The Churches.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume II, Issue 93, 9 January 1900, Page 3

The Churches.

On Christmas Day in the Primiye Methodist Church the Rev. J. fixon preached to a fairly large mgregation, iv the evening on an pprcpriate subject. In St. Patrick's Roman Catholic hurch, the old traditions were ell kept up. The picturesque btla place was prettily decorated •r the festive season. During the hole period .between Christmas id New Year, the interior of the

church was wholly changed. The I walls were hung with garlands and i wreaths of pale soft green, and the windows draped with festoons of a deeper hue. At the entrance of the church in bright gold letters, the song of the shepherds — Venite, Adoremus Dominum — stood out in bold relief, and high above the altar the joyful anthem of the angels — Gloria in Excelsis — met the eye. The altar was beautifully decorated. On Christmas day, the Rev. Hector, Father Regnault sang a " Missa Cantata," and preached an impressive sermon, and the Rev. Father O'Connoll preached to a crowded congregation in the evening. All the services during tht day were well attended by the people, and the choir was at it* trst, so that Christmas celebrations this year were in every way most successful. The worthy parish priest is to be congratulated on the results, and to his energetic assistant, Father O'Conuell, are due thf thanks of all for the zeal with which he worked ft the decorations, anJ for the artistic taste and elegant choice which he showed in them. The Sisters of the Convent also deserve a meed of thanks for the assistance which they rendered in making bouquets and garlands. St. Augustine's Church was prettily decorated, all the decora tions being white — Christmas lilies, white Canterbury bells, gladioli, relieved with oak leaves. The vicar, the Rev. McKonzie Gibson preached an eloquent sermon, of which space forbids more than a few sentences. He based his remarks on Luke 11, 1-1, " Glory to God in the highest, and on eartli peace," and on Matthew x, 34, "I come not to send peace but a sword." The rev. speaker dealt with the war existing in South Africa. Whenever the rights of humanity were involved in the relationships of nations, if one nation contravenes those rights and refuses to give way, the nations would wrangle over it ; and in this age of mixed and imperfect civilization organised war was the only possible solution. Before peace Avas possible there must be " the sword." If wars had not ceased upon the earth this was no sort of testimony against Christianity, but rather a testimony against the nations who professed it. The Christian who recognises his earthly calling as an individual member of a nation cannot draw back from the duty of avenging breaches of international law. This war, which is being waged in South Africa, must be recognised as absolutely just, and one which so far as England is concerned could scarcely be arrested. Here are we, members of many nationalities, enjoying perfect and equal freedom, and that freedom we expect meted out to our brethren in South Africa. The splendid and ready offers of assistance from the colonies, in which we reioice that our own colony has an honourable and distinguished share, is, I take it, a guarantee of their belief in its justice. All that English diplomacy could do was done, England's patience, her leniency and i long-suffering foibearance is recognised by the ofißQial press of the continent, but alas, the war proved inevitable. And now the loyr.lty, the public spirit, and the patriotism of the great Englishspeaking peoples is a guarantee of the nation's future welfare. On Sunday evening last, Father Regnault gave an impressive address on the war, basing his remarks on the parable of the Good Samaritan. Men of every description, nationality and language had a claim to the title of " neighbours," and a right to their love, He urged his congregation to help the movement to assist the wounded and those dependent on them. The majority of tha men wounded, killed or taken prisoner by the Boers ware Irish Catholics, and so their need would come home even more strongly to his hearers. It might be said that the war was the result of capitalists' greed, and many Englishmen thought that the war could have been prevented, although they did not belong to the "peace at any price " party. This was one of the rare occasions on which both Ptotestants and Catholics could meet on the same platform and join in a common cause, the relief of suffeeing humanity, and the fostering of freindly feelings in the community. Their Holy Father, the Pope, arid the cardinals had sent a special blessing and an assurance of sympathy with the Sisters of Nazareth and their charges, the refugees and wounded in South Africa ; their bishop had sent an approving circular, and the priests of other dioceses had contributed to the fund, and tp tfce advocates of the cause.