Marist Order Anniversary

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31118, 22 July 1966, Page 12

Marist Order Anniversary

The Roman Catholic Bishop of Christchurch (the Most Rev. B. P. Ashby) and 12 Marist priests will celebrate a special Mass at St. Mary’s, Manchester street, on Saturday evening to mark the 150th anniversary of the Society of Mary.

Members of the Society were the first Catholic clergy to work in New Zealand. Priests taking part will come from St Mary’s, St Bede's College and Timaru. Also attending the special Mass and an anniversary address to be given in St. Christopher’s hall, will be Marist brothers from Christchurch and Timaru, Marist

sisters and missionary sisters of the Society of Mary from Wellington and three sisters of the Congregation of Our Lady of Nazareth from the Cathedral staff.

It was also hoped that a number of the secular priests of the diocese of Christchurch would be able to attend, said the parish priest of St. Mary’s, the Rev. Father D. L. Hickey S.M.

Members of the Third Order of St Mary, a lay organisation which gives spiritual and material help to the Society of Mary, have been invited to attend the celebrations.

The preacher at the anniversary Mass will be the Rev. Father C. J. Callaghan, S.M., and the address “on the Marist family” of religions, will be given by the Rev. Father M. O'Meeghan S.M.,

i professor of scripture at the society’s seminary, GreenI meadows. ~ . The anniversary which will be celebrated throughout New Zealand and Australia, commemorates the beginning of the Society of Mary, on July 23, 1816, when 12 priests made a solemn promise to establish it. The Marist brothers and sisters were established the next year and Papal approval was given the Marist fathers in 1836. After official recognition of the new order. Pope Gregory XVI gave it charge of the Mission to Oceania which included New Zealand and Australia. The missionary sisters were established later. The Marist fathers and brothers brought the Catholic Church to New Zealand. The first Catholic clergy to arrive were Bishop Pompallier and another priest and brother in 1838. Today the Marist Order staffs 16 New Zealand parishes, conducts colleges in various cities and holds missions and retreats for clergy and laymen throughout the country.