Diocesan News

New Zealand Tablet, 1 June 1911, Page 1000

Diocesan News

ARCHDIOCESE OF WELLINGTON (From our own correspondent.) May 27. •The Very Rev, Dr. Kennedy, S.M., 8.A., left for Waimate during the week to visit his mother, who is seriously ill. A retreat , for ladies will be conducted by one of the Redemptorist Fathers at the Sacred Heart Convent, Island Bay, commencing on Monday, July 3, and ending on Friday, July 7. No invitation is necessary, and the Rev. Mother would be pleased to see a record attendance of ladies. With reference to the piano purchased by the St. Vincent de Paul Society at New Plymouth for the old people’s home there, the members of the society are grateful for the financial assistance rendered to them by all classes and. creeds. . *' ai&J The Rev. Father Hickson, S.M., Adm., is interesting himself in the formation of a public competitions society here. The objects of the society are the encouragement of music, literature, and art, and a public meeting for the purpose was held at the Town Hall last Thursday evening. The missions conducted by the Redemptorist Fathers at Kilbirnie and Island Bay were concluded on last Sunday. They proved a great success, and the Yen. Archdeacon Devoy, S.M., who is in charge of the district, expressed his gratitude to the Rev. Fathers Creagh and Whelan, C.SS.R., who have been untiring in their efforts for the past four weeks. An interesting lecture was given by the Rev. Father Gondringer, of St. Patrick’s College, at the meeting of the French Club last Tuesday night on the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The Rev. Father dealt with the Duchy from the geographical, scenic, and historical points of view, and illustrated his lecture with several amusing anecdotes relative to ancient legends and customs. On the motion of the chairman (Hon. J. Rigg) the lecturer was accorded a hearty vote of thanks. The feast day of Blessed Mother Barat, foundress of the Order of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart, was on May 25, but owing to that day falling on Ascension Thursday the feast was kept on the following day, Mass being, celebrated by the Rev. Father Herring, S.M., in the Sacred Heart Convent Chapel, Island Bay. The Rev, Father also addressed the community on ‘ The Providence of God,’ and referred to 1 the recent death of Rev. Mother Digby, the Superior-General of the Order. During the day there was Exposition of the Most Blessed Sacrament.

In third class Rugby football the St. Patrick's College team beat Karori by 11 points to 8 points, and in the fifth class St. Patrick's College A team beat St. James'" by 6 points to 3 points. The College B team in this class suffered defeat at the hands of Melrose by 6 points to 3 points. In 'Soccer' matches last Saturday St. Anne's drew with the Rangers in the fourth division, and in the fifth division the Marist Brothers beat the Institute by 7 goals to 1 goal. In the sixth division the Marist Brothers drew with Brooklyn.

At St. Anne's, .Wellington South, on last Monday evening the Rev. Father Creagh, C.SS.R., addressed a large congregation on the confraternity of the Sacred Heart which was to be re-organised that night. To keep up tho pious practices commenced during the recent mission, he exhorted those present to hand in their names and to keep as far as possible the rules of the sodality. Ladies and gentlemen were appointed to act as heads of circles. A large number of names were handed in, and there is every prospect of. the society being a very strong one. The first Friday of, the month has been appointed the meeting night for the women's branch, and the second Friday for the men. The next meeting of the Newman Society takes place at St. Patrick's College on Sunday, June 4, when Mr. S. J. Moran, LL.B., will read a paper on 'The Oldest Laws in the World.' The Society has now published the syllabus for the year which contains some very interesting papers by the Rev. Fathers Gilbert, Venning, Schaefer, Gondringer, and Eccleton, and Messrs. T. Boyce, P. J. O'Regan, P. Verschaffelt, M. J. Crombie, Duflon, and Professor Hunter, whilst two mid-week meetings are promised with papers by Very Rev. Dr. Kennedy and Very Rev. Father Keogh. The pupils of St. Mary's Convent have again been successful in the Trinity College music examinations. At the presentation of prizes and certificates in' the Sydney Street Schoolroom on Thursday evening, Misses Cecelia Dwyer (senior medallist), Girlie Gibbs, and Priscilla Miller, of St. Mary's Convent, received, in addition to gold medals, national prizes in the shape of cheques for £5 each, sent

out direct - from’ London. These prizes are given to the candidates gaining highest honors in both theory and practice in the same year. Miss Muriel Blake, also of St, Mary’s Convent, was awarded 5 second medal in the senior division. The Sisters are to be congratulatedon the success of their labors. This morning the: .Irish Envoys paid : a visit to the Marist Brothers’ Schools at,'Tasman street and Boulcott street, where they ' were presented ’ by the boys with tokens of. remembrance. At Boulcott street they were welcomed with the singing of / God save Ireland ’ and other Irish songs, and. welcomed :by the Superior, who said they came not among strangers but among the descendants of Erin’s ranks. They must return to the' Old Land, he added, with the message that the children in Wellington were true to the traditions of their race; they had preserved their faith with God and man ; in a word, they were as Irish as the Irish themselves. , Messrs. Hazleton, Donovan, and Redmond replied in stirring speeches, which were received by the boys with loud applause. At Tasman street an illuminated address with views of New Zealand scenery was presented to the Envoys by the boys. The boys of both schools were given a holiday in honor of the occasion. * Speaking at the Sacred Heart Church, Hill street, last Sunday the Rev. Father Hickson, Adm., announced that it had been decided to, form a Senior Cadet Company in connection with the Thprndon Catholic parish, on the same lines as the St. Anne’s cadets (Wellington South), and St. Vincent Cadets (Te Aro). That decision, he said, met with the full approval and concurrence of the Defence authorities. An officer of the department attended at the Guildford Terrace Schoolroom on Friday night to explain the steps that had to be taken to carry out the project. There was a good attendance, and- a number of names were handed in. A meeting is to be held later on. In the meantime the names;.of those willing to join will be taken. It is anticipated that a real good company will be formed from the material offering. The advent of this new- ’company brings the total senior cadet Catholic companies in Wellington to five, with three junior cadet companies, representing approximately a strength of 600.