Diocesan News

New Zealand Tablet, Volume L, Issue 6, 8 February 1923, Page 28

Diocesan News

ARCHDIOCESE OF WELLINGTON (From our own correspondent.)

** February 3. Rev. Father Smyth, S.M., Adm., will open his new hall (St. Francis’s), Hill Street, next Saturday, the 10th inst., with a picture entertainment. It is Father Smyth’s intention to hold these entertainments every Saturday afternoon and evening. The Marist Fathers of the archdiocese, numbering 47, commenced their annual Retreat at St. Patrick’s College last Monday. Rev. Father Walsh, C.SS.R., is the preacher. Rev. Father S. Mahony, S.M., has decided to complete St. Mary of the Angels’ Church, and lias accepted a tender for the outside plastering. Rev. Father Connolly, of Kilbirnie, is just completing a new building at Seatoun to servo as a church and school. The school will be opened on Monday, and will supply a long-felt want in that rapidly growing district. Everything possible is being done to make the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations for 1923 worthy of the great saint who is to be honored. Various sub-committees are engaged in working up the necessary details to ensure success.

The Right Rev. Dr. Liston, Coadjutor-Bishop of Auckland, was in Wellington during the week.

The annual Communion of the members of all the Wellington branches of the Hibernian Society will take place on Sunday, March 11, at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Thorndon. The annual breakfast will be held after Mass at the new hall (St. Francis’s), Hill Street, and will be provided by the members of the Thorndon branch. Wanganui (From our own correspondent.) February 1. The garden party held at Mr. H. E. Zeisler’s residence, Gonville, in aid of that district’s church-building fund, was not the success it would have been had the sun shone. Following up a succession of more or less bad days, the day of the party started off well enough, but just at midday the rain began and by two o’clock it was simply pouring. Town friends who had been looking forward to the afternoon’s outing and who were ready for the road when the heavy rain came on, could have wept also. However, some of them did the next best thing—sent in their small donation to Rev. Father McGrath —which he thought was a good sort of idea, and likely to be followed by all who were unable to go to the pretty grounds and be fleeced artistically.

Rev. Father Riordan is looking after us while our Father Mahony and the others are attending the Retreat. Rev. Father Boyle left last week for Sydney, where he is to take up duties for the present.

After a break of something like three years we are to have a grown-up choir, and the juvenile choir is to become part of it. There are so many new folk in the congregationmen and maidsand so many of the choir that was still with us that it should be easy to get a very fair collection of voices together. Meetings have been held, office-bearers elected, and nothing remains now 7 but to “let her go.” A little word of appreciation can’t hurt the girls who, under the Conductress, Sister Charles have stuck to the work so faithfully. They did their big best every bit of the time, and if the rest of us do as much, Heaven will have to be enlarged for requirements.

Rev. Father Vincent, S.M. (Wellington), was here for several days, he having preached the Retreat to the Sisters. This is over now, many changes have been effected and the Sisters have dispersed to their various convents as school begins in a few days. How the. holidays have flown; especially for those of us who didn’t have any. January is gone, here we are at Candlemas and looking forward to Lent in less than a fortnight. ’ (Continued on page 31.) * ,