OPENING OF RANFURLY NEW PRESBYTERY

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXII, Issue 34, 25 August 1904, Page 19

OPENING OF RANFURLY NEW PRESBYTERY

(By our Special Reporter.)

On last Sunday the handsome new presbytery erected by the Rev. W. A. MacMulJan at Kanfurly was blessed and opened. Despite a keen wind that blew from the snow-clad ranges 1 that rise out of the broad Maniototo plain which forms the centre of the Ranfurly parish, a lare;e congregation assembled from every part of the district to witness the confemng of the Church's blessing on the good work which Father MacMullan and his people have for some time had in hand The ceremony took place at 11.30 am. in the p,resehce of a large gathering of the parishioners. The rite of Messing the new building was pei formed by the Very Rev. Mgr. O'Leary, of Lawrence, assisted by the Rev. W. A. MacMullan (Raniurly) and the Rev. 11. W. Cleary (Dunedin). At its completion a Missa Cantata was sung in the adjoining church by the Rev. 11. W. Cleary The sermon lor the occasion was preached by the \ cry Rev. Mgr. O'Leary. He t'oo.k for his subject the fea.st within the octa^\e of which the work of the past few months had been crowned by the Church's solemn bems-on, and delivered an able and striking dis<ourse on the Assumption of the ever Blessed Virgin Mary, drawing theiefrom, in terse and taking phrase, many practical lessons for daily life and conduct. The Very Rev. pieacher created a great lmpaes'sion upon his hearers. At the close of his discourse ho paid a high and well-merited encomiXim on tJhe style and nimh of the new and muchneeded parochial residence, on the excellent thought and tajste which haid been bestowed upon it by the pastor, and on the marked generosity of the congregation, as evidenced by the large donations already given by them to this and other church purposes in tihe parish.

The nvusic of the Mass was rendered in excellent style by a large and competent choir of well-practised voices. Miss lierlLhy presided at the organ After Mass a collection v.as taken up and realised clo^e on £8.0. At its close the Rev. Father MacMullan returned cordial 1 hanks to the visiting clergy ;to his bro-ther-priests who had given him their kindly and practical help and encouragement in his work ; to tihe choir for their valued and efficient service on the occasion ; and to the people for tihe generous contributions which they, had given, and the endless manifestations of goodwill and thoughtful kindness which they had sthown to him ever since he had come to minister amongst them. The Rev. Father declared that he was proud .to labor in the sacred ministry for and amidst such people. The ceremonies concluded with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, at which tihe Very Rev. Mgr. O'Leary was assisted by the Rev. Fathers MacMullan and Cleary, the choic supplying the music in their custom/ary efficient style. Among; its members our representative had the pleasure of discovering; Miss Annett, the estimable young lady teacher whose infamous treatment by cowardly fanatics focussed the scandalised eyes of New Zealajod on Rongahere a few years ago, a.nd formed the subject of a series of plain-English articles in the editcrial columns of the ' N.Z. Tablet.'

The new presbytery is of a substantial character. It was designed by Mr. H. M. Davey, architect, Dunedin,

under the direction of the Rev. Father MacMullan Being erected in a locality where the wind is /very much felt at times, it is constructed of brick, with hollow walls, the hollows being rilled u<p with concrete This enauies great rigidity of the structure. The building consists of the following :-Reception room, octagon ended, well lighted with four windows finished above witih cathearal glass lead lights, the woodwork beine picked red pine ; dining room, lighted by three windows with cathedral glass lights, and having presses and library shelves also m picked red pine. There are three bedrooms, a bath room, kitchen, back kitchen, pantry • „ , , out-buildirigp consist of a coach-house, cowshed, fowl-house, wash-house, etc. Water is fairly abundant, there being, a well from which i .water can be pumped up as needed and two large tanks, one beine placed high for the shower, and this overflows into the lower one po Mi at the water is conserved asi much as possible. The whole was built by Mr. Geo. Greaves (Dunedinj, the plastering being done by Messrs Philp and Son, the painting by Mr. Pledger, and the lead lights' by Messrs. Smith and Smith. The iron gates A\ere locally made. There is a verandah in front, the whole being on a substantial concrete foundation The presbytery is very convenient to the church. In consequence of the strong winds which occasionally blow in the district the roof of the building has been tied down with iron to the concrete filling between the walls to prevent it from being carried away. Great praise is due to those of the Rev. Father MacMullan's congregawho devoted tiheir time to the cartage of a quantity of material, some of these having to come from a great distance for the purpose.

The furnisfritacr and appointments of the new presbytery aro ali im excellent taste and finish, and tihe buildins is ane of the handsomest and most complete in the diocese. The grounds are well laid out and arrangements are made for planting them in handsome and up-to-date style with ornamental trees and shrubs. Through the forethought of the Rev. Father MacMullan a valuable freehold property of &2 acre? was secured, amd on it, adjoining the rising town of Ranfurly, the church (a handsome and substantial' structure) and the presbytery stand. This line property already forms a useful endowment to the pariah, and, situated as it is in a well-populated and thriving; district-, it is sure to increase fireatly in value as time goes on. Last Sunday's proceedings added a fro^h and memorable chapter to the history of the marked and stolid progress which the Church is malting in the district.