BLUE AND WHITE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 998, 13 December 1910, Page 6

BLUE AND WHITE.

ST. PATRICK'S JUBILEE. PICNIC AND CONVERSAZIONE. Blue : and white, * the ■ colours of SI Patrick's' College, fluttered ■ from th mast-head of the- Duchess when she lef tho Ferry Wharf at 10 o'clock yesterda: morning to carry a large friendly part, to Day's Bay. Blue and white wa .sported also on hatbands' and fluttcrei in ribbons from coat lapels, and th finer vantage-ground of summer dresses Four hundred people, old and young were taking a harbour excursion as (h guests of Mr. Martin Kennedy. , It wa an incident in the celebrations of th' 25-ycar jubilee of tho honoured house o learning that stands upon tho ,lowe: slopes of Mount Cook. The company in eluded Archbishop Kcdwood, • Bisho] Grimes, of Christchurch, a largo numbe: of- Koman Catholic clergy (including tin Very Rev. Dr. Kennedy,- rector of tin college, and-his staff), many promincn laymen, ladies, collego boys, and "ok boys." They were out to enjoy them selves like a big family party. Natur< herself evidently knew all about tho en terprisa and approved of it, for he: busy winds put little bars of white upoi the blue of the harbour waters, and th( sky wore its own most soft and delicat< variations of the same beloved hues. Over at the bay the excursionist; strolled about the bush and the beaches visited the side-shows, exploited tht swings, studied the monkeys, and playec sundry games. At luncheon in the pavilion, Mr. Martin Kennedy proposed the health'. of the visitors. - • His Lordship Bishop. Grimes, in responding, expressed the thanks of the guests to Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy for th?ii hospitality. He remarked that they were still affectionately remembered at Grey-mouth, and it was one of the severest pangs that he, as a ■ bishop, had to bear when they left his diocese. •' Mr. E. J. Fitzgibbon, in a happy little spjech, responded for the'laity. St. Patrick's College, hs*said,.was not the property of the Marist'order only, or'of the clergy only, but of all . Catholics, ancl with its future was bound up the-future of Catholicity.in New Zealand. Though not himself a pupil of St. Patrick's he had worked with a number of them at Victoria College, and he found that they could hold their own with tho students of. any collego in the Dominion, Tho Rev. Dr. Kennedy, rector of the college, proposed "The Old Boys." Tho college had sent forth from her doors more than a thousand students, many of whom occupied high positions in Church and State, and doing honour to their Alma Mater. • St.- Patrick's followed her old boys -with' material interest, and.nothing pleased tho staff-, more than to havo their past students gathered around them. The Very Kev.-.Father O'Shea, vicargeneral, as one of the clergy educated at tho college, said, tho fesling uppermost in their minds that day was one of. gratitude to the founders-and professors of St. Patrick's, who had enabled them to obtain the education' necessary to fit them-for the priesthood. . Mr. Melville Crombio responded ■ for the lay old boys. ' His Grace Archibshop Redwood, in proposing .the; toast of "Our Worthy Host," characterised Mr. Kennedy as one of the greatest benefactors to Catholic' education- and to St. Patricks' Collego in particular. >The toast, having been drunk with musical . honours and, cheers, Mr. Kennedy briefly replied. He.' observed,that none of his investments had pleaS!d him ■o.well as what he had'given for Catho-lic-education and the Catholic Church.The afternoon nassed aS pleasantly as the morning. Tea Was served before tho party returned to town. - ' CONVERSAZIONE. THE ARCHBISHOP. ON,.,CHARACTER. THE JUBILEE FUND. , A conversazione in the Town Hall concluded: 'yesterday's portion of the-cele-brations of. St. Patrick's College Jubilee. The large attendance included his Grace Archbishop Redwood, his Lordship Bishop Grimes (Christchurch), Monsignor Fowler (Sioux City), tho' Very Kev. Father O'Shea (Vicar-General), Very Rev. Dean Regnault," Venerable Archdeacon Devoy, Very Rev. Dean Carew, Very Rev. Dean M'Kenna, Very Itev. Dean Binsfield [Meeanee), Very Rev. Dr. Kennedy (Rector of the College),' Very. Kev. Father Kcogh (ex-Rector), and other clergy,' the Hon. D. Buddo (Acting-Minister ■ for Education), Mr, T.. M.-Wilford,' M.P.. (Mayor of Wellington), and.many prominent laymen. The rector, welcoming those present, announced a, large number of congratulatory telegrams from others who were prevented from attending. One of these was Ironi Sir Joseph Ward, who congratulated the college on the attainment of its jubilee, expressed the hope that it would long continue in its career, of usefulness, and wished the staff and students every success' and prosperity. "Old Boys" in Auckland also sent a typical telegram of good wishes. - . - - - , The. Mayor spoke appropriately of the good work done' by. tho college. "In almost every braAch of- tho arts," he said, "in civic life,. in the professions, in trade and finance,-your-college has marked its impress, on the public life of this country'! You are doing good work, the city recognises it, business firms know it, public opinion has admitted it, and there is no doubt whatever that the tone of the civic - life., of this community is raised and not lowered by the presence in its midst, of an institution like your own." . . The Need for Tolerance. . The Hon. D. Buddo said that 25 years igo it was thought in Wellington that it would be almost, impossible.for a colege liko St. Patrick's to carry on,- but :he promoters took.their courage in both rands and the college was practically a success from the start. Somo people said :hat the- purpose of education was to fit ;he pupils to earn their.living, and others lield that its purpose, was to . inculcate ligh ideals, but he believed that the first luty of ali educational institutions was :o turn out good citizens, and' he ven:urcd to say St. Patrick's Collego was ioing that. In addition to religious, instruction and training in tact and courtly, there was a wide field for the teachng of tolerance and especially tolerauco )f the'points of, view of other nations vith Whom we had to do business. Public ;chools should' foster, a knowledge of tho •ights, the sentiments and.even the. prcudices of other nations,. so that those vhom they trained, while remembering ;hc greatness of the nation and the Emoire to which they belonged, would not ;hrust it too much before other nations, [n that respect he thought tho public schools wero doing much good. (Apolause.) Ideals of Character. Archbishop Redwood said the aim of it. Patrick's College was to form tho •outh of New Zealand to be men of ihdracter. His view of a man of charicter was one whose intellect was enightened and filled with true and ound Christian principles, as a founda:ion on which could be raised a structure if sound knowledge in any lino they :hoso to follow. He could not conceive t possible for any man to be truly great mless his mind was fortified through ind through with Christian principles. L'hc will must bo disciplined and fitted or constant and even heroic obedience. !'o make tho character perfect, thcromust w, -not only intellect and will, but also 'oblc sentiments, and a true, joving, onerous, and unselfish heart. When all hose elements wero conjoined, they had . man of character, one who would'make lis mark in any calling. To form such haractors was tho ideal that had. been >ut before all the rectors of St. Patrick's rom the very beginning, and they had argely succeeded in attaining it. In this v-ay they wero helping' to build up a loblo nation that would loe looked up o by far distant peoples and would bo uccessful and happy. (Applause.) Bishop Grimes spoke pleasantly of tho nany links uniting his dioceso of Ghristhurch with Wellington and St. Patrick's, .nd he especially claimed tho present ector as a -Christchurch boy. The Jubilee Fund. Mr. Martin Kennedy, chairman of tho übilee Committee, announced that the übilee 'Fund had now readied ,£2BOO, nd it was expected to reach .£3OOO before he'lists" were'closed. The'needed science-

laboratory would bo provided, and thi ■ balance would be applied to the reductioi of tho debt. 'Other speakers were the . Very Rev Father O'Shea, S.M., V.G., tho Ven Archdeacon Devoy, S.M., and Mr. S Mo'ran. Tho musical portion of the prograninn was. of. a. high order of merit,, and in eluded vocal solos by Miss Teresa M'Enroi and Miss Agnes Segricf; 'cello solo bj Mr. F. Johnstone; Shakespearean par: song, "Take, Oh Take Those Lips Away,' Misses May Storey, Teresa M'Enroe Bosie, Emily, ancl Agnes Segrief, ant Carrie Deuhard; choruses. by . Mr. Wat kins's Liedertafel; selections by tin collego orchestra; and the collego sonf by students. This morning at 9 o'clock a solemn re quiem mass for deceased students, exstudents, members of the staff, and benefactors of tho college will be celebrated in St. Joseph's Church. The nnntiai entertainment and distribution of prize; by his Excellency tho Gbvernor will tab placo at. the college this evening.