Town and Country News

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LII, Issue 17, 13 May 1925, Page 49

Town and Country News

WANGANUI NOTES - ■ ■ i,l ■ May 1. (From our own correspondent.) : Rev. Father Hickson, S.AL, who has .been with us here for two ■ years, has .been trans- JV , •■tferred to Wairoa, H. 8., as parish priest. - ; ; ;Father Hickson left; for his new duties last week, and we are t expecting Rev. Father Lacroix, who is to succeed him here. The primary and secondary schools are; all ' well started now, and the children have settled down to hard work. It has been strangely quiet without them roundabout ; the streets, in places of amusement, - and, fall in church. Not that they are specially ; | noisy in church, but it has been very empty looking up in lie front rows while the children were obliged to stay away. This was felt very much during Hoiv Week when we : had to manage processions and everything > else without them. Even the altar boys, ; owing to their ages, dwindled down to a. / ‘ couple of faithful ones, who have been extraordinarily true to their privilege all this , j long time. The schools reopened with very . J good enrolments, and everyone is trying to make up for lost time. I understand the I Pictures, too, have had a big rush of young . folk, most of whom have been sighing for their particular heroes, and to whom school opening meant the Afovies. . , ~' ; j;; Talking of Pictures, may we congratulate Rev. Father Silk, of Puhoi, on winning the picture scenario competition. It seems the story presented by . Father Silk .is full of | possibilities; we hope' to see it some day/ : At St. Joseph’s, Aramoho — Rev. Father ' | Kimbell’s corner— they had their own Holy ■ Week services this year. For the first time | they had the all-night watch on Holy Thurs- , ■ day, the Hibernians, , members of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, and men generally taking the hours, as they did at St. Alary’s. , | JJone off to St. : Patrick’s College this year, three of our Aramoho boys— Robinson, Ned Locke and Simon . Bourke. | They all have very serious thought of a big goal ; ahead, and we wish them groat success. 7/ v/S : jij Municipal Elections are over , and a. busy day we had with the multitude of issues, at stake and the assortment of candidates to choose from. It was the heaviest poll in many years, due in part anyway, to the J movement to adopt rating on unimproved values, and it was carried easily., Many? things have been promised under the new system by both parties, and if they come to pass we’ll be either millionaires: or bankrupt! Mr. Gibbons is Mayor - for - another term, and Air, J. L. Luxford is among the re-elected councillors. So, we start off again - as happy as sand-boys, and in many oases, I just about as wise. /T'. /'"s'«:* : M ■■ . —_

PALMERSTON NORTH NOTES (From bur own Correspondent.) .C;'May 1. . • The scaffolding has been removed from the church and the various ■ details will soon be finished .off. We are feeling quite at . home • in it now, and have dispensed with the • word a “new.” For a while ,we. felt that we . were visiting and would be going home soon. . “Did you know St. Patrick was burnt?” “Burnt!” said the interrogated-one, “I’ve read his “life” several times but I didn’t know that he .” An outburst of laughter drowned the remainder of the sentence. “I meant the statue of St.' Patrick ’ was burnt,” explained the questioner. Yes, our first statue was burnt in France and a second one had to be made. Hence the long delay! All’s well that ends well, and the niche in the front of the tower now holds a pure white, life-size ; statue of St. Patrick, ■the patron saint of the parish. As we pass Hie church the benign, paternal .face of St. Patrick looks down upon us. May he guard and protect us! y,. ■ fs S The new ; church has brought much comfort and pleasure into our lives; but life is still the same old gamemostly sorrow. Air. Michael Cooney went to his last long sleep on April 7. Although he had been in the hospital for some weeks, his death came as a great shock to the people, the majority of whom did not suspect the gravity of his illness. • Mr. Cooney was a native of Co. Cavan, Ireland, and emigrated to Australia i-i 1881. Later on he came to New Zealand. to try his luck at gold digging' on the -West Coast. About 1900 he came to this town and for the last few years he was employed at the presbytery. Air. Cooney was a kindly cheery old man, and we are sorry he has gone. ATay he rest in peace! : , , On Sunday, Alay 10, the long looked for Mission will commence. Alissioils have a charm all their .own, and we never grow tired of such epoch-making events. . Going back over the things of the past we . find that missions stand out conspicuously. Think *. of those we attended, in our . school- days! : How grand it was to go to Alass before commencing lessons, and “get out early” in the afternoons to go to the church The missioner had such a nice collection, of stories coupled with a happy knack of dropping into school during the day, when a-“hard” - lesson , W ? in progress. .He was never in a hurry to go. Sister' didn’t mind ; she had the mission spirit too; getting the stick’* and: being’“kept in” would ha ve been almost sacrilegious during that holy time. Then there was the “holy shop” full of ‘ lovely things. Rosary beads, pictures, books and medals were there galore; and. statues great big ones. ■ Quantity always means quality to a child; and remember how we dreamed < of buying one (the biggest of course) when we got rich!. How ,we hung about that shop until the ladies in charge whispered to each other about a “suspicious looking youngster” ! Choldhood’s ’ days have gone foi ever, and the “holy shop” does not facin . . - i..' c # ■ ate us as of yore; but the holy joy of mission

time has lived with us through the years. TA';r We enjoy it in anticaption, participation, ■ •■, , ... .. , .. xr . ->■• y-.--=.■.•% and retrospection and wo hope and pray that May 10 and the following days will bring great graces and blessings to A this parish and its people. \ We’d be much obliged to you, if foil’d keep Jack Frost down there until the mission: is over. He’s decidedly vicious in his dealings with Palmerston 'North. When once he gets a set on us, he doesn’t know where, to I stop. if fiMsi" * r - - » 11 .* \ INVERCARGILL NOTES . . - (From our own Correspondent.) !;

• . May 2. i;- : The usual • fortnightly meeting of the Children of Mary was held last Sunday. The attendance was large, many new members being-present. During the week three newi members were received into the sodality. Hf V The Marist Old Boys’ Literary and Debating Society held its first meeting - for 1925 on Tuesday last. There was a large attend-! ance of members and several new ones were elected, which augurs well for a successful year. The president (Mr. Q. Davis) was in the chair, and briefly outlined the objects of the society. He expressed his pleasure at seeing so many new members present. The programme was in the form of a ‘'question evening, each •member being, limited to five minutes; some very interesting subjects ;being put in for discussion. It is intended! in the near future to hold a 'mock parlia- ; mentary election, when doubtless some of our budding politicians will he heard to advantage. At the first annual meeting of the Altar 1 . Society, Mesdames B. Ferry and Bowes kindly consented to undertake the charge of the| priests’ vestments and altar linen. Miss Rose Loughnan and Miss N. Fahey were appointed collectors. , Rev. Father Marlow thanked all who assisted in any way to make the society such a success. A most successful euchre party and dance were held in the ‘ Victoria Hall on Friday ■ evening. As this marked the first function: of the kind for the season there was a large j attendance, and the funds for which it was • held should benefit considerably.. - The or--1 chestra, which consisted of eight musicians, : added very much to the success of the everiI ing, and all are looking forward to the next . social which will take place in the near , future. On the Feast of St. Joseph Holy Mass 5 was; celebrated for the first time in the', r Marist Brothers’ chapel in the - new monas- ’ tery built by Dean Burke, V.F. ; Very Rev. i Dean Burke blessed the vestments and all 1 the necessary requisites and celebrated, sev- * eral friends and benefactors being present, t The chapel is beautifully devotional, and the i Brothers are deeply grateful to Mr. J. Kil- , „ . , 'Slater.•?.,.• . r kelly, who gave the altar, pried ini, and ; 1 fittings in memory of his good wife. The t altar, designed by one of the Brothers and y .'constructed by Messrs. Strang and Co., is f ' of heart of red pine from Air. Kilkelly’s e-. ,mills, and is beautifully marked and artisti--09 cally> finished.. The statuary and pictures; h are all in keeping, and thanks to kind ;- friends the Hibernians, Miss Houlahan, r and Mr. Henrys—the Brothers are ’ now i- blessed with the privilege of the Divine Prei- sence in the Blessed Sacrament.