DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH

New Zealand Tablet, 24 February 1910, Page 294

DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH

v'-' * > •- (From our own correspondent.) • ' - February 21. The Rev. Mother Provincial of the Sisters, of the Good Shepherd arrived last week on a visit to Mount Magdala. • . /V; ‘ _ : . • Over seventy boarders will be in residence at the Sacred Heart Convent in charge of the Sisters of the Missions this year as pupils of the/High School, constituting a record. The day scholars are also entering in increasing numbers. On next Sunday the Rev. Father Daull, S.M. A., will be' at Hawarden, and during the following few weeks will give illustrated lectures in the principal centres of this parochial district in connection .with the African Missions. . The Rev. Father Fay, S.M., for a number of years assistant to the Rev. Father Holley, S.M., at Blenheim, has been appointed parish priest of Temuka in succession to the late Ven. Archpriest Le Menant des Chesnais. ■ ’ ' At the usual weekly meeting of the Christchurch Catholic Club on last Tuesday evening two new members were elected, and one candidate nominated for 'membership. Mr. E. L. McKeown offered a prize to the winning team in a series of ' debates to be held during the session. Mr. E. Brown won a billiards tournament, Mr. D. O’Connell being second. - . . , Playing on last Saturday in the primary schools cricket competition against the Addington school, the Marist Brothers’ boys’ team declared their innings closed./ for 181 tuns with eight wickets down, B. Khouri being 114 not out. The Addington school in ; their two - innings scored only 13 and 19 runs respectively. M. Pope and D. McGreal took an equal • share of the wickets, displacing the Addington team in less than an hour. The St. Patrick’s Day celebration executive committee met on last Tuesday evening, the Very Rev. Father Price, Adm., presiding. The Very Rev. chairman said it was rather late to call the committee together, but intervening circumstances had prevented earlier action. He had no doubt, however, in view of the energy displayed on previous occasions, that the celebration this year would be quite as successful as any in the past. It was decided to secure His Majesty’s Theatre for the evening of Thursday, March 17, for a national entertainment ■ on behalf of the funds of Nazareth House. In the formation , of a _ general committee the various Catholic societies of the city are asked to appoint two representatives to act with the executive committee. Tickets were ordered to be at once issued, and the programme sub-committee asked to outline an appropriate programme. A general meeting of . the Society of St. Vincent de Paul under the Particular Council of Christchurch was held on last Monday evening. The Very Rev. Father Price, Adm. (spiritual director), presided, and the various conferences and Ladies of Charity of. St.' Vincent de Paul were well represented. A synopsis of the correspondence received and replied to since the last general meeting was given by the president, who also read a portion of an article entitled ‘ The Lay Apostolate ’ (that relating to boys’ patronages), contributed by the Rev.; Father Venning, S.M., Wellington. Favorable reports of their respective conferences were given- by Bro. G. C. Hayward (president, Cathedral), Bro. »A. H. Blake (president, St. Mary’s, Christchurch North), Bro. H. Anthony (president, St. Joseph’s Mission to Catholic Seamen, Lyttelton), and Miss Wally (president, Ladies of Charity). The Very Rev. Father Price, in ; the course of a practical address, congratulated the conferences and Ladies of Charity on their sustained ? activity and amount of beneficial work being done as indicated in the several official reports. He sincerely hoped the ranks of membership < would increase and remain well filled. If people, he said/ could be brought to realise how much each might do and understand that by becoming members of .the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, they would feel they were benefiting themselves, whilst giving help and consolation to ’ their less fortunate brethren.\ Among our young boys a live interest and energetic activity* could: be put to very profitable account. Every Catholic boy should be induced to join the associations now formed for them. " He warmly congratulated the Brothers of the _ Lyttelton Conference on the splendid work they were doing among the seamen. They deserved every help and encouragement in their endeavors to better the life and prospects of the seafaring community, who were very grateful for anything done for them. THE LATE VEN. ARCHPRIEST LE MENANT DES - . CHESNAIS, S.M. Prior to engaging in the business for which the St. Patrick’s Day celebration executive committee met on last Tuesday evening (writes our Christchurch correspondent;, Mr. • E. O’Connor (secretary) - said ■ it would be fitting to convey to his Lordship the Bishop an expression of deep sorrow at the death of the Ven, Archpriest Le Menant des Chesnais/ S.M., and of sincere condolence with his Lordship at the loss he and the whole diocese had sustained. Mr. O’Connor eulogised in feeling and appropriate terms the life

and good work of the late Ven, Archpriest. Mr. G. R. Hart spoke of his long acquaintance with the ‘ departed priest, and of the manifold good qualities which had endeared him to the community as a whole. The Very Rev. Father Price said that to .know the late Father Le Menant a little was to esteem him the more. Whilst possessing remarkable scholarly attainments, -he had the heart of a child. - From the point of view of the clergy, Father Price paid the warmest possible tribute to the deceased, of whom not a priest of the diocese , had any but a kind word for. The following resolution was then put to the meeting' and carried : — ‘ This executive desires to record its deep regret at the death of the Ven. Archpriest Le Menant des Chesn?ls. During the period of his -acting’ as Administrator of this diocese, the Archpriest always manifested thg keenest personal interest in the work of the committee and the object for which the St. Patrick’s Day celebration has been held for so many years pastviz., to augment the funds of Nazareth House.’ ‘ ; Preaching at the funeral obsequies of the Veh, Archpriest Le Menant des Chesnais, . S.M., at Temuka, his Lordship the Bishop, after referring to the many sterling qualities of mind and heart of the deceased priest, said that his life had been full of usefulness,- and he had worked zealously and devotedly for the uplifting of his fellow-men. During his long and strenuous career he had labored in many parts of the world/ and always with success, as was shown by the esteem in which he had been held even by those outside the Catholic Church. Bishop Grimes said that he had received tributes to the memory of the deceased priest from the highest Anglican clergy, in the Dominion, who expressed their sympathy with the Catholic Church in its hour of sorrow. On Tuesday in Christchurch an archdeacon of the Anglican Church had waited upon him, and in the name of the Bishop and clergy tendered his sympathy. Father Le Menant des Chesnais had been esteemed north, south, east, and west. He had been regarded : as'one of the highest Church authorities in the Dominion. r Not only had he manifested devotion to his people and his" Church, but at -all times he had also shown a desire to lighten the labors of his Bishop and his fellow-priests. He had been a man of scholarly attainments and a student right up to the last. .. . God alone knew how many he had helped, his loving and charitable . disposition always prompting him to assist the weak and distressed. Possessed of a clear . intellect, he had never failed to cultivate his talents, and whenever opportunity offered to use his powers to the best advantage. He had been an able writer and a learned.theologian, and one of his latest works, The Church and the World, was brimful of instruction. He had read only that which was useful, and abhorred literature of an objectionable kind. Had he lived >a‘ short time longer he would have celebrated his jubilee in the priesthood. All who had known him would agree that. he had been a model priest and a man in the truest sense of the word. At one period of his life he had labored for nine years among the poor of London, and after ; that hf; had gone to St. Patrick’s, in Sydney. He had also labored in Tasmania, and had come over to New Zealand thirty years ago. There was scarcely a parish in the diocese in which he had not ministered to the people. Being in every way and always a priest and a man of God, never had he been known to shirk a duty, but he had been ever willing and faithful. In his time he had founded many convents and schools and other religious organisations. The keynote of his life had been his lively faith, and the people of Temuka had been fortunate in. having such a priest among them. The Bishop also made eulogistic reference to the late Dean Foley, and Father Fauvel, both of whom had been parish priests of Temuka, and, said that the Ven. Archpriest had now /gone to join them, leaving behind him many striking proofs of the good he had been able to accomplish in life. '/ He had labored on right up to the last, and before passing away he had desired to thank all those who at any time had done him the smallest favor, and to his devoted physicians and the nurses who had attended him thanks were due. Ashburton (From our own correspondent.) February 19. * An elocutionary contest; confined to the junior members of the Catholic Young Men’s Club, was held in the club rooms recently, A very interesting contest eventuated. The judges (Messrs. M. J. Burgess, J. Grady, and R. Ramsay) awarded first prize to Master C. Moriarty, /At / the annual carnival of the Ashburton Amateur Swimming Club. the much coveted prize—the schools championship (open)—was won in a very easy manner by our Catholic school representative, H. Hyland. Representatives of this school also , competed successfully in the handicap events. ' V'- y l: ; Mr. Frank Pritchard occupied ■ the chair at the last S weekly meeting of the Young Men’s Club, when the subject * Should Chinese be prohibited , from landing in the Dominion ? ’ was discussed. Mr. T. M. Brophy led off for the affirmative side, whilst Mr. F. K- f Cooper took , the negative. An interesting debate terminated in Mr .' Brophy party gaining the verdict by a small majority.