CATHOLIC BAZAAR.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1805, 3 April 1888, Page 2

CATHOLIC BAZAAR.

For Borne time past a b< z*ar, having for its obj°ot the liquidation of the debt od the Oatholio Church m Ashburton has been In coatemplatlon, and daring the last few weeks a number of the ladies of the congregation have bet n busily engaged m making preparations for the event. All the preliminaries having been satisfactorily arranged, the da*e of the commencement of the bazaar was fixed for Easter Monday, and accoidlngly the ceremony of the formal opening was last evening performed by the Biahop of tha Diocese, the Rt. Hoy. Dr. Grimea. ffo industrious hive bo. j n the ladles, and so liberal the donors of articles that Mra Butler's grain store, la Havelock street, la which the buz ac is being held, although a cipacioue buildinp, (b not nearly large enough for the due display of the irnmeoaa assortment of goo is for aa I**,1 **, without taking into ecoount; the room required for the large number of visitors who attended last night, and the numbers who, without doabt, will attend before the end of the week sees the close of the baziar. As it is, a Urge number of artiolea have not yet been exhibited and oannob be bo, until the gaps oauaad by sales, which fortunately promise to be large, have to be filled up.— A visitor on entering the room is met wi.h a pretty sight, the Bevaral stalls being very tastefully arranged and the room nloely decorated with flaga and evergreens. The ceremony of opening the b:ZM*r took place at about seven o'clock. Hiß Lordship; Bishop Grimes, alluded to thu pleasure it afforded him to be present on suoh an occasion. At first he had not Been hiß way clear to coaling, but their pastor would take no refusal. He hardly required to toll them that Father Oliastagnon, when he had Bet his mind on achieving any objact, would allow no obstaolo to turn him from his purpose, and 00 he (his Lordahip) found that come to Ashburton he mnat. He alluded to the laudable object for which the bazaar was being held, and expressed his thanks to those who, while not belonging to his church, still had lent generous ' assistance. He felt very great pleasure at seeing on the platform beside him the Meyor — a geutlem<m who, 119 knew, had the interests of the town and its residents, irrespective of creed, thoroughly at heart. He was glad, too, to notice that there were' msny others who possessed the liberal mindedaes3 of the Mayor, and who recognised that as long as peop'e wtre faithful to their charoh th?y woald be upright and good oit zons. He believed that pereonal reasons also had something to do with the Mayor, and thoae to whom he had jaat referred, being present, and those personal reasons were the kindly feoliogs fhey felt towards Father Chaatagncnjwhr-, during ttie time he had been here, had by his devotion to the interests of his fl -ck, and to thoae of tho towa itaolf, guiuod the reapsc l ". of mil who knew him, and had reoelved ready aid from many who did not belong to his Church. A9 the Bishop of the dioc-oa?, it was his duty, and a pleasing oae, to thank thosa ladies and gentlemen who being outside h<B Churcb, had rendered such valuable aid, and he hoped that at the conclusion of tho b&aaar, it would ogam be his duty to tender hiß thanks to them. His Lordship then formally declared the baziar open. In his concluding remarks he referred to the projected tour of Father Ohastagnon to ! raise funds to clear the Ohar^h of the , whole of its iadebtedu.6B3, and he ex- , pressed hla hope that they would make the baziar such a sucoeas that the Key Father's journey would not be what his 1 Lordahip jofcularJy styled a " begging 1 tour," but a trip of pleasure. His 1 Lordahip c*o3ed by wishing the brziar • every success. Th 9 Mayor, M? A. RarrUon, waa the next speaker. He eaid that it gave him i- .vary much ploasuro to ba pceßont at tho . opening of the Oatholio Buzaar and to , stand Bide by side with thair Bishop. . Tho manner m which they got up their baziars astonished him — they seemed to

throw their whula life into the work. And he had learned that the display before him did not represent all, for he had been informed that there was muoh which could not yet be displayed for want of apaoe. Tn regavd to what the Biahop had asid he considered that it waa

his duty as Mayor, m addition to the pleasure which It gave him, to be present. The Inhabitants of the town met m all spheres of daily life, and when one ohuroh got up a bezjar it was bat right that all should give their sapport- He concluded

by oppressing his hop 9 that the dabt on

the Church would be speedily liquidated, and that the boziar would bo & success. It had hia deepest eympathy and good will, and m these feelings he had no doubt the burgesses shared.

Father Oh&stagnon made a few remarks. Ho expressed his thanks to the Bishop for being preeent, after having undergone a fatiguing week cf work, to the Reverend Fathers who had aleo come, and to the Mayor. He was sanguine of the success of tho bazaar ; he had a (ew shillings m hia pocket, End he Intended to apend them, Bud he hoped that aU who were present wcuid do likewise.

'I he addresses having been concluded the ladles who had charge of tha stalls commenced their work la real earnest and began to seek their prey m the crowded room. All Indications wont to show that they were successful, and 1/ laat night Is to be taken as an Index the result at the end of the week ehould bo In tho highest degree aatiefuctory. Perhaps the tnoßt noteworthy fonrure of tha bejsiar Is tha work executed by tho popita at tho Convent Tho hand 'paloHog, crewel work, needle and fancy work of all Iduda, aro excellent, and reflect the very highest credit on tho tuition of tha Good Sisters. All who oaw the work could not fail to have boen struck with the skill and artistic taste displayed. Ab-ut the centre of the room, and '.ho principal exhibit, waa an oil painting on blick aatin, with drape to match, presented by tho liev. Mother Suporlor to the Church. Thia is a real work of art, and oonnohaeura wore loud m their praise of it. On entering the door tho iirot stall ia. that preoided over by Mrß Adams, assisted by Mra Cullen, Mrs Campbell, Mrs Daly. Mrs D. McKendry. «nd Miaa Leddy. Mra Adnmu hes also some minor stalla under hot supervision, The majority of the more noticeable articles are the handiwork of the Miaaoa Adams and Miaa .Leddy, Some orosestitch work m wool aod canvas by Miss Adama, a young lady only ten years of age i'q very creditable. Mro Adams shows eomo beautiful Grecian embroidery which was much admired. Tho etall next dfimo to is that of which Mis Henry has charge, her a&eiatsnta being the Misaeo Efonry, Mlds Gaffuey and Miss B/leD, and the Children of Mary. Much beautiful work is to be ason at tha sUll, mainly provided by Missea Sutherland, McOormiok and A, felonry. Like Ms Adams, Mra Henry haa two or threo eaialler stalls under her care at which are to bo obtained the thoueand-jind-ono useful a;;d fancy articles usually to bo found at bav,ara. Tho third stall was presided over by the Mieaea Adamß (2), Prendergaat, Daley ac.d X Leddy who had undor. their chwgo iv':»:y uiticloa well wcrii;y of iusppctioa and pu-cliaae. Tho ntx'- stall wiu In the htmda of Mm Divano, M"au:a McDonnell and Poherty, whom atull waa loidod with n profaßion of Uisefnl and ornamental goods. The refreßhmen; et.ill waa looked a[!er by Mea. dames Stndl, Bifihop, i l . Frzg'erald, N. Fita^errtld, Wothorlund, T. VVuhh, and the Aliases Sraiil.

There are a great many very beautiful articles ou v;ew which, m » brief account like the present, it ia iiupouaible to notice at all, but m the course of the week we ■hall, moat probably, refer to them,