Hastings

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVII, Issue 26, 1 July 1909, Page 1023

Hastings

(From Our Own Correspondent.) June 23. Sunday, June 20, was a red-letter day for the Catholics of Hastings, in so far as it marked another step forward in the equipment of the parish by the formal opening of a new parochial hall, which has just been erected at a cost of about £900. The new building is situated at the rear of the convent and girls' school, and has a frontage to Eastbourne street. It comprises a social hall, 70ft by 30ft, two commodious rooms for the use of the Catholic Young Men's Club and the Hibernian Society", another room, and a kitchen fitted up with the necessary conveniences for the holding of socials, etc. The main hall, which is furnished with a concert stage, is capable of seating about 450 people. There was a very large congregation at the Church of the Sacred Heart, when Mass was celebrated by Very Rev. Dean Regnault, S.M. His Grace Archbishop Redwood, Very Rev. Dr. Kennedy (Meeanee), and Very Rev. Dean Smyth were in the sanctuary. St. Cecilia's Mass was nicely rendered by a full choir under the baton of Mr. O. Avison, Mrs. V. R. Roach presiding at the organ. At the conclusion of Mass, the congregation, headed by the members of the Catholic Young Men's Club and the Hibernian Society in regalia, formed a guard of honor to the new hall. After the ceremony of blessing the building, his Grace, addressing the gathering which filled the hall ,said ho was glad to have been afforded the opportunity of blessing, opening, and dedicating to Saint Patrick so fine a building. He congratulated the parish on "its possession of a building which would be of great service to the societies and sodalities connected with the Church. The hall was to be used as a place of union — a place where Catholics could unite for any enterprise leading to their own. and the Church's advancement. He congratulated the architect and the contractor. The hall was strongly built and well erected. Looking at it to-day, continued his Grace, his mind travelled back over the earlier history of the parish, and called to memory the conditions existing when Dean Smyth came to Hastings many years ago. He (Dean Smyth) found a church here which in those days served its purpose. The parish grew, and Dean Smyth set about building another church — the one they were using now, which was certainly an ornament to the district, a model of taste in the ornamentation of its sanctuary, and of which they rightly felt proud. They owed the possession of that church, as Avell as the other buildings in the parish, to Dean Smyth's "wise discretion and their own noble generosity. Referring to education, his Grace said that nothing was more important at the present time than that Catholic children should be educated in Catholic schools, for scepticism was rife, and to safeguard the faith their children required to be well grounded in the Catholic religion, as well as a good secular education. This could not be accomplished unless they were trained in an atmosphere of religion and piety. Dean Smyth had had the parish equipped to give such education to their children here. He congratulated the Dean on all he had wrought in the past, and he felt sure the congregation congratulated him also. The time was now come when the Dean was called to another sphere of work, and before . long they would be giving him a noble send-off. Continuing, his Grace said there was one thing they could do to rejoice the heart of their priest, and that was to give the promise that they would be true to themselves and extinguish the debt on the hall. They had now the reputation of possessing one of the most fully equipped parishes, according to their means, in the Dominion. His Grace concluded by expressing the hope that the new hall woull be a source of blessing both spiritually and temporally. Very Rev. Dean Smyth said his- heart was too full to make a speech, but he wished to express his gratitude to the Archbishop for the help he "had always given the parish. His Grace had often put himself to great inconvenience to come here, and it was a great kindness of him to come to Hastings to open the hall. He could not speak of his departure from their midst — his lips refused to move. He was sure the good work which had been carried on whilst, he was in Hastings would continue under the direction of his successor. Referring to the building which had just been opened, the Dean said he wished to thank the contractor for the way in which he had carried out his work. He had had less cause for complaint in this building than in any of the others,

and they all knew he was hard to please. Concluding, Dean Smyth thanked the people, his committees, and the press — the former for their hearty co-operation in the work of the -parish and the press for the help it had generously accorded him. A collection taken up in. aid of the building fund realised £68. The ceremony was brought to a close by the assemblage singing ' Hail, Gloi'ious St. Patrick,' led by the school children. During the proceedings the Sacred Heart choir rendered ' The radiant mom ' and ' Nearer, my God, to Thee.' His Grace the Archbishop preactied at Vespers to a crowded congregation. His Grace visited Meeance and Napier on Monday in company with Deau Regnault and Dr. Kennedy. At the ceremony of dedicating the new parochial hall on Sunday, Mr. W. T. Dennett, on behalf of the congregation, presented ' Mr. J. P. Elwood with a handsome case of plate and a pair of gold sleeve-links as a mark of their appreciation of his work as architect of the building, and in recognition of his previous services to the Church. In making the presentation, Mr. Dennett referred to the good work Mr. Elwood had done in the parish in his professional capacity, and expressed regret at his departure from their midst. Mr. Elwood, to whom the present camo as a genuine surprise, in responding, said what he had done was to him a labor of love. When he arrived in Hastings twenty-nine years ago there was no church here at all, and it had been a source of pleasure to him to be able to assist Dean Smytli with the buildings in the parish, which was now so fully equipped. He expressed the hope that the new hall, would be largely used for the purposes for which it was bxiilt. Mr. Elwood has lately taken up his residence in Napier.