Greymouth

New Zealand Tablet, 11 January 1912, Page 49

Greymouth

(From dor own correspondent.)

In connection with the Feast of the Nativity, midnight Mass was celebrated in St. Patrick's Church by the Very Rev. Dean Carew : S.M., Rev. Father Schaefcr being deacon, and Rev. Father Fraher subdeacon. The choir, under the conductorship of Mr. H. F. Doogan, sang the ' Kyrie' and ' Agnus Dei,' from Weber's Mass, and 'Gloria,' Credo,' ' Sanctus ' and ' Benedictus ' from Gounod's ' Messe Solennelle.' During the offertory: they also rendered ' The Hallelujah Chorus ' very effectively. A small -but efficient orchestra assisted. A sermon appropriate to the occasion was preached by the Rev. Father Schaefer. For many months past the ladies of the Catholic community (says the Evening Star) have been very busy preparing articles for the great Coronation festival and bazaar in aid of the funds of the new presbytery which will be built on the section which was recently purchased adjoining the church. Willing hands' and deft fingers soon turned yards of material into articles of the most artistic design. The majority of the workers had been pupils of the good Sisters of the convent, and one is therefore not surprised at the splendid specimens of fancy work and painting that have been prepared for the various stalls. A walk round the Town Hall, which has been transformed for the occasion into a veritable fairy bower, would give a visitor the impression that he had been transported from the Wild West Coast to one of the Eastern bazaars. The decorated stalls, the many and beautiful articles contained therein, and the appropriate costumes of the ladies .make a splendid feast of color. The stall-holders are as follow: —England, Mesdamcs Hannan, Black, and McDonnell; Scotland, Mesdames Doogan, Duffy, and Shannahan; Ireland, Misses Barry, Phillips, and Fogarty; sweet and fern stall, Mrs. E. McDonnell and Miss E. Campbell.

The Right Rev. Dr. Higgins, Bishop of Ballarat, has presented, through the Mayor of the City, Cr. J. M. Barker, to the citizens of Ballarat, a valuable piece of land at Wendouree, having a frontage of thirty feet four inches to Alfred street by a dept of 109 feet along Wendouree parade. The land consists of a corner of the grounds of the Bishop's palace, and the city council desired to purchase it from the Catholic authorities for the purpose of widening the junction of the thoroughfares named. The Bishop said he was anxious to advance the interests of the city, and he would present the block of land free of all cost. The Mayor has thanked Dr. Higgins for his public-spirited generosity.