ST. PATRICK’S COLLEGE, WELLINGTON.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1153, 18 March 1884, Page 3

ST. PATRICK’S COLLEGE, WELLINGTON.

The ceremony of laying the foundation stone of St. Patrick’s College took place on Sunday afternoon, before fully four thousand persons. In honor of the occasion solemn .High Mass was celebrated at the Cathedral by the Rev. Father O’Gara, of Auckland, assisted by Father Coffey, of Ashburton, and Father Kirk, of Wanganui. The Mass was celebrated in the presence of the Right Revs. Bishops Redwood, of Wellington, Moran, of Dunedin, and Luck, of Auckland, the sermon being preached by Bishop Moran. In the afternoon all the clergy assembled at the new College grounds. A procession was formed hurriedly at the altar, boys carrying the cross, lighted candles and holy , water. The procession passed through a double line of about forty Children of Mary, all dressed in white gowns with blue caps and white head-dresses, adorned with silver floral wreaths. Bishop Redwood laid the foundation stone, and addressed the assemblage at some length, and said the College, which was about being built, would enable their Catholic children to receive a sufficiently high ed ucation to fit them for their various walks in life. It was a fact, he said, that up to the present their children were not receiving that education which their leligion desired, and the object of the College would be to enable those of the children who wished to join the priesthood to study for that calling. At present many who were so desirous were debarred from it, because the cost was too much to go Home and study. In speaking as to the doctrines of the Roman Catholic belief, he asserted that the University of Oxford owed its existence to the Roman Catholic Church, and that science owed its present strides to the same cause. In conclusion be stated the reason why the present building was to be called ‘ St. Patrick’s ’ was that the greater part of the congregation were Irish, He hoped the people of Wellington, not only his own followers, but those of other denominations, would come forward and liberally contribute to the building. Bishop Moran and Bishop Luck also addressed the assemblage. There were about thirty of the clergy present, and the weather was beautifully fine.

A Wellington paper gives the following description of the building :—The new edifice will stand in a pleasant and salubrious part of the city, on spacious grounds situated off Cambridge Terrace, and commanding a very fine view of our noble harbor and its picturesque surroundings. The Roman Catholic body may be congratulated on the site which they have chosen, and on the style of the new building. It is a Gothic structure of an essentially utilitarian kind, combining a cheerful appearance with every convenience of well-lighted and well-ventilated apartments. The design provides for future additions, and when completed will form a quadrangle. The building has a frontage to Cambridge Terrace of 110 ft by a depth of 85ft, is three storeys, the heights being 15ft, 13ft, and respectively. The front shows two side wings with lofty gables, and a central tower 76ft high, a prominent feature in the upper portion being a niche for a statue of St. Patrick. The tower roof is flat and will be used for taking astronomical observations. The ground floor contains boys’ study-room with hat and cloak-room ; at one end library and parlor, reception-room professors’ and students’ refectories, commodious kitchen, with waiting.room, scullery, pantry, etc. Outside, but I convenient, are the wood and coal shed,

latrines, etc. The second floor contains a large dormitory for students, museum, study and class-rooms, with lavatory, toilet-rooms, and servants’ bed-rooms in the south-west wing. The third floor h is another large dormitory, the same size as the one below, the rest of the floor being occupied with sitting and bed-rooms for the professors, and three special dormitories for students, with lavatories, etc., etc. The building will accommodate seven professors, and has ample accommodation for 150 students.