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1909
2 September 1909
Gulgong's New Convent.
OPENING AND BLESSING CEREMONIES.
THE DAYS OF THE EARLY GOLDFIELDS.
(BY OUR SPECIAL REPORTER.)
The opening of the grand new convent of the Sisters of St. Joseph at the famous old mining town of Gulgong, on Sunday, August 22, was one of marked jubilation for the people.
About noon on Saturday the Right Rev. Dr. Dunne (Bishop of Bathurst) arrived by motor from Mudgee, and early on Sunday morning visitors began to pour into the town from the surrounding districts. Sydney, Mudgee, Bathurst, Coonabarabran, Coolah, Goolma, Cassilis, Tallewang, Home Rule, and all the surrounding districts were well represented, while Gulgong itself turned out most unitedly. The day will ever rank as one of the greatest festivals held in Gulgong, and would have caused many of the hardy pioneers of the gold days to stand in amazement. They never conceived that the small bush diggings would attain such proportions, far less that the Catholics would possess such a complete array of buildings to promote the honour and glory of God; nor did they in their wildest flights of imagination think the hastily-thrown up church of stringy bark would grow to the magnificence of the beautiful church of the present day. A town now covers the site where the tents of the miners once stood, and the Catholic buildings occupy the choicest positions, being situated on a neat elevation to the north-west of the town. The pioneers started the promotion of Catholicity under the able guidance of their able pioneer priest and great athlete, the Right Rev. Monsignor O'Donovan, of Mudgee, and their sturdy descendants have completed that work.
Before the formation of the Gulgong parish the district was served from Mudgee, and many were the privations and hardships incidental to the unsettled state of the country in those days that the good priests went through so that they might administer religious consolation to the early settlers. Much of the history of Australian bushranging centres in and around the Gulgong district.
ALL HALLOWS CONVENT.
The stately new red brick building occupies a site at a slightly lower elevation than the church, and is a remarkable addition to the architecture of Gulgong. It consists of two storeys, with spacious verandahs and balconies on the northern and eastern sides. The first floor comprises the parlour, dining room, music-room, and several back rooms. On the second floor are six cells furnished in white, a boarders' dormitory, and a bathroom, all splendidly ventilated. Spacious halls run along both floors. The roof is ornamented with two gables, and iron railing surmounted by a cross. The building is thoroughly up to date in all its appointments. A complete system of electric alarms is installed throughout; also acetylene gas (a special plant has been erected to supply the Catholic buildings, as there is no gas company in Gulgong), and water, which is supplied from elevated tanks. Messrs. Stoddart and Cassimir (Mudgee) were the contractors, and carried out their work in a most satisfactory manner. The cost of the building was about £1700. The foundation-stone was laid by the Right Rev. Dr. Dunne during his previous Visit to Gulgong,
THE SERMON.
Eleven o'clock Mass was celebrated by Right Rev. Dr. Dunne, after which his Lordship preached the occasional sermon. Dr. Dunne said he had very great pleasure in coming to Gulgong to take part in what he believed to be the most important ceremony ever celebrated in that town. On various occasions during the last few years he had assisted at the dedication of religious works in Gulgong, but believing as he did that Christian education was the most important and fundamental principle of Catholicity, he looked upon the opening of their stately new convent as the most important of all. Matters in relation to Christian education had always been considered of the first importance in the estimation of the Church. On the occasion of his last visit to Gulgong the appeal made for the erection of the new convent received, without exception, promises of united and undoubted support, with the result that the present noble structure which adorns Gulgong was taken in hand. At the initial meeting his Lordship had counselled slow and sure procedure, but he was most agreeably surprised and astonished when the parish priest (Father O'Donnell) and people stated they had made arrangements, and were prepared to enter into bonds with the bank for the completion of a beautiful convent all at once. Their efforts during the last two years were deserving of the highest commendation, and showed the fine spirit of Catholicity that existed in the parish. The necessity of religious education was looked upon by Catholics as a necessary means of procuring spiritual happiness here and everlasting glory hereafter. Hence the teaching of Our Divine Lord: "This is life eternal, that they may know Thee, the Lord their God, and Him Whom Thou hast sent."
The same truth is equally proclaimed in the divine commission given by Christ to His disciples when He visibly departed from them. "Go ye, therefore, teach all nations; teach them to observe all things I have commanded you. He who believes and is baptised shall be saved, and he that does not believe shall be condemned."
NECESSITY OF RELIGIOUS TRAINING.
Now, various schemes for imparting religious training have been submitted to the public from time to time, but those in practical use, and deserving of any approbation, are - the home training, the Sunday school, and thorough Catholic education. Home training, to a large extent, being in accordance with the natural and divine law, can not be dispensed with, as parents are personally responsible for the temporal and everlasting happiness of their children. The Sunday school is a charitable effort to supply in a weak and ineffectual way the defects of the parental training, and though highly commendable as far as it goes, falls immeasurably short of the careful and continuous training required when eternal salvation is in question. The one religious lesson in the week - when other subjects are taught daily - would be more than enough to minimise the value of religion, and make the first and most sacred subject in all true education a mere matter of trivial and secondary importance. Now, the appropriate place for such holy training is surely the Catholic school, where the day's labour is begun with the adoration and praise of the Almighty; where the daily and most important instruction is one of our duties to God and ourselves and our fellow-beings; and on the knowledge and proper use of the precious means of our eternal salvation. The proper teachers for our little ones are evidently those who, in addition to possessing full and secular knowledge, are gifted with lively faith, adherent piety, and who at all sacrifices desire the salvation of their souls and the happiness confided to their care. Catholic parents are well aware of the importance and necessity of such religious training, and hence their anxiety, wherever it is possible, to have a branch of the Sisters to take charge of their children. He congratulated them on having such an efficient community of them in their midst, and in having prepared such a beautiful home for their comfort. It was no exaggeration to say that, while by no means the largest and most costly, it is one of the most complete and best-appointed convents in the diocese. He congratulated the good pastor and his committee on the energy and good taste displayed by them in all the details connected with this handsome building. As it is quite natural to suppose there is still a heavy liability on such a costly edifice, he hoped that the donations would materially reduce its indebtedness.
A subscription list was then opened, and met with a ready response.
During the Mass Miss McFadyen, of Syd ney, gave delightful renderings of Luzzi's "Ave Maria," "0 Salutaris Hostia" (Roberti), and "O Divine Redeemer" (Gounod), all of which were much appreciated4
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