Little Sisters of the Poor, Auckland

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LII, Issue 14, 15 April 1925, Page 49

Little Sisters of the Poor, Auckland

VISIT OF GOVERNOR-GENERAL.

(Contributed.)

An official visit to the Home of the Little Sisters' of the Poor was paid on March 31 by his Excellency the Governor-General, Sir Charles Fergusson, accompanied by Lady Fergusson. : The vice-regal party was met by the Good Mother and Sisters and also the Right Rev. Dr. H. W. Geary, Veil. Archdeacon Holbrook, Father O'Brien (chaplain to the Home), Dr. C. C. Murphy, honorary physician to the institution, and Messrs J. J. O'Brien, J. J. Sullivan, C. Little, and J. M. McVeagh. -

• ; The old men of the institution formed a guard of honor as the vice-regal party alighted to walk up the main entrance, the front of the building and balconies being gaily decorated with bunting. Dr. Geary and the Good Mother then piloted their Excellencies to the men's dining room where the following address, road and composed by Mr. F. W. Denton, was delivered: —• To his Excellency Sir Charles Fergusson (Governor-General of the Dominion of New Zealand) and Lady Alice Fergusson. May it please your Excellency and her Ladyship,— That thus, we the poor, infirm, and aged inmates of this. House, express our pleasure, gratitude, and unworthiness to receive so kind and condescending a visit as you have favored us .with, and yet we may hope it will justly redound to the honor of this Community of Holy Women, who, from pure lave of their most Sacred Master, have undertaken the arduous duty of kindly tending Jfte wantsboth temporal and spiritualof 'so more or less helpless men and women; some of whom lie bed-ridden and many nearly approaching their life's end. | We'have so long looked upon our truly beloved Bishop as ever a revered and fami-

liar member of this household, that a spoken "welcome" would sound superfluous; but we cordially greet your Excellency with oar warmest Irish expression "Cead Mile Failte" . —IOO,OOO welcomes —and we hope you and her Ladyship may long stay amongst the generous and hospitable people of this- rich and variedly beautiful, part of the Dominion, where, after all, we can comfort ourselves when suffering from Nostalgia—by reflecting that it is no less than a distant portion of the Homeland, where most of us. we're,born, and over which our distinguished visitor,

your Excelehicy, lias been given the honor of representing our King, just as it has been given our Bishop to represent the supreme head of our Church. Again thanking your Excellency for the great honor you have thus paid us, and to whom, as to our King, we promise faithful love, and allegiance; then, to you, and all the reverend and distinguished visitors, who have accompanied your Excellency on this occasion, we at the utmost can but say in conclusion: May Almighty God bless you with good health, prosperity, and many more happy years of life. We are, your Excellency's Obedient and Affectionate Old People. His Excellency, in responding, said how pleased he was to visit the Home, and remarked on the self-sacrificing efforts of the Little Sisters of the Poor all the world over in .caring for the aged and infirm. Their work was a work of love, and their noble vocation enabled thousands of old folk to receive care and comfort in the evening of their days. No thanks were due to himself or her Excellency for paying the visit that day; rather (he said) should he thank the Sisters and old folk for giving him the privilege of visiting their fine institution. He assured them that he was pleased to have

the opportunity to meet the ; inmates 'and this visit would not be the last. He was pleased to note how well-cared/and. comfortable the. old folk were, and trusted he would meet them all again when he next visited the institution. >.,;•;■ A thorough tour of the large building was then undertaken; their Excellencies being most interested in all that was shown them and expressed admiration for the organisation the linen and clothing and cooking departments also attracting considerable attention. The vice-regal visitors cordially greeted all the inmates, shaking hands with all, and each of tho old folk in bed ill received a visit and a hopeful greeting. Lady Fergusson was presented with a beautiful bouquet by an old lady 88 years of age, which slie asked her Ladyship to accept as a token of esteem for her kindness in visiting the old ladies of the infirmary. Sir Charles twitted the old lady for not having a bouquet .for him and her witty rejoinder, spoken in a sweet Irish brogue, brought forth hearty laughter from the visitors. The vice-regal party were in. no hurry, being so interested in their surroundings, and had to be reminded by Archdeacon Holbrook of another engagement —a visit to the Mater Misorieordi'.ie Hospital, conducted by the Sisters of Mercy. However, they took time to partake of morning tea, and when perforce they had to leave one could see that they wished they had more time to spend in such, delightful surroundings and amid such splendid humane work. Hearty cheers from the old folk greeted the vice-regal party as they drove away. Sir Charles and Lady Fergusson will soon win the affections of the people of this Do-, minion for their happy way of making people feel comfortable and at' ease and for their very . pleasant and courteous ways.