IMPRESSIVE CEREMONY AT MASTERTON

New Zealand Tablet, 16 September 1915, Page 13

IMPRESSIVE CEREMONY AT MASTERTON

\ - ——♦ ' • INVESTITURE OF MONSIGNOR MeKENNA, ■ ■ , The ceremony of investing; Right Rev. Monsignor . McKenna," VG-, with the robes of a Domestic Prelate of the Holy See took -place in -St. Patrick's Church, Masterton, on Sunday morning, September 5. The■"'. church was crowded, visitors being -present from , all .parts of the province. The visiting clergy included Ven. Archdeacon.Devoy (Wellington), Very Rev. Dean Power (Hawera), Very Rev. Father O'Connell (Wel- : lington), Rev. T. McKenna (Pahiatua). The ceremony began with a procession which entered the church by the main door-and proceeded up the. Epistle side of the church to the 3 sanctuary. Within the sanctuary ' the Monsignor's robes were placed .on a. table, and his' ■? Grace Archbishop Redwood blessed them. Presentation of the Robes. His Grace Archbishop Redwood, in presenting the . robes, said he was pleased to be present on the occasion.I:: Monsignor McKenna , had < been : raised by the Holy ; See v . to the dignified and distinguished position of a Domestic - : Prelate, and he had pleasure that day in presenting " I him with - the official robes of' his office. He was sure *that the; people i of'/the'- district .were: overjoyed at the" - ' dignity that had been conferred upon their estimable - priests { It was a reward for long; and faithful service ! • ; that had been conferred by .the highest, authoritythe Pontiff himself. In presenting the robes and vestments, he expressed the hope, a hope in which all would join, that Monsignor McKenna; would be spared for many years to enjoy his" honored position, and to" , render i service to the Church: ; |.. He wished J the worthy prelate long life and usefulness. . A . ; ' ' "- :.,--Right Rev. Mgr. McKenna said he could not, in^f" ■% Words;■ adequately express his feelings of gratitude at *: ; : the honor that had that day been conferred upon him. •"■ .Through the kind offices of f his Grace at the Holy See; § he had been raised to his present position by the Pontiff I; himself. He fully appreciated the honor % and : ; the v dignity of his office as a Domestic Prelate.-: The pleasure he felt was considerably enhanced by the presenta- ?;' tion of the robes by his Grace the 1 Archbishop; the more so as this was the first visit to this district by his g Grace since his return-from the Eternal City. When it was announced that he had been appointed a Domestic %- Prelate, •he "-'had hoped that 5 his people would rejoice t. at the honor conferred upon him and them. : They "t had done so. He had received congratulations from, '% all parts of New Zealand, and from outside countries, j And the congratulations were not confined to his own " Church. i v .« -He had received hearty ~ felicitations from';■.. "i, many belonging to other ; denominations. The robes ,-j with {which? he had that. day been - invested were the S gift of his parishioners, and he very much appreciated : >g■ "it.""He 5 ; was glad to have with them" his dear and ■'£ valued friend, Archdeacon Devoy, who had been;|the { first' priest to congratulate him. It would not be out :of place, fe also, to ? .mention :, that-. the McKillop family had presented the church with a magnificent cope and 7 veil, which would be; used for the first ;; time that evening. | y- He s thanked those who were present from outside dis- . tricts to do him. honor, particularly Dean Power, of - Hawera, and Father O'Connell, of . Wellington. He | hoped that he would : continue to . merit the confidence of; |- his Grace the Archbishop and ; the goodwill :of (the ;" : people. When the time came that his labors were Con- _ i eluded, he trusted that he would be able to say with # St. Paul, 'I have;fought a good fight, I have kept the ;. faith,' etc. ■ ■■-:•-■'. His Grace the Archbishop then stated that,: when • in Rome, he had a lengthy audience with his Holiness g •;■ the Pope, whom,he found most gracious, : and anxious ; -/ to hear of the welfare ;of s the Church .in New Zealand. *:.. He had given : his ;Holiness complete information : con- , cerning the progress of the Church in this beautiful . country. L He r^ad{been: charged with the, Papal Blessing, with plenary indulgence, f which he would give to those present "at the conclusion of Mass. .

r , - 'The Occasional Sermon. *- . ~ \ v - Then the'Monsignor' "retired to;: the sacristy. Vested in his robes, returned to the sanctuary and y took up v his place on the Epistle /side \_ of the altar, his f Grace the Archbishop having already taken his place on - the, Gospel • side. In • the J sanctuary the clergy took ' their places—-Ven. Archdeacon Devoy, Very Rey. Dean ; Power, ; Rev. Father T. McKenna (Pahiatua), Rev; '■ ;? Father Kinkead (Carterton), and Rev. Father Gui- |: uane. Very Rev. Father O'Connell was celebrant of the Mass. The choir rendered the music rof the Mass admirably,- under the baton of Mr. A. C R." Bunny. :- ; After Mass, the Very Rev. Dean Power preached an .•• eloquent sermon appropriate ,; to ; the occasion. His subject was the dignity i of the priesthood. ." In a telling 1 and pleasing" manner ; the preacher explained, •to the s:people-the ineffable dignity ; of a priest of God./ The I preacher - showed the dignity of the priesthood from s■■5 ■■ the tremendous power /which the r priest has /received & from God of ' consecrating bread and wine into the 'Body' and*Blood of Christ. / The -preacher said he would not 'touch: on the other great power of a priestthe .power of loosening the sinner from the bonds of sin. Then the preacher went on to show the close relation between priest and people, how the priest is all things to all menrejoicing in their joy and sympathising in .their- sorrow, helping the poor, encouraging the weak, and consoling ; the afflicted. :" Then the preacher applied ;'■his; sermon to the Right Rev. Monsignor McKenna, - and reminded ; the people of the long service he had rendered ':■ amongst them in : the exalted; position s of / priest. .;. In" recognition of his sterling qualities he.was appointed rl; to the important position of Domestic Prelate to the "Holy 'See. _- "%■- _ : //..'" -;.' : /'/ : ' '•/' ' ""

The Evening Devotions.

:5- • ||-In the evening there was another very large conK gregation. * / A >splendid .sermon„ was delivered by ■ the I Very Rev. Father O'Connell. - ~. - r . The preacher took as his subject, * The ceremonial of the Church.' He first described the .ceremonies of / the Old Law, how pleasing it was to God, and how / God had actually told Moses the very ceremonies he was to use in religious worship. Then the preacher ' went/oh to show rhow ceremonial answers a desire in S the human heart to express its -feelings towards God, its Creator. He "showed how ceremonial was used by • the State, by the various societies, and the different * clubs, and thus showed how even the State had attached f= great importance to ceremonials. He went on to show S the great love the Catholic Church had for ceremonials / from the earliest times, and how much people are im- ■ pressed when ceremonies are carried out and-well per- / formed./ He went on to speak of the ceremony of ; the morning, and he said they felt that morning ,as if. the Pope had come amongst them, for he had conferred U.. a high dignity on their good pastor. He went on to S congratulateJtjie people because of: the honor conferred / on their pastor, and so conferred on them. He con- :; gratulated ,-. Monsignor.' McKenna on the dignity » be-'.-'-stowed: on him, and wished him many long years to /./ enjoy his high' office. •;/ ;;>■/• ■:,..-.■ - ' : His Grace Archbishop Redwood officiated at Bene- ; diction of the Blessed Sacrament, assisted by Dean £ Power, of Hawera. . ; \ ■/ ' The choir rendered the music exceedingly well, •s and so the ceremonies closed for the day. : ,-;..'V,_ , The altar was beautifully decorated for the cerei mony, this being the work of the ladies of the parish.