MOUNT MAGDALA INSTITUTE

New Zealand Tablet, 11 May 1916, Page 25

MOUNT MAGDALA INSTITUTE

OPENING OF THE NEW WING.

(From our Christchurch correspondent.)

The weather conditions were not by any means auspicious on last Sunday afternoon for the opening of the extensive new wing of the noble institute of charity at Mount Magdala. The cold, driving rain, however, did not deter a numerous party of well-wishers and intending benefactors of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd from making the six mile journey out to the institution, and do each one’s part to cheer the devoted band in their truly philanthropic labors, and congratulate them on the attainment of another important step forward. His Lordship Bishop Brodie was received at the main entrance to the institution’ by a guard of honor formed by the Marist Brothers’ senior and school cadets (under Sergt.-Major Amos), and a contingent of members of the H.A.C.B. Society in regalia. Having blessed the new building his Lordship entered the great dining hall, in which there was a gathering of visitors, numbering several hundreds, .including many 'prominent citizens. On the platform with his Lordship Ahe Bishop were the Very Rev. Dean Regnault, S.M., Very Rev. Father Graham, S-M., M.A., Rev. Dr. Kennedy, |lev. Fathers O’Hare, Long, Murphy,- 8.A., Sir George

Clifford, Bart., Mr. H. v G. Ell, M.P., Mr. Luttrell (architect and builder), and Mr. J. R. Hayward. The Rev. Father T. Hanrahan was also present. As a preliminary, Mr Luttrell presented - his Lordship with a gold key to enable his Lordship to open the door of the new additions, but which had, unfortunately, to be opened prematurely to enable the people t<? come in out of the rain. The key was to symbolise the great, noble, and golden work the Sisters of the Good Shepherd were carrying on.

BISHOP BRODIE’S ADDRESS.

His Lordship spoke as follows: —The year 1815 is a memorable year in the history of the world; it was the year when the destinies of Europe were decided by the battle pf Waterloo. In that same year we find a humble young woman, by ’ name Rose Virginia Pelletier, consecrating herself to God in the community known as the Community of the Refuge, which had been founded in 1641. This event may seem of little importance, but we must remember that the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th centuries were sad days for religion, especially in France; the fair land of St. Louis was reaping the evil fruits of the Reign of Terror, the French Revolution. The churches had been robbed of all sacred emblems, the practice of religion was made impossible, and with this sway of infidelity it seemed as if every vestige of virtue had been carried away, and vice and lawlessness reigned supreme: Then it was that God prompted this saintly religious to found the Order of the Good Shepherd, an Order in which the spirit of our Divine Saviour was so manifest, an Order which, by the self-sacrifice of its members, would dispel the scorn which had been heaped upon those who were faithful to their holy religion. The founder of Christianity had said, 1 I am the Good Shepherd, and the good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep.’ This was ' the • motto of Rose Virginia Pelletier, in religion known as Sister Mary of St. Euphrasia, and of those who were associated with her. The noble example of these lives put to shame the persecutors of religion, and thus the Sisters of this new community were ab 1 e to help many whose souls "had been endangered by the avalanche of infidelity which had swept over France. The growth of the Order of the Good Shepehrd gives us ample proof that its work was the work of God. From that humble beginning it has grown in numbers, and has spread throughout the whole world; it has now some 300 houses, and as many as 12,000 Sisters helping in this great work, and their homes provide shelter and a refuge for nearly 100,000 souls. In this diocese of Christchurch we are fortunate in possessing a community of this illustrious Order; its introduction is one of the many works which will redound to the lasting memory of my illustrious predecessor, the late Bishop Grimes. It is remarkable that God always sends a friend to help and encourage our religious communities in their trials and difficulties, and thus this community of Mt. Magdala in Christchurch had a friend, the late Father Ginaty, who, at the time of his becoming interested in Mt. Magdala, had two very important qualifications, the experience of age, and the vigor of youth, both of which he utilised to the fullest extent in the work of this vast institution. If to-day we see the Order of the Good Shepherd so firmly established, if we look around and see this fine piece of land secured for their work, if we see these great buildings raised to help the Sisters to shelter those who place themselves under their loving care, we see a work with which a great name must ever be associated name to be held in veneration not only in this diocese of Christchurch, but throughout the Dominion of New Zealand; that name is the name of the devoted and illustrious priest, Father Ginaty. It is my pleasing duty to note that the work of Mt. Magdala commends itself to all; the home of the Good Shepherd is open to all, Catholic and non-Catholic, and amongst the most generous benefactors of the institution we find the names of many nonCatholic friends. The work done here is so successful that the Government has shown its approval by an annual grant, of £SOO. For this contribution we are deeply grateful, and we can look forward with confidence to the time when the amount will be larger, and a more adequate compensation for the valuable work done at Mt. Magdala. Our presence here to-day is an assurance of our interest in the work of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd. I would ask you to show your interest in a practical way. The Sisters have had to undergo much expense to provide more accommodation, we can help them ‘-by our contributions to-day, and might I suggest to those who have been blessed with an abundance of this world’s goods one of the most pleasing acts of gratitude to God would be to help in the good work done by the Sisters of the Good Shepherd at Mt. Magdala. I, therefore', having blessed the new building according to the ceremonial of our holy faith, declare the building formally open, and as Bishop of the diocese, assure the Sisters that their work will have my hearty support, and I trust th?it the choicest blessings

of heaven may continue to prosper the work of the community of the Good Shepherd, at Mt. Magdala. Sir George Clifford, in the course of' a very interesting speech, said that going through the' Dominion one was simply amazed at the number and extent of the charitable institutions connected with the Church, considering that the Dominion was only 70 years old. He remembered that when he came to Canterbury in 1870 the train only went to Kaiapoi; beyond that the horse reigned supreme. Seventy years ago the provinces' looked over a plain which was merely a tangled mass of indigenous vegetation, and now he asked them to think of the enormous progress which had been made in all ways. . The speaker paid a high tribute to the energetic and invaluable work of the late Rev. Father Ginaty, which was followed by the work of the late revered Bishop. The work they had accomplished and the inspiration they had had in bringing the Sisters of the Good Shepherd to New .Zealand, had been abundantly blessed. Faith was a good thing and good works were good also, but they had the best authority for saying that, charity was the greatest of all. The speaker said it was a fallacy to think that a convent was necessarily a place of gloom, and anyone who had that idea in his or her head should come up and spend an afternoon at Mt. Magdala. He paid a very high tribute to the work of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd. Mr. H- G. Ell, M.P., said that it was a great pleasure to be present and to express his deep gratitude for the work of the Sisters. He was glad to know that Parliament was making an annual grant, for it was the duty of the State to associate itself with such missions of kindness, and nobody could estimate from an economic standpoint the amount of good flowing from the work. So far as his voice could help in Parliament in aiding the work of these noble Sisters it would be willingly raised. * Rev. Dr. Kennedy returned thanks - for the Mother Prioress and the Sisters ' associated with her. . , Speaking for the clergy, he said, they were proud pf the work that had been conducted by the Sisters, for it was a work closely associated with their own in reclaiming the sinner. Bishop Brodie, when in Auckland, had been a kind of unofficial agent for the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, and had always been a good friend of the Order, and the Sisters were very pleased to have him present. He wished to thank Sir George Clifford, whose .name was synonymous with good works, and Mr. Ell and all the others who had taken part.

Mr. J. R. Hayward also spoke of the good work of the Sisters, and said that every citizen of Christchurch owed them a debt of deep gratitude. At the close of the ceremony the Sisters served tea, and a general inspection of the new wing took place, while a section of Berry’s Private Band played selections. A Lyttelton Times representative thus describes the new additions —The new buildings have been badly needed for a long time, past, explained the Rev. Mother. When Mt. Magdala was first built, it sufficed for the needs of the community housed there, but the family is an evergrowing one, and the accommodation soon proved far too limited to carry on the many activities of the Home to advantage. So extensive additions were decided on, and the result is a handsome block containing a spacious dining-hall, airy dormitories, and a very complete set of kitchen, bakery, and domestic offices, besides a badly needed extension of the laundry, which is the leading feature of the institution. The new portion is built throughout of brick, with substantial concrete floors, and fresh air has been everywhere provided for abundantly. It is lighted throughout by electricity, and is built round a square which will be planted in grass and make a pretty lawn space in the centre of the block. A visit was first paid to the kitchen block, where capacious ovens, fed by big fires, were cooking the meals for the inmates. In a neat yard, just off the kitchen, there is a storage room for coal, and the big kitchen itself is a model of neatness. Off the kitchen there are rooms for preparing vegetables, storerooms and an ample scullery, while in another corner there is a dining-room for the men engaged on the farm. There afe big slides from the kitchen direct to the dining-room, and so simplified has the labor of serving the meals been made that 120 people can be served with a hot meal in twenty minutes. A feature of the kitchen is a big copper, arrangement by which enough tea for the big crowd of people is easily made. The boiling water is,in an urn of huge dimensions just above the infuser. It is turned on to the tea leaves, and the tea is then conducted to the dining-room by a pipe, and is drawn off in jugs as required. Off the , kitchen there is a storeroom literally packed with an assortment of foodstuffs, and there is also a big larder with room for plenty of meat. All the mutton, beef, and bacon used at the Home is grown and killed there, and the fact that seventeen and sometimes eighteen sheep are used in a week will . show how liberal

is the supply.

Above the dining hall and approached by a big concrete stairway is a dormitory with rows of spotless white beds. It is the last word in cleanliness and airy comfort, and two neat rooms are occupied, by the nuns who have charge. There is a very line system of lavatory accommodation, with, hand-basins all along the walls, and capacious linen-presses are provided. The dormitory has a very pretty stamped steel ceiling, enamelled in white. A visit was then paid to the laundry, which is much better worked with the additional space. The new portion of the building contains the engine-room, with its big steam-engine that drives everything, and all the shafting is run in an underground tunnel that minimises any danger to the workers in the laundry. - The drying-room is heated by steam pipes from the engine, the steam afterwards being run into a big underground condenser and pumped to the huge tank above. Everywhere there is apparent a shrewd regard for economy of working, which reflects the greatest credit on those who planned the new buildings.