CONVENT OF MERCY, PONSONBY

New Zealand Tablet, 6 November 1913, Page 17

CONVENT OF MERCY, PONSONBY

SILVER JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS (From our Auckland correspondent.) The celebration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the profession of five Sisters of Mercy took place at St. Mary's Convene, Ponsonby, on Monday, October 27. The names of the jubilarians are—Sister M. Evangelist Roche, Sister M. Francis McCarthy, Sister M. Assisi O'Reilly, Sister M. Bernardette Power, and Sister M. Placida Flanagan, all of whom came from Erin's Isle to spread the faith of their native land and advance the cause of education in this distant colony of New Zealand. His Lordship Bishop Cleary celebrated Mass in the convent chapel- at 7 a.m., and Monsignor Brodie at 7.30 a.m. The convent choir was very successful in their rendering of the music of the different parts of the Mass, and the appropriate Offertory piece, 'Jubilate in Aeternum.' In the afternoon the Sisters and pupils were accorded a rare musical treat, when Miss Ruby McDonald, the gifted Australian violinist, who is health seeking in New Zealand, tendered a violin recital in compliment to the Sisters, who were celebrating their jubilee. At the conclusion of the programme, which consisted of examples from the great masters and modern compositions, including an ' Ave Maria ' by the clever violinist herself, his Lordship the Bishop made a most felicitous speech in which he said, that, whilst congratulating the jubilarians, to whom he had that morning presented medals, he wished to add to whatever others had said in the past, more eloquently, though not more adequately, of the good work done. by the Sisters of Mercy in Auckland. For more than sixty years this Community had been the mainstay of the Church in Auckland, and this recalled a famous vision to his mind. When Pope Innocent had been consulted about the Order of Friars Minor he had a vision in which he saw the Lateran Basilica supported by one poor barefooted Franciscan friar, Francis of Assisi. In like manner had the Order of Mercy proved the principal buttress of the Church in New Zealand. When coming to this diocese in 1850, they had set out to do in the spiritual Order what our pioneer colonists did in the material. In the heart of the virgin forest they blazed the trail, and hewed a pathway that was to become the high road for thousands in later years. Every priest in New Zealand knew the obligations they lay under to the community, and he would yield to no one in his appreciation of their worth and work in the diocese. He wished the jubilarians themselves the happiness of laboring yet another twenty-five years in this vineyard, though many now present might be resting beneath the daisies. Then he hoped they would be spared to continue the noble traditions of the sisterhood. On looking at the jubilarians now, he found it difficult to realise from their youthful appearance that they had spent a quarter of a century in the arduous work of the Order, and he was forced to the conclusion

that the religious life by insuring perfect happiness was also a preservative of youth. Time in his flight seemed to ignore the Sisters, or at least to leave no mark of his flight, so that to anyone who wished to escape time’s ravages the religious life was/ a sure means.

Monsignor Brodie also addressed a few congratulatory words, first thanking Miss McDonald, on behalf of the Sisters and clergy, for the delightful music, and congratulating Miss Amodeo, as an old pupil of. St. Mary's, on her skill as an accompanist. The jubilarians were all known to him, as indeed were all the Sisters from his childhood as their pupil to the time when as pastor of Waihi he found them such devoted co-workers in his parish. No one had more intimate knowledge than he of the Order and its work, and he could never sufficiently voice his appreciation of the same. He was glad that what seemed a melancholy accident—viz., the destruction of their orphanage by -fire this year—had proved providential in enabling them to secure with a new site for the orphanage, lands for the building of a Mother House and schools at the beautiful Pah Farm, Epsom. There he hoped a stately pile would be raised, wherein the Sisters could efficiently pursue the avocations of the Order, and minister to the needs of their flock. He hoped to see there the noblest traditions of the Order fulfilled that by whole-souled devotion to the interests of the Church in Auckland, the Sisters would sanctify their own souls and those of all with whom they came in contact. At the conclusion, Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament was given by his Lordship the Bishop, assisted by Rev. Father O'Doherty, Fathers Furlong, Ormond, Peters (Maitland), Golden, Kirrane, Clarke, and Skinner being also,present. Rev. Fathers Creagh, C.SS.R., Murphy (Cambridge), and Forde also visited the convent to convey their good wishes.