SACRED HEART CHURCH, TIMARU

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LII, Issue 40, 21 October 1925, Page 41

SACRED HEART CHURCH, TIMARU

EUCHARISTIC PROCESSION. V - The annual eucharistic procession at the i Sacred Heart Church was held under favorable circumstances (says the T imam Herald of recent date). Although a cool breeze made its presence felt earlier in the afternoon a large attendance of parishioners and the general public assembled in the convent grounds on Sunday when the procession moved off at half-past two. With bunting and banners gaily displayed, and artificial flowers and spring blossoms profusely decorating the processional route, ■ the spacious grounds of the convent presented a scene of unusual beauty. In addition to the beautiful floral decorations, sacred statues and pictures also lined the route, while two magnificently candelabred altars provided halting places from where Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament was given to the reverently bowed assemblage by the Right Rev. Dr. Brodie, Bishop of Christchurch. Punctually at the appointed hour the procession moved off in the following order ; Cross-bearer, school hoys, school girls, - convent pupils, hand, choir, Children of Mary, Altar Society, St. Anne’s Guild, ladies of the Sacred Heart Sodality, and Hibernians. The monstrance was carried by the Right Rev. Dr. Brodie under a canopy borne by four of the parishioners, and was attended by the Rev. Fathers Hurley, S.M., P.P. (master of ceremonies), Barra, S.M., Peoples, S.M., Knight (Waimate) and Onttrim (St. Bede’s, Christchurch). - f ' -Following the monstrance was a lengthy procession of parishioners, and at each altar, appropriate music was sung by the choir, to ( a devotional accompaniment provided by the South Canterbury Regimental Band. | Inside the church, the seating dation had to be supplemented in order to accommodate the large congregation, when, at the conclusion of the procession, an eloquent discourse on the text, “Thou shalt do this in commemoration of Me,” was preach-j ed by the Right Rev. Dr. Brodie, who also officiated at Benediction of tire Blessed Sacra-! meat. Special music contributed by the choir under the direction of Mrs. N. D. , Mangos, added considerably to the reverence of the proceedings. Miss B. Meehan sang with fine effect “Ave Maria” by Bach-Gon-nod, to organ accompaniment and violin obbligato supplied by Mrs. N. D. Mangos and Miss K. Byrne respectively. j At 10.30 a.rn. a- High Mass was sung by ( the Rev. Father Hurley, at which his Lordship also attended. The choir rendered wit effect Silas’s Mass in C. Mrs. Mangos presided at the organ. j A'■ . l

MARIST MISSIONS IN QUEENSLAND The mission conducted by the Marist Fathers at St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Brisbane, was one that will long 'be remembered by those privileged to see the extraordinary scenes of Catholic fervor then manifested. Its fame travelled to far-off New Zealand (says the Catholic Advocate for September 10). Scarcely less remarkable is the mission conducted by the Marist Fathers at St. Patrick’s Church, Toowoomba. This has been characterised as usual by overflowing congregations. A ceremony in connection with the mission unique in the history of Toowoomba, occurred last Thursday night, when a procession of the Blessed Sacrament was held. Over 4000 people marched from the church down Janies Street, Neil Street, Herries Street, and Ruthven Street, back to the church. Prayers were intoned and hymns sung as the procession, preceded by the crosshearer and acolytes, followed by about 200 school girls, including Children of Mary, wearing wreaths and veils. 300 pupils of the Christian Brothers’ College, and members of the H.A.C.B. Society in regalia, moved through the city. Members of the H.A.C.B. . Society formed a guard of honor for the Sacred Most, which was held aloft by Rev. Father McDermott, who was supported by Rev. Father Cleary, deacon, and Rev. Father Burke (Cliarleville). snhdeacon. The canopyhearers were Alderman A. R. Codsall, Alderman J. A. Herbert. Mr. F. W. Cleary, and Mr. J. J. Lucy. Prior to the departure of the procession from the church Rev. Father Ainsworth, S.M., addressed the congregation. Thousands were unable to gain admission to the church, and from the steps Rev. Father Herring, also one of the Mission Fathers, spoke to the gathering outside. When the' procession returned to the church a temporary altar had been erected on the front steps. Benediction hymns were sung and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament was given by the celebrant, Rev. Father McDermott.

Anglicans Uncertain as to Reunion Outlook People are asking "How will the AngloCatholic movement end?” Father 0. P. Vassall-Phillips, a Pedemptorist ami an authority on the Anglican position. does not hazard a guess, but in a statement he hints that it will end either in another schism or in union with the Holy See. The spectacle at the Albert Hall when the Anglo-Catholics held their annual congress was an amazing one. The enormous building, the largest hall in London, was packed during two sessions, and a remarkable suggestion by Lord Halifax calling for the Anglican recognition of the Primacy of the Pope went by unchallenged. The extraordinary character of the meeting will be seen from the fact that it began with the Our,Father,” the “Hail Mary,” and a De Profundis for the souls of two Anglican bishops not long dead. After that there was a hymn to Our Lady, sung to a fnglican bishops not long dead. After that iere was a hymn to Our Lady, sung to a I Catholic tune. | Lord Halifax, who presided, made an eari nest plea for reunion. He had recently ret turned from Malines, where he took part | ■ in the famous conversations. His statement,

however, left Catholics wondering how- lie , could have come away from Malines with so obviously wrong a view of the position of Home. ■; Having pointed out the advantages of re- ; union, he said he was confident that if such a union should take place every care would, be taken not to interfere with the position of the See of Canterbury, and to leave the ; Anglican Church its liturgy and its ■.“ matchless” Bible. ■ £ Lord Halifax’s hope is to see the Established Church link up with Rome as ,a body preserving its identity. Of .course he is very far from the possibility of seeing that. There can only be a large secession from the Anglican body if the Anglo-Catholic movement comes to see, what it does not yet see —that the keystone to the situation is faith, and that all hope of qualified “reunion” is futile. What will most likely happen is that individuals will continue to enter the Church as faith is vouchsafed to them individually. In High Anglican stores to-day one can buy almost everything that one would seek at a Catholic goods dealer’s including pictures of the Rope and statues of the Sacred Heart. The High Anglican is eager for all the externals of Catholicism, but he cannot make his submission to the Church until the faith is given him. though in the meantime he sometimes unreasonably makes it a matter of patriotic pride to cling to the national church.