ORDER OF OUR LADY OF COMPASSION

New Zealand Tablet, 9 August 1917, Page 18

ORDER OF OUR LADY OF COMPASSION

Among recent Papal nominations (states the Catholic Times') is that of Cardinal Gasquet as Protector of the Daughters of Our Lady of Compassion (New Zealand). The Order of Our Lady of Compassion, which recently received Papal approbation, was founded by Mother Mary Joseph Aubert. The institutions of the Order consist of the Home for Incurables (adults) and a children’s creche, at Buckle street, Wellington; and the Home for Incurable Children at Island Bay, Wellington. The total number of inmates in these institutions were given in the present year’s Ordo as 164. The Order has also a convent at Hiruharama, on the Wanganui River, with schools for Maori children. There are 52 religious in the Order. The Mother Superior of the Order was recently received in audience by the Holy Father. The following summary of the good work accomplished by the Sisters of Compassion and appealing on their behalf for assistance in connection with their annual afternoon tea which takes place on the first Thursday in September, appeared in a recent issue of the J .Z. Timex: — Everyone knows the large house on the wind-swept hill on the way to the Bay, and many people who visit it on the occasion of the annual gift tea know its neat and spotless appearance within. One hears the sound of children long before one reaches the house. From the Mother Superior’s simply furnished room one goes perhaps to visit the school, which is held in a large room occupying the whole width of the house at one end. It is a bright cheerful room with windows that let in plenty of air and sunshine, and here the little ones are making their first essays at learning. There are none there over seven years old" all having been brought to the home as babies, so all are in the kindergarten stage, and the Sister who is in charge of the school is enthusiastic as to their progress. She loves her work, and the children in return love her. The teaching is based largely on the Montessori system, so that the children are being taught to help themselves. All kinds of utensils are available for this purpose. One sees them first feeling letters cut out of sandpaper and pasted on a smooth surface, then tracing the letters in sand, afterwards writing them, and finally forming words with the letters, and attaching the words to the rightful objects. Placing round blocks in their rightful holes, putting colors into the right gradation of shading, building with blocks and other lessons that are half play are going on elsewhere, and then the children form in line and sing a song before being dismissed to their playrooms. In summer, of course, they live out of doors, but in the winter that is impossible, but there is a large playroom for boys and another for girls, and each is provided with toys. In the latter is a large doll’s house which should gladden any child’s heart. The dormitories are pleasant places, filled with little white beds, and bright with flowers and plants. These are for the older children, those past the baby stage, but the babies’ quarters are the most fascinating of all. They are situated in the Jubilee Ward, which has been divided up into different rooms. There is a large general rooril, and a bright “sun” room, where at any time you may see a dozen or more babies enjoying a sunning in their cots. All look the picture of health, and it speaks well for the care expended on

them that '■ this is so, for many are very, weakly when they are left" in the good Sisters' charge. A small kitchen supplies all the cooking for the little ones, and a Sister is busy preparing humanised milk for her many little charges. A babies' bathroom is also ready, with tiny-baths set in and: stools for the Sisters, and everything necessary for the children's health is supplied. Further back is the infirmary, which, luckily, is quite empty at present, but with so many children it is a necessity in case of epidemics, and must' be kept supplied with its own bathroom, kitchen, and linen cupboard. The present problem of the Home is that many of the babies have to be placed among the older children before they are quite old enough, and the Sisters are anxious to add another ward, where little ones of two to four years can be accommodated. They are too old for the. babies' dormitory, but too young for the larger ones. The work of looking after so many tiny children could not go on so smoothly but for the fact that the Home has its own cows, and so plenty of fresh milk is obtainable. The Sisters cannot make butter, however, for all the cream is needed for preparing the babies' food. There is a fowlyard at the Home, and the Sisters also grow their own vegetables. At the present time, when everything is so dear, they could hardly exist otherwise. For the rest, they depend largely on the kindness of others, for very little is bought at the Home. A review of the work of the Sisters is not complete without a visit to the wards, where incurable children are cared for. These unfortunate little ones certainly have everything there to alleviate their hard lot, and many are as bright and happy as possible, though there are many sad cases among them. The loving care taken of them by their nurses is good to see, and each ward, girls' and boys', has a sunny playground attached.