DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVII, Issue 2, 14 January 1909, Page 53

DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH

(From our own correspondent.) January 11. ■ The Sisters of the Good Shepherd, Mount Magdala, ' desire to express their grateful thanks to many benefactors for seasonable gifts to nhe institution. !■ Tlae Rev. Father McDermott, C.SS.R., is conducting the retreat for the Sisters of Mercy at .uyttelton, which commenced' on Tuesday last. The Christchurch diocesan clergy assemble at the Cathedral on Tuesday of this week for the annual spiritual retreat, which is to be conducted by the Rev. Father Lowham, C.SS.R. V

Midnight Mass was celebrated in the new chapel of the Sisters of the iviissions for the first time at Christmas by the- Very Rev. Father P.rice, Adm., who subsequently celebrated a low Mass. The Very Rev. Dr. Kennedy, S.M., is at present engaged conducting the annual retreat of the Sisters of the Missions at the Convent, Ashburton. Mr. M. Delany, who for a number of' years has been postmaster at Lyttelton, a position he has filled with equal efficiency in several other of the principal parts of the Dominion, has retired from the service on a pension. In the three Christchurch electorates exactly 800 more women than men exercised the franchise at the general election. In the Christchurch North electorate the women outnumbered the men by 989, but in .Christchurch South 131 more men than women voted, white in Christchurch East the figures were — Men 3219, women 3163, being a majority of 58 men. In the Avon- electorate 3272 men and 3381 women registered their votes on the first ballot. The total rfumber of votes polled in the Avon and three' Christchurch electorates was 30,533, and the number of persons on the four rolls who did not exercise their franchise was 6772. The Sisters of Nazareth desire to tender their- sincere thanks to all who have generously contributed towards the support of the aged poor and the orphans during the past year. Grateful thanks are tendered to Mrs. Lance for the pleasant afternoon the little orphans had at her residence on December 23, when each child was presented . on leaving with "some useful gift or toy, and to the editors and staff of the newspaper press for uniform kindness and assistance. Addressing the congregation in the Cathedral on Sunday, the Rev. Father Lowham, C.SS.R., reminded them of the ceremony on next Sunday afternoon at 3 o'clock of the blessing by his Lordship Bishop - Grimes and the laying by his Excellency the Governor of the foundation stone of the new Nazareth House. This would be, he said, one of the most important events in the history of, the Church in the Dominion, and the magnificent structure when completed would enable those devoted daiighters of Christ, the Sisters of Nazareth, to exercise to the full limit of their energies those splendid efforts of which we had witnessed already no small or unimportant a part. At the close of the annual retreat at the Sacred Heart Convent, which was attended by 86 Sisters of the Missions, representing most of the convents of the Order in the Dominion, there was a profession and reception of perpetual vows by 13 religious. Seven others received the ' holy habit,' and four were received as postulants. The Very Rev. Dean Ginaty, S.M., V.G., presided, and of the clergy present were Very Rev. Father Price, Adm., Rev. Father Lowham, C.Srf.R., Rev. Dr. James Kennedy (Cathedral), Rev. Fathers O'Hare, Hoare, S.M.. and Morkane (Dunedin). The occasional sermon was preached by the Very Rev. Dr. Kennedy, S.M. (Meanee). Another important event celebrated on the following day was the silver jubilee of seven religious of the Order. High Mass was celebrated by the Very Rev. Dr. Kennedy, S.M., assisted by the Rev. Father Morkane (Dunedin), who, at a later hour, celebrated a second Mass in the community chapel. In the afternoon the Very Rev. Dean Ginaty, S.M., V.G., preached a congratulatory sermon, and gave Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. The happy occasion was further enhanced by the Very Rev. Dr. Kennedy, S.M., delivering his interesting and instructive lee-> ture as reported in another connection. The limelights were manipulated by Mr. Beardsley, and the whole was most- successful and highly appreciated. Among those present were the Sisters of Mercy from St. Mary's Convent, .Colombo street. The Very Rev. Dr. Kennedy, S.M., rector of' the Meanee Seminary, and principal of the Meanee Observatory, gave a most interesting and instructive lecture in St. Joseph's schoolroom on last Tuesday evening on the ' Common housefly and other insects met with in domestic life.' supplemented by a deeply learned discourse on the heavenly bodies. The whole was profusely illustrated by miscroscopic photographs shown by the aid of limelight. The portion dealing with the anatomy of insects was shown on the screen with a fair amount of success, but the latter part was unfortunately^ quite spoiled by failure of the 'apparatus. This ill-success" was amply compensated, however, by the descriptive remarks of the Very Rev. lecturer. The amount of information he gave in the short ■ space of time was simply marvellous, and this on subjects apart from the astronomical ones, which ordinarily do not occasion the casual observer a second thought. His Lordship Bishop Grimes -presided, and the Very Rev. Father Price, Adm., and several of the clergy were present. The ■ audience by acclamation, accorded the lecturer a very hearty

vote of thanks on the motion of Professor Bickerton, proposed in most" enthusiastic terms. The Very Rev. Dr. Ken- , nedy, he said, was' a scientist of which the Dominion should be justly proud. Although having himself devoted , the greater part of his life to science, he had that evening saw andylearnt things he had previously not known. The microscopic photographs, Dr. Kennedy's own production, were far in advance of anything he had seen or read about, whilst those, of the heavenly bodies were probably among the finest extant. His Lordship' the Bishop spoke in appreciation of the intellectual and spectacular treat afforded them by the Rev. Dr. Kennedy. In acknowledging the vote of thanks, Very- Rev. Dr. Kennedy said he would have, much pleasure in acceding to his \Lordship the Bishop's request to deliver the lecture on some other occasion under," he trusted, more f ortimate and more convincing conditions. He voiced a warm tribute of admiration to the ability and researches of Professor Bickerton, in whose work he was greatly interested, - and whose. theories, he trusted would receive that recognition so well deserved.