DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH

New Zealand Tablet, 10 July 1913, Page 24

DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH

(From our own correspondent.) July 7. ' The -Rev. Father Creagh, C.SS.R., left towards the end of last week for the south for the purpose of conducting retreats at Oamaru and Ashburton. The first grain elevator erected in the Dominion on the lines of those which form so conspicuous a figure on the American and Canadian landscape is now in operation at Addington. " In the Cathedral on last Tuesday evening, the Rev. Father Creagh, C.SS.R., addressed a combined meeting

of the arch-confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament. There was a very large attendance and many new members were received. , - .

,:.-■■■■■■. Incidentally touching upon educational matters in his discourse at Mass at Sumner on Sunday last, the Very Rev. Chancellor Price, Adm., said that in view of the travesties of religion so painfully observable, it was little wonder that Catholics were such- ardent sticklers for the. education of their children in their own schools as a necessary safeguard. The confraternity of Ladies of Charity of the Cathedral and St. Mary's parishes are represented" by Mrs G. Buchanan and Miss L. Johnson respectively on the Mayoral Coal and Blanket Fund Committee, which is now in full operation for the winter in relieving the discomfort of many poor people. These ladies will see that the deserving ones among our Catholic population receive a fair share of the benefits distributed. The members of the Marist Brothers' Old Boys' Association and Cadet Corps marched to the Cathedral on last Sunday morning, for the half-past 9 o'clock Mass celebrated by the Rev. Father Murphy, B.A. (chaplain), and approached the Holy Table in a body. At the conclusion of Mass all returned to the boys' schoolroom, where breakfast was laid and attended to by young lady friends of the association. A lengthy toast list was duly honored. The cadets were under the command of Lieutenant Thorns, and mustered about eighty, making a very fine showing. Hokitika (From an occasional correspondent.) June 28. At the meeting of St. Mary's Club last Tuesday evening, the first of the medal speech competitions was held. The president (Mr. Neil Warren) was in the chair. Mr. A. E. Lawrence (the donor of the medal) acted as judge, and made the following awards:—Mr. J. Hanrahan ('Robert Emmet'), 100 points; Mr. G. Wormington ('The value of debating societies'), 98 points; Mr. J. Downey ('Socialism'), 91 points. Mr. Warren proposed, and Mr. Wormington seconded, a vote of thanks to the judge, after which refreshments were handed round. There are seven more items to be competed for, and the winner must obtain the highest aggregate of marks during the session.. Temuka (From our own correspondent.) The Marist Missionary Fathers returned home on Saturday after three months' arduous labors on the West Coast. From an interesting conversation with one of the Fathers I learn that they began their missions at Greymouth. This mission lasted three weeks, and was attended by a large concourse of people. Every portion of the parish was visited, and missions were given in the following places:—Barry town, Dunollie, Rewanui, Cobden, Brunnerton, and Paroa. Over two thousand confessions were heard and Holy Communion was given about twelve thousand times. The arch-confraternity of the Most Blessed Sacrament was established, and the membership of the various societies and confraternities was increased. In Hokitika a fortnight's mission was given, and a week at Kanieri. Seven hundred confessions were heard in this parish and Holy Communion was given /about five thousand times. A branch of the archconfraternity of the Most Blessed Sacrament was established, also a branch of the Hibernian Society. In the Ahaura parish, the following places were visited, and missions given:—Blackball, Nelson Creek, Ahaura, Totara Flat, Moana, Rotomanu, Te Kinga' Ruru, Aratika, Maori Gully, Maori Creek, Kokiri, No Town, Ngahere, and Marsden. In this very scattered parish, which is worked with great difficulty, 505 confessions were heard, and all who could received Holy Communion each day of the mission. The Ross parish, which comprises Ross, Rimu, and Ruatapu, with many outside stations in South Westland, was visited, and 330 confessions were heard. The

f arch-confraternity of the Most Blessed Sacrament was established!. ■

• The Missionary Fathers also visited Kumara parish and gave most successful missions at Kumara, Waimea, Stafford, and Otira. Five hundred and seventy confessions, were heard. A- branch of the Hibernian Society is to be established as a result of the mission, and the arch-confraternity of the Most Blessed Sacrament was established, also the sodality of the Children of Mary. In all 31 missions were given, and a total of 4067 confessions were heard, not 5 per cent, of the people absenting themselves from the sacraments. The missionaries speak in glowing terms of the zeal and earnestness of the clergy and the goodwill of the people in all the ‘places they visited. The greatest enthusiasm prevails in all matters concerning the advancement of the Church. Dean Carew has scarcely finished erecting one of the finest presbyteries in. New Zealand than he has .begun to enlarge the parochial church to accommodate another 300 people. Father Clancy is about to erect a beautiful chinch in the Romanesque style of architecture in Hokitika. In other parishes the same zeal for the promotion of all that tends to advance the cause of religion is noted. A direct result of the missions was the establishment of a branch of the New Zealand Catholic Federation in every place visited by the missionaries, and the enlisting of further members in those places where this latest development of Catholic activity had already been established. It is pleasing to find that the Tablet is read in nearly every Catholic home, and everywhere the claims of the Catholic newspaper were strenuously advocated by the Marist Missioners.