Invercargill

New Zealand Tablet, 8 February 1917, Page 43

Invercargill

(From our own correspondent.) » General regret was expressed when it was known that Mr. Pat Scully, a well-known member of the Federation committee, had lost one of his little boys, aged sight years. The little chap was spending a holiday in Lyttelton, where he contracted a severe form of diphtheria and died in the Christchurch Hospital after a few days’illness. Rev. Father Cooney administered the last rites of the Church and Rev. Father Woods conducted the funeral service at Inyercargill.— R.l.P. The local Catholic schools opened on Monday last, when there were good attendances. The Hibernians are arranging an Irish national concert, which will take place in the Municipal Theatre on March 14. The proceeds will be in afd of the schools’ building fund. T ; PAN-SOUTHLAND GATHERING. All the arrangements are now well in hand for the 1917 gathering, and a very large number of the Catholics of Southland will assemble in the A % and P. Society’s Show Grounds on Wednesday, the i4th inst. The Tuatapere and Dipton people will travel to and from Invercargill by the ordinary trains, but special trains will convey the people from all the other stations both morning and evening. These special trains will run later than the ordinary timetable trains, so this arrangement, should be very convenient to the country people. Programmes, including complete railway arrangements, etc., will be forwarded to the various secretaries this week for distribution to the people. It has been found impracticable on this occasion to have the usual procession from the railway station to the grounds, so the opening, function will be the High Mass, which will commence at 11.30 o’clock sharp, when it is expected that all the people will be present. The Mass will be celebrated on the dais of the grandstand, which is a most suitable position, overlooking as it does the sloping lawn and extensive grounds. After the Mass the people will have their lunch, and at 1.30 p.m. the speeches by the clergy and laymen will be delivered. The sports programme will then be gone on with. In this connection the children will be well catered for, and the little ones will be supplied with toys and sweets. The Hibernian Band has been engaged to enliven the proceedings. It only remains that the prayers of the people should, on this occasion, defeat any designs of Jupiter Pluvius as far as the weather is concerned.