DIOCESE OF AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVII, Issue 49, 7 December 1899, Page 6

DIOCESE OF AUCKLAND.

(From our own correspondent.")

November 30. The contract for the erection of the convent school at Paeroa has been let, and the building- is to be completed in January. At the Sacred Heart Church, Ponsonby, last Sunday morning', the choir at the 10 o'clock Mass was augmented by a number of vocalists and instrumentalists, and rendered in fine style Weber's Mass in G. Rev. Father Buckley left last Tuesday for Gisborne, where he is to make a stay of a fortnight for the benefit of his health. Rev. Father O'Connor, the new arrival from Ireland, takes Father Buckley's place at the Cathedral. R«v. Father Patterson, lately cf Palmerston North, arrived ht re last week. He is staying- with the Rev. Father Gillan at St. Benedict's. Father Patterson preached at fet. Patrick's last Sunday morning- and at St. Benedict's in the evening-. The Premier, at the Opera Houi-e, said : ' The school teacher is now looked upon, in some degree, more than the parents to form the character of the child.' A solid argument, surely, in favour of the 6tand taken by the Catholic Churuh upon education. In the telegraphed obituary notice of the late Very Rev. Father O'Hara, which appeared in thr Tabllt, it was stated that Father O'Hara was ordained in 18<>3 and armed in Auckland iv ltUi.->. It should have read, ' ordained in 18.VJ and arrived in Auckland in lSr>().' The errors, no doubt, occurred in transmission. Replying- to a deputation iioui the Fri» ndly Societies with reference to the stamp duty recently sought to ba imposed on Friendly Societies' cheques and momy receipts, the Premier said it was a revelation to him, and he would take tteps to have the practice stopped. This should interest our Hibernian biauchcs. A poll of the city ratepayers labt Tuesday decided, by nearly twelve to one, in favour of borrowing £100,000 at a rate not ! exceeding- four per cent. — £30,000 to be borrowed in 11100, the rest lin sums of £lU,OOO as the money is required. The objects are i reduction of present overdraft, thereby saving £800 per annum interest, an auxiliary water supply, and paving Queen street with wooden blocks. A commencement has been made in the renovation of the cemetery in Symond street. A contract has been let for removing all the gorse. It it intended to fell all the trees. For this purpose a sum of £.~>o is required, and the committee solicit subscriptions, and if there be any of the Tablet readers throughout the Colony or elsewhere who have relatives or friends buried in the Symond street Catholic Cemetery. Auckland, it is obligatory upon them to assist in this good work by forwarding their subscriptions to the hon. fecretary and treasurer of the committee, Mr. M. J. Sheahan, Auckland. The Right Hon. the Premier addressed a very large meeting which, for size and enthusiasm, reminded one of the late Sir George Grey's meetings of long ago, in the Opera House last Tuesday evening. Speaking of education, he said: 'He respected that section of the community which sacrificed in the matter of education for t onscience sake, but still, if the Act required amending, it should be done. While we maintained our present system of education, he was one of those who believed that whtrever children were taught — no matter what school they were taught in — there should be State inspection.' Here certainly is a lead givun to the Catholics of Auckland, and if they do not hammer away at our old hide-oound Education Board, and obtain this meagre instalment of their just claims, they deserve to remain in their present position.