ARCHDIOCESE OF WELLINGTON

New Zealand Tablet, 1 February 1917, Page 29

ARCHDIOCESE OF WELLINGTON

(From our own correspondent.) January 27. Mr. M. J. Reardon, of St. Joseph’s congregation, has been elected as the deputy representative of Labor at the Arbitration Court. Mr. A. O. Considine, of Carterton, has been appointed a member of the Military Service Board as a representative of the farmers. Mr. Fred. Curtice, a prominent Labor man, and a member of the H.A.C.B. Society, has been appointed a member of the Military Service Board as a Laborrepresentative. Concerts organised at Meeanee by the Rev. Father Hickson, S.M., and at Taihape by the Sisters for the Catholic Field Service Fund have resulted in £34 Is 6d and £2l respectively being added to that fund. The Rev. J. P. Gilbert, M.S.H., a brother of the Rev. Father Gilbert, S.M., of St. Patrick’s College, and Mr. W. B. Gilbert, of Greymouth, has been awarded the/D.5.0., and was mentioned in Field-Marshal Sir Douglas Haig’s recent despatches. The Rev. Father Gilbert was born in Kumara, and was educated by the Sisters of St. Patrick’s School. He then followed the occupation of miner for.several years, prior to entering the Sacred Heart Monastery, Kensington, Sydney, to study for the priesthood. After being ordained he returned to New Zealand and was stationed at Ahaura for several years. The Rev. Father Goodman, who

• ‘- r - was j stationed at Ahaura with Father. Gilbert, had the D.S.O, conferred upon him some time ago. - • His Grace Archbishop { O’Shea this afternoon opened the St. Mary’s Parish Festival, organised by" .the Very Rev;Father O’Connell, S.M., for liquidatingthe debt on St. Mary’s parish. The Festival is taking place in the spacious church .grounds and ' tennis ’ court and St. Patrick’s Hall. A fine . stage and attractive stalls have been erected, whilst recent additions to the presbytery are.also accommodating stalls. Various colored electric lights and flags of . all colors and nations, together with'the bright colored dresses of the stallholders and their assistants, aided by the performances of ,the Perriots, Brooklyn Serenades, and brass bands, all tend to make the scene gay, animated, and attractive. Various side-shows, bran tubs, mock courts, . and surprise packets are busy in their respective spheres extracting the nimble coin from those attend--ing. A feature of the carnival, and one that is going to cause considerable excitement before it closes, is the queen competition. Each stall has nominated a queen, and ,the candidate of the stall credited with the highest takings will receive the crown. ' There is every promise of a most successful function. At the meeting of the St. Patrick’s branch of the H.A.C.B. Society, held at St. Patrick’s Hall on Monday evening, the installation of the newly-elected officers took place. The ceremony was performed by the retiring president (Bro. F. Whitaker), who at its conclusion was presented with a past-president’s collar and an illuminated, framed past-president’s certificate, to mark his occupancy of the presidential chair. The presentation was made-by the newly-elected president, Bro. J. O’Brien, P.P., who referred in eulogistic terms to the services rendered to the society by the recipient." Bro. Whitaker briefly replied, and thanked the. members for their appreciation of his efforts. He assured them that his services would be always at their dis- , posal for the advancement of the society. It was reported that- two more members of the branch had enlisted, and were now in camp. The report of the Australasian Executive Directory of the society was received, and contained information regarding a . new scheme of clearance values which also provided for the members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians of the United Kingdom. The membership of the society in Australasia had now reached 45,000 and there were now over 500 branches in the Commonwealth and the Dominion. The war, of course, had made its toll from the members, but special provision had been made to keep the soldier members financial free of cost to such members ; the society was therefore sacrificing thousands of pounds in addition to incurring increased risks owing to so many of its members being in the danger zone. The remainder of the evening was spent socially, during which many of the members contributed musical items. . ~ - His Lordship Bishop Brodie has forwarded the handsome sum of £355 . 13s lOd to the Field Service Fund, representing the amount collected in the Christchurch diocese on behalf of that fund. The following donations to the fund are acknowledged by the Dominion treasurer of the N.Z. Catholic Federation: Amount previously acknowledged ... £637 10 11 The Rev. Father Connolly, TaihapeProceeds of concert organised by the Sisters ... ... ... ... 21 0 0 His Lordship Bishop Brodie-Amount collected in diocese of Christchurch... 355 13 10 Total receipts ... ... ...£lOl4 4 9 Amount remitted to chaplains, etc., as previously detailed ... ... ... 309 1 6 Balance ... ... ... ... £705 3 3 The following extract is from the Westminister Bulletin of the Catholic Federation, November, 1916: ! War Distress . Gifts from New Zealand.—The War Distress Committee have disposed of all the gifts of clothing sent to the Federation by the High Commis-

-/ ;■ • * -V; • ; ’ ,• -; ••••■, . y-- • •- ; sioner for New 'Zealand,* amounting to nearly 5 40Targe cases, - and the lay secretary has received > a number, of • most grateful letters from the recipients of these kind gifts. . The first £SOO received from the High Comi missioner for those in distress through the war has been nearly expended, and a further £SOO is expected very ' shortly, making in all £IOOO which was definitely promised 'to the Federation by Sir Thomas Mackenzie. The money is in the hands of three trustees, and every care is being taken to dole out grants to those cases which, are proved to be of distress caused exclusively by the'war: The committee is most anxious to make - further grants from this fund, and forms of application •for money and clothing (with reference to the latter we have just received an intimation that the High Com-, missioner is sending us some more cases of clothing for distribution) can be obtained from, the central office. • At the meeting of the Dominion Executive of the : ir Catholic Federation, held'at St. Patrick’s Hall last evening, it was decided to donate £l5O of the Catholic - Field Service Fund' towards renovating and improving the Catholic hall at Trentham. The thanks of the executive of the Field Service Fund were extended lo the chairman of the Boxing Association, for a donation of sets of boxing gloves lo the chaplain of .the 21st. Reinforcements for the use of the men. Arrangements for the conference of the Dominion Council, which was • fixed to take place at Auckland on 21st proximo, were . dealt with. At this meeting direct representatives from the various diocesan councils have signified their intention of being present, and many important matters are on the business paper for that meeting. Advantage will be taken by the Auckland executive of holding a convention of Catholics at which addresses on matters appertaining to the Catholic Federation will be delivered by chosen speakers, the Town Hall at Auckland ? being engaged for this purpose.