1950
17 January 1950
GLEN DAVIS CATHOLIC SCHOOL
Dr. Norton, Bishop of Bathurst, will bless and open the Catholic Church School and Convent of Mercy, at Glen Davis on Sunday, 29th, January, 1950.
The ceremony will be followed by a public meeting in the grounds.
The Sisters of Mercy from Bathurst arrived at Glen Davis on 28th December and are engaged in preparing the school and convent, visiting parents and enrolling the children. The school will commence work at the end of the summer holidays.
The people of Glen Davis are very interested and have given practical support specially the men, who have done much voluntary work1
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3 February 1950
NEW CATHOLIC SCHOOL AT GLEN DAVIS BLESSED
The new Catholic school at Glen Davis, to be conducted by the Sisters of Mercy from Bathurst, was blessed on Sunday afternoon by His Lordship, Bishop Norton, in the presence of a large gathering of clergy and laity.
Prominent among the latter were Messrs. E. J. Kenny, L. Rogers, Christie and Cr. J. Hall.
The following priests had accepted the invitation of Very Rev. G. O'Byrne, P.P., Kandos, to take part in the ceremony: Very Rev. M. Howard, C.M., President of St. Stanislaus' College, Father J. M. Ring, P.P. (Coonamble), Fathers. Henry and Moore (Portland), Father J. Gallagher, Diocesan Inspector of Schools, Rev. T. Healy (Blayney), and Rev. J. Cass (Kandos).
After the blessing, the Very Rev. Father O'Byrne, P.P., presided at the public meeting in the grounds, at which addresses were delivered by His Lordship the Bishop, Father O'Byrne, Mr. E. J. Kenny, of the National Oil Works, Father Ring, Father J. Gallagher and Cr. J. Hall.
An appeal for funds was made by Very Rev. M. Howard, C.M., and a vote of thanks to the Bishop was moved by Father J. C. Moore.
The Bishop said Glen Davis had a great national commercial undertaking on which large hopes rested.
Its importance had been heavily underlined in recent days of petrol shortages. All were anxious that it would be a complete success, that the plant would be worked to its full capacity so that it would supply a larger part of the country's petrol needs.
VALUE OF EDUCATION STRESSED
In order that it would do so, the men working in it must live and work under good material conditions. They must feel that by remaining they were not depriving themselves or their families of any of the advantages to be found in the older towns.
The Warm welcome given to the Sisters of Mercy by the parents was a proof of how eagerly their coming had been looked forward to. In the future, the Catholic men would work much more contentedly, as their consciences would be at rest. They would be satisfied that their children, being educated in a Catholic school, would be as well off, in this all-important matter, as the children of Kandos or Portland or any of the neighboring towns.
The Catholics of Glen Davis were thus doing their part to create peace in industry by providing the right atmosphere, where men would work with better heart and a fuller measure of goodwill because they were aware that their children, their first responsibility, were no longer being handicapped, he said.
Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament was given by the Bishop, assisted by Father Ring2
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