OPENING OF THE NEW CHURCH, GARSTON

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXI, Issue 25, 18 June 1903, Page 18

OPENING OF THE NEW CHURCH, GARSTON

(From an occasional correspondent.) was°dedi£tS\mrt 7t !V inßt -i the new church at Garston ADostlT ttl + c P atro «a«e of St Thomas the Apostle. The expectations of the Catholics of th« dit beauty. The architect was Mr. F. W Petre of Dunedin, and the contractor Mr. O. Kelly of Gore both tf to pay In full fn, 00 ?^?^ (some £52 > Was sufficient lo pay m mil lor the building and its furnishing <sr» that it was opened free of debt. The Rev Fathe? iISr P well ?n CC w St ? Wn i ? ndered the lfa£ Ov/nter°'s) "„ then well known finished style. Father Murphy's

Sermon

was one of the best 1 have ever had the Pleasure of mo Temple oi Ood is Holy '(I Cor iii 17^ n<h.\ X;" 1 ," plained that ' the* ceremonies' 'of tho con'S 'I, ch VV I V, ch "V* tl.lleient from the blessing ami dedication. '1 hesc latter we this day perform Th« consecration of a church was, he said one of the"' most touching and instructive ceremonies of CathoHc worShto n,ioTth ed th ° Ch ™ tia » of of the types o rnisrS: T,Mmi7 f I )o , ni l'°us ceremonies of the dedication of the Jemple, of King Solomon. He then explained this type, and proceeded to expound the significance of the ntes used m the consecration of the mility which it r.rehgured-our Christian churches. The Pontiff prepared b.v prayer and penance , the recital of the psalm* at the church door; the sprinkling of the holy water ou the exterior of the walls; the inscribing «in Greek and Honmn characters with the end of the crozier on the "ut'the^cr^'n flO ° r ,? lthin the church ;So Section vwth tie sacied Chrism— these various rites were all explained and then- significance was strikingly brought home to the minds o; the people. The preach ei then Chin«l,JH Ony ° l thC dav r thc Mention of the eti i , <7 rer ci '° as^ mbl «l- were they In 7h, un-, V n lth hh \1""\ 1 "" niltl pravpr and sacrifice? s< ■ .< > "S od 11K)Jmich of Israel, ' the work; s SK.it o! a house is piepaied not for man but for i.od Ih.-y won- there, l.ke the Israelites of old, to do homage to their Creator, to acknowledge themselves • vct«l°G 'UI ■ SIU>CP ° f llih IlOck ' Tho ch««hi^

A Lasting Profession of then- faith and hope in. and love of, God. What need had the Almighty of our building's "> Why this splendor of pobhc worship ? these vestments ? these lights ? The rev. preacher answered these questions by joferring to the reply of the Saviour when Judas rebuked the penitent Mary for her use of the precious ointment. The preacher then went on to say that the human heart cannot have deep reverence or love for the Almighty and not manifest those feelings outwardly When men (he continued) combined for literary or scientific, or commercial, or other purposes, they build ma«mhcont edifices, and they open them with public banquets and rejoicings in order to honor the society of which they are members, and to facilitate the attainment of the end or ends for which the society was lormed He instanced the regal expenditure and "jubilation which a new customs house, or an exchange, or an exhibition calls forth and claimed it as only reasonable that the members of the greatest society in the whole wide world— the members of the Church Catholic-should have houses of their society and of the aims and objects lor which their society was formed

The Most Important Business of life (he said) is to be transacted within the walls of those houses— God is to be adored, His blessed Mother «m(l the saints and angels are to be honored and the interests of a happy eternity to be secured The best we have .are due to Him 'Who has given all to us As ihe pomp of the world dazzles and bewilders men and induces thorn to seek their happiness on earth so the children of the Catholic Church must make use of earthly splendor for God's sake. In this way it will lead them to the adoration of God in spirit and in tiuth. Then from the Old Testament the rev. preacher adduced some powerful arguments in favor of Catholic church building and church decoration. We find, (he

said) in the Book of Esdras, that While yet the people of God journeyed in the wilderness the Almighty prescribed to them the form of the tabernacle, aid the materials of which it should be composed. Uod wished that all should be the voluntary offering of the people. ' Let every one,' said he. ' that is willing and hath the ready heart offer them to the Lord ; gold, and silver, and brass.' Sfich was their -/ea.l that Moses commanded them to cease from offering gifts, because ' the things that were offered did suffice and were too much.' If the great God was <= o particular in regard to a mere typo or figure — foi the Tabernacle was only the merest type of the mo«t insignificant Catholic Church — how much more so in regard to the reality — our Cathlic Church buildings ? And if He in His infinite wisdom, laid on the Jews such weighty obligations in regard to the Tabernacle, and bestowed on them such rich rewards because of their generosity towards its construction, what obligations are there not on us, the children of the Catholic Church, to build up and embellish

The Real True Church of His Own Divine Son? And what rewards may we not expect to receive in return for any generosity we extend towards its erection ? Next, the preacher adduced the example of the holy King David bringing the Ark to Sion — the great jubilation, the sounding of the trumpet, and the holy King dancing before the Ark ; his tjjueen (Michol, the daughter of Saul) objecting to the action of her husband because she thought it beneath his royal dignity. But the Holy Spirit marked m a special manner King David's devotion, and inflicted on Queen Michol a curse of sterility in consequence ol her indifference and contempt towards the Ark of (Jod. Further on we read (said the preacher) how the holy King wished to build a temple, but the Lord ordained this work should be reserved to King Solomon, who, as the prince of peace, was typical of our Redeemer ; and how, under the guidance of the Divine Spirit this magnificent structure was raised ; how the riches of the world was made tributary to its erection ; how it was dedicated with solemn rites ; and how the Lord showed Himself pleased with all this manner of worship by the sensible presence of His glory. And this structure was yet only a type of a Catholic chinch Again after the return of the Jews from the Babylonian captivity, the Prophet Aggeus was sent to command them to rebuild the house of Cod. ' Because,' said the Lord, 'M\ house is so desolate and you make haste every one to his house. Therefore, the heavens over jou were staved from giving dew, and the eaith was hindered from v ieldmg fruits. Build the house so as it shall he acceptable to Me, and I shall be glorified, saith the Lord ' Thus, we see from the whole history of the .Jewish people, and from the pafes ol the Sacred Book, how opposed the Spirit of God is to the dry, cold philosophy of the woild — a philosophy which scoffs at the humble efforts we make to give gloiy to ("Jod when we otter Him of our substance lor the election ot His thurches, and when we peifomi those solemn and nnpivssive rites connected with His woiship Like the scoffing daughter of neglected Jsiael tins philosophy is cursed by (Jod With eteina! hanetuiess The holy Pi ophet Aggeus loretold 1 li.it I lie <•■ c ond temple built In the Jews under although Irom a niatenal point of view lar inferior to the hist temple built by Solomon, should lar sin pass the latter because

The ' Desned 01 \atit-ii-, ' was to sanctity it by His Presence and fill it with His (ilor.\ The " Debited 01 Nations ' lias conn' 'I he ■\\ord was Jiuule Flesh and dwelt amongst rs ' 'I he Saviour of the world has pionnsed to abide with us all da.vs even to the consummation oi the world ' In man.v ways dots He lullil this pioiuise to His Church, but in a' most special maiuiei In His mvsteiious pitjsence in our chinch buildings «md in oui I.ilhm nacle in the s.ici ,inu nt ol love \\>v this Incarnate (Jod (said the puachei) piesent with \ou in t lie FJacharist. von have built a house — a house in wludi the it nils of Redemption niuv be bi ought home to each one ol you Here the saving wateis ol Baptism shall be ponied on the head of the unb.iptised hen 1 these alieadv baptised and made Cluistinns --hall be made pei lect Christians . heie you shall ih> nourished with the Bread of the Strong -'heir* those who iray have leceived wounds in the battle shall be he.iled in the tribunal of Ponance , here the nuptial vow shall be [(lighted : and when your spirit will have departed lroni its' earthly tabernacle, here in this church shall pi aver and sacrilice be offered up lor the repose of your soul The Kequiem shall be sung over ,v our remains. ;>nd the bidding of eternal rest be imparted to you in the name of her who holds the keys of the Kincdom of Heaven Trul.v this js the hou'-e'of (Jod ami the gate of heaven : ye.i it is the kingdom of Hod. let down tioin heaven to e.uM lithe Uibei nacle and dwelling-place of (Jod with men The rev. preacher concluded an able and telling discouise by congratulating leather O'llonncll and the cong re-gal ion on their beautiful church, and by appealing to them to open it free of debt The appeal met with a pionipt and generous lesponse Father O'Ponnell made a financial st.itenient, and it was found tha-t of the X.2.~0 which Uv e-dihce cost, there would lie required some JLS2 to clear off the debt' The pasto.r an<d M' AfcNaniee then made the collection. At its clo'-e oii'v a few Dounds were remmvd to comply to the letter vwlh Father Murph.v 's request Air. "D A Cameron, of Kokomai, generously made up the deficit Father (VPonnell thanl-ed his true and lasting triend Father Murphy for his kindness in coining to crown their efforts that day in Oarston He also spoke in

most eulogistic terms of the architect and the contractor. 1 noticed Mr. Kelly's name read out for two guineas towards the building fund. He also thanked all his people for their generosity, and especially Mr AlcNamee, m whose house Mass was hitherto celebrated and who made them a free gilt of the site for the new chinch. 1 should have said above that Father Murphy thanked the Queenstown choir for having come at such considerable expense and inconvenience to assist at the opening function He congratulated the pastor on having 4nch Kind-hoMrled nrd generous people in his Queen stovvn congregation.

Mr McCaughan. of the Oarston Hotel, wonM not hear of accepting reinunoration from the Queenstown choir Irom the altar boys, or from the priests during the three days they stayed with him In the evening immediately before Benediction which was given lor the first time in CJarston, Father Murphy preached another powerful sermon on the mission of the Holy (Jhost. r Jhe Benediction was given by the rev pastor, and thus was brought to a close v* memorable day lor the Catholic body in durst on