NEW ST. MARY'S CHURCH

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 33, 3 November 1919, Page 4

NEW ST. MARY'S CHURCH

LAYING THE FOUNDATION STONE,

A plea for a return sooner or later to some of the ideals which onco possessed mankind was embodied by His Grace Archbishop O'Slica in an impressive address yesterday afternoon at ihe ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the "new Koman Catholic Church being built in Boulcott Street. Dcspito t'lie rain there was a largo attendance of members and tho general public. Those present'included Sir Josopli Ward and tho Mayor (Mr. ,1. I'. Luke, M.IV), and Mrs. Luke. The ceremony, traditional in tho Eomaii Catholic. Church, which was carried out with full ritual, included the blessing by the Archbishop of the spot to bo occupied later By tho High Altar and other sacred precincts. The new building, whi.'h was designed by Messrs. Cipro and AYilliams, is to replace tho old church St. .Mary of the Angels, which was destroyed by fire last year. Ailor laying the foundation stone, the Archbishop delivered au address, in tl.o course of which he pointed out that tho old church was a historic one and with if were associated in tho minds of the Catholics of Wellington many sacred memories. For inany'yoars it was the centro of the labours of tho Jirst priest who ministered to their spiritual want* and it was thus a connecting link .with ilio past. The late father O'Reilly's mime used to be a household word not only with the Catholics but with many wlib did rot belong to tho Church in the days when Wellington was oulv a "lishing village on Cook Strait," long before it became the capital of the Dominion. That venerable priest saw not merely the beginnings of Catholicity on Iho shores of Port Nicholson, but tho very birth of the little colony of courage, pus and intrepid men and women, who nearly 80 years ago laid the foundations of this now great and prosperous city. Tho church in which he ministered was ' a landmark of Old Wellington, and its destruction caused many a pang and grief to the older members of I lie congregation and to many Catholics in other jxiris of the country who had been bap-' iised or married or at least had worshipped in it. lie laid the stone of the now edifice in the hope thai, the world sooner or later would return hu tho ideals for which St. Francis had laboured. Thero was no doubt that some such ideals was badly needed in the world today n« when the gentle Saint lrgan his mission. It was his hope also that tho new church would he opened entirely free of debt. To Ibis end he appealed for a continuance of the generosity shown by the parishioners in the past. The Kev, Fatlie:' Jlahony, administrator of St. Mary of the Angels parish, followed with a. short, appeal for subscriptions -towards the new church, which was generously responded to, and the gathering afterwards dispersed.