The Church in New Zealand

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LII, Issue 37, 30 September 1925, Page 19

The Church in New Zealand

Some Otago and Southland Parishes—(continued)

'Palmerston • : - ; Ti From the Otago and Southland Section of the Cyclopedia of New Zealand , published in 1904, we extract the .following references to Catholics matters as they obtained at that period. Regarding . Palmerston, the writer • “St. Michael’s . Church, Palmerston, is: a : wooden building seated for about 130 persons, and the average attendance is about 80. In addition to this church there is another built of wood at Hampden, with accommodation for 50 worshippers, and at Macraes there- is a . stone church which will hold 100 persons. At Hyde there is a church dedicated to ..the Sacred Heart. / It is built of stone, will seat 130, and has an average attendance of 100 worshippers. Rev. Father

” ■■ ; : . James Lynch, who has charge/of St. Michael s Church and surrounding districts, was born in Waterford, Ireland, in 1864, and was educated in St. Patrick’s College, Carlow. Father Lynch-was ordained in 1889, and came out to New' Zealand via Australia. His first appointment as at .Queenstown, where he remained six years, and has been in charge of Palmerston since 1896.” Wrey’s Bush “For a number of years there was* a public school in the district, under the control of a local committee, but as the majority of the settlers were Catholics the Church established a, convent and school, and ultimately purchased and removed the school building to a

site 3on ; its own. property. - The . Catholic school, :■ therefore (1904) is ; the only school in the district, St. Peter’s Church and presbytery are centrally , situated and there is no ‘ other church >in the district. • The presbytery ; dated back to 1891, and since that time there has been a resident priest.” - Oamaru .. “The Basilica at Oamaru is the name given to the large building used for the purpose of / worship by the Catholics. It occupies a fine ; section of land fronting Reed Street;' the original church used jn . the early days, and now' occupied as a school, is situated in Usk T Street. Built of Oamaru stone, the basilica .J is a large building, with a handsomely finished interior. . The ceiling is composed of deep panels of embossed zinc, and beautifully V decorated, and the superstructure is supported on 33 magnificent pillars in the Corinthian style of architecture and of stone from the western quarries. The nave and ft aisles measure 90 feet by 50 feet, and have seating accommodation for from 800 to 900 I persons. It was in May, 1893, that the

LE WISH AM HOSPITAL ART UNION —£2ooo • 2/6 PER TICKET foundation stone was laid, and the building was opened in the following year by the Right Rev. Dr. Grimes, Bishop of Christchurch. The usual parish schools are largely attended; church services are held at Georgetown, Duntroon, Kurow, Ngapara, Livingstone, Windsor, Enfield, Alma, and Maheno, and the adherents in the district, including children, number from sixteen to seventeen hundred. The Right Rev. Mgr. - Mackey,' who is in charge of the Oamaru district, was _horn- in 1841 in Banffshire, Scotland. He was educated at Blair College, Aberdeen, - '; and Douay in the North of France, and at the Grand Seminary of St. Sulpice, Paris. Monsignor Mackay was ordained in Paris in 1868, and arrived in Port Chalmers in .bad health at Christmas, 1872, by the ship Christian McOausland. After a few months, , during which his health greatly improved, Mgr. Mackay was appointed to - Queenstown and the V akatipu Goldfields, where he remained for seventeen years. ■ On the death of Monsignor ; Coleman in 1890, he was appointed to the'Oamaru district. The Rev.bather James O’Reilly, assistant priest in the Oamaru district, was born in Co. Meath, Ireland, in 1876. He was educated at Clonic® College, Dublin, and afterwards at Maynooth, where he was ordained in 1900. In ! the, following year he came to New Zealand, ] } and w-as stationed at Oamaru in 1902.” ■

Catholic Schools in Oamaru “Apart from the efficiency of their present administration, these schools owe their existence and stability , largely to the foresight, liberality,, and energy of the late Right Rev. Mgr. Coleman,’ who, as a churchman, was a worthy adjutant to the late Bishop Moran. The schools are conducted by the Dominican Nuns, who reside at Rosary Convent, a. handsome - building in Oamaru stone;' situated on a commanding site, and surrounded by plea-

sant grounds. In connection with the High Schools,*there is a boarding school with spacious accommodation for young lady boarders, , in the scholastic wing of the convent. Visitors to Oamaru have expressed admiration at the beauty of the building, the loftiness and perfect ventilation of the - classrooms, dormitories, etc., and the convenience, of the domestic arrangements in this thoroughly up-to-date establishment, which is second to none in the Colony. The climatic advantages of Oamaru are well known; the salubrious sea-air and the general dryness of the atmosphere render this seaside town a sanitorium for delicate children. The fine conventual building has replaced the two houses originally used on the foundation, which dates back to the Ist of September, 1882, and is.as offshoot from St. Dominic's Priory, Dunedin. Every branch of a sound English education is taught in the High School. In the School of Music pupils each. year successfully pass a practical and theoretical examination of Trinity College, London, and the Associated Board of the Royal Academy and the Royal College of Music, London. Owing to the largely ' increased number of art pupils, the authorities have •erected a special studio, which occupies one of the most elevated positions in the convent grounds, and commands a fine view"of Cape Wenbrow and. the ocean. Primary schools are conducted in connection with the convent, and girls irt-e taught in the large schoolroom, where there are about 200 pupils in attendance. The boys are" taught in a separate building in Usk Street, where" thereare about 100 children on the roll; and «i qualified master is in charge. Since 1895 these primary schools have been examined by an inspector of the Hoard of Education."