DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH

New Zealand Tablet, 11 April 1912, Page 24

DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH

-- _ . (From our own correspondent.) . a x . April 8. ' ; ;An Easter Fair is to open in the Catholic schoolroom, Addington, on Easter Monday; and . will be continued to the end of the week. The proceeds are intended to free the school buildings from liabilities incurred in improvements to the surroundings, including works rendered necessary for the growing requirements of the district. > ‘ The Marist Brothers’ Old Boys, playing in football matches on last Saturday, met and defeated two visiting teams. On the Linwood Club’s ground, Hagley Park, they won their game against a team representing the Celtic Club, Timaru, :by 10 points to 3. For the winners Murfitt and McGillion / scored tries, ... which Mahoney converted., P. Fitzgerald scored for Celtic. Mr. F. T. Evans was referee. team from the Athletic Club, Temuka, was defeated by. the Marist Brothers’, Old Boys juniors by Bto nil. Kouri scored for the winners. Mr. L. Corbett was referee. .In the evening the visiting, teams were entertained by the Marist Brothers’; Old Boys in the new rooms at a smoke concert.; They also extended much kindly attention to the southern ; players during their visit to this city. An ordinary meeting of the Christchurch Catholic Club was held on Wednesday evening, March 27. The president (Mr. E. T. Harper) occupied the chair, and there was;an attendance of thirty, members. The president intimated that Mr. E. McKeqn had offered to . donate a prize of two guineas in value for a billiard tournament. The offer, was accepted . with thanks and expressions of , appreciation. Recitations and 'readings were. provided on the syllabus , for the,, evening, and Messrs. P.-J. Augarde, ,F. Rowe/ P. McNamara, C. Fottrell, and J. ; Wacked contributed. The president, on behalf of the members took the opportunity of saying farewell to Mr. M. O’Reilly, .who is leaving Christ church. t He said that Mr. O’Reilly had been a member from: the inception ; of the .club, and had ;always taken ..a very active interest in its management and welfare,

and had thus won the respect of all members. On their behalf he asked Mr. O’Reilly to accept a small souvenir of their esteem and' good wishes, - its intrinsic value was not great, but it - would serve' to convey their deep appreciation of his good qualities and be -a reminder of his; long intercourse with the club. The Rev. Dr. Kennedy (chaplain) and several members spoke in eulogistic terms of Mr/ O’Reilly, who feelingly replied. He said he was sorry to say good-bye to the members with whom he .had worked for so long. ■ He' admired the fine feeling existing among ■ members;/ arid the good the. club was doing.'- /Although parting from the members, he would never forget their kindness towards him. . A 25-up billiard tournament -was arranged- for J April .17, and a musical evening, /under the direction of Mr. H. Rossiter, on April 27. '-/;/ f ' ; / : Easter Sunday . was observed, with the customary solemnity in the . Cathedral in the presence of crowded congregations. There were very large numbers of communicants at the early Masses! ' At 11 o’clock there was Pontifical High Mass. His Lordship Bishop Grimes was celebrant, Rev. Father Tigar, 0.P., being assistant priest, the Rev. Father Quinn, S!M., and Rev. Father O’Boyle deacons of honor at the throne,, the Rev. Father O’Connor, S.M., and Rev. Father Hanrahan deacon and .subdeacon respectively of the Mass, and Very Rev. Father Price, Adm., master of ceremonies. The Bishop briefly preached • on the Gospel of the day and imparted the Papal blessing. The music was Gounod’s: ‘ Messe Solenhelle, 1 ’ excellently rendered by the choir, Mr. A. W'. Bunz being organist. The ‘ Haec Dies ’ was sung at the Offertory. The high altar and sanctuary were most tastefully -adorned, and in the evening brilliantly illuminated. There were, solemn Pontifical Vespers in the evening, at which his Lordship the Bishop presided,; the attendant clergy being the same as in the morning. The occasional sermon was preached by his Lordship the Bishop on the ‘Resurrection ’ from the text, ‘ His sepulchre was- glorious,’ to a congregation that crowded the Cathedral to its utmost limits. Easter Sunday being- the first Sunday of the.month, there was the- usual Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and procession,;- followed by solemn Pontifical Benediction. Participating in the procession were members of St. Joseph’s; division (men’s section) of the arch-confraternity : of the Blessed Sacrament. _ After the evening’s celebrations , the-choir ,were entertained at the episcopal residence " by. 1 his Lordship the Bishop and the Very: Rev. Administrator. ' L- The Holy Week ■ devotions were commenced in the Cathedral on Wednesday evening. His Lordship the Bishop presided, and twenty-four of the clergy assisted at the Solemn. Office of Tenebrae. There was Pontifical High Mass on Holy Thursday morning. ' His Lordship the Bishop was celebrant, the; Very Rev. Dean Hills, S.M., V.G., being assistant 1 priest, Very Rev. Deans O’Donnell and Bowers deacons of honor at the throne, Rev. / Fathers O’Hare and Daull, / S.M.A., deacon and subdeacon respectively ‘ of - the Mass, and Very Rev. Father -Price, Adm., master of ceremonies. At the conclusion, of Mass- there was the nrocession of the Blessed Sacrament - to the Altar of Renose in the chapel of the Sacred Heart. . After rTeriebrA in the evening a fine discourse on the Blessed Eucharist was preached- by the. Rev. Father : Taylor, SM. (Leestori) Throughout the night from 10 o’clock relays, composed of members of the arch-confraternity of ; the Blessed Sacrament, - - and z , incidentally ■; of ~i~ members ' of - the H.A.C.B. Society and;, other . organisations ■ of ; men, watched ; before - the - chapel, the > altar of which was. continuously. illuminated. The devotions on Good Friday morning were commenced at 9 o’clock, at which Lis Lordship the Bishop presided.. Rev. Father Graham', , S.M. 1 , M. A., was assistant priest, the Rev/ Fathers Quinn, S.M., and .G Boyle were assistant deacons, the Rev. Father, O’Hare deacon. Rev. ' Father Hanrahan subdeacon, and Very ; Rev. Father Price, Adm., master of/ceremonies. .The ‘ Passion V was sung/ by the Very Rev. Hills, S.M., V.G., Rev. Father Tigar O P and Rev. Father Richards. < Adoration ' of the Cross (during which offerings were received for the ? holy-places m Palestine) was - followed by the - Mass of tln^Pre-

sanctified. At 3 o’clock in the afternoon there were the Stations of the Cross, at which Rev. Father O’Boyle officiated, his Lordship " the Bishop reading the various Meditations from the pulpit, and at the conclusion the Benediction was given with a sacred relic of the True Cross, which , was afterwards exposed to the veneration of the faithful oh, the altar in the chapel of the Holy Relics. ... On this, as on all other occasions during Holy Week, the .' Cathedral was crowded -to an even more noticeable extent than ever before. - After Tenebrae the occasional, sermon, a most impressive discourse, was preached by the Rev. Father Tigar,-O.P. Solemn High Mass, was celebrated on Holy Saturday morning by the Very Rev. . Father Price, Adm., the- Rev. Father Richards being deacon, Rev. Father Hanrahan subdeacon, and Rev. Dr. Kennedy master' of, ceremonies. All the usual ceremonies incidental to the day were conducted by the Very Rev. Father Price.. A feature of the Holy Week services, and one specially referred to by his Lordship the Bishop, was the excellent and devotional 7 singing by the choir of the difficult and exacting music. His Lordship also spoke in appreciative terms of the splendid efforts of the Altar Society, and the beautifully effective results thereof observable on Holy Thursday and Easter Sunday. . '