DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 19, 8 May 1902, Page 5

DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH.

(From our own correspondent.) May 5. Mr John Daly, a prominent Catholic and a patriotic Irishman has been re-elected for another term, Mayor of Kaiapoi, defeating an opponent by a substantial majority. During the stay of the Waikare at Lyltolton, the Vincentian .bathers, who had just completed a mission in the Dunedin diocese came through to the city and visited the various objects of interest including the new Cathedral. They spent a few hours at" the episcopal residence as guests of his Lordship the Bishop. The handsome new wing of the Christchurch public library was opened on Thursday afternoon. Amongst tho«e present were members of the Board of Governors of Canterbury College including his Lordship Bishop Grimes. Not the least attractive stall at the forthcoming Coronation Carnival will be that furnished by the St Mary's Catholic Ladies' Club. Among numerous costly and attractive gifts received from leading trades-people, may be mentioned a handsome wedding cake from Mr. J. Buggy, confectioner. Their stall is to be called the _ Royal Artillery,' and the attendants are to be costumed somewhat in imitation of the regulation uniform. At a complimentary dinner, tendered a few evenings ago by the City Council to Mr. A. E. G. Rhodes on his retirement from the mayoral chair the proposer of the toast, •• the present chairman " characterised Councillor H. H. Loughnan, who occupied that position, as the most painstaking and level-headed man in the Council. The grounds of St. Mary's Convent, Colombo street, have just been very tastefully laid out by Mr. J. Joyce. The fine property has recently been added to by the Sisters acquiring an adjoining house and grounds Part of the grounds has been formed into a tennis court for the use of the High School pupils, and the building, its detachment from the main convent building suiting the purpose, has been opened as a High School for young boys. A feature of this building is the possession of a very extensive room, or hall, used by the former occupier as a class room, and now admirably rilling a like object for the Sisters. Already quite a number of small boys are in attendance at the school. The pupils of St. Mary's High School, Colombo street, were, on last Thursday week, treated to a most enjoyable outing to Sumner by the Sisters of Mercy. The paity, numbering <iO, left the city at 10 o'clock by a special tram. Mrs. A. J. White kindly placed her grounds and house at their disposal, and here games and pastimes were indulged in throughout a perfect day. Mrs W. Inkstone, who is at present occupying the residence, was most painstaking in' contributing to the requirements of the excursionists, and was actively assisted by Mrs. Turner. Mrs. (i. T. White, Mrs. and Miss Holland A seasonable gift from Mrs. Jones, Colombo street, much enhanced' the pleasure of the occasion.

iJ c Waß a VPIT Bativ;fflctoT y attendance at a concert given in St. Mtry's school hall, Manchester stre-t, on last Wednesday evening, by the pup-Is of the Mstert, of Mercy in aid of the baza.ir fund in connection with the new presbytery. The following excellent programme, in which th^ young perform, is a< quitted th< mselven admirably, wa« given --("bom-., pupils : pianoforte duet. Misses X. Robins. M. Robina, M Knox, F. Thomson ; recitation, K. Go^gan, K. Hanghey ; vocal duet, Misses K. Joyce, B Mahon • violin" solo Mies Peggy Bain ; vocal duet. Misses M. Buchanan, M Robins • pianoforte solo. Miss Kathleen Molloy ; vocal quartette Misses G Wood, M. Molloy, K. Zichariah, L. Fleming; pianoforte duet, Misses G Smith, R. Wmny. M. Brown. L Simpson ; vocal solo, Master John Sweeney. In the drama, 'The Expected Visitors, the characters were taken by Misses Peggy Bain, Karhleen Molloy. Kitty Zachanah, Alice Nelson, Fiorrie Thomson. The concluding items were :— Vocal trio. Misses M. Robins, M. Buchanan E Willis • pianoforte duet, Misses G. Smith, R. Winny, E. Wood, F Thomson • vocal duet, Master F. Cronin, Miss J. Sweeney ; violin solo, Mies Peggy Bain ; chorus, boys. The Coronation Carnival which is to be opened on May 15 in aid of the building fund of the new presbytery for St. Mary's parish promises to be one of the largest and most successful events of the kind yet arranged in the city. A particularly energetic committee has been at wo^k for many months perfecting details and the results of their labors will be abundantly manifest on the opening night. The Coloseum, wherein the carnival is to be held, provides more room probably than any building in the Colony for the purpose, and with this fact in view the committee have secured 'side ehowa' in more than ordinary numbers, and many of a novel character. An inttrct will no d >übt be ad led to the ca> nival by the fact that since the Shakexpereun bazxar many y,i*n ago no gathering of the kind has been held in the building, it Deing us* d meanwhile for other than ' show ' purposes. Apaitfrom all thif>, however, the object itself must appeal eloquently to everyone who ih acquainted with the absolute unn .ness ot the present presbyttry and the urgent necessity of its speedy replacement by a more buit iblc one. Our citizens have been enjoying a real feast of mu«ic thin week The two oratorios, the '• Creation " and the •' Messiah," produced by the Musical Society in the Canterbury Hall gave the great i> umbers who attended splendid opportunities of hearing Mdlie Dolores (Trebelli) in probably some of her bc-t vo'al effort* On S.iturd ly night there was a vant crowd to hear Miss Amy ('a-tlos, who, on ru r arrival at Warner's Hott 1 the pr< uous evoninir. was sertiudul by the Orpheus Society, conduced by Mr. W. I[. Corrig.m Bi-hop Grimes and several o! the cl. rgy atfen.iei the prodn.uon ot Haydn's oratorio, the •' Creation, ' and also Mi-,-, C^tle-'* cone -rt. A meeting of St. Patrick's 1) ly celebrati ,n committee wa- held on Thursday evening last in the paroehi il library, M-. W. Hnb.ui' chairman of the executive, pn siding. The Very R^ v VicarGeneral was iv attend .nee and s-ated tint owing to another engagement his Lordship the Bi-bop was unable to be present The committee's report and b ilanee sheet were rial and adopted.' The latter Bhowed a balance to credit of £K>s 7s mi. It w.is re-olved to deposit the balance m hand in the l'o.-<t OfnVe Sivingn Bank, his Lordship Bishop Grimes, Mr. E 0 Connor, and Mr. G? lUrt being appointed trustees, and to k<-ep the fund open adding contributions as they come to band. It was intimated that step" are b^ing taken to secure a suitable site for the projected home for the aged, infirm, destitute, and incurable, and negotiations were in progress for a community of Sisters to take charge. Votes of thank, were accorded to all who had asa.sted in the committee's work, especially Mr. E. O'Connor, general secretary, and Mrs A. Mead, secretary of the ladies' committee The meeting then adjourn'e 1 until the B shop deemed it aivi-ab!e to again call it together to still further devise means of adding to the fund.