DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH

New Zealand Tablet, 14 April 1910, Page 575

DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH

(From our own correspondent.) . April 11. ' His Lordship the Bishop, accompanied by the Rev. Father Hyland (Rangiora), commenced an episcopal visitation of the Westland portion of the diocese at Greymouth on Sunday last. During his Lordship’s visitation a final appeal will be made in aid of the Cathedral debt liquidation fund. - The Rev. Father Lynch, C.SS.R., concluded a very successful eight days’ mission at St. Anne’s Church, Woolston, on Sunday evening last. On next Tuesday evening Father Lynch opens a mission at Waiau, and later on conducts missions at Hawarden, Bracken bridge, and Cheviot, all within the parochial district of Hawarden. The Very Rev. Father Hunt, C.SS.R., concludes a ten days’ mission, which has been wonderfully successful, in the Church of the Sacred Heart, Addington, on next Wednesday morning. On the evening of the same day he , commences a mission in St. Agnes’ Church, Halswell, which is to terminate on next Sunday evening. The ordinary weekly meeting of the Christchurch Catholic Club was held on last Tuesday evening. The president, Mr. J. R. Hayward, presided over a fair average attendance. Three new members were elected, and three candidates nominated for membership. The programme was a musical one, the following contributing items:—Messrs. R. Beveridge, D. F. Dennehy, P. McNamara, F. Evans, F. G. Healy, C. Fottrell, P. Mcßrearty, J. McNamara, M. Finlay, Hemus, J. M. Hickson, L. Cusworth, and H. Rossiter. Messrs. H. Rossiter and L. Cusworth played the accompaniments. The Month’s Mind of the late Yen. Archpriest Le Menant des Chesnais, S.M., took place in the Cathedral on last Thursday morning.. His. Lordship the Bishop pontificated at Solemn Requiem Mass, in the presence of his Grace Archbishop Redwood, S.M. The* Very Rev. Dean Ginaty, S.M., V.G., was assistant priest, the Rev. Fathers Daull, S.M.A., and McDonnell were deacon and subdeacon respectively of the Mass, the Rev. Fathers Drohan, M.S.H., and Dignan, S.M., deacons of honor at the throne, the Rev. Fathers Cooney and Fanning, M.S.H., deacons in attendance on the and Very Rev. Father Price, Adm., master of ceremonies. His Lordship the Bishop delivered an eloquent panegyric of the late Yen. Archpriest, referring with deep feeling to the departed priest’s work in the pulpit, the confessional, among the children, and in the interests of charity, and fervently recommending his soul to the prayers of the very large numbers who had spiritually benefited by his long, arduous, and devoted ministrations. On last Monday and Tuesday, in connection with the Solemn Triduum at Mount Magdala in honor of the beatification of the venerable founder of the. Order of the Good Shepherd, Solemn High Mass was celebrated. On the evening of Monday the occasional sermon was preached by the Rev. Father Hoare, S.M., and on Tuesday evening by Rev. Dr. Kennedy. On Wednesday morning the Triduum was terminated, when Pontifical High Mass was celebrated by his Lordship Bishop Grimes. The Very Rev. Dean Ginaty, S.M., V.G., was assistant priest, the Rev. Father Daull, S.M.A., deacon, Rev. Father Dignan, S.M., subdeacon of the Mass, the Rev. Fathers Hoare, S.M., and Drohan, M.S.H., deacons of honor at the throne, and Very Rev. Father Price, Adm., master of ceremonies. His Grace Archbishop Redwood, S.M., preached an appropriate discourse, and among others of the clergy present were the Rev. Fathers Hills, S.M., Fanning. M.S.H., McDonnell, Bell, S.M. (chaplain), and Rev. Dr. Kennedy. During the afternoon the orphans and penitents gave pleasant entertainments before the clergy, and Archbishop Redwood inspected the Buildings and grounds, and privately confirmed twelve of the inmates. Pontifical Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament was given by his Grace the Archbishop. Timaru (From our own correspondent.) April 11. Good progress es being made with the preparations for the bazaar. , . - ‘ • To-morrow a start will be made with a new hall just behind the Brothers’ house to serve as a boys school until the new church is ready. The old boys school will in the meantime serve as a church, as it was found to be too inconvenient, owing to the great amount of seating accommodation necessary, to use it as a church, school.

On Sunday the first services of the Timaru* Catholic congregation, after the recent destruction of their church by fire, were held in the boys’ school, Browne street. Here accommodation for 300 persons had been' provided, many members of the congregation having gone to -no little trouble to furnish the room appropriately. At the west end a temporary altar had been erected. The seating was arranged on each side of A central aisle, and the choir were accommodated in a space at the rear of the building. It may be mentioned that the members of the congregation lent 300 chairs until the opening of the new church. 'The nuns of the Sacred Heart generously provided the greater fmrtion of the altar fittings.and requisites, and a sanctuary amp suspended, in the usual position gave. the finishing touch to the interior of the temporary building. At the three services every seat was occupied, and at the 9 o’clock Mass even standing room could not be had within by the late arrivals. Rev. Father Tubman, who celebrated the 11 o’clock Mass, spoke very briefly of the serious loss the congregation had sustained during the week, and men-; tioned that he had received on their behalf sympathetic telegrams and letters from all parts of New Zealand. His Lordship Bishop Grimes had sent a particularly, nice letter. Had the fire not occurred until the new church was completed, the loss would not have resulted in inconvenience, but even then the severing of old associations would have been severely felt as it was they were suffering the wrench of old associations, the temporary loss of their usual facilities for worship, and the loss of the building which they had looked forward to finding extremely useful as a parish hall. As the choir lost all their music in the fire, they had perforce to sing only some of the simpler congregational hymns. , .