Hawera

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXII, Issue 45, 10 November 1904, Page 5

Hawera

(From an occasional correspondent.) Presuming upon the hospitality shown to some random notes of mine a few years ago by the 'r l ablet, 1 I am jotting clown some impressions made upon me during the' course of a little trip made lately through Taranalvi Who has not heard of TaranaKi— TaranaH, monarch of New Zealand mountains, and TaranaKi, the dairy of New Zealand, ana its garden '' But while 1 have an eye >tor the beauties of nature, and love, during my tups to this pait of the countiy, to ga/e upon the gieafc mountain with its head amid the snows and its breast) strewn with the uchest gifts of nature, and while I delight in riding through the well-stocked farms, and visiting the lactones to learn about the markets and the prices, my chief clHight is to inquire into the fortunes of the Church in the nrcvince and see how she is faring, and if she is keeping pace with the ever-increasing commercial and material prosperity around her. It is not much more than a year since I made my last trip through this province, and you will see what just grounds I have for s'uprise and admiration when I lot down for you the evidences of religious progress I have everywhere met with. As I walked up to me New Plymouth presbytery one beautiful morning to pay

my accustomed visit to the Dean of Taranaki my attention was caught by a beautiful new building nestling close to the stately convent, on a block thatwasicoveLcd with scrub on my last visit. I found it to be a commodious parish school, up-to-date in every particular, that it had cost close upon £1000, and that; v was almost fiee lrom debt. Alter a few hours in New Plymouth I drove around the mountain by the main south load. My first surprise was to lmd a lovely little church at Pungarehu, built by the Fathers lrom beautiful, but unhappy, France ; but about an hour later my curiosity was excited by a treat square building standing up in the distant hoiuoiu 1 made a coniecture that it was a huge hotel, whereupon my driver informed me that it was the new convent built lately tor the Sisters oi the Mission,, and that when we had travelled a tew miles further we should see not Tar distant lrom it a tine piesbytery also newly built 1 had the pleasure of being shown over both. later in the day, and of expressing my admiration for the practical faith of the people that could bring into being in so short a time two such line buildings. That faith, which gamed \ictorics over the world in the days ol St Paul, is still adding to its triumphs. Early next morning the sun rising along the Eltham road shone on the enlarged church and the grand new; presbyter vat Kaponga Ihe people here are loud in singing the praisfcs ot their energetic young pas|tor, and ha\e built for him a residence (it for an episcopal alace. Midday lound me in tront ot the Stratford convent, already a magnificent building al the time of my previous \isit, but tins very month enlarged to double its sue, and now by far the largest building in tins progressive town 1 lie school also has been enlarged to double its si/C within the year, and an old iriend, whose cordial greeting makes my heart warm and my lingers ache, tells me that in addition to these palpable proofs of zeal, i'athcr Treacey is quickly reducing the giant' proportions of the old debt to the merest shadow of a ghost. I behe\e p-icsts arc as much relieved at the disappearance of a debt as the a\erage man is by the leave-tak-ing of those uncanny visitors who walk through the witching hours of night when chuich-yards and gra\»es dcln cr up their dead Travelling by the southern express next day my curiosity was excited by neanng various opinions expressed as to the prosperity or otherwise of Patea, a town in winch 1 was much interested several years ago. II was the general consensus amongst the travellers 1 that morning,^ that the oldest town on the coast was maiung a fiesh and decided step on the road to progress ; and when 1 \entured to inquire about the church, a friendly companion invited me to come and see What was my surprise to hnd on the top of the hill a beautiful com cut and a very commodious school, with over one hundied and twenty bright-faced happy-hearted children enjoying to the full the birthiight of every Catholic child, just' secured to them by the zeal and devotion, of Father McGrath and the Sisters of St. Joseph. Truly the.ie buildings spring up as if by magic. The legends say that many of the round towers and ancient monuments of Ireland were the result of miracles, and spiang up in one night , but the church and school buildings winch have sprung up in the space of twelve months in Taranaki are without doubt miracles of the iaith of vie people. Returning to Hawera, where I generally rest) for a few days after my travels, 1 found a very fine residence replacing the dilapidated shanty , occupied la/it year by the priest, 1 saw additions being made to the "beautiful little church there, and 1 was informed by the Rector that the Catholics of Okaiawa, seven miles distant, were about to build a neat little church as a souvenir- of the Jubilee of the Immaculate Conception. So that here in Tarana'u I ha\e found springing up in the space of one year twelve buildings in the six parishes that have now no fewer than thnty-two separate- buildings, including chinches, presbyteries, schools and convents. In the parish of Hawera there arc two convents, one in each of the others, with the exception of Kaponga, where rumor says there will be one, if not two, in the very near future The education given within the walls of these Cnnstian schools is well up to the average. They are examined by the public school inspectors, thanks to the fair mindedness of the Wanganui Education Board, which was the first Board to concede this privilege or right to our Catholic schools, and thanks also to the Taranaki Boa r d, which has at length followed the good example of its neighbor. The reports given by these inspectors aio for the most part flattering m the extreme. Everywhere on Sundays there are crowded churches and in the towns there are scores at the week-day Masses, and with what frequency tlio Sacraraents ?re approached may be judged by the fact that here in Hawera/ with a church capable of seating 200, the Communions during the last twelve months have numbered

2144. It must be a consolation to the eight priests who minister to the faithful in this province to Know that, while Taranaki is remarkable for its beautiful scenery and for the quality of its butter, it is also remarkable for the practical faith and piety of its Catholic people. Being as erratic in my manner of writing as in my journeymen to and fro, I have come to the end of my paper without having hinted at another matter which I had intended to descant upon, but I am in hopes you will allow me one other contribution in which 1 may complete the impressions of the past few days.