DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXI, Issue 14, 2 April 1903, Page 6

DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH.

(From our own correspondent.) Mai eh 30 The Rev Father McDonnell is on a brief holiday in the North Island. His Lordship the Bishop, although not m particularly robust health, preached at Vesper* in the l'roCathedral on Sunday to a very large congregation Chung to the indisposition of the Key Father Marnane Father Rouillac, who is now on a visit to the rity, assisted at St. Mary's, Manchester street, on Sunday " During the visit of the Australasian squadron to J.yttelton last week free passes were granted by the railway authorities to all children abo\e certain si. mdards "attending the public schools of North ( antetbury, to enable an inspection to be made of the Aessels and their armaments, as educational object lessons A notification emanating from the Board of Kducation. through the secretary, appeared in the local papers requesting school committees to furnish particulars of the numbers likely to take advantage of the occasion, on stated days. "Presuming that the concession was meant for all and with the laudable object of improving their knowledge and exhibiting that patriotism and loyalty m common with others, the Superior of the Marist Bro-

thers' School sent in an application on behalf of about a hundred Catholic boys attending there. A reply was received declining to accede to the request, whether rightly or wrongly, owing to the fact that State schools only were privileged to participate, according to the dictum of the Board of Education. The Brothers, however, granted their pupils a holiday on the day set apart for the schools to be received on board, and those who essayed the trip did so at their own expense. The Rev. Father Rouillac, S.M., the intrepid and enterprising missionary of the Solomon Islands, whose exploits and adventures on the little vessel Eclipse gained him world-wide reputation a year or two ago, arrived in Ohnstchurch on Saturday. The advent of Father Rouillac was immediately taken advantage of by a 'Press' interviewer, who elicited some very interesting facts from him. (The facts of Father Rouillac's remarkable achievements as a navigator, and the fate of his schooner, the Eclipse, as recorded in the 'Press' interview, have already appeared in Our columns. — Ed. •N.Z.T.)