The Church in New Zealand

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LII, Issue 44, 18 November 1925, Page 21

The Church in New Zealand

SOME HISTORICAL NOTES.

'/ \ Well-remembered 01d=time Priest ' The Tablet for May 16, 1874, referring to /•the lamented death of Father Norris said“A cor resp on from the Thames sends us the following particulars with regard to Father Norris, whose premature decease wo chronicled in our last issue but one:-Father Norris came to the Colony in 1864, and pre-

vious to his ordination was located at the North Shore, near Auckland. He was ordained in 1866, and shortly afterwards ordered to proceed to Dunedin, and was stationed at Mount Ida for some time. On leaving the latter place he was presented . with a testimonial by the people of that place, in which they expressed their admiration of his qualities as a priest, and their regret at his departure from amongst them. He then came to Auckland, and remained there until Bishop Croke appointed him in June, 1873, •to the charge of the parish, as successor to the Rev. Father Nivard, who, was called to . a mission in Cjhina. He endeared himself to V the , people here during his brief sojourn, by |\ his kindly disposition, his eloquence, and his ? indomitable energy in the cause of faith and • /; Christian education. During his residence >• among us, principally by his untiring oxer-

tions, we had a beautiful convent erected, as also a boys’ school, and many other things remain as memorials of our deeply regretted frriest. The news of his death caused a pang to the hearts of those who were acquainted with him, not only of his own Church, but also of many of other denominations. TieReseat in pace.”

The Second Church of St. Mary of the Angels’, Wellington The Tablet for May 9, 1874, reporting the blessing of St. Mary of the Angels’ Church, stated: “The ceremony of blessing the new Catholic church, Te Aro, took place in the presence of a. congregation numbering between 400 and 500 persons, very many of whom, not being members of the Church, were attracted by the nature of the ceremony, while others attended as a mark’ of respect to the venerable Father O’Reily, whose charitable actions and Christian life are, perhaps, as well known to the whole community as they are to the particular denomination to which he belongs. The'ceremony throughout was very solemn and impressive, so much so that the general effect produced by the grand cathedral music, the chaste character of the

decorations surrounding the altar, the rich robes of , the officiating priests, and their fervid chants and intonations, was perceptible in its influences as wed upon the faithful adherent, whose constant attendance it would be supposed would render such scenes familiar, as upon persons to whom they were strange and consequently more striking.” The report goes on to state that “The ceremony was commenced at half-past ten by the Rev. Father O’Reily . . . assisted by the Rev. Father Cummins as deacon, and by the Rev. Father Goutenoire as subdeacon.

. . . Rev. Father Cummins preached a sermon appropriate to the occasion.” “The choir, under the able direction of Mr. F. Weber, late of Christchurch, sang Winter’s Mass.. . The Mass was not, however, taken in its entirety, the “Benedictus” from Mozart’s Twelfth Mass, and the “Incarnates” from Haydn’s Third Mass being substituted for Winter in those portions of the service. At the conclusion of the sermon, £B4 were collected. The debt still remaining upon the church amounts to between £4OO and £500.”'-

<X> — — • Seek always to do the generous thing, ,not merely the strictly and severely bounden thing. Try not how little you can do for God and the common weal, but bow muck you can do. —Father Riekahy, S.J. •.