CATHOLIC FEDERATION

New Zealand Tablet, 10 July 1913, Page 36

CATHOLIC FEDERATION

WELLINGTON. (From our own correspondent.) The Dominion Executive met last Tuesday evening under the presidency of Mr. Geo. Girling-Butcher. A quantity of correspondence was dealt with, and a lot of detail work received attention. The secretary of the Auckland Diocesan Council wrote to the effect that the Auckland representatives to the permanent Dominion Executive could not attend a meeting if it was fixed for July 8. They preferred to meet either during the last week in July or the first week in August. The secretary of the Christchurch Council wrote stating that the date was suitable for his representatives, but owing to the fact that the date was not convenient for Auckland, and owing to the fact that the Dunedin Council had not yet been formed, it was decided to postpone the first meeting until about the end of the present month. . Interesting reports are still coming to hand, showing the spread of the Federation.

DUNEDIN. A meeting of the executive of the Dunedin branch of the Catholic Federation was held in St. Joseph's Hall on Sunday evening after Vespers. The Rev. Father Coffey, Adm., presided, and there was a full attendance of members. The principal business was the arranging of an order paper for the meeting of the Diocesan Council which has been called for-next Monday evening. Communications were (received from parish committees giving names of delegates appointed to the Diocesan Council. The secretary was instructed to write to those branches that had not elected delegates to the Council, asking them to appoint proxies. It was decided to ask the provisional Dominion Executive to postpone the general meeting fixed for this week to a later date. A telegram has since been received by Rev. Father Coffey, Adm., from the secretary of the Dominion Executive to the effect that the meeting has been postponed to July 27. a Those who had been appointed to canvass the Catholic residents of the city and suburbs for signatures to the petitions now in circulation handed in their lists, and reported that they had been very successful. The petitions were signed by a large number of persons at the Cathedral and suburban churches on Sunday. It is expected that the canvass will be completed next week. .

CHRISTCHURCH.

(From our own correspondent.) The Very Rev. Dean Hiils>S.M., V.G., Very Rev. Chancellor Price, and members of the executive of the Diocesan Council of the Catholic Federation met on last Wednesday evening in the episcopal residence, when a good deal of business was disposed of, and preparations made for the visit of the local members to Wellington for the purpose of inaugurating the permanent Dominion ", Executive. The president of the Diocesan Council (Mr. W. Hayward, jun.) presided. Excellent reports were received from several of the principal branches in the diocese, furnishing examples of vitality and praiseworthy activity; It was decided to urge upon other somewhat backward districts to emulate their example. The Federation- movement is unquestionably the best chance the Catholic people of this Dominion have ever had of asserting themselves and obtaining justice and due recognition, and so far as the Christchurch Diocesan Council is concerned, no effort will be spared until every eligible Catholic in the diocese is enrolled. PALMERSTON SOUTH. After Mass on Sunday last (writes an occasional correspondent) the congregation of Palmerston South assembled in the church to establish a branch of the Catholic Federation. Rev. Father Lynch, who presided, outlined the objects of the Federation. He urged, especially, that the chief aim of the Federation was to further the Christian life of the nation. He instanced examples of the splendid work done by kindred Federations in America and Australia. A parish committee was elected consisting \ of the following ladies and gentlemen:—Mesdames 'Forsyth and O'Neill, Messrs. P. M. Collins, Hugh O'Neill, P. J. Callaghan, John Crisp, E. Hoyes, John McCabe, Ronald Griffith, Michael Denn-ehy, Martin Power, Louis Hilliard, with Rev. Father Lynch as president of the committee. Rev. Father Lynch and Mr. John Crisp were appointed as representatives from the parish committee to the Diocesan Council. The appointment of three vicepresidents and a secretary and treasurer will be made later on. GORE. (From our own correspondent.) A meeting of the committee of the Catholic Federation was held in the convent schoolroom on Sunday, June 29. Messrs D. L. Poppelwell and Owen Kelly were appointed delegates to the Diocesan Council. The local committee consists of the following members:—Parish representatives—Very Rev. Father O'Donnell, P.P. (president), Messrs. D. L. Poppelwell and Owen Kelly (vice-presidents), James Holland, N. R. Lawlor, Dr. A. J. Mcllroy, and Mrs Poppelwell (treasurer); H.A.C.B. Society Messrs Richard Ferris and A. H. Smith; Catholic Club Messrs. P. Daly and N. Francis ; Hibernian Football —Messrs H. F. Sullivan and T. E. Keating; Christian Doctrine —Messrs. William Bourke and Bernard Kelly; Guild of St. Anthony of PaduaMesdames Bourke and Smith; Altar Society—Misses Martin and Fraser; Children of Mary Misses A. Martin and J. Toner. Mr. Aeneas H. Smith has been appointed treasurer.