Diocese of Christchurch.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXV, Issue 30, 26 November 1897, Page 25

Diocese of Christchurch.

(From our own correspondent.) On Sunday last the " Devotion of the Forty Hours' Adoration " was celebrated with great solemnity at the Pro-Cathedral. The ProCathedral was crowded at all the services and a great number of the faithful approached Holy Communion. At the High Mass Haydn's No 2 Mass was rendered with full orchestral accompaniment. The Vicar-General, who also preached on the occasion, was celebrant. and the Rev. Fathers Huault and Rafferty were deacon and subdeacon respectively. The music by Mr. Bland Holt's orchestra. under the direction of Mr. Percy Kehoe, was admirably interpreted throughout, and the Vicar-General, previous to his discourse, suitably expressed his thanks and the thanks of the congregation to the musicians for their great services during the devotion. A procession of the Blessed Sacrament also took place, and while the Holy Eucharist was borne around the sacred edifice, the orchestra played in splendid style " Rienzi's prayer." which is the usual offertory piece at the Papal Chapel in Rome. The choir was strengthened by the inclusion of Mrs. J. P. Kelly, Miss A. Hay ward and Mr. G. Cronin, to whom the various solos were allotted. Miss Funston played all the organ accompaniments. The evening devotion was of a special nature suited to the occasion, land the Vicar-General preached a splendid sermon on the Holy Eucharist. The altar was beautifully decorated, thanks to Miss Rose White, Miss Kearney and Mr. Mulvihill, who, under the supervision of the Rev. Father Galerne. performed this task in an excellent manner. On Friday last his Excellency the Governor and Lady Ranfurly. accompanied by Captains Alexander and Ward and the Hon. C. Hill Trevor, paid a visit to the asylum conducted by the Sisters of the Good Shepherd at Magdala. They arrived at 11 a.m., and were received by the Very llev. Father Cummings V.G., and the Lady Superior. The Very Rev. Father Ginaty, whose name is intimately associated with the asylum, is absent on its business in Auckland. Among those present were the Rev. Fathers Marnane, Rafferty and Huault, and Sir George Clifford, the Hon, W. C. Walker, the Mayor of Christchurch, Messrs. E. O'Connor, W. Clifford, H. B. Kirk, J. C. Maddison, W. B. Scott and Dr. Hacon, and a number of ladies, including Lady Clifford. The vice-regal party was conducted to the schoolroom, outside the entrance to which were two tasteful arches of foliage and flowers, one bearing the words " Welcome, our Governor." In the schoolroom, where the Sisters and the children, or penitents were assembled, there were displayed in green leaves the mottoes, " Ceud mile failte" and " Welcome, Lady Ranfurly." A dais had been prepared for the reception of the visitors, and as they entered the National Anthem was sung, and three of the youngest children presented Lady ltanfurly with a beautiful bouquet of white flowers. Sir George Clifford then read an address, which, after reciting His Excellency's titles, proceeded thus : — " May it

please your Excellency — In conformity with the teaching of our religion, which inculcates loyalty to our rulers, we, the Catholics of the diocese of Christchuroh, Bishop, priests, and people, wish to express our heartiest congratulations on your having been entrusted by Her Majesty with the government of this colony. We also desire to extend to your Excellency and Lady Ranfurly, on this your first visit to Christchurch, ' Ceud viilefailte.' We would also ask your Excellency to accept the expression of our deepest loyalty and attachment to our Most Gracious Queen, whose representative you are, and our gratitude at the fact that Her Majesty has been Bpared to complete her record reign of 60 years. We trust that the sojourn of your Excellency and Lady Eanf urly amongst us may be a pleasant and enjoyable one, and that your administration of this young and vigorous colony will, under the protection and blessing of God, be for the welfare of the people of New Zealand. Signed on behalf of the clergy and laity — Stephen Cummings, Vicar-General and Diocesan administrator ; George Clifford, baronet ; H. H. Loughlan, and E. O'Connor, secretary." His Excellency, in replying, said :—": — " Gentlemen, I have pleasure in receiving your address, and it gives me satisfaction to hear you state that your religion teaches loyalty to rulers. I beg to thank you for the welcome you give me and Lady Ranfurly on this, our first visit to Christchurca. I gladly accept the expression of your deepest loyalty to Her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen, and I note your gratitude that she has been spared to complete her 60 years of rule. I sincerely hope she may long continue in health and strength to reign over us, and to see those immense dominions, so called her colonies, ever progressing in welfare and prosperity, and their inhabitants looking up with veneration, love, and esteem to that Sovereign who has, in her long and glorious reign, seen the flag of England extend its protection and power over an area almost large enough to double the dominions she inherited on her accession, and whose every action and every thought has been devoted to the lasting good of her people, I earnestly join with you in the hope that my sojourn in this country may not only be a pleasant one, but may in the first instance be of use and of benefit to the people of New Zealand. The Vicar-General said that, on behalf of the Lady Superior, the nuns and the 130 children, he wished to express the deepest thanks to His Excellency and Lady Ranfurly for the kindly interest they had shown by going there, and their fervent prayer would be that they might have full enjoyment of life. He was sure that the hope his Excellency had expressed, that his career here might be a useful one, would be fulfilled. He hoped that they would sometimes think of the children under the protection of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, and he could assure them that the earnest prayer of Sisters and penitents would be for their welfare. His Excellency, in reply, said that on behalf of Lady Ranfurly and himself he begged to thank the Rev. Mother, Sisters, and children for their kindly expressions of welcome. It had been to Lady Ranfurly, as well as himself, a very pleasant thing to find themselves welcomed to every institution that they had been able to visit in this country, and he could only say that both Lady Ranfurly and himself took the deepest interest in movements and institutions of this nature, and trusted that their work would ever be for the amelioration of the population of New Zealand. The vice-regal party and the other visitors were conducted through the institution, the inmates of which wtre seen at their -usual work. They were then entertained with li^ht refreshments and took their departure. Before leaving, the Governor expressed himself much pleased with the institution, and his surprise at its extent. Lady Ranfurly also said that she had been much touched with her reception and with the demeanour of the children. The address presented on behalf of the Bishop, clerp-y, and laity was beautifully illuminated in vellum, and mounted on pale silk adorned with knots of white ribbon and surmounted with Lord Ranfuiiy's coat-of-arms. The text was surrounded by a scroll border of the twelfth century monastic designs in a most artistic and tasteful combination of colours, and believed to be probably the only one of its kind in the Colony. The illuminations and other adornments of the address were done by the Sisters of Our Lady of Missions at the convent in Barbadoes street. On Sunday afternoon last Mr. F. Cooper took several photos of the members of St. Mary's Church choir, who, not only for numbers but also for efficiency now rank among the best choirs in the diocese. All the members were present, and they were grouped near St. Mary's school Hall, which made an excellent background for the portraits. Amongst them were no fewer than eight of the pupils of the able and painstaking choir-master, Mr. Rossiter, who by various means succeeds in keeping the choir together and in a flourishing condition. The day was very fine and favourable for photography, and it is expected that in a few days Mr. Cooper will produce some excellent photos of the group of musicians. Before the sketches were taken the choir met for about half-an-hour's practice. They are now engaged with Gounod's Messe Solennelle, which they intend to render with full orchestral accompaniment at the coming Christmas solemnities. On that occasion there is a great musical treat in store for the faithful in St. Mary's, judging from the ability of many members of the choir, and from the great attention that Mr. Rossiter is devoting to the Mass. On Sunday next, the devotion, known as the " Forty Hours' Adoration," will commence immediately after High Mass at St. Mary's. On Sunday last it was announced that the Redemptorist Fathers, who are coming from Australia, will arrive in about a week hence in this city and will open a Mission in the Pro-Cathedral on the first Sunday in Advent. A census of the Catholic people in the city has already been made in order to facilitate the work of the mission.