Diocesan News

New Zealand Tablet, 23 March 1916, Page 35

Diocesan News

ARCHDIOCESE OF WELLINGTON ./ ■■■' ■ - (From our own correspondent.) „ - March 18. The many friends of -Major R. E J Martin of the Defence Dept., will be pleased to learn that he has been promoted to the rank of senior lieutenant, and has also been appointed military quartermaster on the troopship Apanma, , which left for Egypt/some time ago. ' Lieut. Martin was the commanding officer, of St. Anne s Cadets, and it was through his splendid work that that corps attained great proficiency. He was also- a valued member of St. Anne’s Choir, and before leaving was entertained by the members. Mr. Reade, the conductor, referred in eulogistic terms to Lieut. Martin’s services, and presented him with a token of the esteem ,in which the members held him. Mr. Reade s remarks were supplimented by Rev. lather Peoples and Mr. Geo. Foote. . Lieut. Martin was also presented with a gold medal, suitably inscribed, by the clergy and laity. St. Anne’s Choir has an excellent record from a military point of view. Every single man has enlisted, and also three~of the married men. The many friends of Mr. W. F. Johnson, the energetic secretary.of the,diocesan council of the Catholic Federation, will be pleased to learn that he has been promoted to a responsible position in the Parliamentary Library. The members of the Hibernian Society (St, Patlick s, St. Mary s Ladies’, and Sacred Heart branches) assembled in large numbers at ‘Mary of the Angels’, Boulcott street, for their annual Communion. Very- Rev. Dean Smyth (Provincial of the Marist Order) celebrated the Mass, during which the members sang several hymns, , Dean Smyth spoke on the feast of St. Patrick, and during the course .of his remarks, congratulated the members on their splendid-muster. He urged them to cherish faith and fatherland. T After Mass, the members formed into procession and marched to Messrs. Gamble and - Creed’s rooms, where the annual breakfast was held. Bro. F. Whitaker, (president of St. Patrick’s) presided, and there, were also -present the Very Rev. Father O’Connell, S. and the Rev. Brothers Egbert and Emilian, whilst pioneers of the society, in the persons of Bros. M. Bohan, who established the branch in 1874, and T. P. Redmond, P.P., who joined in 1875, were present. Several toasts were proposed, which brought forth some really excellent speeches. . The Pope and the King ’■ was proposed by the chairman, whilst Bro. H. McKeowen delivered a splendid oration on ‘The day we celebrate,’ to which' Bro. J. P. McGowan, as president of the St. Patrick’s Day Committee, responded. Bro. J J. If. Burke proposed the toast of ‘Catholic Education,’ and made a strong appeal for co-opera-tion with the Catholic Education ' Board, which had inaugurated some three years ago a scheme for the ultimate abolition of school fees. Towards this fund some £llOO had now accumulated, and was invested in good security,'whilst a subscriber'who was generous in ’ his lifetime had bequeathed a property worth £I4OO, after providing a life-interest in it for his widow to the board. He said he hardly need ’ remind them of ; the necessity of ! Catholic education. He urged that those who desired to assist the fund should not wait until death to do so, but whilst blessed with. good health and prosperity they should do all they possibly can for this great cause. At the present time, it, was ? not the laymen and lay women who were making any •sacrifice for Catholic education,- but the good Brothers and -Sisters- who were' devoting their whole' lives without fee or reward - to the work.' • ' / The Rev, Brother Egbert responded to the toast

and,' speaking on behalf -of the ' Sisters as well as the Brothers, said they devoted the whole of their lives to the cause of Catholic education. The dangers surrounding our young people were terrible. Even after school they required .. constant attention, and here is where our ; Catholic societies and clubs come in. He quoted the words of Father Bernard Vaughan, the great English Jesuit, to show that Catholic clubs and societies were as necessary as Catholic schools. He paid a tribute to the work off the Hibernian Society, and promised to do all that he. possibly could for its success. "-i ,- v Bro. M. Walsh proposed the toast of ‘ The Catholic Federation,’ and in a stirring address pointed out the necessity for. joining the Federation and taking an interest in its work. . . .. . Mr. W. F. Johnson (hon.. secretary of the Wellington Diocesan Council) responded. He said that whilst to the Hibernian Society was entrusted the care of .the sick, the widow, and the orphan, the. function of the Federation was the political and social life of Catholics. He quoted the injustices of the Education Act, and compared England, with a population of less than 5 per cent. Catholic, enjoying more . freedom in the matter of education than New Zealand, whilst Catholic Belgium, with a 97 per cent. Catholic population, gave the minority the right to establish schools. Bro. J. E. Fitzgerald proposed the toast of ‘ The Clergy.’ which was responded to by Past President Bro. the Very Rev. Father O’Connell, S.M. (chaplain}, who congratulated the society on the excellent work it was doing. The sincerity of the speeches that morning and the manner in which thev were received impressed him. He stressed the importance of juvenile associations for our young Catholics, arid trusted that all of our children would be enrolled in the Federation, and that, boys be also enrolled as Hibernians in a juvenile branch. The toast of ‘Kindred societies’ was entrusted to Bro. Jer. O’Brien, and was responded to by Bros. L. T. Reichel, A. W. Godsell, M. O’Kane,* and B. A. Guise. ‘Past officers’ was proposed by Bro. J. E. Gamble." and responded to by , Bro. T. P. Redmond, whilst Bros. J. C. Turner and J. D. McPhee, did honor to the, toast of ‘The ladies.’ ' ' ' In the evening, at St. Marv of the Angels’ Church, the members again assembled in large; numbers, when the Very Rev. Father O’Connell, S.M., preached an able panegyric of St. Patrick.