ARCHDIOCESE OF WELLINGTON

New Zealand Tablet, 24 April 1919, Page 21

ARCHDIOCESE OF WELLINGTON

(From our own correspondent.) April 17. llic ceremonies ot Holy Week are being solemnly observed in the principal Catholic churches of the city. Large numbers approached the Holy Table on Holy Thursday. Last Tuesday week some very fine lantern slides depicting Jerusalem and the holy places connected with the life of our Lord were shown at St. Joseph’s. There was a large attendance. The descriptive lecture given by Father Hurley was'most interesting. At a recent meeting of the St. Anne’s Parish Committee it was decided to promote an entertainment for May 7, in aid of the Sisters of Mercy of that parish. The Thomas Moore Anniversary Musical Festival Committee held a meeting on last Friday evening, when business in connection with the competitions and annual concert was discussed. Entries for the competitions close on April 30.

Mr. D. J. Leahy, of the ■ Railway Department, Woodville, and a prominent worker in Catholic affairs in that district as secretary of the Catholic Federation and Hibernian Society, has received an appointment on the staff of the National Provident Fund, and transferred to this city.

The sum of .£SO -has been cabled by .the Dominion Executive of the N.Z. Catholic Federation to; the., treasurer of the committee in England which is arrang- . ing the visits of Catholic soldiers to Lourdes. . A large . number of New Zealand Catholic soldiers have already made the pilgrimage.

The following donations have been received by the Dominion treasurer of the N.Z. Catholic Federation towards the Lourdes pilgrimage fund:-“A wellwisher,” Hastings, 10s; Mrs. M. F. Egan, Maungawhau Road, Newmarket, 5s ; S. G. D. K., Aramoho, 10s; Lieut. John Duggan, Wellington, £1 Is; Mrs. G. Fraser, Northcote (per N.Z. Tablet), 7s 6d; Mrs, D. Tynan Fahey, Riverton, £1; “Octagon,”' Dunedin, 10s; V. Twohill, Box 40, Thames, 10s;total, £4 13s 6d.

Wanganui

(From our own correspondent.) April 17. . Lent is almost over, and how quickly it has gone. As I write, we are all preparing,, spiritually and temporally, for - Easter. On Holy Thursday morning at High Mass, the children’s choir did the singing, y They sang the Mass for the first time, also the “Pang© •: Lingua” and other incidentals. The young voices are very sweet, and the little girls very interested in their ■ choir work, as they quite realise that to be the faithful ; servants their mothers, older sisters, aunts, and friends • have been, there is something like twenty, thirty, or * even more years of solid devotion ahead of them. , Meantime, they have started well and are happy in their work, for virtue is surely its own reward.

The welcome to the returned Maoris last week was a wonderful celebration. Crowds of Natives, somewhere about 900, assembled at the Putiki Pah, and occasion was taken to have Mass over there, two Masses being necessary to accommodate the visitors and residents. Among the number of notable chiefs working hard to make things go well was Tanginoa Tapa, of Parakino, up-river member of the Maori Council, and a well-known Catholic. His son, Private Robert Tapa, is one of the returned men, and the following are also Catholic —Privates R. Tamakehu, P. Kahukura, H. Paitaka, and S. Tapa, from Parakino; and Lance-Corporal E. Erueti, Privates C. King, D. Tonihi, P. Katene, and Rangi, from Jerusalem.

A social was held during the week at Fordell, to gather in funds for some vestments. As this was the first Catholic social out there, great interest was taken by all the settlers, and the six Catholic families living at Fordell worked absolutely 100 per cent, strong: surely a record the best parish in New Zealand would do well to imitate. The hall was lent free of charge by Mr. McGovern, Mesdames McGovern, Sheehan, Corkery, Crater, O’Leary, and Carroll, with whatever help they could get, decorating it out of all recognition. These good ladies also provided the supper, and in such generous quantity that quite a lot of left-over cakes were sent in to the Children’s Orphanage in town. A concert was arranged in which the Misses McGovern, O’Leary, and Turnbull (Fordell) took part, and some friends went out from Wanganui, the Misses Koorey, Boyle, Kenny, and Mrs Ahern contributing items also. Mr. Harper (Fordell) very generously supplied the music for the social, and altogether something over 100 happy people spent an enjoyable night, and helped to make vestments for Fordell possible.

Rev. J. Kelly, Ph.D., Dunedin, who has been for a short holiday in the Taranaki district, called at Wanganui on his way home.

Word was received to-day by Father O’Connell, that his youngest brother, Lance-Corporal T. O’Connell, died at sea a day or two ago. The sad news was not altogether unexpected, as Father O’Connell knew that his brother was dangerously ill, but everyone hoped for the best., Pv r e all extend our deep sympathy

to our priest and to the members of the family, especially. Mr. and Mrs. O’Connell, the father and mother of the deceased soldier, who were hoping that their boy would last till the Maheno, due in a couple of days now, would arrive. Napier (From our own correspondent.) April 18. Sapper W. F. Hynes, brother of Mr. A. R. Hynes, and eldest son of the late Mrs. E. Hynes, of Napier, was recently reported to have died from sickness .in France. The deceased soldier left New Zealand with the 6th Tunnelling Corps, and had come through the campaign without a wound. Another brother was killed in-action earlier in the war. Deepest sympathy is extended to Mr. A. Hynes and the Misses Hynes in their sad loss. —R.l.P. Father M. O’Leary, who assisted in giving the mission at Port Ahuriri Church (St. Mary’s), left last week for Taupo, eu route to Auckland. Father Ainsworth, who has been conducting the mission at Napier, left on Tuesday last for Wellington. He gives a mission at Wellington after Easter. Miss Alice M. Morton, who for the past seven years has been a member of the 11. 8. Hospital and Charitable Aid Board staff at Napier, firstly at the town office, and latterly at the hospital administration office, was met by members of both the town and hospital staffs and made the recipient of two handsome presentations, on the occasion of her departure for Christchurch, where she joins the Sisters of the Notre Dame des Missions. In the unavoidable absence of the secretary (Mr. J. Schoole) the presentation, was made by Mr. P. R. Smyrk, who made feeling reference to the splendid spirit and goodwill that had always existed between Miss Morton and the staff members during her long period of valuable service. After eulogising her sterling qualities and capabilities,' Mr. Smyrk, on behalf of all present, wished the recipient every prosperity in her new calling, and presented her with a handsome leather travelling toilet companion, suitably inscribed, and a travelling rug. Miss Morton made suitable response. On Sunday afternoon Miss Morton was met at the convent by members of the Children of Mary Sodality, and presented with a handsomely bound book as a small taken of their love and esteem. She had been a member of this sodality for many years. Miss Morton was also the recipient of several other private presentations. She left for Wellington on Monday last, en route to Christchurch.

The mission which was given at St. Mary’s Church, Port Ahuriri, last week, was a pronounced success. No doubt a mission was needed in that district, but the parishioners made ready response, and they are to be congratulated on the manner in which they attended both the morning and evening services. Though a small parish, the numbers approaching the Holy Table each day were close on 200. Each night very impressive sermons were delivered by the missiouers. Fathers Ainsworth and O’Leary, and no doubt much lasting good will be the result of this mission. On the closing day of the mission (Palm Sunday), a general Communion was made as a thanksgiving for those saved from the epidemic. On Sunday night the mission was brought to a close with the solemn service of the profession of faith and renewal of the Baptismal vows. On Monday morning Requiem Masses were offered up for those who died in the war, those who died in the epidemic, and other deceased parishioners.

While in Hawke’s Bay Father Ainsworth also gave a short but successful mission at Paki Paki.

When it was intended to have the mission at St. Mary’s Church, Port Ahuriri, in November, 1918, it was considered unwise to hold it while the armistice celebrations were on. For that reason it was postponed, only to be followed by the dread epidemic, which necessitated its postponement till this month. Even this time it was interrupted by the liquor referen-

dum poll excitement, but this did not have the slightest effect on the congregation, who attended in even large# numbers on that night. Wairoa (Hawke’s Bay) A very pleasant gathering was held at St. Joseph’s* Convent School, Queen Street, Wairoa, on Thursday,, April 10, to do honor to Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Corkill;, who for the past 25 years without a break Lave pro*vided the music at the annual Catholic social on St.. Patrick s Night (writes a correspondent). After several! vocal and instrumental items, Mr. F. J. Foot apologised for the absence of Father Lepretre, who was unavoidably absent on duty in Napier. Mr. Foot then', spoke of the wonderful work ol the early pioneers off the Church, with special mention of the missionaries; and early priests of New Zealand, and of the Rev.. pastor, Father Lepretre, who originally officiated atWairoa as a Maori Missionary, and finally as pakeha parish priest, and of those who had helped him to* erect church and schools and convent, and instanced' the guests of lire evening as high types of earnest, workers. Concluding, amidst tiro applause of all: present, he handed Mr. Corkill a purse of sovereigns; as a mark of recognition by the congregation of St.. Peter s of the excellent and sympathetic help given by Mr. and Mrs. Corkill and their gifted children to the good work of the faith. Mr. Corkill, who was received with cheers, spoke of the piety, goodness, and kindness of Father Lepretre, whose temporary absence he much regretted, who had arrived at Wairoa a robust young priest and now was a venerable white headed pastor, lie (the speaker) insisted that Mrs. Corkili and himself were not more entitled to praise than many who were present, and many others who had departed or passed away, and with much feeling thanked the congregation for their kindly present with which he intended to purchase a memento of the occasion. Supper was served, and the social was continued for several hours. Special praise is due to Mr. John Dinnan, the organiser and master of ceremonies, and to Mesdames Dinnan, Buchanan, Renouf, Allan, and Pothan, who provided the supper. The gathering terminated with the singing of “Auld Lang Syne.”