S. MARY'S CONVENT, HAMILTON

Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1922, 30 October 1884, Page 3

S. MARY'S CONVENT, HAMILTON

The ceremony of blessing and laying the foundation stone of. the now convent .and schools at Hamilton East took place on Sunday morning, and p.issed off most satisfactorily. By eleven o'clock, the hour fixed f'>r the ceiemony, a vciylaige congregation had gathered in the cluuch, and here the procession to the convent site was formed as follows :—: — j Crossbearer and two acolytes ; schoolchildren, guided by two Sistcts ; ladies, members of the congregation ; gentlemen ; membeis of the Hibeiniui Society; children of Maiy; the Sisteis ; acolyte; the officiating piiesfc, Rev Father Downey, 0.5.8., accompanied by the Rev A. J. Fox, 0.5.8. The childien of Maiy, who were prettily attired in blue and white j costumes, and carried a banner, pang dm- I ing the piogiess to and fiom the convent Bite. The number of people gatheied lound the stone could not have been far shoi t of 400, and all appeared to take a gieat mteiest in the proceedings. On arihal at the site the officiating pi ie*t, accompanied by tho Roy Father Fox and the acolytes, made a encmt of the foundation of the building and blessed it, and then the stone, which, by the way, is fourted of connote, was dul\ bleßbed and laid in aeon dance with tho rites of the chinch. The Rev. Father Downey, 0.5.8., then ascended the teilipoiary pl.itfoun, and addieased the congiogation. He said it was a source of great joy to lii m to be piesent that day, and to peifoim the ceiemouy of laying the coiner btone of a building to bo erected for such an excellent puipose. Hi had had the happiness of knowing the Mother Genei al of the Bister-, for a pel lod of nearly twciitvonc yeais, and wliun lie first became acquainted with her he little thought that he would picsidc on an occasion like the present, in which she was bo deeply mtet ested. He was guiteful to heaven that through the e\ei turns (l f the good Sisters-, of Father Fox, and of the people of the paiiah themselves, so much was being done to promote the caiioe ol religion in this place. This building, of which the corner stone had just been laid, would be set apait as a place in which the servants of God might pass their lives, and where the young might leceive instruction not only in mental cultme, which was very necessaiy, but also in that winch was much higher— the culture of the heait, | and by the blessing of God gioat zesults would flow from such tuition. The tlnee great evils of the piesent day weie libertinage, materialism and pride of intellect As to the first of these, the good people w ho were going to dwell m this housfs would show them how to live a life of moi tification and holiness. As to tho second gieat evil, materialism, many people at the picsent day appealed to be living as, if they weie never going to die. They devoted them selves to tho vvoild ontnely. The good people of the convent weic going to show them that theie aio othei hopes bi\ond the grave, and that they weie lab nii.n/ t>> I wards the attainment of Lhoso hopos, Yml conceining the thud evil, |'iido of intellect, these people, by Mibmi^-ion to thru lawful sii|)eii >r>, would show that if s ( ,riet\ is to be held together tlieio miiit h-> obsdienco to authmity. Childien »hoii'd be taught to be objdie it to then pu "i's and these 1 itt ij r m th-u tin si shou; 1 luidei obedience to thov ))LiCL't) o\ r tli^tn b\ God, v. bethel in a mil m sjM'bnl capicity. In shoit, tho->e goud people would show them how to h\e better, wiser and holier lues, lead them U> the love of God, and so ht them f<>i the othei world. .Vnd now, as the buiKm^, hnsevei necessary, could not be builc Without money— they had only managed to lay <>>>(. stone yet — he would ask the congicgation to come forward and lay their contubutmns on the stone. Let them leineinber that what they now gave was given uitually to God. It was the intention of the A r ei\ Rev. Monsignoie Fynes, the Vicai-Geneial of the Diocese, to be present th,.t d \y, but he was pievetited. He, however, ciesued the speaker to convoy h' s km<l jegauU to the people of Hamilton, and to lay a cheque for ten guineas mi the "-tune. Tho Rev Father Fox siid colluctois would also g.> mound, and th<<si> piusent could cither place theii money on the stone or on thti plates. As lias ahe.idy been stated, the biibsciiptious amounted ti> (.'3lO | 8s M, and included i'JOO given by the Veiy ' Rev. Mother Geneial and the Sisteis, £20 by the Bishop, £10 10^ by the Veiy Rev. Monsignore Fynes, £10 10s by the Benedictine Fathers, £10 by Mi- L. Cus-,en, AT) by Mr Crosby, Hi by Mr Jones £3 by Mi W. Cussen, £3 by Mr E. McSwceney, £3 by Mrs B. McGarngle, £2 3s by Mr O"'Dea, I £2 by Mr Brophy, &c. At the conclusion of the ceremony the procession was reformed, and all returned to the church, vvheie mass was celebrated. In the evening the Very Rev. Father Downey preached in tho same church to a large congregation on the text, " One Loid, one Faith, one Baptism." The subject was treated in a most lucid manner from a doctrinal standpoint, showing that as there cannot be but one Lord, so theie cannot be but one true faith, and one true and efficacious baptism. Benediction, with the blessed bacrament, was slso given by the Very Rev. Father. The choir of the church, under the able and painstaking management of MiV Chitty, has greatly improved of late, and rendered the musical portion of the service very efficiently, while the new American organ was heard to great advan- <■ tage. A very neat gallery has been erected w for the choir, and the whole interior of the * church has been varnished and otherwise greatly improved in appearance. Regarding the convent building, which is to be completed in about_ four months, some particulars as to its dimensions, &c. , may bo interesting. It is 62 feet long, by 34 feet wide, and it will be three storys in height. The studs on the ground floor will be 15 feet long, and those on the first floor 14 feef. The building, therefore, will present an imposing appeal ance. The parisn schoolroom, reception rooms, *kuVsben, &c, are on the ground floor, the 9 select school and tho Sisters' cells on the m first floor, while the chapel and dormitories will be on the top story. The building was designed by Mr ODea, who is also the builder. Mr ODea designed and built the convent at New Plymouth a short time Ago. > The building, together with the land and fencing, is estimated to cost close upon

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