SOLEMN CEREMONIALS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1019, 9 July 1930, Page 1

SOLEMN CEREMONIALS

REQUIEM MASS IN BASILICA

PANEGYRIC ON GREAT STATESMAN

From, Our Own Reporter

PARLIAMENT BLDGS., Today. WITH all the majesty and deep religious signficance of the Roman Catholic Church, Solemn Pontificial Requiem Mass was celebrated for Sir Joseph Ward in the Wellington Basilica this morning, before the largest and most distinguished gathering that has been seen in Wellington for many years. All grades and sections of society were represented : in the crowd that filed in and the Parliamentary, legal, comi mercial, Consular and scholastic interests of New Zealand •were in that solemn gathering. I His Excellency the Governor-General was represented by his secretaries, Mr. A. C. Day*and Major A. H. Bathurst, and the Chief —ustice, Sir Michael Myers, also was in the congregation. The Prime Ministers and all the members of the Cabinet were present. In his address Archbishop Redwood paid a great tribute to the driving force of faith in the life and activites of the dead statesman.

The crowded congregation stood in a silence that could be felt as the ,’astet bearing the mortal remains of Si:: Joseph Ward was borne into the Basilica, where it was met by Father Higgins and conducted toward the sable-draped altar, with its steady isndlee and gleaming silver. Behind tie casket came the Prime Minister and members of the Cabinet, and members of the Ward family, who had all gathered in Wellington. They siowed the marks of their grief. The casket was placed reverently before the altar, and the official party took Its place and waited for the protessioa of white-vestmented clergy on to the altar. Archbishop Redwood took his place on the throne at the l«ft of the altar, while Archbishop O'Shea, the celebrant of the Mass, and Bishop Liston, of Auckland, sat together on the right. Then began the solemn rite of vesting the celebrant priest for the Bequiem Mass. His vestments were oi «able, silver and white, with a cross outlined in silver at the back. With the vesting, which was carried out by the assisting clergy, the choir in the gallery at the rear of the church started the singing of the Mass. The voices of the boys from St. Patrick’s College, who composed the choir, vere strong, young, and manly, and made a wonderfully impressive accompaniment for the rites of the Church «er the body of her distinguished son.

MAJESTIC SINGING As the service proceeded the grave majesty of the “Dies Irae” pealed through the church and was followed just before the most solemn portion :! the service, the Elevation of the Host, by the beautiful strains of the “Sanctus.” Then the Host was elenmd and prelates and clergy knelt derontly before the altar. The choir rang the majestic “O Salutarls” and lie 91-year-old Archbishop Redwood unde his way to the pulpit and addressed the congregation. la the death of Sir Joseph "Ward, he slid, the Dominion had suffered a very gnat loss, tlie Church had lost * devoted and earnest Christian, the itate had lost a distinguished artel hlued Prime Minister and society >t large had lost a most useful and benign friend. , “Going into the principle underlying his activities,” said Archbishop Red,aod, “I would say without hesitaoa that it was his faith.” That •ad been the driving force in Sir Joseph Ward’s life and he had been ’'dat the Joseph’ of the Scriptures •ad been, a just man in every sense ot the word. The Archbishop saw before him a atge and distinguished gathering, repJ*«atatlve of the Church, the State aid Parliament, commerce and sof»ty in general, and it was his sad atty to tender, on behalf of the gathto the sorrowing relatives, tncere condolences and heartfelt at their loss. Sir Joseph Ward ™d sailed across the ocean of life ‘'the barque of the Church, the Ship tJ'Matianity. and now he had /•osaed the bar and landed in the ,?? hi eternal happiness. The •'■hlshop urged those present to J their lives the example set 3lr Joseph Ward. the ceremony ends hmiT Panegyric, the last solemn aad f» DS °* Mass were reached, incense floated up to the n cut "rtK clouds as the cenm swung and the absolution •?«n .If out - Tlle choir sartK that "•tuh trium Ph of the soul over lid , ttlro iigh Christianity, “Libera,” Wrh » ergy died out from the ,w“ . the strains of the Dead Mu t “* “Saul,” with its exultant 'h ( - "J“ e en{ l- For some minutes vm , rs of the congregation bought® 111 '- anc * "'ho knows what *mV' Were revolving in their *the Ward family left and •Jaadrorf *°v ,e cl by the official party, “lay .t s , tayc< l behind iu the church »ko i.rf elr * ast respects to a man 'nj , . J!f on the love of New Zea- ** titk.i i fe "'as a steadv tile past. %i. ” tor som e time after. The Silica D ° W Iyins in state in the