New Church at Auroa

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXV, Issue 15, 11 April 1907, Page 15

New Church at Auroa

There was a large attendance at Auroa on Sunday ' (says the ' Hawera Star ') on the occasion' of the laying of the foundation stone of the Catholic church The ceremony was performed by the' Very Rev. Dean Grogan, who was parish piiest of Hawera about a quarter of a century ago. Dean Grogan preached- a very eloquent sermon on the mission of the Church and expressed the hope that the church in Auroa would be a centre of life and civilisation for generation after generation. The commission given by Christ to the Apostles included the obligation of building; churches and schools, -where the faithful might assemble, and he was glad to see that -. the Catholics in Auroa were determined to make . the progress of ' religion keep pace with the material progress round about them, 'The progress in the parish of «awera had been very marked. . Very Key. father power expressed his gratitude to the Very Rev. Dean for coming to perform .the ceremony ; it was not the first kindness he had received from him. He also expressed" on behalf of the Catholics of Auroa his gratitude •to Mr. T L ' Jdl for having given the site upon which the church was to be built. He was pleased to see so many non-Catho-lics present,, and he assured them that while *■ the Catholic doctrine would be preached clearly and foroi-" bly no non-Catholic need be afraid of being insulted or of having his religion held up to ridicule— controversy in the bad sense of the word would not find a place within that church. .

Mr. T. McPhillips thanked Dean Grogan and Father Power for their share in bringing the resources of religion within easy range of the people living in the vicinity of Auroa. Kight years ago, when Father Power came to the parish, there were only three churches m the parish ; now, --when this chare* was