ARCHDIOCESE OF WELLINGTON

New Zealand Tablet, 9 March 1922, Page 21

ARCHDIOCESE OF WELLINGTON

(From our own correspondent.)

March 3.

By the will of the late Mrs. Mary Kennedy (wife of the late Mr. Martin Kennedy) the sum of • £II,OOO has been bequeathed to Catholic institutions and charities: £IOOO for high altar, new St. Mary of the Angels’ (Boulcott Street); £2OO for Masses; £250 (donated prior to death) to the new St. Patrick’s College Building Fund; £250 (donated prior to death) to the new Marist Brothers’ Novitiate for New Zealand. The following sums have been placed in trust for the following objects, which will receive the income therefrom; —£250, St. Vincent de Paul Sewing Guild; £250, Foreign Missions; £SOO, St. Joseph’s Orphanage, Upper Hutt; £IOOO, Marist Seminary, Greenmeadows, for educating candidates for the priesthood; £SOO for Masses; £SOO, Mill Hill Fathers. Rotorua; £2OOO, Home of Compassion, Island Bay; £SOO, relief of poor in Wellington; £SOO, Order of Good Shephard, Christchurch; £IOOO, for the personal benefit and comfort of the Marist Brothers in Wellington; £2OOO, primary education, Wellington (Catholic Education Board); £250 for education of poor children, Sacred Heart Primary School, Island Bay.

The Very Rev. Dean Tubman, S.M., arrived last week, after an extended visit abroad. His many friends will be pleased to learn that he is in excellent health. He celebrated the 9.30 Mass at Island Bay last Sunday,

The Rev. Father Spillane, S.M., who was recently ordained, has been appointed assistant priest at the Thorndon parish. Father Spillane is at present relieving Father M. Devoy at Island Bay.

Bro. E. J.. Byrne presided over the usual fortnightly meeting of the Sacred Heart branch of the H.A.C.B. Society. After the business was transacted a social evening was held to commemorate the twelfth anniversary of the branch. Among those present were the Rev. Fathers Smyth and Moloney, also members of St. Mary’s branch and St. Patrick’s. During the evening a past-president’s merit board was unveiled by the Rev. Father Moloney. Items, which added greatly towards the success' of the evening, were given by Rev. Father Moloney, Misses Kelly, Philpots, Harris, Dean and Davis, and Messrs. Fogarty, McCarthyand Byrne. A very enjoyable evening as spent by all present.

The annual picnic of the St. Gerard’s Choir was held at the Hutt Park, and proved most enjoyable. Various athletic events were run and the prizes were presented (in sealed packets) by the Conductor (Mr. F. J. Oakes) after tea, and on being opened, proved to be children’s toys. This discovery caused .great amusement. Mr. F. Green presented Mr. and Mrs. Oakes (on behalf of those present) with a small wedding cake to mark the 25th anniversary of their wedding. The cake was made by Miss Frandi. Officials for the day were: Handicapper and starter, Mr. W. Ross; judges, Misses E. Ross and McDonald, and Mr. F. J. Oakes; clerks of course, Messrs. Fitzgerald and Wright; secretary, Mr. C. P. McKenzie.

The playing grounds of the Marist Brothers’ School, Tasman Street, are in a deplorable state, as many of the parents of boys attending have reason to know. With the object of remedying this defect in the cheapest possible manner, working-bees of men are engaged every Saturday afternoon in erecting concrete walls and levelling the grounds. They have already accomplished a great deal of work, but there is still much to be done and. the men of the city and suburbs are requested to assist, especially the fathers of the boys, as by their 'labor they will not only save expenses in the boot bill for their bqys, but they will be assisting the Brothers, in providng first-class playng grounds for the pupils for all time.

Arrangements are well in hand for the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. The concert programme has now been completed and the following artists will contribute : Misses Winnie Fraser (a Sydney soprano), Teresa McEnroe, Mabel Esquilant, Messrs. G. H. Andrews (Timaru baritone), and H. F. Woods, H. Phipps, F .A. Campbell, W. Goudie,

W. B. Brown, L. O’Hanlon, T. Goodall, Marist Brothers Choir, and dancing items. The concert will be held at the Town Hall, on Friday, March 17. The sports will take place at Newtown Park on Saturday, March 18. Prizes to the value of £IOO have been allocated. The programme includes as well as athletic eventssplendid dancing events, two of them being for N.Z. championships. 1000 children will also give a spectacular figure drill display The procession will precede the sports, starting from the Government buildings. Decorted tableaux, depicting scenes from Irish life and history will be a feature of the procession.

New Plymouth

(From our own correspondent.)

February 28. The monthly meeting of the New Plymouth Branch of /the Catholic Federation was held on February 12, and arrangements were made to hold a concert on St. Patrick’s night. '

This year the half-yearly meeting of the New Zealand Catholic Federation was held here on February 8, a number of visiting delegates attending. During their stay here they were the guests of members of the congregation. To enable the delegates to meet the parishioners a social evening was arranged, and it was most gratifying to see so many present. Musical items were given by Mrs. Connell, Misses, M. and E. Mannix, Miss Cameron, and Mrs. Rowe, and most interesting addresses by Rev. Father O’Connell, and-Mr. Luxford, of Wanganui. Supper was donated by the ladies of the parish, and handed round by a number of willing helpers. All spent a most enjoyable evening, and it is to be regretted that we do not hold them more frequently.

Napier

(From our own correspondent.)

March 1. On Thursday evening (February 23) a benefit concert was held in the Municipal Theatre in aid of Guard O’Keefe, who has been ill for a considerable' time. The concert, which was organised by the railway men afid the Hibernians' was exceptionally well attended, and had the weather been more favorable, the theatre would have been too small t( accommodate the large crowd. The audience thoroughly enjoyed the programme submitted. The items were as follows:—Overture, orchestra; baritone solo, Mr, C. Tidy • song and dance, Miss P. Torphy; bass solo, Mr. B. Taylor; humorous item, Mr. E. Amner; solo, Mrs. W. A. Greer; recitation, Miss G. Dalton; club swinging display, Mr, L. Mcllvride; solo, Miss L. Bear; humorous item, Mr. E. H. Greenhow; tenor solo, Mr. F. Cray; song, Miss Leah Spiller dance, Miss Bald; humorous item, Mr. T. Wiltonventriloquist item, Miss Ball. At the conclusion of the concert a dance was held on the stage floor, which was in good order, a large number of people participating in the dancing.* The efforts of the committee ere well repaid, as over £2OO was cleared as a result.

Mrs. Higgins and her daughter, Miss Madge Higgins, are leaving for England this month and expect to be absent from New Zealand about two years. Mrs. Higgins has been visiting her daughter, Mrs. L’Estrange Edwards, of Wellington.

Miss Scott, the organist of St. Patrick’s Church, is at present in the Napier Hospital and has recently undergone a serious operation.

, Mr. and Mrs. Lehmann who have been on a visit to Christchurch recently returned from South.

Rev. Father Mahony, who left Hastings on Wednesday morning, 22nd ult., by the express, had a busy time shaking hands with all those who came to the station to wish him hon voyage. Besides about three hundred adults all the convent school children were lined up on the platform, and Father Mahony shook hands with every one of the children. As the train steamed off children and grownups joined in giving three hearty cheers for their popular parish priest. *

On Wednesday, 22nd ult., an interesting lecture was given in Scinde Hall on the “Battlefield Graves in the War Theatres/’ the speaker being Rev. Mr. M. Mullineux

The lecturer illustrated his remarks by lantern slides and screened familiar scenes in France, and Flanders, and other theatres of the Great War. The pictures of the various cemeteries showed the patience and industry of those who have been charged with the duty of making permanent the last resting places of the fallen soldiers. The work of the St. Barnabas hostels was also explained. These hostels are situated at various centres, such as Calais, Amiens, and Arras, and it is proposed, with the aid of subscriptions from the Dominion to establish a New Zealand hostel at Ypres. The hostels are open to pilgrims wishing to visit the graves of their relatives.