Blessing and Opening of New Church at Waipawa

New Zealand Tablet, 6 October 1921, Page 21

Blessing and Opening of New Church at Waipawa

The impressive ceremony of blessing and formal opening of the new Church of St. Patrick • at. Waipawa, Hawke's Bay, which has been erected to replace the one destroyed by fire in March of last year, took place on Sunday the 18th ult. His Grace Archbishop O'Shea officiated, and there was a very large attendance, the interest of. the Catholic community in the important event being shared in by many non-Catholic friends. Pontifical High Mass was celebrated by, his Lordship Dr. Liston,. CoadjutorBishap of Auckland; Rev. Father Tymons, S.M. (NapierV being assistant priest Rev. Father Schaeffer, S.M. (St. Patrick's College, Wellington), deacon; Rev. Dr. Casey, S.M. (St. Mary's Seminary, Greenmeadows), sub-deacon y and , Rev. Father Minogue, master of ceremonies. His Grace Archbishop OiShea- presided in the sanctuary.

A strong choir recruited specially for the occasion and consisting of 22 voices gave a particularly fine rendering of Winter's Mass in C under the baton of Mr. B. Cosgrove.

At the conclusion of the Mass his Grace Archbishop O'Shea preached the occasional sermon.

In the course of an eloquent and appealing address the Archbishop referred to the dangers which menace

civilisation to-day. It had been declared, he said, that the war would purify the world and remedy all the evils which prevailed. Results had not justified that hopeful ; prophecv, and the present state was worse than the former. The division between Capital and Labor was more acute, whilst extravagance and sensuality had greatly increased, and the marriage and divorce problem threatened the very existence of the home and family. The politicians had endeavored to ameliorate the sufferings of the oppressed, but their efforts had not been productive of much success. Unless a remedy, were found the forces of unrest threatened" to destroy the whole fabric of civilisation, to wreck the work of ages. Continuing the Archbishop said that only in Christianity could be.found an adequate remedy for all these evils. It had already solved similar and even worse problems in the history of mankind. ~ But it must be admitted that the Church's most effective work .for the nations was done when Christianity was one and undivided. * Unfortunately, four hundred years of division had had its effect, and in' any attempt to settle these after-war problems a divided Christendom meant only temporary v and partial success. .' "

The need -for reunion was being acknowledged more and more as time went by. If we wished to make this world a happier and better one, the ideal to work for was. a united Church. For how could wo have a .better world unless we got rid of some of the things that kept men in hostile camps to-day bitterly opposed to each other, and enabled them to be used as tools by the powerful and unscrupulous? And one of the greatest sources of division and animosity was to be found in religious differences. For these differences none of the people at present living were responsible. They were an unfortunate legacy from the past. Complete reunion might not come for a long time, though he felt that it was bound to come eventually. There could be no doubt that Christ meant His Church to be one—that He made unity its greatest distinguishing mark. Moreover, He prayed for it, and His prayer would be effective. After all, four hundred years of schism and division was only a very short period m the past history of Christianity, and it woulld probably Jappear-even more insignificant in that same history in the centuries to come.

Crisis Will Hasten It

' Though reunion might not come all at once, the Archbishop thought that the natural course of events, assisted by the Holy Spirit,, would force it on. The great crisis now facing the world might, indeed, hasten it. Just as the nations as secular entities were being forced to forget their differences and to come together to save the material side of civilisation, so Christians would, have to unite to save the spiritual foundations of society No matter how great were the obstacles to reunion-and he did not wish to minimise them-they must not be discouraged, for the practical results for the world would far outweigh the difficulties, , The duty of Catholics on this question was to try at all times to eliminate religious differences and rivalries, even before any further steps might be made towards reunion. Let them refrain from attacking and blaming each 'other. And by means of prayer and charity m thought and word, and by co-operation in work m all things not forbidden by their principles, let them endeavor to defend the plain people from the evils of militarism, greed, and sensuality that were being forced upon them. Finally, by means of this cooperation and mutual sympathy, they

would be helping to create an atmosphere favorable to that greater thing—the ultimate reunion of Christendom.

. At the conclusion of his sermon the Archbishop congratulated the parishioners on the erection of such a beautiful place of worship, and conveyed the warm thanks of the Church to all who had assisted-Catholics and nonCatholicsin providing the necessary funds and carrying the work to completion. He spoke approvingly of the work of the contractors, Coles Bros., and/ of the efforts of. Father Minogue. He expressed the hope that the

parishioners would' see to it that ere the day's ceremonies closed the church stood absolutely free of debt.

- In the evening Pontifical Benediction was given byhis Grace Archbishop O'Shea, assisted by the Rev. Father Schaffer, S.M., as deacon, and Rev. Dr. Casey, S.M., as sub-deacon, his Lordship Dr. Liston being present in the sanctuary.

The sermon was preached by Rev. Father Schaeffer, who traced vividly the history of the building of the Ark of the Covenant by David and the Great Temple of Jerusalem

by his son Solomon to house the Ark. He told how the most refined gold and incorruptible wood only were used in the construction of the Ark which was to contain the tables of the law, and also some of the manna which was but a symbol of the Holy Bread' of the New Law. But King David because of his blood-guilt was not permitted by the Almighty to build the temple, this great task being reserved for one of his sons whose hands had taken no human blood. For this stupendous work the rich, ,he said, poured in their vessels of gold and silver and their richest gems for the innermost sanctuary or the Holy of Holies, and the queens and princes of the world stood in amaze and admiration before the great completed work of Solomon.

But the humblest Catholic church contained something more sacred than the temple of Jerusalem, for it was the home of Christ Himself —not only of His divine spirit, but of Christ in the flesh. Could then any home be too grand for such a Guest. In the Holy of Holies stood the figures of two great angels wrought in gold, but about the tabernacle of a Catholic church unseen angels bowed in humble adoration and attended upon the Divine Guest within. He told how the builders of the grand old cathedrals and wonderful churches- spread over Europe had wrought with but one thought in.mind. In those days was no. great wealth in gold and silver, as in these days of modern commerce,: yet the rich of those times gave' freely of their lands and* their gold, while the poor gave of ; their labor, patiently seeking

to give perfection to every detail of the carved stone, even though designed for a place beyond the sight of the human worshipper who might attend there. To their simple, yet truly Christian minds, nothing was too good for God.

He congratulated • the people on the church they had seen that morning blessed and opened. It was one that they might indeed be proud of. But let them remember above all Him whom it housed —let them visit Him frequently in the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist, and their beautiful church would not have been erected in vain.

The church which has arisen from the ashes of the old edifice is one which not only the Catholics but the whole district has good reason to be proud of. It is of a pretty and striking design, built the plan of Father Schaeffer by Messrs. Coles. Bros., of Onga Onga. A porch 16ft by Bft gives entrance from either side. The nave is 56ft by 27ft,

~with 14ft.' studs, the sanctuary 17ft. by,l4ft., and the choir 20ft. by 14ft. There are two sacristies 12ft. by 14ft. and Bft. by 14ft. respectively.' The sanctuary is beautifully finished with an oak dado and Petross panelling. The church is erected on a concrete foundation, all the exposed timber is heart, and the interior work the best 0.8. rimii. All the windows are lead-lights of artistic design, and a beautiful rose window over the entrance porch gives an excellent finish to the whole work. The front fence

has been replaced by an imposing stone wall with two en-

trances. The whole work; has cost' in the ;region of £4OOO.