Diocesan News

New Zealand Tablet, 19 March 1914, Page 23

Diocesan News

ARCHDIOCESE OF WELLINGTON (From our own correspondent.) March. 14. I am pleased to record the success of one of our Catholic ladies as a teacher in the recent Trinity College of Music theory examinations. Miss Fagan, the lady in question, was successful, six of her pupils passing the examination. The St. Patrick’s Day Celebration Committee has been successful in securing the services of Mr. Paul Dufault and his concert company for the St. Patrick’s Night concert. Sir Joseph Ward has also consented to give a patriotic oration at the sports gathering at Newtown Park. A meeting of the Wellington Catholic Education Board took place at the Federation rooms last Thursday- evening, his Grace Archbishop O’Shea presiding. The question of physical training in the schools under the jurisdiction of the Board was discussed, and it was eventually decided to deputationise the Minister for Education on the subject.

A mission for children by the Marist Fathers commenced at both of the Te Aro churches (St. Mary's and St. Joseph's) last Sunday, and concluded on Wednesday. On Thursday the women's mission commenced, the Very Rev. Father O'Connell preaching the opening sermon at St. Joseph's and the Rev. Father McCarthy at Sti Mary's. Last evening the Rev. Father Taylor preached at St. Joseph's, and the Rev. Father A. T. Herring at St. Mary's. The missions for the women will last ten days, and at their conclusion missions will be preached for the men. The attendances at both

the morning Masses and the evening devotions have been exceptionally good.

In a letter from New York to a friend in Wellington, Mr. L. T. Reichel, the inventor of the Reichel Automatic Fire Alarm, who went to America recently in connection with his patent, writes :—' I have finished my business in America, having disposed of the United States rights of my fire alarm invention to two large companies on a royalty contract with substantial guarantees. The system enjoys the unique distinction with only two others out of some hundreds of systems, of being officially approved by the National Board of Fire Prevention and Underwriters' Laboratories. It is now being installed in the Quebec Parliament buildings. We expect to sail fox England from Boston in a couple of weeks, and will probably be there for the summer, returning to New Zealand before next Christmas, though we may be back sooner than expected. The Federation of Catholic societies is not particularly active in New York, but the Church here shows great activity in other ways. The latest innovation is a Catholic Theatre Censor Society. This society sends out printed forms to Catholics to be filled up pledging the recipient to abstain from attending all plays of a questionable nature. A list of approved plays accompanies the letter. This society hopes to do much to combat the "vice" plays which are so popular here at present. I have attached myself to a conference here and have visited a number of " cases" and I must say that the poverty here is nothing to the poverty I have Been in London " cases." '

Many old West Coasters in Wellington and elsewhere will regret to hear of the death of Mrs. Mary Susan Ross, relict of Mr. W. F. Ross, who, after leaving the Coast, where he lived in the early days, carried on business on Lambton Quay. She leaves a family of five sons and six daughters. The sons are Messrs. W. F. Ross, S. J. Ross, and V. F. Ross (Wellington), J. Ross (Napier), and F. Ross (who is in Australia), and the daughters, Mesdames D. D. Hyde, F. J. Oakes, Denton (Wellington), and Farr (Melbourne), and Misses Eliza and Amy Ross (Wellington). A Requiem Mass was celebrated by the Rev. Father Kimbell at St. Mary of the Angels' Church this morning, prior to the interment of the remains in the Karori Cemetery. The late Mrs. Ross was a native of Dublin. She came out to the Colony in 1860, and was married in Dunedin. She and her husband, the late Mr. W. F. Ross, had their full share in the stirring times at Hartley and Riley's, in Otago, and the Dunstan, and were attracted to the Hokitika goldfields in 1863. Thirty6ix year 3 ago they came to Wellington, and commenced business on Lambton Quay, opposite the Bank of New Zealand premises. Mr. and Mrs. Ross went to the Chicago Exhibition in 1893, where Mr. Ross died. His Widow had his body embalmed, taken to New York, thence to London, and finally to Wellington, and interred in the Karori Cemetery. Mrs. Ross purchased the well-known McNab's Gardens, Lower Hutt, now known as the Bellevue, which she and her family successfully conducted for about six years. On retiring, she went to live at Telford terrace, Oriental Bay, where her home was usually a popular place of call for old West Coasters. A tribute to the deceased lady was feelingly made by the. Very Rev. Father Roche, C.SS.R., at St. Gerard's on Sunday evening. Many floral tributes were sent from friends in all parts of the Dominion, and the family have received numerous telegrams expressive of sympathy.—R.l.P.