ARCHDIOCESE OF WELLINGTON.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIX, Issue 5, 31 January 1901, Page 6

ARCHDIOCESE OF WELLINGTON.

(From our own correspondent.) January 26, The retreat for the priests of the archdiocese, to be preached by Rev. Father Piquet, begins in St. Joseph'a Church on Tuesday. His Grace the Archbishop of Melbourne is expected to arrive in Wellington on this day week. The personnel of the local staff of the Marist Brothers has undergone some change this year. Brother Vincent has gone to Australia, the vacancy beiner filled by the transfer of Brother Alfred from Wanganui, and Bro-her Alban exohanges places with a Brother from Inverear^ill. The amount already received by the treasurers of the Defence Fund in connection with the Stoke Orphanage cases is £230, more than half of which has been contributed in the Auckland and Wellington districts. There are still several li^ts in circulation, and as the costs of the defence amount to over £700, it is sincerely hoped that sympathisers who have not yet made donations will do so at their earliest convenience. The Marist Brothers' Old Boya' Association picnic, held in the Railway Department's grounds at the Upper Hutt on Anniversary Day, was an unqualified success. In spite of the numerous counter attractions — a race meeting, regatta, etc. — there was a very large attendance and a highly enjoyable day was spent. The principal event in a long programme of sports, the grand handicap, was won by Mr. P. O'Connor. By yesterday's mail his Grace the Archbishop received a communication from his Eminence Cardinal Moran stating his inability to be present at the opening of the Sacred Heart Church and the laying of the Cathedral foundation stone. Many previously unforeseen reasons make his presence in Sydney imperative at the present time, the principal one being the convocation of bishops of the Sydney archdiocese, for the purpose of nominating a suocesasr to the late Bishop of Bath n rat for the approval of the Holy See. In view of the fact that the Cardinal will not for the present visit New Zealand, it is unlikely that the foundation stone of the new Cathedral here will be laid on the 3rd of February as waa previously intended. lam informed that the statement made last week in reference to the change of site for the Cathedral was due to a misunderstanding, and that the authorities have now no intention of departing from their original purpose of building St. Mary's Cathedral in Buckle and Tory streets. In consequence of the death of the Queen his Grace the Archbishop postponed his projected visit to Hastings, where he was to open the new convent on Sunday. As soon as the news of her Majesty's illness was received his Grace ordered special prayers to be said throughout the archdiocese for her speedy recovery or happy death. He has nuw ordered that the churches be draped in mourning during the memorial services to be held to-morrow and will himself officiate at the last Mass in St. Joseph's Church.