weather on Monday* there was a large attendance of sailors at the Rest, when a concert was given under the auspices of the Wellington Catholic Seamen's Conference. The following kindly contributed items to the programme : — Misses Bowden (song), Nellie Hickey and Vera Little (Scotch reel), McCarthy (piano), E. Scanlon (recitation), Elsie Strickland (song), F. .Tregonning (song), Scanlon and W r areham (Spanish bolero), Messrs. Stewart Brown (several comic items), Cooze (comic sketch), A. Foote (song), A. Hudson (violin solo), C. E. Richards ('cello solo), F. Parkes (song). The accompaniments were played by Misses McCarthy and Taylor. It is intended (says the Dominion) to request power of Parliament, next session, under the Catholic Lands Act, to lease the valuable site in Victoria avenue, Wanganui, on which stand the Catholic Church, convent, schools, a>id priests' residence. The.site, which has a frontage of 400 feet, is now so near the business portion of the town that' it can ill be spared for church purposes, for which a more suitable site, with an elevated situation, has been secured in Guy ton street, a few minutes' walk distant. If Parliamentary authority is obtained, the church, convent, and other structures will be rebuilt on this site, and the old site let for business purposes. The convent is not nearly large enough for present requirements, and the church is getting old, so that it will be an advantage to replace these buildings. The members of the Wellington French Club were the guests of Professor von Zedlitz at Victoria College en Tuesday evening. There was a large attendance. M. Duflou presided. Prof, von Zedlitz gave a most interesting address on travels in Spain, referring to Gibraltar ai d Algeciras, but more particularly to Granada and the Aihambra ,the Alcazar, and the famous mosque at Cordova. In order to illustrate his remarks on Moorish architecture in Spain, the professor iised a lantern, and exhibited a magnificent collection of architectural pictures. The glorious reign of the Moors and their surrender of Granada to Ferdinand and Isabella were also referred to, and some magnificent passages in connection with Boabdil's farewell were read from Theophile Gautier. After the lecture, Professor von Zedlitz entertained the members at supper. A-- cordial vote of thanks was accorded the professor, on the motion of M. Duflou, the president. • It will be remembered (says the Dominion) that some time ago the water which supplied the hillside reservoir at the Home of Compassion failed, and Mother Mary Joseph Aubert was greatly troubled to obtain a fresh supply. The Rev. H. Mason, who had on many occasions been successful in discovering underground springs, came from Auckland to Mother Mary's assistance, and succeeded in locating water in four or five places. "His is a very curious gift. Surface water does not produce any extraordinary effect upon him, but when he comes near hidden water, it may be twenty or forty feet beneath him, the impression is as definite as though there were some electric communication. He selected one place as being workable, a place on a steep hillside, and he said that water would be found so many feet beneath the place where he put a peg. The only way of reaching the water was to tunnel from far down, and for the past five weeks two men hay.» been at workj first cutting in the open ground and then tunnelling. A fifty-foot tunnel was to reach the spot, and by Tuesday night the men were quite disheartened because, having tunnelled to 49 feet, there was not a trickle of water. Next morning they put in another charge of dynamite, and with a spurt the water came. '-Cold as ice,' says Mother Mary delightedly, ' and pure as crystal ; enough to fill a two-inch pipe continuously.' ' Steps will now be taken to convey this water to the reservoir, which so many" of the Wellington people helped to build. ,