Diocesan News

New Zealand Tablet, 20 January 1916, Page 24

Diocesan News

ARCHDIOCESE OF WELLINGTON (From our own correspondent.) January 15. Advice has been received that the annual district meeting of the Hibernian Society will take place at Auckland on April 25. .The Rev. Father McGrath, S.J., who conducted the retreat at the Sacred Heart Convent, Island Bay, preached at St. Anne’s last Sunday evening. The Mayoress of Wellington (Mrs. J. P. Luke) will open, on January 22, the annual parish festival, organised by the Very Rev. Father O’Connell, S.M. , The sale of work which Mrs. Sullivan, of Roxburgh street, organised and held at her residence, in aid of the Home of Compassion, was a great success, and realised the sum of £ 74 . Mr. W. F. Johnson, secretary of the Wellington Diocesan Council, has received advice that his son, Gunner F. W. Johnson, who went to the front with the 2nd Battery Field Artillery, Main Body, has been admitted into the Pont de Ronbah Hospital, Cairo, suffering from chronic cough. Mr. Johnson has three sons on active service. The body of the late Private Geoffrey Coupland, who died in Wellington Hospital on Friday last, was interred at Karori with military honors. The cortege which was headed by' the Trentham Band and a firing party, left St. Joseph’s Church, Buckle street, where a service was conducted by the Rev. Father Stewart, who assisted Chaplain-Captain Segrief at the graveside. —' R.I.P.

The Rev. Father Patrick Dore, Chaplain to the Forces, who was mentioned in Friday's cables as having been awarded the Military Cross, was one of the two Catholic chaplains who left New Zealand in October, 1914, with the Main Expeditionary Force, the Rev' Father McMenamin being the other. He was attached to the Auckland Mounted Rifles, and landed with them when they arrived at Gallipoli. He was hit while aiding a wounded man under fire on August 21, and was taken to the military hospital at Devonport, -England, where he was lying at the last advices.

The retirement of Mr. W. F. Healy, one of Wellington's prominent Catholics, from the service of the Wellington Harbor Board, on superannuation, as from 31st December last, recalls not only the memory of one of Wellington's most prominent, familiar, and capable officials, but recollections of days when Wellington was only a very small ' fishing village' (as it was once contemptuously described), and the Wellington Harbor Board did not exist. And yet it is only forty years ago that Mr. Healy arrived from the Old Country and entered the service of Mr. James O'Shea, who carried on business as a merchant in what is t now known as Harbour street. In 1876 he commenced his acquaintance with the .wharves, which he has seen grow from a puny little pier to the magnificent stretches of berth-

mg and loading and unloading accommodation that now exist. Mr. Healy leaves the service of the board with the respect and regret of all who have been associated with him. It may be added that Mr. Healy has two sons in the New Zealand Army in Egypt, and another one is a sergeant in the 10th Reinforcements, whilst Sister Mary, of the Convent of Mercy, Christchurch, is a daughter. I very much regret to report the death of Mrs. Agnes Fagan, an esteemed member of St. Anne’s parish, which took place last Monday at Rhandallah, where the deceased lady was recuperating after a short illness. Mrs. Fagan, who was born in Scotland, spent her early years in Otago, having arrived at Waikouaiti in the year 1863. Shortly after her arrival in New Zealand, she was married to Mr. Michael Fagan, settling down successively in Dunedin, Palmerston South, and Oamaru, where the late Mr. Fagan, who predeceased his wife some 20 years ago, carried on business as a carrier. Mrs. Fagan came to Wellington in the year 1901. She endeared herself to all who came in contact with her by her kindly and charitable disposition. She was a staunch Catholic, and took a keen interest right up to her death in all matters connected with the Church. She was attended in her last illness by the Rev. Father Peoples, and she died fortified by all the rites of Holy Church. The deceased leaves a large grown-up family of six daughters and two sons, and twelve grandchildren. The interment took place last Tuesday’ morning. The Yen. Archdeacon Devoy celebrated the Requiem Mass, and the Rev. Father O’Connor, assisted by the Rev. Father Walsh, officiated at the graveside.—R.l.P. The half-yearly meeting of St. Aloysius’ branch of the Hibernian Society was held at St. Anne’s last week. Bro. T. Murphy, 8.P., presided over an attendance of 150, and the Ven. Archdeacon Devoy was also present. The following officers for the ensuing year were elected ; President, Bro. T. Murphy; vice-president, Bro. J. Redican; secretary, Bro. W. H. Giles; treasurer, Bro. J. Stratford; warden, Bro. J. Heavy; guardian, Bro. T. H. Forster; auditors, Bros. J. L. Murphy and J. Redican; sick visitors, Bros. T. Murphy and J. Fagan; delegate to the Friendly Societies’ Dispensary Board, Bro. T. H. Forster. Advantage was taken of the occasion to present Bro, W. H. Giles, who has been the energetic and popular secretary of the branch for the past seven years, with a beautiful writing desk, suitably inscribed. Bro. T. Murphy (president) made the presentation, and, in doing so, voiced the feelings of appreciation which the members had for their secretary, and the esteem with which they regarded him. Bro. Giles had been secretary of the St. Aloysius’ branch for the past seven years, and had carried out his duties with conspicuous ability and success, which accounted for the prosperous condition . in which the branch was to-day. He paid a tribute to the great assistance rendered by Mrs. Giles, who took as keen an interest in the branch as Bro. Giles himself, and who rendered valuable assistance to the branch especially in arranging social functions. Archdeacon Devoy supported Bro. Murphy in his remarks, and congratulated Bro. Giles on the good work he had done and was doing for the Hibernian Society in St. Anne’s parish, and he, on his own behalf, wished to present Bro. Giles with an inkstand so as to complete the outfit. Bro. Giles suitably and feelingly responded. He had, he said, only performed his duty, and his reward was, he considered, the pardonable pride with which he viewed the progress of the branch. This progress was not wholly the result of his efforts, but of the splendid work of those able officers with whom he had been associated during his term of office. He reviewed the work of the past seven years, and said that the receipts for that period totalled £1538, whilst the expenditure came to £1378. Of this expenditure a sum of £455 was paid.to the doctors, and £l3O to the dispensary, whilst a sum of £405 was paid in sick benefits. During the same period 120 members were initiated. He thanked the branch for their handsome recognition of hit services, and, on behalf of Mrs. Giles, thanked

Bro. Murphy for the nice things he had said about her. The remainder of the evening was spent socially, and was most enjoyable. The following contributed items Master Beveridge, Messrs. J. Carmody, Geo. Foote, and Kevin Dillon. Miss Vera Scanlon acted as accompanist.