DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH

New Zealand Tablet, 18 December 1913, Page 45

DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH

(From our own correspondent.) ■-; ' / ■ , December 13. His Lordship the Bishop whilst in Rome visited the Mother House of the Nursing Sisters of the Little Company of Mary. Although having many calls on the Order, it has been decided that the Sisters are to arrive here in January to establish their convent and hospital in Christchurch. Whilst abroad the Bishop also visited the head houses of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd and of the Sisters of Nazareth.

The following pupils of the Sacred Heart High School, Lower High street, have been notified by the secretary of the Christchurch Shorthand Writers’ Association that they have been successful in obtaining certificates from Sir Isaac Pitman and Sons, Bath, England, in connection with the examination held in August; First Class Speed Certificates. —Clarice Bell (100 words per minute), Mary Strouts (80 words per minute). By last mail from Home, the following also received theoretical certificates for Pitman’s shorthand —Monica Wall and Margaret Daily.

The fortnightly meeting of St. Patrick’s branch of the H.A.C.B. Society was held in the Hibernian Hall on last Monday evening, Bro. H. A. Sloan, 8.P., presiding. The sum of £l3 13s 4d was passed for payment as sick pay to twelve members. The receipts for the evening amounted to £3l. Two candidates for membership, were initiated and two were nominated. It was reported that the stall conducted by the branch and M. 8.0.8. in the recent carnival netted approximately £IBO, which was considered very satisfactory. The officers and members desire to thank those who in any way helped them to achieve this result. Bro. F. J. Doolan announced that he was proceeding to Methven as District Deputy on Saturday to open the new branch there on Sunday. Several officers expressed their intention of being present also.

A general meeting of all conferences of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in the circumscription of the Particular Council of Christchurch was held in Ozanam Lodge, Manchester street, on Monday evening. The Very Rev. Dean Hills, S.M., V.G., presided, and there Was a large attendance. Excellent reports were given by the presidents of St. Mary’s, and the Cathedral conferences, also in regard to St. Ann’s conference, Woolston, and St. Mary’s, Confraternity of Ladies of Charity and St. Mary’s Boys’ Guild. Correspondence received since the previous general meeting was read by the president and dealt with. The Very Rev. Dean Hills, in the course of an inspiriting address, warmly commended the zealous efforts of the brothers of the society and Ladies of Charity, whose good work, in

both the temporal and spiritual order, was a cause of edification. The subject of his subsequent remarks generally was in advocacy of stalwart Catholicity. Faith, strong in its profession and practice, was the needed quality, and possessing such, good works were the natural complement. In acquiring and cherishing this there was no agency more really effective than, active membership of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and Confraternity of Ladies of Charity. .The Very Rev. Dean spoke interestingly of what he had seen many years ago in England, where, following on the re-establishment of the Catholic hierarchy, rampant bigotry and all its attendant evils assailed every attempt at Catholic advancement. Strong in their faith, however, Catholics lived all this down. Openly and still more openly they practised their holy religion, and commanded respect. All they sought was in God’s good,time granted to them, and now all over England, and especially in the great cities, even in London itself, Catholic rites and ceremonies, both within and without the churches, were carried out with all reverence and decorum, so altered had become public opinion. What had been possible in England was also possible here.

Last Tuesday, Mr. J. Howell, 8.A., B.Sc., Director of the Technical College, paid a visit to the Marist Brothers’ School, to present the prize awarded to the best boy in the woodwork class. The BrotherDirector in a few words introduced him to the boys. Mr. Howell, after speaking of the great advantages to be gained from manual training, read the following report on the work of the class attending from the school this year: — ‘l have the honor to report on the work of the boys attending the class in woodwork at the Technical College. The standard set up by the which attended during the session of 1912 was so high, both as regards work and conduct, that it was hardly to be expected that it would be quite maintained, but nevertheless in both respects has this year’s class done credit to the school and reached a high average. Attendance.—The attendance has been very good, the following boys having made the full number possible: R. Dickson, J. Gibbs, S. Harrington, J. Matthews, R. McLaughlin, F. Khouri, while seven boys have missed only once. The percentage average attendance for the session has been 94. Work.- standard of the work is sufficiently shown by the fact that only one boy in the class has received the grading ‘ satisfactory,’ while there are none marked c fair ’ or * poor.’ Seven received the commendation ‘very good,’ while 17 received ‘ good.’ Conduct. —The high standard of conduct reached by the class reflects great credit upon the school to which it belongs. . The, awards are as follow: For the most meritorious work, E. Thompson; honorable mention, J. McCormack, B. McManus,’