DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH

New Zealand Tablet, 3 December 1914, Page 43

DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH

- (From our own correspondent.) ■. * November 30. The circular letter from, the Hierarchy of the Dominion* to the electors on the Bible-in-schools question was read in all the churches on Sunday, and the subject incidentally referred to. The devotion of the Forty Hours’ Adoration will commence in the Cathedral on next Sunday, at which the occasional sermons are to be preached by his Lordship the Bishop and Rev Father O’Connor (Lincoln). The children of the Sacred Heart Orphanage at Mount Magdala, to the number of over eighty, were treated to a visit to the city on last Friday. , At the D.I.C. they met ‘Father Christmas,’ and were afterwards entertained to afternoon tea by the management. ■ The Rev. Father Leen, having returned from his visit to the Old Country, has resumed duty at Rangiora, The Rev. Father Brady, of Australia, who has been relieving at Rangiora, as *assistant to the Very Rev. Dean Hyland, returned last week to his own parish. The Cathedral collectors and members of the parochial schools’ committee 1 were entertained to supper at the episcopal residence by the Very Rev. Chancellor Price, Adm;, on last Thursday evening. Advantage was taken of the occasion to discuss the advisability of arranging a Catholic excursion and picnic, combined with a children’s outing as usually held on Boxing Day. It was eventually decided to favor such an event being

carried out on St. Patrick’s Day, and to select Ashburton as the locality. - ’ , The Rev. Father Richards, the popular and energetic pastor of Hawarden, has been relieved of the charge of his extensive parochial district by his Lordship the Bishop, to accept duty as Catholic' chaplain to the Reinforcement Contingent of the Expeditionary Troops, with the rank of captain-chaplain. Father Richards will on Tuesday enter upon his new duties at Trentham, and for the present the Hawarden district will be attended to by the Cathedral clergy. In the departure of the Rev. Father Richards the diocesan council of the Catholic Federation, and indeed the whole movement, will sustain a distinct loss, he having from the very beginning taken an active interest in its pursuits, and proved himself a representative of much industry and initiative at the council meetings. He pleached in the Cathedral at Vespers on Sunday evening. Following are the contributions to the British and Belgian relief fund from the respective parishes of the diocese;—Cathedral, £9l 5s- 7d; his Lordship the Bishop, £5 55,-Marist Brothers’ school boys, £s;*Halswell, £lO ; Addington, £ls 4s 7d; Sumner, £lO 12s 8d; total £137 7s lOd. St. Mary’s, Christchurch North, £49 7s; clergy, £5; Sisters of Mercy, £1; individual subscriptions, £25 15s 6d; Hornby, £4 15s; Papanui, £6 11s; New Brighton, £5 2s; —total, £97 10s 6d. Lyttelton, £ls 15s; Akaroa, £1 7s 6d; Little River, £2 13s ; Rangiora, £7O 7s 3d ; Hawarden, £3O; Cheviot, £23 ; Amberley, £ll 12s Gd : Waiau, £4 14s Gd; Culverden, £5 19s; Leeston, £23 17s; Southbridge, £l4 11s 9d; Lincoln, £4O 3s: Ashburton and Hinds, £lB9 16s; Ashburton and Hinds (Belgium), £64 Is; Rakaia, £lB Is; Methven, £29 12s 6d : Methven (concert), £l7; Geraldine, £lO ; Timaru, £62; • Waimate, £4O 13s; Fairlie, Albury, and Cave, £55 8s 6d; Greymouth, £3B; Hokitika, £l4 3s; Ross, £6 9s 6d ; Ri*nu, £2 2s 6d : Kumara, £2O; Ahaura, £9 ss: Barfield, £8 3s 6d; Temuka, £SO —total, £lll4 12s lOd.

The fortnightly meeting of St. Patrick’s branch (No. 82) of the H.A.C.B. Society was held in the Hibernian Hall, Barbadoes street, on last Monday evening. Bro. J. Griffen (president) presided over a full attendance of officers and a fair number of members. Rev. Father Long (chaplain) was also in attendance. The usual routine business was transacted; sick pay, amounting to £8 10s, was passed for payment, which, Bro. McCormick (sick visitor) stated, was. the lowest on record during his term of office, extending over , a number of years. One new member was initiated. Reference was made to a special meeting held on the previous Sunday, when it was decided to promote a bazaar about Easter Jor the purpose of clearing off the debt on the hall. All arrangements were placed in the hands of an energetic committee, the members of which, we are sure, will leave nothing undone to make tile, bazaar a decided success.

Temuka

(From our own correspondent.) The contractors for the new school are making good headway with the building, and it is anticipated that the opening will take place towards the close of the Christmas holidays..

Messrs. C. E. Kerr and J. Talbot, candidates for the Temuka seat at the forthcoming general election, have both expressed themselves opposed to the Bible-in-schools referendum, and in favor of the present system of education.

, On Sunday morning, at the 8 o’clock Mass, some 25 children attending the local convent school made their First Communion. In the afternoon, at 3 o’clock, they participated in. the renewal of Baptismal vows, acts of consecration* to the Blessed Virgin and St, Joseph, and previous to Benediction assisted in the procession of the Most Blessed Sacrament. The church was neatly decorated for the occasion. Much trouble had been gone to in making arrangements for a big procession through the church grounds, but owing to heavy downpours of rain (which otherwise were most welcome) outdoor functions had to be cancelled.