DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXI, Issue 31, 30 July 1903, Page 1 (Supplement)

DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH

(From our own correspondent.) July 27. a e nd e purple he S iS ClUre WM a^o P .riately <"** in black T,rJ? e > follo^ in 8 Paragraph appeared in the ' Lyttelton Times on the morning following that on which the news of the Pope's death was received : Indignation was r^h^i^^T^r cx P re&sed * Christchurcf Seven? ing, when the (Anglican) Cathedral bells, only a few hours after the death ot the Pope had been announced rang a peal. The fee ing was not restricted to Roman Cath?l? 1C H S nt l0 tt nn h c - A Mei ? bers of other denominations inc.uding the Anglican, spoke very warmly of what they T/ln^ , dl p Pla / 0f T extre^ly bad taste. It is und fn th . S at BISh ° P Julius was communicated with and that the ringing was stopped. ' On the occasion of the marriage of Mr John Hen TrVV'Pn.T 1 "- 0^ 6dr HalH aI ° n laSt WednesdaytorSnt Mr E. O Connor, church secretary, waited upon him and presented an address and purse of sovereigns on bS half 01 the subscribers, members of the congregation in recognition of his (Mr. Hennessy's) sterling qualities as a citizen and Catholic and in appreciation of innumerable services rendered to the church The many friends and acquaintances of Mr. E 0 C onnor will be pleased to learn of the marked improvement in the health of his son, Master Patrick 0 Connor. After ten weeks' treatment in the Strathniore Hospital, he was able to leave that institution for his own home, and since then has made rapid prowess doo/ ex!m C s ' indeed> as to be enabled to take outVery sincere sympathy is expressed towards Mr W S. Malaquin, who had the misfortune to lose by death his eldest daughter, aged sixteen, last week after a brief but acute illness. Mr. Malaquin 1 is secretary of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Pro-Cathedral Conference, and vice-president of the Hibernian Society, and is always to the fore in any good work connected with the church, education, and charity. Wednesday last, the feast of St. Mary Magdalen uas observed at Mount Magdala with the customary special solemnity. High Mass was celebrated in the beautiful little chapel of the institution by the Rev Father O'Connell, at which a panegyric of the saint was preached by the Very Rev. Father Le Menant des Chesnais. Owing to circumstances it has been found necessary to defer the charity sermon and special collection in aid of the funds of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul until August 9. The Very Rev. Dean Lightheart, Superior of the Maori Missions, arrived in Christchurch on Friday last" and is a guest at St. Mary's, Manchester street. In memory of his Holiness the late Pope Leo XIII , the Pro-Cathedral was appropriately draped in mourning for Sunday and succeeding days. At High Mass there was a crowded congregation, many non-Catholics attendmgl thereby eloquently testifying to the sympathy felt by all classes towards the Church which has recently sustained so se\ere a loss. There was again a large congregation at Vespers, when the Rev. Father McDonnel preached a particularly fine discourse on the Church, which, despite her trials, sufferings, and persecutions', was found to-day with over 250 millions of devoted adherents who obeyed the, Supreme Pontiff. After High Mass and Vespers the organist, Miss Katie Young, played the Dead March in ' Saul.' Speaking at his Mass on Sunday the Rev. Father O'Connell said everything worth knowing or reading in newspapers concerning the event of the Pope's death and earthly deeds was most admirably summarised in last week's ' Tablet. n The articles had the merit of perfect accuracy, a feature not attainable in a purely secular paper, although the latter, according to their lights, had treated a great subject on the whole in a praiseworthy manner. He exhorted everyone to procure a copy of the ' Tablet ' and send copies to their friends abroad, as the next best thing) to becoming regular subscribers to a paper which had done, was doing, and still capable of doing; immense service for the Church in this Colony The Very Rev. Vicar-General presided at an executive committee meeting of the ' Polyarama ' on last Thursday evonine;, when Mr. R. O. Duncan was apipointed a lay chairman. The entertainment committee submitted a draft programme for twelve nights 1 performances, which was adopted. This includes several operas. Mr. King, bandmaster of the Engineers' Band,

and late of the Oamaru Garrison Band, has offered his services as musical director, and was unanimously appointed, with the thanks ot the committee. His Lordship the Right Rev. Dr. Grimes, who is at present on the West Coast, has sent the following circular to the clergy of the diocese . — The hand of Death has at length laid low the great Pontiff, Leo XIII. For a quarter of a century as the Vicar of Christ, the Divinely appointed successor of St. Peter, he has governed the Church of the Living God. How well he has governed and guidpd the Church is well known to all. His marvellous intellect, his loftiness of views, his iarge-heart-cdness, his ever practical and lively interest in the welfare of the working classes, as of all humanity, have won for him universal praise, love, and admiration. We had fondly hoped that he would be left longer to rule over us. The Almighty has decreed otherwise, and we must submit to the admirable will. While mourning the loss of our spiritual head, our father and supreme Pontiff, we must not be unmindful of our duty to the departed. Despite the saintliness of his life, he may still have to atone for some faults or failings before entering into the Kingdom of Kingdoms. Besides the prayer and supplications, which all his devoted children will fervently offer in his behalf in every church or chapel, there should be celebrated, as soon as possible, a solemn Requiem followed by the absolution Henceforth, until we hear of the election of a successor to the deceased Pontiff, the prayer ' Supplici Domine,' from the ' Missa Pro ftligendo Summo Pontificc,' should be said or sung ot every Mass and Benediction, when the rubrics will allow it.