Diocesan News

New Zealand Tablet, 8 April 1920, Page 18

Diocesan News

ARCHDIOCESE OF WELLINGTON (From our own correspondent.) March 27. Som« 250 babies were entered for the baby show at the St. Patrick’s Day sports, and this event evoked much interest, especially amongst the competing parents. rSi The gross receipts from the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations her© totalled £BOO, and it is estimated that £SOO will be available for the Catholic Education Fund. Donations to the St. Patrick's Day Celebration Fund included the sum of £SO generously subscribed by Mrs. Martin Kennedy and her daughters, Misses A. and A. C. Kennedy. - The Very Rev. Father O'Connell, S.M., of "Wanganui, was in Wellington during the week, in connection with the duties of his office as Dominion president of the N.Z! Catholic Federation. Mr. W. F. Johnson has been appointed bon. secretary and treasurer of the Catholic Women’s -Hostel. He baa also been elected to the position of president of the St. Vincent de Paul Society’s Particular Council. Mr. J. Carmine, brother of the Rev. Father Carmine, and late of the War Expenses branch of the Defence Department, lias been appointed general secretary of the Catholic Federation, and will take up his duties on April 1. Much sympathy is felt for the Rev. Father Connolly, parish priest of Kilbirnie, in the loss he has sustained through the sudden death of his brother, Mr. E. Connolly. The interment took place last Sunday at the Lower Hutt.—R.I.P.

The Thomas Moore Musical Committee met last Wednesday evening, and it was decided to hold the competitions on Friday, May 28, and the concert on Saturday, May 29. The syllabus for the competitions will be circulated amongst the schools next week. This years' celebrations will be the fourth held here, and was inaugurated by the Hibernian Society for the purpose of inculcating a love for the study of Irish music and literature amongst the young, so that when they reach maturity they in turn will instil into the minds of the young that love for Fatherland which certain people would dearly love to extinguish if they could, as will" be seen from the happenings in that grand old country to which the majority of us owe our gift of faith. The proceeds of the celebrations will be devoted to the Catholic Education Fund, so that in honoring Thomas Moore we are promoting the ideal of the Tablet, "Faith and Fatherland."

The progress of the Catholic Church in Wellington is a striking example of the growth of the Faith in the Empire City. A few years ago there were only two parishes in Wellington, known as Thorndon and To Aro. Now the parishes number six—Thorndon, St. Mary's, Boulcott Street; St. Joseph's, Buckle Street; St. Anne's, Newtown; St. Patrick's, Kilbirnie; and St. Francis', Island Bay. In the Thorndon parish is the Basilica of the Sacred Heart which replaced old St.. Mary's Cathedral, destroyed by fire; St. Mary's Convent (the mother house of the Convent of .Mercy), Guildford Terrace; Convent School: Archbishop's residence; Marist Brothers' School, Hawkeston© Street; and churches at Kelburn, Makara, and Wadestown, and a convent school at Kelburn. In St. Mary's parish the new church is being built to replace the old one destroyed by fire, the convent school, Boulcott Street, now being used as a temporary church, presbytery, and St. Anthony's Church, Brooklyn. In St. Joseph's parish there is St. Joseph's Church, Buckle Street; the convent school and .the Marist Brothers' School, -together with the presbytery and St. Patrick's College. In St. Anne's parish

: there is St. Anne’s Church, the convent parish and high schools,:.presbytery, and St. Anne’s Hall. At Island Bay .there.^ is St. Francis’ Church, parish school,; Home of Compassion, and Sacred Heart Convent. In the Kilbirnie parish there is St. Patrick’s School-chapel, St. Catherine’s Convent High School, the presbytery, lately acquired; St. ai A ? “Star of the Sea” Chapel, Seatoun; the Sisters or Mercy, preparatory College for boys at Seatoun, and also the new St. Patrick’s College site at Miramar. "In addition to these parishes the parishes of Petone, Lower Hutt, and Upper. Hutt, with their convent parish schools are adjacent to the city, and contain the Sisters of the Missions Boarding High School, Lower Hutt; Sisters of Mercy Home for Boys at Nai-Nai; and St. Joseph’s Orphanage, Upper Hutt, together with churches at Johnsonville and Khandallah. Across the harbor at Muritai the Manst Fathers of St. Patrick’s College administer the Church of San Antonio. Facing the harbor there is St. Gerard’s Church and Monastery, of the Redemptorist Fathers, in Hawker Street. * April 1. The quarterly meeting of the Hibernian Society (St. Patrick’s Branch, No. 95) took place at the lodge rooms, Willis Street, on Monday. Bro. M. Cleary presided. Satisfactory reports were received from the delegates of the St. Patrick’s Day Celebration Committee, the Pipe Band Committee, the Medical Institute, and the Friendly Societies’ Dispensary. Notice of motion was given for discussion at the next quarterly meeting to the effect that all contributions be paid in advance in lieu of a.cut's as at present. It was decided to draw the attention of the District Executive to the urgent need of taking action in connection with New Zealand’s contribution to the Irish Fund, so that, as the. governing body of the society, it. would take such steps to collect for the fund in those districts where there is a branch of the society, and which hare not made a collection for the purpose. Several new members were nominated, and the receipts totalled £l2O. Mr. James Sullivan, son of Mr. Daniel Sullivan, .Staflord, Westland, died in the Wellington Hospital on March 20. after a protracted illness. He was attended in bis last moments by the Rev. Father Fitzgibbon, and died with all the consolations of our Holy Religion. The interment took place on Thursday at Karori.—R.l.P.

Tim Sisters of Mercy, with their numerous assistants, are busily engaged preparing for the bazaar, which they intend holding in October at the Town Hall, in aid of St. Joseph's Orphanage, Upper Hutt. Every effort is being made to establish a Dominion record as regards the financial results, and if the present enthusiasm displayed in the parly Btasres is sustained here is every prospect of thin being achieved.

Th« Marist Brothers' Old Boys' Rugby Foot ball Club met lust, Tuesday, when arrangements were made for entering team* for all of the grades, including, if possible, tho senior grade.