Diocesan News

New Zealand Tablet, 6 April 1916, Page 24

Diocesan News

ARCHDIOCESE OF WELLINGTON

(From our own correspondent.)

April 1. The Rev. Chaplain-Captains McMenamin and P. J. O’Neill have left for the front, Mr. W. F. Healy, of Brooklyn, who recently retired from the service of the Wellington Harbor Board, has left for England by the Zealandic. Quite satisfactory progress is being made in connection with the Catholic Women’s Hostel in Arlington street. The number of permanent' boarders is steadily increasing, and the fact that at times the ‘ floating population ’ has filled every corner of the building shows how greatly it is appreciated. The Catholic Seamen’s Mission has now secured rooms in Kennedy’s Buildings, Lower Cuba street, and the Catholic seamen visiting Wellington have now some place in which to spend their leisure hours. The • president (Mr. - Tustain) is anxious for more seating accommodation, and would be extremely grateful for donations of chairs. He will be in attendance at the rooms every evening from 7 p.m. to receive offers of assistance in this charitable work. At a recent meeting of the Wellington Education Board a resolution was passed affirming the- desirability of school fife and drum bands. The mover pointed out that these bands were a great success in Auckland and Dunedin, some schools in the latter city possessing as many as three. For many years a very successful band was maintained in St. Anne’s parish but,- owing to the war, it was found ' difficult to carry on, ; and the Ven. Archdeacon Devoy very kindly handed over , a dozen fifes and ,music. to the Marist Brothers, Newtown, who have decided- to organise Ta’ band of -sixty players on the lines suggested by the Education Board. The Brothers have been fortunate in securing a bandmaster, who can give the boys their lesson from four to five o’clock in the afternoon, thus obviating any necessity for the boys leaving their homes' at night. . V It is believed that , the Catholics of Wellington will be pleased with the idea, and will help to make the band a -success. , ■' - y. . The swimming team of the Marist Brothers’ School, Newtown, were . the. winners of the swimming championship of the Wellington schools. .The members of the team were : J. Ryan, 8.. Quennell, T. Columb, D. Gallichan. < The boys ; hold the Duthie Challenge Cup for one . year, and were awarded a.'medal each. J. Ward* won the junior championship banner, for diving.

The race is described by the Dominion as follows: ‘ At the swimming carnival at the Tepid Baths' principal interest centred in the final of the teams’ 1 race for public school boys. On the "previous evening two heats had ■ been £ decided; with the result that Marist Brothers, Clyde Quay, Terrace, and ; Normal qualified for the final. -A 1 further heat, early last evening, gave the Maranui team a right to start in the final. A most exciting contest took place when the five teams lined up. Clyde Quay had a lead with their first boy, but Marist Brothers had the lead by the time the second boy had finished, and they retained it to the end, although the last competitor was hard pressed by Terrace on • the one side and Clyde Quay on the other. Maranui and Normal were outclassed. Marist Brothers thus win the championship title and hold the Duthie. Cup for a year. , ‘ (