New Plymouth

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXV, Issue 13, 28 March 1907, Page 13

New Plymouth

(From an occasional corresponAeait.) Father J. Ryan, of the Geraldton. diocese/ was the" guest of Dean 'McKenn'a for a few -days, and left for Auckland with the missionaries on Thursday evening.' Father MacManus has-* gone to Auckland to represent the local branch of the Hibernian Society at the triennial meeting now being ' held in the northern capital. He was ' "accompanied by Father O'Dwyer, c 4 Hawera, the delegate and chaplain of the Hibernian branch in that centre. ' Our annual Catholic picnic took place last Thursday. It had been arranged to give the children a trip by train "to Bellblock, but the idea had to "be abandoned owing to the downpour of rain during the morning. The picrAc was finally held in the Drill .Hall, where a happy time was spent in games of all sorts. Our new technical school is approaching completion"and will be a great boon to the town and surrounding country. I have been informed that the Education Board has ■ succeeded in securing _the services of competent instructors . take charge of the various classes. • ' .'■ A very successful mission conducted by Very Rev. Father Clime and Rev. Father McDermott, of the Redemptorist Order, was brought to a" close on Wednesday night in St. Joseph's Church. To preserve the fruits of the mission Father Clune reorganised the Sacred Heart Confraternity, and exhorted the members ci the congregation to get enrolled in a body. A large , number responded to 'his appeal, apd doubtless miany others w*ilj- follow their example later on. The school children were enrolled earlier in' the day by Father McDermott, when each child was presented - with a badge of the Sacred Heart. The. young men mustered splendidly during the mission and, under the direction ofFather Clune, formed themselves into a Catholic Club. May this be the beginning of a forward movement in Church "matters'- throughout the. parish* The great Lacordaire always rested his hopes for the, future of, the Church upon the co-operation of the young men of France in his day, and »its "progress in New- Zealand will, in a great measure, depend uppn the intelligence, zeal, and piety of our young men.

Very Rev. Father Power, Hawera,- paid a short visit to New Plymouth during the course of the mission. I must confess (whites a correspondent of the ' Taranaki' Herald ') that it was with some little feeling of curiosity that I went to hear Father Clune handle the drink question. Not ' that I was afraid he would not be interesting after listening to him. om Sunday night, but so much twaddle is poured on thedevoted heads of us common folk who are not able to voice our sentiments from the platform, that one often wonders if any new _ thing can be said on the subject. Judge of "my delight then with Fat/her Clune, in his indictment of the drink traffic and fierce denunciation of the destroyer of the sanctity of the home and soul of the drunkard— his invectives were so vigorous and the language so well chosen^that" I felt - a positive thrill of pleasure. In his handling of the sublect the illustrations were .drawn from Sqripture, common-sense, .the . religious, social and political aspect of man as,, a citizen. In his pleadings vAtfo the viotims of the drink curse he rose to the sublimest heights of eloquence, and .it was - impossible, to resist the conviction that here -at least was one .man who was in earnest. The picture drawn of the drunkard's home was harrowing and quite true as I know from observation, and when at -the conclusion he appealed to those present to do the ' will, of their Father in Heaven, I must confess I felt quite -soft about the eyes, and wondered if any of those present ■►would take his lesson to heart.