ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY, WELLINGTON

New Zealand Tablet, 30 December 1915, Page 55

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY, WELLINGTON

C . (From, an occasional correspondent.) r ; The quarterly general meeting of the ladies’ auxiliaries was held in the presbytery, Patterson street, on December 9. About twenty members were present, also Rev. Fathers Hurley and Venning (spiritual directors), and Rev. Father Barra. The reports forth© quarter from the different conferences were „as follow: o r St. Mary’s (the central and largest conference). — Visiting Guild— Eighteen meetings, with an average attendance of six members, have been held; 192 visits were paid to the poor and sick ; orders were given for groceries, boots, and medicines; four women and four children were sent to Mount Magdala; two babies were committed from the police court to Catholic homes. The general hospital is visited twice weekly, and the gaol and Home of Compassion were also visited, and the sum of .£'3 donated to the latter., Since the last quarterly meeting 20 meetings of the sewing guild have been held. The attendance has fallen off during the past month. There are at. present 19 active members; 209 garments have been made; one afternoon was given to hemming sheets for the Women’s Hostel (87 were done) ; 14 families were assisted ; 120 new and 43 second-hand garments, and 23 yards of material were distributed, and £1 was spent, on new material. A donation of £1 was received from Mrs. Butler (the first president), £1 from Mrs. O’Connor, and £1 Ids part proceeds SI. Joseph’s pariah poor box. This conference regrets to record the death of a member, Mrs. Brooks. The resignation .of the vice-president (Miss Reichel) was received with much regret. Mrs. Bawl or was elected to fill the vacancy. Sacred ,Heart Conference,' Thurndon .—Meetings held 17 : visits paid 40, besides visits to Home of Compassion and private hospitals, where fruit, papers, etc., were distributed. One girl was scut to Mount Magdala. . Orders for coal wore given during the winter: 62 articles of clothing were distributed, and 26 parcels were received. The receipts amounted to £ll 13s Id, and the expenditure to £lO Is. St. Anne’s Conference, Newtown.-Sewing and Visiting Guild — ll meetings were held; 8 visits were paid : average attendance, five : 40 new garments, six second-hand parcels, and 20 A yds of new material were given out, also one pair of boots. The receipts were £3 10s 4d, and the expenditure £3 5s 5-Ad.

Some of the conferences, notably St. Mary's and St. Anne's', continue the beautiful practice of having Masses offered weekly for the soldiers who have lost their lives on the battlefield.

The receipts for the quarter ended December S amounted to .£34 11s 6d, and the expenditure .£l3 11s lid, leaving a credit balance of £2O 19s 7d.

After the reading of the reports by the secretary (Miss. Burke), the president (Mrs. Chamues) read a letter from, the president of the ladies’ auxiliaries, Adelaide, having- reference to the necessity of sending the reports of work in time to forward to Bologna for insertion in the Council General’s annual report. A letter from the vice-president of St. Mary’s Sewing Guild (Miss Reichel), tendering her resignation, was read. The resignation was accepted with much regret by all the members, whose best wishes are with Miss Reichel for happiness in her new state of life. The president also read a letter from the Rev. Mother Superior of the Sacred Heart Convent, Wellington, in which she invited all the members of the Ladies’ Auxiliaries to be present at the next annual retreat for ladies given at the convent, Island Bay. Rev. Father Hurley, spiritual director, then addressed the meeting. After congratulating the members of the different conferences on the amount- of good work done, he went on to express surprise at the unusually small number present. He concluded by urging the members, as far as •possible, to respond; to the invitation of the Rev. Mother Superior of- the Sacred Heart Convent to attend the retreat: ; m tt. mv ;

: Rev. Father, Venning warmly supported Father Hurley's remarks, and concluded by wishing-the memf bers the blessings and -joys of f the approaching ' season. A vote of condolence with Rev. Father jlurley£ Mrs. O’Leary, and Miss Flannery fan their recent be* reavements was passed. ■ ■ j The conferences desire to thank all actors,-f also the men’s conference for half proceeds- of poorr box; the U.S.S. Company for ■ concessions,' and the nuns at Mount Magdala. . - f :