Diocesan News

New Zealand Tablet, 24 March 1910, Page 453

Diocesan News

OF WELLINGTON , (From our own correspondent.) mi -,,',. March 18. lhe name adopted for the new Conference of the St. Vincent de Paul Society at Brooklyn, as mentioned in my last weeks notes, is the Conference of the Immaculate Conception. The St. Aloysius' Boys' Club (Newtown) Cadet Corps will go into camp at Seatoun next week. About 70 boys are expected to attend. They will be under the control of Captain Martin. > There was Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament at St. Anne s Church, Newtown, last Sunday from the last Mass until Vespers. Rev. Father McDonald, S.M., gave an impressive address on the life of St. Patrick. In a paragraph in my notes in your last issue with reference to St. Vincent's Guild a slight error occurred. Master McGrath was named as coach, whereas it should have been Mr. Louis Sievers. Master Arthur Sievers won the medal. The Wellington Catholic Club cricket team played Milligan's last Saturday, and scored an easy victory. The former made 104, and their opponents 31 and 32 runs For the former McGrath 36, Edmond 33, and Watson 12 batted well, and Leydon (13 wickets for 42) and Carroll (6 for 25) bowled splendidly. Mrs. Teresa Mary Catherine Beech, wife of Mr. Wm. Beech, an old resident of Ohariu, passed away on Monday. Deceased arrived at Wellington by the Oliver Laing in 1856. She leaves a husband, two sons, four daughters, and nine grandchildren. The deceased was known for her kindly disposition. The interment took place on Wednesday at the Catholic cemetery, Ohariu Valley.—R.l.P. The dramatic branch of the Wellington Catholic Club will in a short time appear before the public in • a threeact comedy entitled ' My Soldier Boy.' A strong cast has been arranged, and the staging will be lacking in no detail. The members are actively rehearsing, and already the supporters of the club are looking forward with pleasurable anticipation to the forthcoming production. Mr. Dennis Kelly is acting as stage manager. At the monthly meeting of the men's branch of the Sacred Heart Association, held at St. Mary of the Angels' Church last Sunday/there was a large attendance of members. The Very Rev. Dean Regnault, S.M. (Provincial), delivered an eloquent discourse on the life of St. Patrick. Before the Benediction the spiritual director, Rev. Father C. J. Venning, S.M., enrolled four new members in the St. Vincent's Boys' Guild.' On behalf of the competitors at the conclusion of the recent New Zealand Rifle. Association's meeting held at Trentham last week the Hon. J. A. Millar presented -Colonel R. J. Collins, 1.5.0., chief executive officer of the association, with an illuminated address in the form of an album signed by every competitor at the meeting, the staff, and the press and Mrs. Collins with a very handsome silver tea tray beautifully engraved and inscribed. The presentations were made because the meeting marked the jubilee of rifle shooting in New Zealand, and Colonel Collins has done so much for it during a long number of years. ..--....• The Sailors' Rest was crowded on Monday night, when a successful concert was given under the auspices of the St. Patrick's Conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. The following contributed items to a first-class programme : —Mrs. Allen, Misses N. Bell, E. Bowden, Coleman (2), Frith (2), Meston, Messrs. G. Bradley, F. Cooze, H. Elmore, G. Foote, G. Schmidt, G. Wilson, Bayne, and Latto, and Master Norman Dentice. The accompaniments were played by Misses Bowden, Coleman, Frith, and Messrs. Bayne and A. Dentice. After thanking the performers for their splendid entertainment, the manager of the Rest announced that at the next concert on April 4 the drawing of the art . union which has been promoted by the St. Patrick's Conference to raise funds towards the obtaining of rooms for Catholic seamen would take place: . On the Sunday following the conclusion of the business of the H.A.C.B. Society movable meeting there will be a general Communion of the members of. the Wellington, Hutt, and Newtown branches, and the ; delegates attending the movable meeting. The Communion will take , place at St. Mary of the Angels' Church, Boulcott street, at the 8 o'clock. Mass. The communicants will subsequently adjourn to Carroll's tea rooms, where breakfast will be par r taken of. The spectacle of a large body of men receiving Holy Communion is at all times extremely edifying; therefore, on this occasion, constituting as it does a rare and signal event, it behoves all members to make it their special

duty to be present; by so doing they will not only evince their practical interest, but will assist in no small degree in making the event a memorable one in the history of Hibernianism. The reception committee, with Mr. James McCusker secretary, are working very energetically to make the gathering a success. § < The election of 14 members of the new " Hospital and Charitable Aid Board took place in Wellington on Wednesday when there was very little public interest taken in the event. Messrs. J. J. Devine and -J. E. Fitzgerald (members of the Wellington City Council), prominent Catholic citizens, were among the successful candidates. Mr. Devine was for many years chairman of the Wellington and Wairarapa United Charitable Aid Board, which is now absorbed in the new board. It may be of interest to note that as far back as 1897 (being then chairman of that board) Mr. Devine brought about a conference in Wellington of the several Charitable Aid Boards of New Zealand, with a view to their bringing before Parliament the advisability of legislating that the body that made levies on all contributing local authorities in each district for charitable aid should have direct expenditure of the funds. This alteration in the law has now been made. Henceforth in each district the body that provides the funds will have the direct expenditure'thereof for hospitals and other institutions, and so greater economy in administration is possible.