DIOCESE OP AUCKLAND

New Zealand Tablet, 21 May 1914, Page 26

DIOCESE OP AUCKLAND

(By telegraph, from our own correspondent.)

May 18.

Rev. Father Ormond officiated at Coromandel on last Sunday, and is expected to return to the Cathedral about the middle of this week. V =-The May devotions are being well attended in the city and suburban churches. At St. Benedict's particularly the devotions are of a most impressive character. * The High Altar at St. Benedict's, through the generosity of a parishioner, is being renovated. Rev. Father O'Doherty ' was the preacher at the last meeting of the Holy Family Confraternity, when he took for his subject, ' St. Patrick His Life, Labors, Sacrifices, and Sufferings,' all of which have borne fruit, evidence of which is manifest to-day in every part of the globe. His Lordship Bishop Cleary has published in the public press a challenge to the Bible-in-Schools' League. This challenge is straight from the shoulder, and if the League be confident of its position, here is an opportunity to strengthen and popularise it. Inter alia the Bishop affirms that Catholics are truly Bible-in-schools advocates, in proof of which they have invested in schools in Auckland alone £61,000 in the past three years. On Thursday last the Rev. 'Father Tigar, 0.P., left' on his return journey to the Monastery of his Order in England. Since his arrival here as a missionary, the Rev. Father did splendid work for souls, especially among the scattered Catholics of the backblocks and on the Great Barrier Island. He had also been temporarily in charge of the parishes of Thames and Tuakau, where his zeal and his genial manner greatly endeared him to the people. Father Tigar succeeded his lamented confrere, the late Father Benedict, 0.P., who came to the diocese under an engagement as a missionary for five years. No arrangements were at any time made for the canonical founding of a House of the Order in the Auckland diocese, but in their capacity as diocesan missionaries both Father Tigar and his lamented predecessor did much zealous and highly .appreciated work. A newspaper discussion has been going on in regard to lack of accommodation for Mass at the Hautapu Camp on a recent Sunday. Without the knowledge or sanction of the authorities of our Church, the military authorities appointed the Mass to take place in the Young Men's Christian Association's marquee, which, it appears, had been courteously offered for the purpose. In the storm that swept over the camp on the Friday night, the Association's marquee was levelled, and so much damage done thereto that it could not be reerected for Sunday morning. At the request of his Lordship the Bishop the Auckland branch of the Catholic Federation secured a splendid marquee, capable of accommodating pretty nearly all the Catholic soldiers in the camp. This was sent to Hautapu in charge of a Catholic Federation official, and was in the camp about noon of the Saturday.* The official, armed with proper credentials to the camp authorities, received from them a promise that the marquee would be erected during the Saturday afternoon for Sunday morning's Mass, and it was intended* to maintain it as .a rendezvous for the Catholic men during the continuance of the camp. For some unexplained reason, however, the marquee was not erected either on Saturday or Sunday, and the Catholic Federation official, being unable to secure its erection either then or during' the following days, returned with it to Auckland on the Wednesday. Information received, from the camp on Saturday states that Very Rev. Dean Darby, on his visit to the camp on the previous day, was received with splendid courtesy by the officers, and that suitable arrangements were "made for Mass on Sunday. .-\ ' ' - Owing to an oversight, a somewhat belated account reached me of the opening of the handsome new church, erected at the expense of the Native chief tain ess on a fine site in the Maori village of Ongarue. The blessing and opening of the new church were performed by his

Lordship the . Bishop. • The Mass of dedication was celebrated by Father Zangerl ;• the occasional sermon was preached by the Very Rev. Dean Lightheart, and there were .also present in the sanctuary Rev. Father Delach (Otaki), Very Rev. -Father Kehoe (Ireland), and Rev. Father Brennan (Taumarunui)'. The Sacrament of Confirmation was administered in the afternoon. It was the first episcopal visit to Ongarue. Some six hundred Maoris were present ; n the Native village, including Dr. Pomarc and other notabilities. On his arrival, his Lordship, the Bishop was met at the village boundary by a well-appointed Maori brass band.. An impressive haka of welcome then took, place. Several Native" orators (including'the chieftaincss) greeted the Bishop in picturesque speeches, and his .Lordship replied at some length in the Native tongue. Before his departure his , Lordship again addressed the assembled Maoris in thoir own tongue. A large gathering of the Maoris assembled to see him off at the railway station. Most of the great assemblage of Natives remained at the Maori village for several days after, as the invited guests of the chieftainess. • I