Feilding

New Zealand Tablet, 15 December 1910, Page 2055

Feilding

(From an occasional correspondent.) The church at Halcombe is being renovated, and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is to be celebrated there occasionally as opportunity, occurs. iAt Kimbolton the Catholic residents are collecting funds, and negotiating for the purchase of a suitable site for the erection of a church in that township. The annual concert of the children attending the Sacred Heart School and pupils of the Sisters of St. Joseph, to be given on. December 14, is being looked forward to with pleasurable anticipations. . < At Apiti a contract has been let for the erection of a church, which-is to be solemnly opened on March 12 by his Grace Archbishop Redwood. On the same occasion his Grace is to administer the Sacrament of Confirmation to a number of children of the district, with Apiti as the centre. Confirmation will also be administered at St. Bridget's Church on the Sunday preceding by his Grace the Archbishop, t

A very pleasant 'at home' was given in the library room of the Sacred Heart School on last Friday evening in aid of the choir funds of St. Bridget's Church. After a musical programme there was progressive euchre and supper. Ihe musical portion of the programme was given under the direction of Mrs. W. H. Redwood, L.R.A.M.Tand proved most enjoyable, the following contributing: —Songs Misses Sandilands, Wolfe, and Prior, Messrs. J. Aitkin Mayhead, Lakeman, Cartayne, and Macedo. Violin solo Mr. Robin Hood Misses White and Ryan and Messrs! Uiapman and Lakeman won the euchre tournament prizes, lhe Rev. lather Daly cordially thanked Mrs. Redwood, the performers, the ladies who had provided refreshments and all who had contributed to the success of the event! Jhe concert was a musical treat, and the financial result should prove equally satisfactory. 8 Feilding, being the centre of a splendid dairying dig. trict, is progressing very rapidly. The several dairy factories as a consequence are the medium for circulating substantial amounts of the much-desired coins of the realm which constitute the wealth of a community. In a convert sation with the manager of one of the largest of these factories, 1 was told that, taking an average for six months £2o' (inn *?£ Sn dlff n e , t Stories pay out from £IB,OOO to £20,000 monthly To be added to this there is a very laige export trade in fat sheep, lambs, and wool, so that there appears little doubt that in the near future Feilding will rank as one of the most important inland towns in the prosperous and progressive North Island. Uur fellow-Catholics must of necessity share in the general prosperity of the district, whilst they have already shown a willingness to do their part in upholding the tractVXS o lnd h :c r hoo°ls' elatherS " bUildi,,g " d lnaintai ™S

Since the coming to Feilding of the Rev. Father Golden as pastor he has effected considerable improvements in the parochial buildings and surroundings. The church' presbytery, and other buildings have been newly panted' whilst inside the church the sanctuary and altar have been subjected to artistic decoration. the presbytery, convent, and school buildings have been connected with the municipal sanitary system. These works have entailed an expenditure of about £250, which, together with already !>rnn lng w 1 - a i blh , t . leS ' represented roundly an indebtedness of £oUU. With his usual untiring zeal and energy Father Golden made a house-to-house canvass for the means to liquidate the entire amount, with the result that the debt has been reduced to very small proportions. Father Golden is undoubtedly very grateful to the people of the district tor SO + generous a response to his - call for help, whilst to him too, the Feilding congregation owe a deep debt of gratitude as likewise to his energetic and devoted assistant, the Rev. lather Day, for so zealously interesting themselves in the material and spiritual needs of the parishioners, in the realisation of which much travelling over a very large district was entailed. y

Stratford There was quite a large gathering in the Foresters' Hall last night (says- the Stratford Evening Post of December 0 for the dual purpose of welcoming the Rev. Father lreacy home to his parish after a nine-months' trip to the Uld Country, and to bid the Rev. Father O'Dwyer (who has been uncharge of the parish in the interval) good-bye. When the Rev. Father Treacy left this town on his Homeward voyage, he received a right royal send-off, and if his many parishioners did not personally wish him God-speed, they did it in their hearts, for to them (and a good many outside the Church, be it said) he is not only a popular priest, but likewise a friend to whom thev can carry their troubles and receive genuine consolation/ The proceedings last night were of a varied nature, comprising speechmaking, vocal . and instrumental music, and the presentation of illuminated addresses. It is worthy of mention that the musical portion of the programme, under the baton of Mr. Lonergan, afforded those present very great pleasure, all the items eliciting loud applause, so pronounced at times that a repetition was absolutely necessary Mr. D. Malone occupied the chair, and after'a capital overture on the piano by two young ladies, and the singing of a song of welcome by the children attending the convent school, he called upon Mr. W. G. Malone to read the illuminated address to the Rev. Father Treacy, which was as follows:

Very Reverend and Dear Father-It is with joyful hearts that we, your parishioners, assemble here this evening to tender your reverence a true welcome. Our words can but feebly convey our delight at seeing you once more in our midst We are mindful of your constant watchful and paternal care in the past, and hope that God will grant you many years to watch over our spiritual interests. We wish you all health and happiness in the future.—D. Malone on behalf of the parishioners of Stratford ' Father O Dwyer and Mr J. Leydon briefly testified to the gladness that pervaded the district over the return of the .Rev. + Father Treacy. Mr Leydon dealt with tie improvements that had been effected since Father Treacv took charge of this parish, and made special reference to the fact that the church was now out of debt, owing to the zeal of their revered pastor. Father Treacv was w satisfied until he had built one of the /^jbSStSl

churches in Taranaki; then he must have a tower;_ and last, a fine bell to summon the congregation to worship. Mr. Leydon also paid a high tribute to Father O'Dwyer, who, he said, had nobly filled the vacancy during Father Treacy's absence. A After several musical items had been rendered, the Rev. Father Treacy rose to reply amidst deafening applause. He thanked them for their hearty greeting, and then went on to describe his trip Home. He mentioned a great storm that had been met with across the Tasman; an audience with his Holiness the Pope, at which he obtained a blessing personally for his congregation a run across to France, and then on to London, where he saw the lying-in-state of the late King Edward; finally his visit to Old Ireland, where he found everything in a more prosperous condition than it had ever been before. He renewed acquaintance with old haunts, and interrogated the people, and his spirits ran high at the signs of comfort and content that met his gaze everywhere. He told several little anecdotes of people he had met. One person wanted him to find a lost brother who had been in Victoria for fifty years. It was astonishing how many people' believed that New Zealand was a little island just out of Melbourne, and that the inhabitants for the most part were savages and cannibals. A few more musical items were given, and then Mr. D. Malone read the following illuminated address to Father O'Dwyer: ' Very Reverend and Dear Father,—On the eve of your departure from amongst us, we gather round you to bid you farewell, and from our hearts we wish that the spiritual and temporal consolations which you brought to us may be ever with you in your new field of labors. We beg your kind acceptance of the accompanying gift, feeling fully conscious that its value only faintly expresses our deep sense of gratitude to you for your faithful services. We shall unitedly pray for you that you may crown a noble career in God's most fruitful years.—D. Malone, for the parishioners of Stratford.' Mr. Malone supplemented the address with words of high praise of Father O'Dwyer's genuine work since he had been in Stratford, expressing a hope that the recipient would ere long obtain a parish of his own, and that it would not be far distant from Stratford. Mr. Malone here handed Father O'Dwyer a purse of sovereigns with the address. ... lather ODwyer briefly responded, and among other things said he would ever remember the kindness met with at the hands of the people he had administered to during the last rune months. 'Good-bye, and God bless you!' he exclaimed. J , The , proceedings terminated with the singing of the National Anthem. It might be mentioned that both the addresses which were most artistically and beautifully executed, were the work of the Sisters of the convent.

Masterton (From our own correspondent.) . December 10. f n „ A b . ranh of the Hibernian Society is about to be Scan? n" 1 Eketabuna due mainly to the efforts of Mr Jscanion. +«„ The , clurch committee of St. Patrick's parish, Master&/1V PeSen i bu «y canvassing for £IOO to wipe out the debt on the , church and presbytery. The Very Rev Dean McKenna hopes to have it free of debt by Christmas' W he " SUal me ? tin S of the H.A.C.B. Society was held last Tuesday evening, Bro. B Chapman in the chair It was reported . that arrangements were well in hand for the Friendly Societies' picnic to be held on Boxing Day Bro cietPes^n^cap" D & *** "** f ° r the Frie » dly in QT h p deV9t i ion Pi thF ? rt ? Hours' Adoration commenced Se in £ Sin i ™ Urch laS o t F r da y> and concluded after the 10.30 o clock Ma on Sunday. The ceremony opened and closed with a solemn procession of the Blessed Sacrament, in which the school children and Children of Mar\ FriU a and R F l ather Lynch ' CS f R " Preached both on Friday and Saturday evenings, and on Sunday morning A very large number approached the Holy Table at the "& o clock Massi on Sunday. On Sunday evening; the unveiling of two statues in the church took place. One is of Se Sacred Heart, and the other of St PttriA %« presented by the Very Rev. McKe, f"and Srs J* P. Kavanagh of Auckland (a former parishioner of this town). The Rev Father Eccleton, of St? Patrick's College Wellington, preached a sermon suitable to the occasion g '