DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 25, 22 June 1905, Page 6

DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH

(From our own correspondent.) June 19. ' One of the keenest, most trustful, and energetic police officers we have had in the Colony.' This w"as Mr. P, Pender's tribute to a former comrade, exdetective O'Connor. His Lordship the Bisnop was at Fairlie on a<n episcopal visitation over Sunday last. His Lordship returns to the city towards the end of the week and afterwards resumes his pastoral visitations of the diocese, probably in South Canterbury. You will invariably find (said Mr, P, Pender during the course of his lecture at the Catholic Club) a boy or a woman associated witih every police court case of any importance. In 50 out of every 60 cases you are cer* tain to find a boy, and he often proves the best witness. The Marist Brothers' boys are still maintaining their reputation on the football field. Of the two matches so far played in the schools' competition this season, the Marist seniors against Sydenham won by 21 points to nil, and against West Christchurch by 38 points to nil. The juniors, a necessarily weak team owing to this being their first season as a separate' team, have lost both their matches by close play. A solemn Triduum in honor of the feast of Corpus Chrivti, patronal feast of the Cathedral, and of the feast of St. John the Baptist, patronal feast of the diocese and also of the Bishop, will commence mi the Cathedral on Thursday. Special sermons will be preached on Thursday and Friday evenings. The solemm observance of both feast days is to be transferred to the following Sunday, on which occasion there will be Pontifical High Mass and Pontifical Vespers, sermon, procession, and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament in the evening. The annual diocesan collection in aid of the Seminary Fund was made oh Sunday last. In the Cathedral, at all the servieds, reference was made to the increasing work of the clergy and the altogether inadequate number of priests now laboring in the diocese. At 11 o'clock Goutnod's ' Messe Solennelle ' was sung, the principal solo parts were taken by the Brescians". Miss Antonio Martinergo sang tne soprano solos. Miss Domenico Martinergo the contralto, Mr. C. Read was tenor, and Mr. A. Medluirst ha.ss soloist. At the offertory Miss Antonio Martinergo sang Gounod's 'A\e Maria' the viohn oWigato being beautifully played by Miss Adelina Martinergo. At the conclusion'of the Mass these talented ladies sang the unaccompanied trio from Handel's ' Messiah,' ' Lift up thine eyes.' At Vespers Miss Domenica Martinergo sang Mendelssohn's ' 0 Rest in the Lord.' Miss Katie Young was organist, and Mr. H. Rossiter conducted. The annual examination of the Marist Brothers' (Bov»') School was made last week by Mr. Foster, Insnector uirtder tne North Canterbury Board of Education. The official report is not yet to hand, but the results

revealed an exceedingly satisfactory rate ol progress-. Out of 94 per cent, oil the pupils presented 93 per cent.~ obtained passes, and in a general way the Inspector expressed entire satisfaction at the work (done djurimg the term. Of the advanced pupils, 17 were presented and 15 passed out of the Sixth standard. The two remain* ing, although educationally qualified, have not yet reached the age limit. Most of those pupils are going on to the Civil Service class, conducted by the principal, Brother Basil. During the year the director nas procured suitable apparatus for illustrating magnetism and eleqtrifcity, a practical method of instruction which greatly impressed the Inspector, together with the . ■demonstrations in this branch of physical science given by the pupils. i In responding to a cordial vote of thanks accorded him at the Catholic Club rooms on Tuesday eNening Mr. P. Peho*er said : •it is now verging on seventyeight years ago since I was born close to Vinegar Hill a locality intimately associated with some ol the most stirring and strenuous times in Irish history, and but thirty years after the memorable '9'B. It was a time when education of any kind was difficult of attainment, and what little was possible to secure was aoquired under the most depressing and distressing circumstances Could the young men of the present day but adequately realise the advantages they possessed but blindly ignored, they would more fully appreciate the opportunities afforded by societies and clubs such as their own to raise themselves above the ordinary level Their forefathers were good Irishmen ; why not maintain the splendid standard set them and prove their determination to be good men too ? Now is the time for our young Catholic men to assert themselves, and as ably nil the ranks from which their fathers are slowly but surely, one by one, passing out. These are strenuous times, and will continue so, ana Catholics must assert themselves. The battle of faith as well as of life must be fought ; stand up as men and assert your rights and prow yourselves worthy sons of the men who fought for faith and liberty.' It seemed fitting that Mr. Sub-Inspector Dwyer, as representing the new'order should preside at the lecture, which his veteran cony rade delivered before metwbers of the Catholic Club and their friends. An admirable chairman he made, and the audience were not slow in expressing their appreciation of the great interest Mr. Dwyer takes in the younc men and in the wellbeing of the club generally At the Catholic Club rooms on last Tuesday evening, Mr. P. Pender, ex-police inspector, entertained a good audience of members and their friends with some reminiscences of his official life. Mr. Sub-Inspector Dwyer (vice-president) occupied the chair, and in introducing Mr Pender said that with an unprecedented record of 41 years service no one was better qualified to briefly speak of the stirring events of the early days in the Colony, on the goldfiejds of the South Island and elsewhere than he whom he had the privilege of introducing, if indeed an introduction were necessary. Mr. Pender said he did not pose as a lecturer but rather he would endeavor to be a narrator of an event which at the time was the cause of considerable excitement. He was desirous, in his own humble w a y at assisting the club, an effort which he conceived it to be everyone's duty. The club had made and was making great efforts <to justify its existence, and he L rust f, d . on this o ccasi on to at least interest them Mr. Pender then related the tacts concerning an old time sensation, the ' severed hand mystery.' He gave the history of the case, the incidents relating thereto and desori'bted the extraordinary excitement it aroused' twenty yiejars ago. Speaking of Howard, tfre principal actor in the great conspiracy to defraud the insurance companies, Mr. Pender s a id that so far as his judgment of criminal tendencies led him, he found these singularly absent in regard to Howard. He was a man of good education, and was the father of two hoys aged respectively at the time 11 and 13 years, l o these boys he was deeply attached, and his desire to educate them far above what his means would allow was the incentive to perpetrate a fraud to render such a course possible. At the termination of the narrawve, an enthusiastic vote of thanks was accorded Mr. Pender oin the motion of the Rev. Father Mahoney.