DICESE OF CHRISTCHURCH

New Zealand Tablet, 31 July 1913, Page 26

D ICESE OF CHRISTCHURCH

(From our own correspondent.) * July 28. A social is being arranged by the Children of Mary and the Ladies of Charity, to be given in the Oddfellows’, Hall on the evening of August 6 to help in furnishing their stall at the carnival in aid of the Cathedral fund. The Very Rev. Father Graham, S.M., M A (Rector of St. Bede’s College), and Rev. Father Hoare, S.M. (of St. Mary Christchurch North), arrived back on Thursday last by the Sydney steamer after a tour of the South Sea Islands. They had to undergo the ordeal of vaccination more than once, but otherwise they had an enjoyable time. Among their fellowpassengers from Sydney were the Rev. Fathers Gleeson and Cleary, C.SS.R,, who were coming to Wellington. ~ The fortnightly meeting of St. Patrick’s branch of the H.A.C.B. Society was held in the Hibernian Hall on Monday, evening, Bro. H. A. Sloan, 8.P., presiding. thirteen members were reported on the sick list, and a sum of £l9 13s 4d was passed for payment. The business paper for the half-yearly district meeting to be held in Auckland on August 27 was considered, and instructions given to delegates. The report ,of the triennial district meeting was received, and discussion held over till next meeting. The balance sheet for the quarter, showing the branch funds to amount to £2620 7s Id, was read and adoptedA general meeting of the Society of St. Vincent do LLi/n the Circumscription of the Particular Council of Christchurch, and in connection with the patronal feast of the society, was held on last Monday evening. There was a representative attendance, although the weather was most inclement. The Very Rev Dean Hills, S.M., V.G., and Very Rev. Chancellor Price, Adm., were present, and both in appreciative and encouraging terms spoke from personal knowledge of the excellent work in which the city conferences had been of late engaged. A communication from the society in Glasgow on the immigration question was considered and referred to the Catholic Federation. Most satisfactory reports were received from the various conferences and the confraternities of Ladies of Charity which revealed a large amount of successful . spiritual and temporal effort on the part of members. Mr. Gill, who recently examined the secondary department of the Sacred Heart High School, Christchurch, conducted by the Sisters of Notre Dame des as follows: The school consists of a primary and a secondary department of 95 and 41 pupils respectively. Two courses of instruction have been arranged:—(a) A general course which reaches the standard of attainments of the Civil Service junior examinations in two years, and Matriculation in three °5 foar J. ears > and ,( b ) a commercial course which aims at affording a suitable introduction to business life for girls who intend to take up office work. The methods of teaching which came under my notice were marked by thoroughness, thoughtfulness, and zeal, and the pupils work was characterised by industry, application, and neatness. The efforts of the teachers elicited the co-operation of the girls. The programme in English has been judiciously selected, and the girls were interested in their work. The order, attention, and conduct °u the girls were exceedingly good. They not only obeyed the orders given but seemed anxious to anticipate the wishes of their teachers. Refinement in word and . action was an outstanding feature of their behaviour.’ RECEPTION TO REV. FATHER HOARE, S.M. The Alexandra Hall was well filled on last Friday evening, when Rev. Father Hoare, S.M., the popular and energetic assistant priest of St. Mary’s, Christchurch North, was welcomed home at a complimentary conversazione, after a six weeks’ tour of the Islands and Australia-. Among the clergy present were the Very Rev. Dean Hills, S.M., V.G., the Very Rev. Chancellor Price, Adm., Very Rev. Father Graham, S.M., M.A., Rev. Fathers Cooney and Dignan,

S.M. Apologies for absence were received from the Rev. Dr. Kennedy and Rev. Father Bowden, S.M. An enjoyable musical programme was contributed to by the Very Rev. Dean Hills, Rev. Father Dignan, S.M., Mesdames Cherry and Kiver, Miss Clifford, Messrs MacDonald and C. Goggin; Mr. F. Rowe recited. Recalls were the order of the evening, the vocal items by Dean Hills especially meeting with an enthusiastic reception. At an interval Mr. W. Hayward, jun., on behalf of the parishioners of St. Mary’s, presented an address to Father Hoare. In doing so Mr. Hayward eulogised the excellent services of Father Hoare in St. Mary’s parish, and expressed the delight of all at his safe return home. Amid prolonged applause, Father Hoar© expressed his gratitude to all for their kindly thoughtfulness in arranging so warm a welcome in his honor. He thanked Dean Hills in an especial manner for making possible the holiday, he (the speaker) had recently enjoyed. Holidays or pleasure trips were not, he added, looked for as a practice by priests, but there came a time in the experience of them all when such an interval in their lives was a benefit to a priest physically, as well as spiritually. The address, a particularly chaste and artistic production in scroll form, was engrossed and illuminated by the Sisters of Mercy of St. Mary’s Convent, Colombo street. Mrs. Mead and Mrs. Cronin played the accompaniments during the evening, and the duties of secretary were discharged by Mr. C. Delany.