DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 29, 17 July 1902, Page 4

DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH.

(From our own correspondent.)

July U. The Very Rev. De.an Foley is still in charge at Akaroa and besides parocnial work is engaged in collecting for the Cathedral building fund. On Sunday last his Loru'sh'p made a vir-itation to the Church of the P.ssion, Brackenbridge. thus ha\ing visited all the churches in the scattered par^h of Hawarden. Throughout the district the Bishop's appeal on behalf of the Cathedral has been generously respond, d to, and the scheme of a sixpenny weekly collection has been heartily t'\kt n up. At a meeting of the Catholics of Addingtoa in connection with school requirements, it was decided to make a final effort by voluntary contributions and entertainments to pay off the existing t-mall balance uu the chur, h building erected a tew >ears ago, and then t'ku immediate steps to have. e;tcted a new toiuol. A bazaar at an e-irly date was one of the i^eans f-uggt-t -d a>id likely to be acted upon to raise the necessary cost, said to be approximately £500. His Lordt-hip the Right Rev. Dr. Gnuua maJe au episcopal visitation on Sunday the iifcli mat to St. Bapliael'a Chinch, Hawarden, being received by the rector of the parish, the Very Rev. FatherPrice His Loidship preached at the 11 o'clock Mass, aud appealed for funds to euabte him to cany on the woik competed with the Cathedral. The appeal was liberally responded to, the bum ol £73

7b being subscribed by the parishioners. After Mass the Bishop administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to 16 candidates, 13 of whom were males, including two converts. During a recent visit of his Lordship the Bi«hop to North Canterbury he was presented by the parishioners at Waiau with a very handsomely executed illuminated address. Tho text, noatly engrossed in gilt lettering on white statin, conveyed in effect a cr'cisa history of the Church in that somewhat isolated settlement. Eight years ago.it is ptited, on the the oncasion of h ; s Lordfehip's first visit, Macs was celebrated in the public schoolroom. Since then a fine new church has been erected on an excellent site, in the building of which non-Catholics veiy materially n>ii°tpd The rew Cathedral was referred to, and was described as a great and noblf! work, and the zeal and pelf-snorifiue displayed by tbe Bi=hop in ifa erection, have gained for him the affection of his own children and the admiration of those outside the Church. The parishi<ycr«, the address went on to say. deemed it an honor an well a« a duty to contribute their mite towards that great diocesan work, and concluded by praying that his Lordship may long be spared to enjoy the fruits of his labors and rule over the diocese. The address was signed on behalf of the congregation by Messrs John Coakley, Daniel Mullane, Alfred O'Malley, and Thomas Monnian. The illuminating, which was moat artistic, was done by the Sisters of Mercy at Lyttelton, being a pretty floral design in oils. The address was handsomely framed. A drawing-room entertainment was given in the Choral Hall on Thursday evening last to a fairly large audience, in aid of the Pro-Cathedral parish schools. Among those present were his Lordship the Bishop, the Very Rev. Vicar-General, Rev. Dr. Kennedy, and Rev. Fathers Marnane. Cooney, Price, and McDonnell. The entertainment wa« organised and most successfully carried out by Mr and Mrs. A. Mead, and the Hayward family, assisted by a few friends who are to be warmly complimented on the nature and variety oi the programme, excellent management, and particularly enjoyable evening afforded. Part I. consisted of the amusing cantata entitled, ' Soot and the Fairies,' with the following cast of characters: — Queen Lily. Miss Florence Gardner; Queen's Secretary, Miss Violet Hall ; Lady Bootlace. Miss Mabel Harrington ; Lady Soapsuds, Miss Laurie Bradley ; Dr. Sunlight's Secretary, Miss Rim a Young ; Dancers to the Queen's Court, Mips Mona Fraser, Miss Daisy Watkins ; Dr. Sunlight, M.R.C.S., Master Len Bradley ; Baron Hairbrush, Master Jack Hall ; Wag, Master Reg. Bradley ; fairies in attendance, Misses Muriel and Olive Courtney, Hilda Harrington, Moya Hayward, Madge Donohue, and Master Leonard Hayward ; Captain Soot, MaFter Claude Bradley ; followers of Captain Soot, Misses Dolly Hall, Winnie Harrington, Masters Willie Dobbs and Clarence Courtney. This was charmingly given. the tuneful voice of Miss Gardner in the incidental songs suiting admirably, whilst the clever dancing of Miss Daisy Watkins and especially Miss Mona Fraßer was a distinct 'feature of the whole entertainment. The cantata was followed by a choice little concert programme, consisting of a clarionet solo by Mr. W. 11. Corrigan ; song, ' The last rose of Bummer,' Mips M. McLnughlin ; song, ' His Majesty the King ' and ' Doreen,' Mr. Chas. Read ; recitation (selected), Miss McNeish, and Moore'a ' Oft in the stilly night' as a recall. All the items were encored. The concluding portion of the entertainment was a very capable performance of the charming and amusing? comtdy in one act entitled ' A Baronet's Marriage,' in •which the following took part : — Messrs. R. Beveridge, Henry Hayward, A. J. Barnard, J. Quinlan. and Mibses Lillian Thompson and May Wells.