CATHOLIC FEDERATION

New Zealand Tablet, 5 August 1915, Page 27

CATHOLIC FEDERATION

DUNEDIN DIOCESAN COUNCIL. The annual meeting of the Dunedin Diocesan Council of the Catholic Federation was held on Wednesday evening at the Bishop’s Palace,, Dunedin. The Very Rev. Father Coffey, Adm. (president), presided, and the other members of the executive present were Messrs. J. Kelleher (vice-president), T. J. Hussey (treasurer), and J. .1 Lilly (secretary). The following delegates attended—South Dunedin, Rev. Father Delany and Mr. .1. J. Marlow: Milton, Rev. Father Howard. After some introductory remarks, Very Rev. Father Coffey called upon the secretary to read the annual report of the executive, which was as follows: Your executive committee have much pleasure in again meeting branch representatives, and regret that circumstances will not permit, the presence of direct delegates from every parish. With a view of bringing about a more desirable state of affairs the executive have a proposal to put before you which will to some extent, we hope, get over the present difficulty. Membership,.—Your committee regret that the figures submitted to you do not show an increase in the roll of membership. The only test that can be applied is to reckon only those who have paid their subscriptions, and by this it will be found that we have 3140 members. Your committee think that this total is saisfactory, considering the number who assist in the enrolment, but they are firmly convinced that if the number of workers were doubled the membership would be doubled or perhaps trebled. • Finances.—The total receipts for the year, including a balance brought forward, were £195 2s 7d, whilst the expenditure amounted to .£136 17s Id, leaving a credit balance of £SB 5s 6d. For the building fund of the hall for Catholic soldiers at Trentham the sum of £29 had been received, the amount being made up as follows:—Cromwell, £3; Riversdalo and Dunedin, £2 each : Gore, Ophir, Mosgiel, Winton, Invercargill, South Dunedin, Milton, Queenstown, Lawrence, Wrey’s Bush, Ranfurly, and Riverton, £1 each. , By the desth of the Right Rev. Dr. Grimes, Bishop of Christchurch, a breach has been made in the ranks of our hierarchy. This diocese was greatly indebted to the late Bishop Grimes for numerous acts of kindness, and your committee, whilst sympathising with his people, sincerely deplore the loss which the diocese of Christchurch, and the Catholic Church generally, have sustained. Your executive feel that they can speak for the whole of the Catholic people of Otago and Southland regarding the illness of the beloved Bishop of Auckland. The Catholics of this diocese, in common with their co-religionists throughout this Dominion, are his debtors for an enormous amount of work done on their behalf, and they fervently hope and pray for his speedy restoration to health, and early return to New Zealand. • As no remits have been sent forward for discussion, your committee are at a loss whether to attribute this to a want of interest on the part of the branches, or as an evidence that the parish committees feel that the interests of the Federation are safe in the hands of the executive. Your executive have the following motion to bring before you — ( That iii the opinion of this Council it is desirable that future annual meetings be

held in June (during the Winter Show-week), to facilitate the meeting together of town and country .representatives, and thus permit of an interchange of views on Catholic questions. - Secretaries and Officers.—Your committee heartily congratulate the various branches upon securing the services of such enthusiastic workers as Messrs. E. O’Neill (Mosgiel), M. Francis (Gore), James Airey (Dunedin), John Cody (Hcddon Bush), and Miss Ethel Gudgeon (Queenstown), as secretaries. They desire to thank the retiring officers, Messrs. J. Curran (Mosgiel), B. .Kelly (Gore), J. McNamara (Invercargill), J. J. Mcßride (Queenstown), and P. A. Cusack (Wrey’s Bush), for zealous and faithful services. To those other ladies and gentlemen who still continue to bear the burden of office, either as - secretaries or members of branch committees, your executive beg to tender their most grateful thanks and appreciation. The President.— It would ill become the executive to let such an opportunity pass without offering double congratulations to the worthy and esteemed president of this Council, the Very Rev. Father Coffey, in the first place on happily attaining last month the silver jubilee of his ordination, and in the second, unon being able to mark the happy event" by the completion (alter many years of strenuous work) of a parish school for the Christian Brothers a school which in construction and equipment has been pronounced by those competent to judge as second to none in this city of numerous and well-endowed educational establishments. That the worthy Father may enjoy good health to labor for many more years in the Master’s vinevard is the wish of the executive--a wish, they feci sure, that will be re-echoed by the delegates. At the conclusion of the reading of t lie report, Mr. T. J. Hussey (treasurer) presented the balance sheet, which gave in detail the amounts received from the different branches, and also the various items of expenditure. Very Rev. Father Coffey, in moving the adoption of the report and balance sheet, explained that the receipt of large remittances from some of the branches was due to the fact that, owing to the alteration of the date on which the financial year*ended, some branches had included in their receiots subscriptions received during a part of the previous year. Mr. Marlow proposed the resolution with regard to the date of the annual meeting, as given in the annual report. Very Rev. Father Coffey, in supporting the resolution, pointed out that Show Week would be the most, suitable time to bold the annual meeting of the Diocesan Council, as during that period there were representatives in Dunedin from nearly every parish in Otago and Southland. The motion was agreed to. Reports of the work done during the year were Teceived from the branch secretaries at Invercargill, Mosgiel, Wrey’s Bush, Wiutou, Milton, Alexandra, and Queenstown. A request from the last-mentioned to hold the annual meeting of that branch in the early part of the year, as it was inconvenient for members to travel long distances in winter, was granted. On the motion of the Very Rev. Father Coffey it was decided that a resolution expressive of the sympathy of the Diocesan Council with the Right Rev. Dr. Cleary, Bishop of Auckland, in his illness, be forwarded to his Lordship. The election of officers resulted ns follows:—President, Very Rev. Father Coffey, Ad : vice-presi-dents, Messrs. D. L. Poppelwcll (Gore) and J. Ivelleher; secretary, Mr. J. Hally: treasurer, Mr. T. J. Hussey; auditor, Mr. J. A. Brown; delegates to Dominion Council, Very Rev. Father Coffey, Messrs. D. L. Poppelwell and T. J. Hussey. The diocesan executive is to consist of the president, vice-presidents, secretary, and treasurer. . . This concluded the business.