DIOCESE OF AUCKLAND

New Zealand Tablet, 27 December 1906, Page 13

DIOCESE OF AUCKLAND

(From our own correspondent.) December'l9. ' Rev. Fathers O'Reilly, Lowe, and O'Brien, visitors from Australia, have been nT Auckland during the last., few days. " " ~ Nexl Friday evening a presentation will be made, to the Very Rev. Father (Jillan by the committee of St. Benedict's Churelf. ** . - Quito a busy has been experienced in the city and suburbs in "the, annual, entertainments and presentation of prizes at our schools. The entertainments have been of a very excellent character indeed, re-, -fleeting the highest credit upon, the teachers and afford/ing genuine • pleasure to the large audiences attending ; them. -"' - . ' The officers lor the ensuing .term were nominated for office at last night's meeting' of the local branch of the 1-LA.C.B. • Society, and the election was fixed- forJanuary 15. Bro. M. J. Sheahan alluded to the forthcoming visit oE Mr. Joseph Devlin, M.P. for West . Belfast. He urged every, member to exert himself on • behalf of Mr. Devlin's mission. .Bros. , Casey, D: Flynn; ' 'and Kane spoke hi hearty support of the motion. . It. " was resolved to present an address from, the branch" to Mr. Devlin. „ -.&&,< ' ■ .Rev. Brothers John. and^ptratonique, of the- .Marist Brothers' Order, are' at prefeent in Auckland. Brother ."Victor, Provincial for Australasia and Oceania, is also heje. Last evening a welcome "was accorded them by the Marist Brothers' Old- Boys' Association, at their club room, Pitt street. % . His Lordship the Bishop", Rev.Fathers Holbrook, Molloy, -Murphy, McMillan,- and Far- _ thing were present.- His the ?Bisihop heartily ~ welcomed Brothers Jolin,.vs||rcut6hique arid Victor. . He felt • ■sure the number of ex-pupils' they saw together 'now must be very clieering ami comforting to them. It was - evidence of the* lasting character of the work done by the good Brothers in Auckland and elsewhere. ~ To their, old teachers arid tlie'ir old - school the young men were attached by ties" of ' religion, and of gratitude. Mr. Furlong, an ex-pupil, welcomed the visiting Brothers on behalf of ' the, club. They all freely .admitted the great and" many obligations, they were under to the Marist Brothers. Their good teachings and example remained^ with them; „and guided them, throughout life. To -his Lordship". the. ./Bishop , and , Brother George the club* was .indebted. In * existence but over two years, they claimed to haye accomplished much that was good in the community. Financially their position was improving, and ere long it would be sound. Rev. Brother John replied, and thanked the Bishop and the- young men for their hearty and kindly welcome to them, It was thirty years ago 1 siuce he first visited this Colony. He had, visited many parts, of .the world since' 1 "then. H€._had : >.- met and conversed with several- of their former teachers in those parts, all of whom spoke affectionately of . thteiac old pupils in New Zealand. He then told them 'how persistently ' their late lamented and beloved Bishop, Dr. Luck, worked to stcuie the Marist Brothers for Auckland. -He dwelt on the persecution, in France, andthe number of their * schools which" were closed ~' % and the Brothers dispersed to every part of the' world. In tl,*ls connection the Bishop of one of the South American dioceses told him that he felt so , thankful' to the persecuting French Government for, turning. the Brothers out of- France, because otherwise he would not have secured them for his diocese. The great battle of Christian education was going on. He witnessed the great - Catholic demonstration in London recently in the greart Albert Hall in favor of Oathlolic education. It was a great sight. He was' glad at, heart to witness that night the good and lasting effects of Catholic teaching. After all it was not in the school itself but out in the world afterwards that this good work was tested. He thanked the Bishop, priests, Brothers," and ex-students for their" warm reception of Brothers Htratonique, Victor, and himself.^ Recitations were— given by Messrs. McKenna and Herbert, a vocal item by Mr. Jas. Lonergan, and a fine chorus by members of the musical branch of ."the club. It was indeed a ! most' enjoyable evening. •

On Friday evening the Old -„ Boys' Association will give a social gathering iv honor of Brother George. The meeting for the purpose of promoting Mr. Devlin's mission in Auckland is fixed to take i?lace in the Brothers' school on Monday evening, January 7. It, was conJLdered useless to call meetings -during the holidays. • , The formal ceremony of opening and blessing St.. Benedict's Convent, which' has recently been buUt on a site adjacent to St. Benedict's Church^and school- , house, was performed last -Sunday afternopn by his Lordship, Bishop Lenihan, in .the presence of a large" gathering of clergy- and others.- — Mr. A. M.< Myers (Mayor of Auckland)" stated, in i he course of a few introductory remarks, that he was pleased to be in a position to repeat "the statement he made at the ' la)*ing of the foundation stone of the building, that the Catholics as a community were- deserving of the -greatest credit for the mann-er in- which they attended to the education- of their child ren-^an education which, -.he felt sure, was making for righteousness and good^ citizenship. - He specially commended the- work of' the Sisters of fc>t. Joseph, who,' he leinarkcd, devoted , their- .whale life to the education of the- young people, and who were entitled to the " sympathy and co-operation of parents in carrying-' out their self-sacrificing obligations. He congratulated the Sisters on the past success of ~ their labors in educational af-~ fairs, and oh the fruition of their efforts in now having a suitable - honft to occupy while continuing to- perform^. t>l LI

heir no

g work.

The Hon. kr. Thompson and Mr. E. Mahoncy also congratulated the Sistfers on the results of their efforts in. the past, and both speakers, expressed an earnest hope that the same measure of success wtfuld attend their' work 'in the future.

His Lord,ship lS'lshop Lenihan acknowledged Hie heavy debt the Church was under' to the Sisters of, St. Joseph, "vvho in twenty years~"had materially assisted in getting established three large schools in place of one" small one then existing. With the ' co-opera-tion, of parents and the admirable work of _the religious communities the Church, was providing a religious and secular education which was yielding gfand and noble results.

Tjhe Very Rev. Father Gillan, on behalf of the Sisters and himself, gratefully accepted the encouraging remarks of the speakers, and also thanked parents^ and friends for their assistance in the erection of the convent. -