ARCHDIOCESE OF WELLINGTON

New Zealand Tablet, 27 November 1919, Page 18

ARCHDIOCESE OF WELLINGTON

(From our own correspondent.) November 22. At the recent Competitions, St. Mary of the Angels’ Choir, under the conductorship of Mr. E. J. Healy, was most successful, and only lost the championship by one point. The Marist Brothers’ Choirs, and solo and duet singers from the Marist Brothers’ Schools, Hawkestone Street, Thorndon, and Tasman Street (St. Joseph’s), again showed their superiority in the recent Competitions, beating all competitors in most of the events in which they competed. Rev. Father Smyth, S.M., Adm., Sacred Heart parish, Thorndon, entertained at a. complimentary social in the Sydney Street Schoolroom, last Friday evening, all the workers and helpers in the recent successful bazaar.

Some of the New Zealand delegates to the Irish Race Convention, held in Melbourne, were very much interested in St. Joseph’s Convent, North Sydney, the mother house of the renowned Australian Order of Sisters of St. Joseph, which they visited through the kindness of the Right Rev. Mgr. Ormond. They had the pleasure of seeing the first chalice used in New Zealand to celebrate Mass. It is a small chalice which formed part of a portable outfit, and which was given to one of the Sisters of the Order for safe keeping by a priest. As both the nun and the priest are dead, very little is known of its early history, except that it was the first chalice used in New Zealand, and is therefore venerated on that account. The delegates also saw the grave, in the convent chapel, of the foundress of the Order, Mother Mary MeKillop. The Boxing Day Picnic Committee held its inaugural meeting last Wednesday. There was a good attendance of members. Preliminary arrangements were made for the day’s outing. Sub-committees to carry out the necessary details will be appointed at the next meeting.

Mr. J. J. L. Burke, and is sister, Miss Burke, were hurriedly called to Hokitika on account of the very serious illness of their father, Mr. E. A. Burke, well known throughout New Zealand as traveller for Messrs. O’Brien and Co., of Christchurch.