Knights of the Blessed Sacrament, Wellington

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LII, Issue 5, 4 February 1925, Page 35

Knights of the Blessed Sacrament, Wellington

The week-end Retreat for laymen was made the occasion of a rally for enrolments in this world-wide movement, and all of the Retreatants gave their solemn word of honor to observe the conditions attached -to the Knighthood of the Blessed Sacrament, viz., weekly Communion (daily if possible), faithfulness to Benediction and Exposition of -the Blessed Sacrament, and if unable to visit a church when passing, to respectfully raise their hats with the ejaculation “Hail my Lord and my God.” At the time of Archbishop Redwood’s jubilee the presentation of a gold badge of the Knights, together with an illuminated address from the New Zealand Knights, was crowded out, and the subsequent absence of his Grace in Europe delayed the ceremony until the Retreat provided the opportunity last Sunday, when his Grace was present. The Rev. Father McGrath, on behalf of the Knights, welcomed his Grace, and explained that tho Knights of the Blessed Sacrament was a war-time foundation by Catholic soldiers who wished to make their sacrifice to the King of Kings. The movement was blessed and approved by our Holy Father and was now world-wide. He called upon Knight A. Conroy—joined the movement in England, and who, when he came to this country, pioneered it m New Zealand—to read the address and hand to his Grace the gold badge of the Knights. Following is the text of the address,, which was beautifully illuminated by Knight Conroy’s brother; May it please your Grace, We, the Crusaders of the Blessed Sacrament, desire to avail ourselves of the occasion of your Episcopal Golden Jubilee to express to you the loyal and loving sentiments of our Order towards your Grace as the great Knight Commander of our Holy Church in New Zealand.

In, the; episcopal life of your Grace there has been, under God, such a wonderful blend-, ing of the heroic and tho marvellous that we, as Knights and Handmaids of the Blessed Sacrament cannot but recognise in your devotion to our Eucharistic Lord the vital factor in your every achievement. The romance of another Knight, Sir Galahad, poetically tells us of difficulties and dangers surmounted,- with the quest of the chalice wherein were caught the last drops of the precious Blood, as motive. But we see in your career no less chivalrynot in the seeking of a. sacred souvenir has your life of abundant fruitfulness been spent. By the daily holding and receiving the sacred reality of Calvary you have pursued the Vision Glorious— nobler quest of Christian Knighthood—Souls and more souls. By the thousands of Masses you have celebrated and by the hundreds of thousands of Holy Communions you have administered, by the more than a hundred priests of your ordaining, .and • the numerous eucharistic homes of your blessing, to effect the miracle and to perpetuate the memory of the first Holy Thursday, we hail you by these and every other right and title the Knight General of our Order in New Zealand. In token of this office, which we now humbly ask you officially to undertake, we beg your acceptance of the accompanying gold cross of our Order, conveying the heartfelt sentiments of devotedness with which we subscribe ourselves. R. D. Hoskins, k.r.0., k.b.s, A. Conroy, k.c.u.s. His Grace in replying thanked the Knights for tho honor conferred upon him. No Archbishop (said his Grace) would be worthy of that office if he had not an affection and love for the Blessed Sacrament and of a movement promoted to honor and spread devotion to that great Sacrament. He assured the movement of his paternal affection- and blessed it with all his heart. He congratulated them on the great good that they were doing. His Grace then gave ah entertaining account of his visit to Rome and to the Eucharistic Congress at Amsterdam, where ho was most enthusiastically received. His Holiness received him most cordially, and was deeply interested in the account which his Grace gave of New Zealand. His Grace .presented to His Holiness a- colored photo of his jubilee celebrations, which the Holy Father was most pleased to receive.. The Holy Father then presented the Archbishop with a gold medal, and commissioned him to impart the Papal Blessing to his people in New Zealand. In conclusion, his Grace imparted the Papal Blessing to (he Retreat-' ants. . > '