TAKING THE VEIL. (Evening Star, May 1.)

North Otago Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 1880, 6 May 1878, Page 4

TAKING THE VEIL. (Evening Star, May 1.)

The ceremony of receiving two ladies Into the Holy Order of St. Dominick took placo at tho Roman Catholic Church this morning. Tho ceremonial, being the first of tho kind held in Duuodin, occasioned a good deal of interest, the holding capacity of tho building boing taxed to tho utmost. The attondanco at tho loiwt numbered 300 pooplo, the majority of whom woro ladies and oliildron. At a fow minutes aftor oight o'clock tho coremony was commonood by tho Sistors of Morcy on tor ing tho ohancol dressod in black, with bluo over-alls and veiled in whiro, and taking their soats at tho head of tlio building. Thon camo tho reception procession, hoadodby four nuns carrying wax tapers lighted, aftor whom woro tlio postulants or novices —the ono (Miss Oantweil) drewod in white satin, with bridal voil; tho other (Miss Williamson) in white moire* —with a crown oarriod before thorn which was laid at tho foot of the altar, signifying tho renouncing worldly honors and riohos. Theso woro followed by two young girls, also drossed in white, with floral offering, tho procession being brought to a closo by tho Mother Superior and a nun. At tho same time there entered by tho altar door his Lordship Bishop Moran, attended by Fathers Larkin and O'Loary and tho Christian Brothers. The postulants and Mother Superior then knelt bofore the altar, whilo " Veni Creator Sniritus" was intoned and sung by tho Bishop. Tho following questions woro then put by tho colobrant, and answered by tho candidates :—: — The Bishop: Children what do you crave ? Answer: Tho morcy of God, and your charitable indulgence. Tho Bishop : Wo cannot give you the mercy of God j bnt wo firmly beliovo you have obtained it, becnuso tho Lord has boon graciously pleaded to inspire you to ombraco tho religious stato in tho holy Order of St. Dominick. Our favoi-ablo indulgence wo aro willing to impart on certain conditions—that you aro free from the following impediments, that it is to say : That you havo not contracted, nor havo any debts which you cannot pay ; that you do not belong to any other ordor; and that you avo not infirm, so as to prevent you from performing tho duties of tho religious stato you now dosiro to embrace. If you aro not froo from these impediments wo cannot comply with your pious rcquost. Havo you any of thcao impediments T Answer : Not any, mosb rovorend fathor. His Lordship then told the postulants that, in order to obtain compliance with their wishes, it was not alone sufficient that they were free from tho impediments just mentioned—it wns nlso necessary that they should further be informed, lest hcretfter they might say they were deceived or nrcre unawnre of such austerities in the Order, that tlicro were some restraints and duties they were bound to ob«erve inviolably herenfter. when professed in their Toligiom institut j. There were principally threo solemn vows of n religious state — viz., obedience, poverty, and chastity. As to obedience, they must be obedient to superior*, ns if they had no liberty but totally subject to their will ; thry must not go out of the pricincts of the monnstery, nor do what mlaht he agreeable to thomsolves without tho consent and approbation of their superiors. \n to Soverty, thoy could not receive anything, o it over so small, without its becoming subject to tho will of thoir superiors ; and as to chastity, thoy must obsorvo it in thought, word, and deed. Moreovor, they must serve tho Order as much as possible by a ready compliance with the religious injunctions of their superiors ; •ml in case, after all thoir exertions, they •hould bo refused admission to holy profession, thoy must humbly submit to the divino will and pleasure. His Lordship proceeded to aay :—: — Though tlioao may bo doomed sovero trials And rigid austerities, yot tho observances of them will bo attended by an immonso reward hereafter —that is, lifo evorlasting — which, on tho part of God, I promiso, if you will obsorvo what I havo mentioned. Aro tou willing, then, to bo obsorvaut of all I navo now declared to you ? Answer : Wo aro. His Lordnhip : May tho Lord, who began this meritorious work, perfect it. The crucifix was hero dolivored to the postulants, after which they were handed to the Mother Superior, and by her conducted to the prioress iv choir. On roturning thoy wero found to be clothod in nun's habit, tho •' To Deum" having boon chanted meanwhile Th« Colobrant then gavo tho novices tho crucifix and rosary beads, and sprinkled thorn with holy wnlor. Tho coremony of profosning was thon proceeded with, and tho names Pfivon to the two ladies were :—: — Miss Cantwell, Sister Mary Ro.so ; Miss Williamson, Sister Mary Dominick. At Ibe samo timo Miss Noylon was ■ppoi'ik'd -i lay sistor in tlio nanio of Si-tter Josoph. Tho sistors were then Informed that thoy woro allowed a full year of probation in ordor to dotormino whether tboy found tho observances of the Order ngroeabie and to experience its rulus and observance**; ns aim* that tho community might obsorvo and oxnvnino their conduct. If, at tho expiration of that t:me, thoy should prove agreeable to the community, and tho community to thorn thov would bo cheerfully rocoivod to tin* hnlv profession ; if not, tho roliginitfl <>f tho community would l>u at full liberty to rofuso their consont. Tho lUivircs, if thoy ho wished, at. tho expira* tlon of that time wore in perfect freedom to viMnlraw in peace. " V.Mii Sp^riM Christi" was thon chanted in unision by tho nuns' choir, consisting «>f about ei^ht vricos, Mr W.iuo fwcompanying on tho harmonivtm. Tlio psalms woro afterwards given anliphnnallv and in unison to Gregorian tones by t.be imuh' cboir. Tlio latter sang with Surpii^MX' RWi'otnoss both in tho canticl< s and responses, tho lowor qotos being givi u with such Bweetnoss as is rarely mot with liero. Aftor further coromony tho pi oroodimrs wound up at a fow minu'es before ton o'clock with tho sinsrinir "f tho " 'f'o Deum Laudamus "by tho church choir ; but it wan «ivon so unevenly as to lead to tho beliof that little «r no attention had been paid to its preparation. Mr Charles Wand, of the Queen's Theatre, presided at tho or^nn. and lent valnablo aid to tho buceer«ful cnrrviii!? out of tlio ceremony. The rantirles worn nil sung in Latin.