The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-07-22
BENEATH THE SOUTHERN CROSS
INTERESTING LETTER FROM
ARCHBISHOP REDWOOD OF
WELLINGTON, NEW
ZEALAND.
Dedication of Catholic School and Con-
vent at Wairva-Hardships of
Travel-SoiI and Climate Of
New Zealand-Sisters of st.
Joseph Of Nazareth-Con-
firmation Tour-Praise
for The Catholic
Bulletin.

for The Catholic
Bulletin.
The Catholic Bulletin takes the
liberty of reproducing the following
letter received in st. Paul from the
M, D. D., Archbishop of Wellington,
New Zealand b
1t will be read with pleasure by all
who take interest in the growth and
of the Church and her
institutions in countries distant from
our own; and it will be of special
interest to those who had the pleas
ure of meeting Archbishop Redwood
during his visits to ST. Paul within
recent years. 1t breathes the apostolic
spirit of devotion to duty and faith in
the future prospects of the Church in
that sea-girt isle beneath the Southern
Cross, where there is a Catholic popu-
lation of 10000 souls presided over
by one Archbishop and three Bishops
and ministered to by almost 200
priests.
Wairva, Hawkes. Bay, N. a.,
May IL, 1911.
I am here in remote part of my
Diocese, about 40 miles by sea from
Napier, in Hawkes. Bay, and about "a
by coach road from the same town.
am bar-bound for some days waiting
for the steamer to come and cross the
bar at the mouth of the Wairya river
(Which gives it's name to the town.,
when the wind will change from the
south to the north, and the bar will
be reopened; it always is stopped up
by south wind The journey by land
is long and tedious, taking two days
owing to the steep hills and gorges,
and is not seldom attended with some
danger, especially in winter, for May
is our first month of winter-we leave
you the blossoms and flowers and
balmy breezes of that month on your
side of the globe.
Dedication of School and Convent.
I, last Sunday, opened a new con-
vent and school in this township
which contains total population of
all denominations Of about 1,5O0. The
Catholics are few comparatively, but
good and generous. This is the first
Catholic school and convent opened
here, and of course it was a great
event. The ceremony came off at 2:30
p. m. on last Sunday, / had before
hand at the last Mass confirmed about
80 children. There was a large crowd
of all sorts to witness the blessing of
the new convent and to listen to the
speeches prior to the collection. After
me the Mayor of the place spoke, and
several of the other leading citizens.
The burden of most of the speeches
was hearty welcome to the Sisters
of st. Joseph of the Sacred Heart Gan
Australian foundation of fifty years
standing and renowned throughout all
Australasia for their zeal, ability and
devotedness in the education of Cath
olic children.) To this theme was add
ed the expression of the bright hopes
increase of population and trade, par
ticularly when the new harbor works
of an extensive scale would be short
ly finished, and the river rendered
workable for steamers of small tom
mage at all times and in all winds.
The climate here is well nigh perfect,
mild and sunny milder than the mild
est part of the south of France, or
anges, lemons and grapes (and figs)
growing well il the open air. The
soil is most fertile, but at present too
much of it is owned by the Maoris,
who are rather negligent farmers.
Shortly large areas of these lands will
be purchased from the Maoris by the
Government and then resold to the
Europeans ani New Zealanders. Then
the district will go ahead briskly.
Sisters of st. Joseph of Nazareth.
On the Sunday before last laid the
foundation Of splendid brick con-
vent at Wa1gamis, $50 miles by rail
from Welling ngton. The building will
cost about 100000. 1t stands on a
magnificent site, st. Johns hill, over
looking Waigamis and its fine broad
river, Ton tie upper reaches of which
are some of the very finest scenery in
the world Ind commanding superb
view of the Pacific ocean. 1t is the
motherhousf, boarding school and no
vitiate of tie Order of the Sisters of
ST. Joseph of Nazareth, a diocesan
foundation ly myself and others, num-
bering in tie space of 80 years about
so sisters, who conduct number of
flourishing schools in several places
of the ArchdincnSn II iC hr1i1f On a