CHAPEL SHIP

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 2, 3 July 1939, Page 11

CHAPEL SHIP

AMERICAN VISITORS

EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS

A chapel ship containing between four hundred and five hundred Amends can Catholics will visit the Dominion for the Centennial National Eucharistic Congress in February next. This most important Congress development was set in motion at the weekend, when, after careful consideration by the Congress commitee and with the approval of his Grace Archbishop O'Shea, a cable was dispatched to the Catholic authorities in San Francisco authorising them to proceed with the organising of the voyage. This will be the third chapel ship, or to use the more imposing American designation, "floating cathedral," to leave San Francisco within recent years. The organiser, the Rev. Father Harold E. Collins, of San Francisco. was also in charge of similar Catholic tourist ships visting the Manila International Eucharistic Congress "and tha International Congress at Budapest. The term "floating cathedral" seems appropriate, for on the Manila Congress ship there were fifteen altars for the celebration of Holy Mass. Every morning during the voyage Masses were said continuously from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. The ceremony of Benediction took place daily at 5.30 p.m. High Mass was celebrated on Sunday. The Blessed Sacrament was reserved during,-the whole of the voyage. : It is probable that a similar arangement of services will be held during the tour of the chapel ship due to come ta New Zealand. FREE PASSAGES FOR PRELATES. There appears to be no doubt that a quota of over four hundred tourists will be reached. This quota, allows a free passage for one in every; ten of the total passenger list, therefore the New Zealand Hierarchy will" be entitled to invite forty or fifty of the leading prelates of the U.S^A. and Canada, these visitors being assured of a free passage. ■. The accommodation should be rapidly booked up, for it is known that with the international situation as it is American tourists will favourably regard a trip to the comparatively secure waters of New Zealand and Australia. This.will not add to the general Centennial accommodation, problem, as the American tourists wll live on the ship while they are here. Whole-hearted co-operation is being given,by the New Zealand Tourist Department. <