Diocesan News.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVIII, Issue 9, 1 March 1900, Page 5

Diocesan News.

ARCHDIOCESE OF WELLINGTON.

(From our own correspondent.) February 21. A bum of .C li mi has been collected towards the erection of the new Cathedral as a result of the \ ibit of the Archbishop and the Key. Father Aitibworth to Westport. Rev. Father O'Reilly, of Melbourne, has been staying in Wellington tor the last week with the Yen. Archdeacon Devoy. He begins his return journey via Sydney to-day. The following are the pupils attending the local Catholic schools who succeeded in pacing the Junior Civil Service Examination —Ethel Mary Crombie (>t. Mary's Convent), Joseph Leydon. Duncan McMurrich, and Arthur Woolcott, from the Marist Brothers. f D^ c P arisnioners °*' Thorndon \ery much regret the departure ot 1 olice Sub-Inspector MacDonnell for Greymouth, but congratulate him on hit, promotion. He has been appointed an inspector in the VVestland district, i ,<;■ Inspe-jtor Ellison. We gladly welcome Sub-Inspector Mitchell in his place. The Rey. Father Clancy went out to Titahi Bay on Sunday and celebrated the first Mass in the nuns' cottage there. Several of the visitors who were expected from town were unable to be present owing to the very unsettled state of the weather on that day. The building is now almost finished, and as donations of furniture, etc. collected by Miss O'Connor, continue to flow in the house will probably be completely furnished without cost to its owners. To avoid the possibility of having their sea view on the north-west side cut off, the Sisters have purchased a further section of about a quarter of an acre, and can now boast of possessing one of the finest seaside residences in the district. The Yen. Archdeacon Devoy is to bless the house and grounds at an early date. ' Maristella 'is the name by which the house is to be known.

A very large number of stallholders and assistants interested in the bazaar to be held during Easter Week assembled on Tuesday at the Archbishops house. Correspondence was read from Signor Bopom dealing with the spectacular display he proposes to put before the people of \\ ellu.gton. The meeting unanimously accepted the suggestions in their entirety. As may be gathered from the title of the festival, • The Birth of the British Empire.' something very novel and highly interesting is in store for those who patroniae the bazaar. r Under the auspices of the Marist Brothers' Old Boys' Associa"Ulij; Pf" °$ &*!? * m v l i " U>l<wtiuK l^^™ on physical culture in bfc Patricks Hall on Tuesday last. Besides dealing with the subject from a theoretical point of view, Mr Doyle, who is one of the ablest exponents of the art in the Colony, gave an excellent display of club swinging and weight lifting. After the exhibition songs were sung by the Rev. Fathers O'Beilly (Melbourne) and Moloney and Mr T. Walsh, the items being highly appreciated. Before the conclusion of the entertainment the Yen Archdeacon Devoy moved a vote of thanks to Mr Doyle for his lecture and display, and advised the Association to place physical culture on i's programme for the coming winter. I understand that the committee has since adopted the suggestion, and that Mr Doyle who offered his services gratuitously, has been appointed honorary mstructor. J During his sermon at St. Joseph's Church on Sunday the Yen Arohaeacon Devoy referred to the calumnies and slanders concerning priests and nuns which are being at present circulated in this city by the Slatterys. To the Catholic people and those of other denominations who gave the matter the slightest thought it was he said unnecessary to contradict such palpable falsehoods, but it was his duty to impress on his people the necessity for the exercise of the virtue of charity towards the people whose business it is to circulate them Catholics must not be disheartened with the attacks made on those they revered, or on the doctrine of the Holy Church. Out of these evil attacks good frequently came, and he cited as an instance the lectures in Christchurch of a person engaged some 20 years ago on a business tour such as the Slatterys are rlow conducting. He himself was at that time stationed in the Cathedral City, and the number of virtuous and intelligent people converted to the Catholic Faith as a result of the lectures was surprising to him and his fellow-priests there. Having heard of those coarse attacks on the Catholic Church and its ministers they took to reading up the matter for themselves. They speedily saw the falsehood of the assertions made, gained incidentally a knowledge of Catholic doctrine, and finally embraced the Faith. He concluded by urging the congregation to visit the Church on Sunday when the Blessed Sacrament would be exposed, and spend some time in prayer in reparation of the insults offered to God by these lectures. '