Diocesan News

New Zealand Tablet, 28 April 1910, Page 654

Diocesan News

ARCHDIOCESE OF WELLINGTON

(From our own correspondent.)

April 23. Mr. J. J Devine was appointed hon. treasurer to the Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board at the meeting held on April 22. The parish schools at Kilbirnie and Seatoun, which have only been started since the commencement of the year, have now 80 and 30 children respectively on their rolls.

The Very Rev. Dean Regnault, S.M. (Provincial), left Wellington on Monday for Wanganui. Afterwards he will proceed to Meeanee to take part in the ordination of six priests next Sunday, April 24. On Tuesday evening, April 18, the literary and debating branch of the .St. Anne’s Catholic Club held its first meeting of the season. • There was a splendid attendance of members, and a syllabus was drawn up for the coming month.

The Particular Council of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, Wellington, will hold its next meeting at St. Mary’s presbytery on Wednesday, May 4, when it is expected that representatives from all the city conferences and proxies for the country conferences will be present.

On May 4 the Catholics of St. Anne’s, ’Wellington South, intend holding a social gathering in aid of the funds of the parish in the Victoria Hall. An energetic committee has taken the matter in hand, and everything augurs for a successful function.

The euchre party and musical 'evening in aid of the St. Francis’ Church, Island Bay, took place in the Tutanekai Hall, Berhampore, on April 20, and was well attended. A very pleasant evening was spent, and the energetic committee, with Miss Ethel Casey as secretary, is to be complimented on the success of their efforts. The Very Rev. Dr. Kennedy, S.M., Rector of St. Patrick’s College, compiled a very interesting table regarding the movements of the comet, and its position with regard to the earth, ' and accompanied by a diagram. This table has been published by the local papers, and has been found very useful by those on the look-out for our long-expected visitor.

A branch of the Hibernian Society is to be opened at Carterton as soon as a dispensation has been granted by the district executive. A movement is also on foot to establish a branch at Petone. A requisition to the district is now being circulated, and it is anticipated that there will be sufficient names forthcoming to establish a strong branch there. At the SS. Peter and Paul’s Church, Lower Hutt, on Saturday; 16th inst., Miss Myrtle Mabel Cudby was married to Mr. W. Goldney Rees, of Christchurch. The Very Rev. Father Lane performed the ceremony. Miss Ethel Cudby acted as bridesmaid, and Mr. Edward Jones as best man. The wedding breakfast was held at the residence of the bride’s parents.

At the fifth annual meeting of the delegates to the Wellington Provincial Literary and Debating Societies’ Union, which was held on Monday, April 18, Mr. M. O’Kane, of the Wellington Catholic Club, was re-elected hon. treasurer of the union. There are now fourteen societies in the union, ten of whom took part in the annual debating tournament. The Wellington and St. Anne’s Catholic Clubs are affiliated to the union. The Very Rev. Father O’Shea, S.M., V.G., has been on a visit to Wanganui to confer with the Very Rev. Dean Grogan, S.M., regarding the building scheme of the Church properties there. The St. Mary’s Church and St. Joseph’s Convent in Victoria avenue are to be pulled down, so that .the land may be leased for business purposes, and new buildings will be erected on the sites recently secured in Guvton street. ■

. The St. Mary’s ladies’ branch of the Hibernian Society is now being reorganised, and through the efforts of the Rev. l ather Venning, S.M., the spiritual director of the society, some twelve new members have been initiated. The following officers have been elected;President, Sister K Robinson; vice-president, Sister L. Butcher; treasurer' Sister A. Grant- secretary Sister G. O’Flaherty; warden Sister F. 0 Flaherty; guardian, Sister M. O’Callaghan • sick visitors, Sisters Gosling and M. O’Callaghan. g ’ In connection with the opening of the hockey season a pleasant evening was spent on Tuesday evening, 19th inst., at Mrs. Mellsop s residence, Goldie’s Brae, by the members of the Celtic Ladies’ and the St. Patrick’s College Old Boys Hockey Clubs. The early part of the evening was devoted to competitions which were won by Miss O Leary and Mr. ( Gamble. Musical items and recitations and an amusing adjective letter made up an enjoyable lang U syne/ 1101 WaS wrought to a close by singing ‘ Auld

w -.Tendon seems destined to become the wool quarter of Wellington. A contractjias just been signed by Campbell

and Burke, builders, for the erection of a new wool store, consisting of three storeys and basement, for the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., on Thorndon quay The . contract price is £18,500, and the building is to m completed in time for next season’s local sales, opening in November. The new store will be exceptionally well light id for -the display of wool, especially the top floor, which vGI measure 146 by 112 feet. The ‘ building will be of ste? : framing filled in with brick.

On Monday night the Sailors’ Rest was crowded with a large a£d enthusiastic audience of seafaring men ami waterside workers, who thoroughly enjoyed the entertainment which was given’ under the auspices of the St. Patrick’s Conference for Seamen of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. An excellent programme was gone through, the following contributing items:—Misses A. and M. Frith (songs), McKenna (song), E. Strickland (song), Tregonning (song), Master and Miss Rowell (song and sailor’s hornpipe), and Messrs. Cormack (song), Doherty (song), T. Divan (song), Lansdowne (song), Lewis (song), Moriarty (recitation), W. Scrimgeour (pianoforte solo),.Sharpe (song), and Verne (song). The accompaniments were played by Misses Q. Doherty, Frith, and Ryan. A most pleasant evening was spent by about 200 persons who were present at the invitation progressive euchre party held under the auspices of the members of St. Gerard’s choir in Carroll’s tea rooms on Wednesday evening, April 20. At the conclusion of the games light refreshments were partaken of, musical items being contributed by the members of the choir. Prizes were won by Miss O’Sullivan and Roseingrave. The successful function was managed by a committee consisting of Mrs. Oakes, Misses K. McCnsker, A. Sullivan, and Messrs. J. Elliot, A. St. Clair, and A. Amodeo (secretary), members of the choir. As the function was such a decided success, it is intended to hold a euchre party every month. The funeral of the late Sergeant McGuire took place on Sunday, April 17, and was the largest seen in Wellington for some considerable time. The remains were taken to St. Joseph’s Church, Buckle street, where the first part of the burial service was read by Rev. Father Hurley, S.M., assisted by the Very Rev. Dean Regnault, S.M. (Provincial), and Rev. Fathers Venning, Herring, and Eccleton. The Very Rev. Father O’Shea, S.M., V.G., preached the funeral sermon. He said: ‘We are met hero to pay a last tribute of respect and reverence to the mortal remains of the late Sergeant John McGuire. I see around me evident signs of genuine mourning and sorrow, and assuredly grief was never more fully justified. For there has been taken from us a good man, an upright citizen, a Christian gentleman, and a loyal and devoted son of the Church. He was too a courageous officer of an important public service, a loving son, a devoted husband, a zealous member of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in this parish. But the causes of grief are many; there is also a bright side, there are many reasons for rejoicing. We have the knowledge that he lived a useful and active life. We may hope that the sympathy which goes out to the bereaved will help to soften the blow. . . . If ever there*.was a modern saint it was John McGuire. In saying this Ido not exaggerate. From my personal knowledge I can vouch for its truth. • He was gentleness and kindness itself. It was his unwillingness to hurt or to harm a fellow-creature that prompted him to go unarmed into unknown danger. His charity was marked for its breadth. His whole life was spent in doing good to others. When, after his day’s work was done, when most men would reasonably claim a little time for self and recreation, he spent his hours in visiting the hospitals and homes where were the poor and the suffering. . . When at last a bullet laid him low they found him clinging to that Rosary he loved so much, and reciting the words that he held so sacred. How bravely he died you have heard. He had no reason to fear death. . .’ * The interment took place at the Karori Cemetery. The funeral procession was nearly three-quarters of a mile in length, while the public in large numbers lined the road for many chains at either end of the route. Among those present at the funeral was the Chief Justice, the Minister of Justice, and members of both branches of the Legislature. The Very Rev. Father O’Shea officiated at the graveside.—R.l.P.