TAIHAPE CONVENT SCHOOL.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 160, 18 September 1916, Page 4

TAIHAPE CONVENT SCHOOL.

FORMALLY OPENED BY » ARCHBISHOP O'SHEA. Yesterday afternoon the Catholic , Convent in Kaka Road was officially opened by Archbishop O'Shea, there being a very large number of people present. /• ) Father Connolly expressed his pleasure at the presence of Archbishop O'Shea, and stated that the opening of the school was the realisation of the hope of years. They had always wished to have the nuns there and a Convent school, and now that it had been realised, they all could sec' what a wonderful benefit the nuns had conferred, and what splendid work tluy were doing. It was over two years since they had started to make the establishment. Two years before they started the Convent school there had been a debt of £I2OO on the Chinch, and as soon as ,this had been wiped out a start was made with the school. For the nuns a house had to be obtained, and this, with improvements, had cost £IOOO The ground on which the Convent school was situated was eminently suitable for the purpose, and had c/osr £SOO, and some £9O had been spent in improvements. The building and furnishing had cost £750, making the total expenditure £2200 during the last two years. He was pleased to say that they were in a very healthy financial condition now, over £7OO having been raised in actual subscriptions. Under ordinary eiroumstances bazaars, concerts, etc., would have been held to raise funds, but owing to the war this had not been done, the proceeds from all functions of the kind except one having gone to patriotic purposes. He had much pleasure in calling on His Grace the Archbishop to declare the school open.

Archbishop 0 'Sl;ea stated that lie to"ok great pleasure i7i being present to take part in the ceremony, and eon- . gratulated Father Connolly and the people on what had been accomplished. The work was a very great credit to all. concerned, and a sign, a proof, not only of the progress of the Catholic Parish, but also of the progress of the town itself. The erection of an additi'oriar school always added dignity arid im ::; por+ance to any place,, arid the fact of there being a Catholic school would induce Catholics to settle here. The real reason why the school had "be'eri erected was that Catholics firmly believed in religious education. The public schools in New Zealand, towards which Catholic ratepapers contributed their share, . were lacking in one was not taught in them. Education' " : should aim not only at man intellectually, but also moJattyj and the teaching of religion in 'schools ■

should he made just 'as important. •as • the teaching of any other subject; that ■" was why they had- erected.rthisl school.. After '■ paying their contribution ;f tor. ■ wards the Upkeep of the:public; schools*, they voluntarily taxed themselves, for,.. their own schools, so that religion could be taught. They did not ask the . State for one penny towards the cost of teaching religion, but they thought that the State should spend some money on their schools. The Catholic population spent over £1 per head on public education, from which they derived little benefit, and some of the money should be paid to their, schools, Subects were taught in their schools to the satisfaction of the Department, but when they asked for the School Journal free, and for medical inspection, these were refused. The great majority of non-Catholic men were fair-minded and just, and when the position was put well before them, afteT the war was over, they would not very long countenance the injustice- which was being done to a section of the community. The great war, said the Archbishop, had brought all classes together, had, united them, and the very fact that thA>. observe their trea ties, and the Churchr>" ment in favour of religious education. Had the ■great nations been actuated, by the principles of Christianity the war would not have broken out. Practically all of them had ignored Christianity altogether, and some' had gond so far as to make material prosperity their religion. Treaties had beeln broken "scraps of paper" ignored, and atrocities had been committed. Christ tian teaching would have made them observe their treaties, and the Church reminded men that there were prinviples of religion and justice. As a mam* life must be guided by Christian principles, so the life of a nation must be guided. The Archbishop then exhorted those •present to do their utmost for the school, and stated that he had much pleasure in declaring the school open. Father Connolly delivered another brief address, and stated that alrdady there were 95 scholars en the roll. The school was then thrown open for inspection by those present, and the proceedings terminated.