The Children of Mary at St Anthony’s Parish had a busy time over Easter as well.
They finished off the brass-cleaning which the Girls’ School had started on the Day of Recollection. This was a huge job, getting all the stored brass and the brass off the altar cleaned. As we are near the sea and the river the atmosphere is both damp and salty, which means brass tarnishes easily.
As well the Children of Mary had the responsibility for putting up the Altar of Repose. This was to be put up in the Parish Library where there is already and altar for Mass if there are too many priests in the parish wanting to say Mass. The girls draped hangings behind the altar, put up lights and decorated the altar with flowers. They had to call in the talents of a tall boy to put up the very highest draperies as they could not reach. The highest points. Everybody agreed that it was a truly reverent and inspirational Altar of Repose.
As well, many of the girls from the Children of Mary were involved in the Choir for the Midnight Mass and they all came back voluntarily next morning for the High Mass. Thank you, Children of Mary for all your work for the Parish over Easter!
I am so pleased to learn of this wonderful work of the Children of Mary. This Sodality is a great blessing to any parish and a great aid to sanctification for the young ladies involved. I was in the Sodality myself for a few short years, before it was discontinued by the modernists after the second Vatican Council. What a mistake this was. They discontinued one of the great treasures of the Church. The current Children of Mary are now the custodians of a great tradition of devotion to the Blessed Virgin as Our Mother and our role model as ladies. Clearly this tradition is flourishing again in the safe hands of the young ladies of Wanganui and the wonderful Sisters who train them.The Sisters are to be congratulated for restoring the Sodality, never more important than it is today, to counter the negative affects of so called feminism, which is so destructive of true womanhood. I urge all young ladies to join this Sodality wherever it is available. Congratulations once again dear Children of Mary of Wanganui. Your sense of service to your Priests and your sense of duty to the Church is an example to us all.