Convent of the Sacred Heart, Island Bay, Wellington

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LII, Issue 49, 9 December 1925, Page 13

Convent of the Sacred Heart, Island Bay, Wellington

h;;- •- The year 1925 has been a momentous and ;- ,-.«. eventful one for all who are interested in / ; .. . or connected in any way with the religious .; houses of the Sacred Heart. The cononisa- |•: tion of St. Madeleine Sophie Barat has called forth many beautiful celebrations and festivities in the houses of the Sacred Heart; g ;■■; celebrations which were shared in with great :{ ) joy by the clergy, old pupils, and many •V w friends of the Order. On Thursday, Nov- ■. ember 19, Archbishop Redwood, Archbishop >; O'Shea, and twenty of the clergy honored '.the Convent of the Sacred Heart, Island '-vjj' - ' •.. On Saturday, 21st ult., a happy reunion of old girls took place at the convent. Forty : odd arrived for Solemn High Mass at 10 a.m., at which the Very Rev. Dean Regnault, S.M., -■ . officiated. After High Mass a very pleasant \ i meeting took place between the old girls and • / Reverend Mother, the latter giving the ex- >.•;_■/ pupils news of Rome and the Holy Father, . ' and of the ceremony of canonisation at which f. ... Reverend Mother was herself present. The -annual cricket match between the old and y. present pupils began at a little after twelve, r . An interval for dinner came at one. The ;> dinner was served in the school refectory which was delightfully decorated in lamp- ~ shades in corresponding tones. There was great admiration for the decorations through-s-.j - out the house. Some rooms were very effectf tlve in gold and white; the corridors, fes- •: - tooned in scarlet and white looked their best er at night in the glow of electricity, and the reception room was a charming sight in ' Pink, green and palest lemon with, beautiful :,£■'; baskets of roses suspended at intervals round - the room. Representatives of the Sisters of -. ■■ Mercy, Sisters of the Missions and Sisters of Compassion came in the afternoon to join ;. v the Sacred Heart Nuns in their celebrations, rfe : and seventy old girls were present. After f ; . .the dinner cricket was continued, the school ; :r; winning by 20 runs. Afternoon tea was ■ greatly appreciated after their strenuous ;r--Same. A beautiful entertainment followed . Tableaux of the life of St. Madeleine Sophie from her childhood in the vineyards of Toignv Heaven, were beautifully staged. Interludes •;/.. of interest came between the tableaux "The x Making of a Saint" by Reverend Mother m<i uart ' and some beautiful verses by Father Watson, S.J., were well recited. The musi- - cal items were also received with enthusiasm. . A charming finale to the entertainment con-sistedin-the grouping of the senior school on . :-../ . the . stage, all in white and carrying green

(Contributed.)

palms, the juniors stood below with red roses in their hands. They sang a stirring, martial hymn to St. Madeleine Sophie in her own native language French. We were almost sorry to leave the room after these beautiful scenes and sounds. Benediction was then given by the Rev. Father Ryan, S.M., and again the children sang with fervor and expression. Tea was served for all the guests. ■ Many of the old girls had not met since their school days so that the opportunity of renewing old acquaintances and making new ones was greatly appreciated by all. There were over sixty at the tea, for many were not able to come* before the afternoon. Perhaps the most fascinating event of the day was the lecture given by Father Ryan. The subject of his lecture was “The Growth of the Society of the Sacred Heart from the Birth of Saint Madeleine Sophie down to the present day.” One hundred and thirty lantern slides of the different convents of the Sacred Heart throughout France, the Low Countries, the Central States, Southern Europe, America, Great Britain, Australasia, and Japan, gave a further interest to the evening’s entertainment. We feel deeply indebted to Father Ryan, not only for the study and work that he has put into his delightful lecture but also for a deeper insight into the spirit and aim of the society. On Sunday the parents and friends of the children and Nuns were invited to the convent. They greatly enjoyed the entertainment which was the same as that given on the previous day, and were privileged to attend Father Ryan’s beautiful lecture in the evening. The fact that a church, dedicated to Saint Madeleine Sophie, was opened by Archbishop Redwood at Parakino, for the Marist Mission (in charge of Fathers Venning and Riordan), on Sunday, seems to be the crowning event of these days’ celebrations. n 1 - — —