Diocesan News

New Zealand Tablet, 24 June 1915, Page 26

Diocesan News

** : ** .& ARCHDIOCESE Of WELLINGTON ; (From our own correspondent.) • "k" v June 19. : .At St. ' Joseph’s Church, Ruckle street, Mass was offered every day this week for the. repose of the souls of those who have lost their lives in the war. ■■■■■" ■" i . .The ,Right Rev. Mgr. McKenna, V.G., and the Very Rev. Father O’Connell, S.M., were passengers for Sydney by yesterday’s steamer. Their visit is one for health purposes.

At the fortnightly meeting of the girls’ branch of the Victoria League, Mrs. Salmond presided, and introduced the Very .Rev. Dean Regnault, who gave an interesting and inspiring address on France as she was at the beginning of the war. Dean Regnault was in France when Germany. declared war, and he pictured the self-restraint and confident spirit in which the news was . received by the people. There was no shouting of ‘ A Berlin,’ as in 1870, but everyone displayed a quiet confidence and grim determination to see the war through. The Dean described the wonderful self-sacri-fice of the French women. All frivolity and selfishness were forgotten, and everyone set to work to render what assistance she could to the men called away to the war.

A concert in aid of the funds for equipping the hospital ship was given by the pupils of St. Mary’s Convent in the Guilford terrace schoolroom last night. The room was crowded to the doors, among those present being his Grace Archbishop O'Shea, the Very Rev. Dean Regnault, S.M., the Very Rev. Dean Holley (Wanganui), the Rev. Father Segrief (chaplain on the hospital ship), and many other of the local clergy. The entertainment, which was arranged by the pupils themselves, was decidedly pleasing, and reflected great credit on the promoters and all who took part. In the first part of the programme, the pupils sang several choruses, mostly of a patriotic nature, and songs, recitations, dances, and instrumental items were contributed by Misses Mary Gamble, Peggy Reeves, Linda Riddell, Lynne Edwards, Z. Chapman, Jean Mudie, J. Mathieson, M. O’Neill, Thurza Rogers, Dorothy Bolton, G. Dwyer, and N. Bennett. The second part was contributed by a number of charming Geishas, Miss Linda Riddell being the soloist. It was a very pleasant conclusion to an exceedingly pleasant entertainment, and those who took part well deserved the thanks which, on behalf of the audience, his Grace the Archbishop accorded them. As a result of the concert the handsome, sum of £6O has been handed over to the hospital ship "fund.

interesting references to the. part played by the New Zealanders in the Dardanelles operations is contained in a letter from Sergeant C. Gamble, of the Paymaster’s branch of the Expeditionary Force. Sergeant Gamble, who is a member of the Catholic Club, is a son of Mr. J. J. Gamble, of Hill street. Writing on board the ship Lutzow, Alexandria, on April 29, he says: When I left Alexandria on April 12, I thought I had done with Egypt for good. We, however, arrived back again to-night. - From here w© proceeded to Lemnos, anisfand south of Gallipoli Peninsula, in the-vicinity of the Dardanelles. Put in a fortnight there, and left last Saturday for Gallipoli. Sunday, April 25, was the red-letter day. Awakened in the early morning by the thunder of the warship’s guns bombarding the forts, and took up a position inside the semi-circle of men-o’-war. It was an inspiring sight to .see the British Navy in . action. We had a seat in the grandstand, as it were, and could' plainly observe the effect of the big gun fir© directed by aeroplanes. It was hard to realise that it was real warfare going on before our eyes. I couldn’t get it out of my head that it was only a sham-fight until a few enemy shells landed , too close to our boat to be comfortable. Our boys

landed at TO a.m., and many a chap went over the side jokingly remarking,; J-* Anyhow, we have got a fine day for it.” For many ; of them 1 it,was', their last fine day. We were to land later, but the" programme had to be changed. Among other "things;* I had to obtain full particulars of each wounded ; ma^t,PJii;.^»?dv ; so had to deal with every one of them. They are a game lot. New Zealand need not, ; have - any to the grit of the boys.’. / ‘

r ... Writing under date May 6 to his. Grace Archbishop O’Shea, the Rev, Father Dor© (formerly ; ,of Foxton), chaplain to the /Mounted Contingent of the Expeditionary Force, says : ; ‘ The Mounted Brigade leaves here (Zeitoun) to-morrow night for the / Dardanelles. We are going dismounted, and shall probably join up with our New Zealand Infantry. Our poor boys, particularly Auckland and Wellington, have lost quite a large number of officers and men, . . " So far we have not had any news of Father McMenamiu or other Australian priests, which fact is significant that they are all right. Father Finn, of the Dublin Fusiliers, was hit four times in the chest while on the boat from the ship to the beach. As he was taken from the boat, -though in great agony, as he saw his dear boys strewn everywhere along the beach, wounded and dying, he attempted to administer the last rites to some who were around him, when, an hour after arriving on land, he was struck by another bullet in the head, after which he died within an hour. The Dublins, a battalion strong, landed under a constant fusillade of rifle and machine-gun fix-e within a range of thirty yards ; they were practically annihilated. Two days after landing, the Dublins and Munsters were only able to muster a company between them. . . I hope you will send us more priests, for, even exclusive of casualties among us, the work of attending to the wounded is-growing exceedingly heavy. Our wounded in Cairo are scattered over five hospitals, fresh cases come in ©very day, more hospitals are being opened, which makes a lot of work for one priest. Father Richards has been at Alexandria for some days, as the more serious cases are re-ceived-there. . . I think Cardinal Bourne will supply priests for Alexandria Hospitals. At least two priests will be needed here from this forward; and as reinforcements go to the front Father Richards will be needed there also.’ :