HIBERNIAN ROLL OF HONOR

New Zealand Tablet, 12 February 1920, Page 33

HIBERNIAN ROLL OF HONOR

TRIBUTE TO THOSE WHO FOUGHT AND FELL. There was a largo gathering of members (including returned soldiers) of St. Joseph’s and St. Patrick’s branches of the H.A.C.B. Society (Dunedin) and their friends in St Joseph’s Hall on Monday evening week, on the occasion of the unveiling of a roll of honor to members of St. Joseph’s branch who made-'the supreme sacrifice and others who saw active service during the late war. The hall was draped with the flags of the Allies, the banner of the society being displayed at the back of the stage, together with bannerettes upon® which were 'inscribed duplicates of the society’s —Faith, Hope, Charity—while the roll of honor (until the moment of unveiling) was covered by the Union Jack. Bro. J. J. Marlow (District Deputy) presided, and with him on the stage were Very Rev. Father Coffev, Adm. (chaplain). Colonel E. J. O’Neill, C.M.G., D. 5.0., Captain J. 'B. Callan, Bros. W. Carr (president), Ford, Burke, T. Ling, and Ryall.

In some brief introductory remarks the chairman said the Hibernians of Dunedin were proud of the part their society had taken in the late Avar. Their members had volunteered for active service at the very outset of hostilities and had nobly done their duty. With a membership of roughly 250, many of whom were past military age, 73 from St. Joseph’s had joined tin; Expeditionary Forces. Of these 10 had sacrificed their lives and finite 50 per. cent, were wounded. That showed not only that they went to the Front, but that they did their work nobly and well. On the whole he doubted if any society in Australasia (all the circumstances being considered) had done better, or even as well, as the Hibernian Society of Dunedin.

Dr. O’Neill said he was grateful to the members of the: society for affording to him the great honor of being present at the ceremony that evening, a-privilege which he appreciated very much indeed. After the greatest Avar in history, and in those days of comparative peace, it was very meet and their bounuen duty to examine the work of the men who brought about the victory, and in doing so they must hear in mind not only their sacrifices and their deeds, but the spirit that impelled them to take the course they did. They know these men had no doubt where their duty lay. They had no illusion as to what lay before them. Everyone knew-the Avar was going to he a terrible one, and he was glad to say the members of their society had established a splendid record —one, as the chairman had pointed out, that would he hard to heat. The speaker made feeling reference to the men who had died and the burden of sorrow on those left behind, and proceeded to speak of how the returned man and the disabled man was being made to feel that he was still part of the economic system. He was sure the roll would form an inspiration to future generations of Hibernians, and that they would prove themselves worthy of the heritage and of the race to which all were so proud to belong. Very Rev. Father Coffey, after conveying his sympathy to the relatives of the departed, said the communion mat had existed on earth was not broken by death. They had left their bodies on the field, but their spirits lived. ,He congratulated those who had returned. As Dr. O’Neill had pointed out, every effort was being made by the community and Government to see that these men would still have the opportunity of earning a livelihood and living a manly life. He hoped they would look back with memories not of sadness to the war, memories that would give them broader life and broader view than they would have had had they remained at home. They had learned one thing that would probably stick to them all their lives: the sympathy and help of their brother man. They had seen that success depended not on individual effort, but united effort. The best way to success was to help others working with them and to work with the same spirit. He congratulated the society on the spirit its members had shown in volunteering for active service. Some who had not returned went with the Main Body. To the returned men he extended a most cordial welcome, a welcome (he said) that had been reserved until practically all had returned. Father Coffey reiterated what the chairman had said with regard to the way members of the society had responded to the call to service, about one in three having gone to the Front. But they had done nothing more than the Catholic Church as a whole. When the trumpet sound to arms was first heard over 20 per cent, of the members that first left New Zealand belonged to the Catholic Church and all the time during the war their people kept up a just proportion. They had been accused, vilified, abused, and calumniated during the last three or four years. One might think, and justly, that in such a Avar, when every man was called upon to bear his share of the burden, there would be no person to condemn his neighbor. Unfortu-

nately that had not been so. They had been silent under these calumniations; they had gone on, saying not a word, not even thinking it worth their while to make a reply, as any person who read the papers or looked at the records could see their Church had borne a fair share, and even more than - a fair share, in the burden of the great war. Ho trusted that the tablet he was about to unveil would prove an inspiration to young members —not a desire for war, but for, that spirit and brotherhood and self-sacrifice to duty when duty called. He would ' (he said) like to see a similar roll of honor erected in the Christian Brothers’ School, containing the names of the many ex-pupils who went to the war, and he hoped the parents would assist to bring this about. Father Coffey then read the list of names, and after specifying those who had paid the supreme sacrifice, “The Last Post” was sounded by Bugler It. Hunter, of the 6th Company of Engineers. Captain J. B. Callan spoke interestingly of incidents connected with the great war, and of the remarkable manner in which the members of the old Hibernian Cadet Corps had responded to the call to duty. On the motion of Mr. W. Carr v (president of St. Joseph's branch) a vote of thanks to the speakers, and to the audience for their attendance, was carried by acclamation. '

At intervals’ during- the evening solos were given by Messrs. H. K. Poppelwell, J. McGrath, and Mee, and duets by Mr. and Mrs. Mee.