Diocesan News

New Zealand Tablet, 28 July 1910, Page 1175

Diocesan News

ARCHDIOCESE OF WELLINGTON (From our own correspondent.) July 23. St. Patrick’s College reopened after the midwinter holidays last Thursday. t The Wellington Catholic Club and the Catholic Tennis Club have again combined forces for the purpose of holding an annual social gathering in the Sydney street schoolroom next Wednesday. Last Friday there was a large attendance of boys of the St. Vincent Guild. A rope quoits tournament took place, and was won by Master Hector Carruthers. A musical programme was given by the boys of the dramatic branch.

. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is rapidly increasing throughout the archdiocese of Wellington. Two conferences of the society were opened last week at Levin and Otaki, the names of'which are St. Andrew and St. Mary respectively. The Children of Mary (Te Aro parish) held their annual social gathering last Monday evening, when there was a large attendance, all Vof whom enjoyed themselves thoroughly. The committee worked energetically to make the function a success.

Rev. Father Clancy goes to Hokitika for a few weeks to , relieve Rev. Father Ainsworth, who has been very unwell. Rev. Father O’Dwyer has gone to Reefton to replace Rev. Father Henry, who goes as assistant to the Very Rev. Dean Carew, Greymouth.

The reorganisation scheme of the administrative staff of the Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board has been adopted, and Mr. J. Coyle has been appointed accountant. Mr. Coyle about a year ago was appointed secretary to the late Wellington Hospital Board. His Grace the Archbishop and the Very Rev. Dean Regnault, S.M. (Provincial), will leave for Napier on Thursday to take part in the blessing of St. Mary’s Church, Port Ahuriri, on Sunday. On the Monday his Grace will proceed by the Main Trunk line to Auckland, leaving there on Wednesday, en route to Montreal, to attend the Eucharistic Congress. The Wellington Catholic Club had as their guests the members of St. Peter’s Club (Anglican) at St. Patrick’s Hall on last Thursday. There was a large attendance of members of both clubs, and a very pleasant evening was spent. At the conclusion of the games supper was handed round, and the remaining part of the evening was devoted to songs and recitations.

The following are the officers of the newly-formed St. Patrick’s College Conference: —President, Master Paul Kane; vice-president, Master John Casey; secretary, Master Brian Malone; treasurer, Master M. Mahoney; librarian, Master W. Buckley. In about two months it is expected that new conferences will be opened at Blenheim and Nelson. There are at present 20 conferences in the archdiocese of Wellington. News has been received this week of the fatal drowning accident by which Rev. Father Reiton, who was inspector of the Catholic schools in the Samoa Islands, lost his life. The Rev. Father had gone from Apia to Tutuila to examine the schools in that group, and while returning one evening to the mission of Pago" Pago with Father Bellwald in the latter’s canoe (the night as very dark and sea very rough) the canoe was capsized, and both missionaries were thrown into the water. Father Bellwald, who could swim a little, was cast upon the rocks and saved, while Father Beiton disappeared. When the mail left about twenty hours after the Rev. Father’s body had not been recovered. He was only 39 years of age, and belonged to the diocese of Nantes in Brittany, which has furnished many missionaries to all religious Orders, particularly to the Society of Mary. In Rugby football on Saturday the boys of the St. Anne’s Cadets defeated the boys of the St. Vincent Rifle Cadets by 3 points to nil. Simon scored for the winners. Galvin and Dwan respectively captained the teams, and Captain Martin acted as referee. Great interest was taken in this first meeting of the Catholic Cadets. In the fifth A division (Association football) the Y.M.C.A. beat Marist Brothers by 4 goals to nil. In the fifth B division the Marist Brothers defeated Y.M.C.A. C by 5 goals to nil. McMahon, Ross, Reynolds, Laurent, and Campbell scored for the winners.. The Marist B beat Y.M.C.A. B by 6 goals to nil. Simpson (3), O’Driscoll (2) and Moran (1) scored for the winners. In the sixth division the Marist A defeated Seatoun by 2 goals to nil. Hickey and Casey scored for the winners.*; A further step in connection with the closing of the Marist Brothers’ School in Boulcott street and the erection of new schools in Tasman street and Hawkestone street was taken a few, days ago, when the tender of John Moffat, at ■£3376 11s sd, was accepted for the building in Tasman street. The plans for this school have been prepared by

Mr. J. S. Swan, and provide for a first-class brick building or one storey in accordance with the Education Board' reoUrWH?ntf S ‘i no l ? 6 / 01100 ! 1 have a frontage of 61 feet with +Ji o oftf+°k an d .Will contain six large class rooms—two 26ft by 24ft, two 25ft 6m by 24ft, and two 31ft 6in by /4tt, A large central space gives entrance to two cloak rooms, with lavatory accommodation, and also to the headfinffTJ o« + m A lr i the basement will be a large shelter shed, m • by , 25 , H - .-f teachers’ residence will be erected later, ibis school will provide for the scholars in Te Aro and Newtown districts, and the Hawkestone street building for those in Thorndon and adjacent suburbs* ~ ? he Hibernian Society (St. Patrick’s branch) concluded the business of the postponed half-yearly meeting last Monday evening when Bro. E. Carri ? an P P installed the newly-elected officers for the ensuing half-year At the request of the officers the Very Rev. Dean Regiiault, S M (Provincial), presented the retiring president, Bro. J. W. Callaghan, with a past president’s framed certificate and a Verv P Rev de r)t n S n C ° f r l * the , course of his remarks the \ery Rev. Dean referred in glowing terms to Bro. Callaghan s work for the cause of Hibernianism in New Zealand, and mentioned that during Bro. Callaghan’s seventeen years term of membership he had always been in office. He also bad been instrumental in forming branches of the society in and about the city of Wellington. In conclusion r?+u n f Ut T k- 8 d lip Bro i Callaghan as an example of 'a good Catholic, Irishman, and Hibernian, and exhorted those present to emulate the retiring past president. Bro. J nlnuft 11 ’ in r p sin s to respond, was heartily applauded. Bio. Doherty, P.P., supplemented the remarks of the Very Rev. Dean and called for cheers for Bro. and Mrs. Callaghan and the Aery Rev. Dean. A musical programme a p ea f T evening, the following contributing (VTCnnp H h an f J- McKeowen, Martin, McErlean^ 0 Kane, Watson, Reade, Burke, Minifie, Conolly, Misses Una Simon and Minifie. Visitors from St. Mary’s (ladies) present^ ewtownj and Palmerston North branches 7 were also

Hawera (From our own correspondent.) • ~T he n ? ost successful butter-maker at the Hawera show is the most successful maker of the year. It was Mr o’T>«a r*M ger £ f the Factory. He took every priz? a d^ Q Ne \ Ply ?l OUth ’ Hanulton . and Hawera shows. In these days, when the competition is so strong and keen half a ? 01 m ein S generally the winning margin, the man who would succeed must give every attention to the finer details and this is Mr. O’Dea’s strong point. uetaiis, A most successful mission conducted by Rev Fathers cluslL a ?n CG w m r[ rtln i’ Hedemptorists, was brought to a conclusion last Wednesday evening by the renewal of the Bantismal vows. The parish, which is now probably the smallest thesn^fr^f 100 ? ,£ onta i n ® only 434 communicants. Of these 400 attended the mission, and over 1100 Communions Mere given during the ten days. About 400 attended Mass Re e +7p+ mrmng * and th J ° evening attendance averaged 350• so that the vast majority of the parishioners attended every exercise. The church has lately been enlarged, and has seating accommodation for 360. Not more than 20 Cathohcs are beyond a radius of seven miles, and none beyond twelve, so that almost all attend Mass every Sunday. n>n The f °i low i?g reference to the election of Mr, P ,U 7 M ea , on *be Wanganui Education Board appeared in the to Witness All good educationists will be pleased nmwwH at +^ r ’ R Rea ’ M.A., has been, returned unopposed for the northern ward of the Wanganui Education Loard on the nomination of the school committees throughout the division he represents. Time was when a retired anybody or a bumptious nobody, with no better recommendation than vast ignorance and pushfulness and a turn for wire-pulling, was a conspicuous figure on the education boards of the country. The result was that the education of the children of the people suffered;" To-day we want men education on such bodies, and especially men like Mr. U Lea, who have by sheer force of character, ability, and industry, raised themselves to positions of distinction and honor, and thus done credit to our education system and established their right to an active share in its administration.’

Otaki (From an occasional correspondent.) During the latter part of June the Catholics of Otaki and Levin had the happiness of having amission conducted m their midst by two zealous missionaries of the Society of Mary (the Rev. Fathers O’Connell and Kimbell), who * by their eloquent and impressive addresses, made a lasting: impression on all who had the pleasure of hearing them and quickened the spiritual life of even the most practical Catholics of the district. A three-days’ mission was conducted at Paraparaumu by Rev. Father O’Connell which was fraught with blessings for. many souls, whilst Otaki was attended by the Rev. Father Kimbell with equally gratifying results. At the latter place the attendance in-

creased day by day until towards the end of the week the seating accommodation of the church was insufficient for the numbers' who attended. There were over 270 communicants during the course of the mission. Towards the end of the week a branch of the sodality of the Children of Mary was established, consisting of eight members and . three aspirants. The mission came to a close in Otaki on Sunday morning, June 26, when nearly all present approached the Holy Table and renewed their Baptismal vows. Having entreated them to persevere and imparted the Papal blessing, Rev. Father O’Connell then departed for Levin, where a mission was opened in the evening.' Notwithstanding the inclement weather, the attendance was excellent, quite a number of non-Catholics being present at the various exercises.

A distinct feature of this mission was the endeavor made to promote frequent and even daily Communion as recommended by the Holy Father. Acting on the repeated appeals of the missionaries, many parishioners at Levin, as well as at Otaki, approached the Holy Table several times during the week, the number of communicants being over 450.

At the end of the final exercise on Sunday night, July 3, the grateful feelings of all were interpreted by Rev. Father Cognet, who pointed out how the remembrance of this mission should be kept green by prayer and perseverance. Oh Monday morning, after a Requiem Mass celebrated for the deceased members of the parish, Mr. James McLeavey, in a few well-chosen words, expressed the appreciation of all at the success of the mission, and presented the missionaries with a purse of sovereigns. Father O’Connell feelingly replied. . As a practical outcome of the mission it was decided to organise in the district two branches of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Rev. Father C. Venning, S.M., of Wellington, was invited to take the chair at a meeting in the Levin church on July 18, when 30 active members gave in their names. After Father Venning had explained the aims and objects of the society, the election of officers was proceeded with, and resulted as follows:President, Mr. R. A. McDonald; vice-presidents, Messrs. M. D. Hennan and James McLeavey; secretary, Mr. J. O’Donohue; treasurer, Mr. H. C. Jones; librarian, Mr. 0. Williams. On the following morning (the Feast of St. Vincent de Paul) all the members approached the Holy Table. A similar meeting took place in Otaki on July 19, nine members having given in their names. The election of officers resulted as follows:President, Mr. Geo. H. Harper; vicepresident, Mr. T. O’Rourke; secretary, Mr. C. Wildesmith; treasurer, Mr. H. Bennett. It might seem, considering the size and population of Otaki, that the establishment of a branch here was unnecessary, but all feel convinced that our new conference will find ample scope for its work in the district.