Diocesan News

New Zealand Tablet, 1 May 1913, Page 24

Diocesan News

ARCHDIOCESE OF WELLINGTON 7 .■ ■ (From our own correspondent.) - , -.- _. . : T- : % -\v ~.. • '-. April 26. ; The Catholic seamen of. H.M.S. New Zealand, whilst in port, attended Mass on Sundays at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. They numbered between 60 and 70. :. / • . V * ; ; •

Mr. Moriarty, the Tablet representative, is now canvassing the northern end of the city, and reports good progress. His stay in Wellington has been the means of considerably increasing the circulation of the pape?.

"-' St. Mary's (ladies) branch of the H.A.B.C. Society intend holding' a euchre party in St. Patrick's Hall on Monday, May 12. A committee has also been set up to arrange details for the seventeenth annual social of the branch to be held in St. Peter's schoolroom on Wednesday, June 18. .

The Catholics of H.M.S. New Zealand were entertained by the Catholic Young Men's Club at the club rooms on last Saturday evening. Mr. J. P. McGovern (vice-president) presided, and extended a hearty welcome to the men. The evening's entertainment took the form of a smoke concert, a very enjoyable evening being spent. ' .

The returns of the recent All Nations bazaar are now complete, and disclose a very successful financial result. The gross receipts totalled over £520, the expenditure £94, leaving a net profit of over £420. This amount has been handed over to the Sisters to reduce the debt on the convent property, Daniel street. Need.less to say that the good Sisters are extremely grateful to all who assisted to make the bazaar such a success.

The children attending the Catholic schools, to the number of 1500, were taken aboard H.M.S. New Zealand last Monday. Among those who accompanied the children were the Ven. . Archdeacon Devoy, Rev. Fathers Hickson, Tymons, Barra, and Hurley, and Rev,--Brother Basil. The children thoroughly enjoyed the visit. It is estimated that close on 20,000 children have trodden the decks of the warship, 10,000 of this number hailing from the country.

The Newtown school committee, of the Wellington Catholic Education Board, has decided to hold the annual schools' social at St. Anne's Hall, on Wednesday, May 28. The Te Aro school committee will also hold one in the Town Hall on Wednesday, May 19. The Thorndon school committee's social took place last Wednesday at the Sydney street schoolroom. There was a large attendance, and a most pleasant evening was spent. The proceeds go to the Wellington Catholic . Education Fund. News has been received that Mr. Martin Kennedy "and his wife and daughters have arrived in England after spending some weeks on the Continent, especially in Brussels, where they had the pleasure of meeting his Grace Archbishop Redwood. Mr. Kennedy and Miss Kennedy, and Sir Joseph and Lady Ward, dined with Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Redmond at the House of Commons. The party also included Mr. and Mrs. W. Redmond, Mr. Devlin, Mr. Dillon, and Mr. Hazleton.

.. St. Patrick's branch of the H.A.C.B. Society held their fortnightly meeting on Monday last, under the

presidency of Bro. J. A. Sullivan. - The Rev. Father Joseph Herring, S.M., was also present.- The reports of the delegates to the -Napier meeting were listened to with the keenest interest, but consideration was held over until next meeting. The delegates were loud in their praise of ,the manner in which they were treated by the - Hawke's Bay branches, and a hearty vote ; of thanks was passed those branches. .■■■■.-;-.,■ V r ""^ Mr. Charles McErlean, one of our most prominent young men, is being .transferred from the Post and Telegraph service to the Justice Department, and will be stationed at Napier. Mr. McErlean is a past-presi-dent of the St. Aloysius' branch of the H.A.C.B. Society, a member of the Celtic Dramatic Club and the Young Men's Club; He has always been to the, fore in every Catholic movement. A send-off is being tendered him by some of his numerous friends and admirers, and will take place in the New' Century Hall on Tuesday • next. He will be greatly missed in Catholic circles, and in his new sphere.he .carries with him the sincerest wishes of a large circle of friends. _ ;• Another evidence of the kindly and 'fatherly interest taken by our Holy Father the Pope in little children has just been disclosed.. An eight-year-old altar boy of St. Joseph's Church, Buckle street, desiring to be granted a priestly vocation, hit'upon a most original idea by writing a letter to the Holy Father, asking him to pray for him and his brother, and requesting one of the clergy attached to St. Joseph's to forward it. The idea appealed to the priest, and he forwarded the letter to one of the Marist Fathers at present in Rome, explaining the position in a covering letter. The rest of the story is explained in the following correspondence. . . '.■' [COPY OF THE BOY'S LETTER.] Wellington. ' Dear Holy Father,—l thought that I would like to send you a letter to ask you a great favor.. I want God to grant me a vocation— would so much like to grow up to be a priest. lam an- altar boy at St. Joseph's Church. My brother is an altar boy, too, and he would like to be a priest also. Will you,, please, pray for us both, dear Holy Father. lam eight years old. I made my First Holy Communion on the 28th April, because you want us children to receive very young. I would very much like some Rosary beads blessed by you, and so would my brother. •',;

' Good-bye, dear Holy Father. ' From your loving child,

[COPY OF THE MARIST FATHER'S LETTER.] ' Rome,

' 14 Via Cernaia,

'March 3, 1913.

'My dear Father,—No doubt you have been wondering whether that letter of your little altar boy has been relegated to the waste-paper basket; but not so. It has at last successfully reached the Holy Father, and perhaps the little boy is the first Wellington boy whose letter has reached the Vatican. At first I thought of slipping the letter in his Holiness' hand in one of the so-called public audiences, but second thoughts dissuaded me from such a course. But when his Grace Archbishop Redwood came along I told him your story, and he was kind enough to read the boy's letter to the Pope, who was indeed very pleased, and sends his blessing to your little friend and his family, and prays that God will grant him a priestly vocation. I did not wish to burden his Grace with a package after his kindness; and as it is rather a risky business to send beads by the post (for others that I have already sent have been lost), if your little friend will have patience I will bring him some beads blessed by the Holy Father on my return. You may imagine my astonishment when I opened your letter and pulled out first the boy's note and read Dear Holy Father." Strange form of address, said Ito myself. But your few lines explained all.'