ST. BRIDE'S CONVENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8999, 9 December 1907, Page 5

ST. BRIDE'S CONVENT.

BLESSING THE STATUE OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION.

The ceremony of blessing and unveiling the statue of the Immaculate Conception, which was recently erected in the grounds of St. Bride's I Convent, Masterton, in commemoration of the centenary of. the religious order of St. Bride, took place yester- : day afternoon, the officiating minister being the Rev. Dean McKenna, assisted by the Revs. Father T. McKenna and Kelly. There was a very large attendance of the public, and deep interest was taken in the proceedings. Prior to the ceremony itself, there' was a religious procession round theconvent grounds. The leaders of the procession were the acolytes, bearing the Cross, and then followed 1 heschool children, the Children of Mary, in their religous habits (blue cloaks and white veils), the members of the Hibernian Lodge, the general, public, and finally the officiating ministers. During the course of the procession, which was a lengthy one at.ri formed an imposing sight, the Litany of the Blessed Virgin and "Hail, Queen of Heaven," were sung. On the procession arriving at the statue, the Rev. Dean McKenna took holywater and after reciting appropriate prayers blessed the image and subsequently unveiled it. "Immaculate," a hymn suitable to the occasion, was then sung by the gathering. Those present then formed up in front of the convent, where an altar had been erected on the verandah, and were addressed by the Rev. Dean McKenna, whose remarks had • particular reference to the establishment of the order of St. Bride over 100 years ago, and its growth since that date. The speaker expressed himself as highly pleased with the large attendance, which he took to mean that they were in sympathy with the Sisters and appreciated their work. He traced the religious persecutions in Ireland from the middle of the 16th century to the end of the 18th century, during which time the education of the Irish people had been greatly neglected, and it was for this reason at the end of years of persecution that the Order of St. Bride was established. It was in 1807 that the late Very Rev. Dr. Delaney conceived the idea of establishing an order that might educate the young, and after many trials and much difficulty he succeeded in founding the religious Order of St. Bride on February Ist, 1807, in the diocese of Kildare, Ireland, and thus he "kindled a living fire that nothing can withstand." One hundred years ago, said the speaker, the seed was sown, and now it had grown up into a huge plant. Up till 1883 the, Order was confined to its own diocese, but in that year a little band of six Sisters set out for Australia, and set up a branch of the Order in that strange land. They could easily imagine what courage was necessary for such an undertaking, but the Sisters persevered in a manner that has made them famous, until now--twenty-five years later —there were thirteen communities of the Order possessing 150 Sisters in Australasia. The speaker had been instrumental in bringing them to New Zealand, and he felt proud of it. Ten years ago they founded a convent in Masterton, and his audience knew as well as he did what progress they had made. He asked those present to pray that the Sisters would prosper in their future work, not only in Masterton, but in the whole of New' Zealand, and he could assure them that the Sisters would not forget them in their prayers. The Benediction <:cremony was then performed by the Rev. Dean McKenna and the gathering concluded with the singing of "Faith of Our Fathers."