Now Completed

Honiara Has

New Landmark

Holy Cross Cathedral Now Completed

r[E completion of the new Roman Catholic Pro-Cathedral in Honiara, BSIP. was fittingly [celebrated on Sunday, July 21.

As many members of the BSIP [Mission as possible came into Honiara for the occasion and the services were attended by Govern ; ment officials and other leading 'citizens.

The church is modern in style and as it is built on the brow of the hill overlooking Honiara, it is a land-mark that can been seen -far out to sea. The grounds have already been planted with flowering shrubs and two statues with a history flank the flights of steps that lead up from the road.

The statues were outside the former Pro-Cathedral at Visale.

Visale Cathedral itself was com pletely destroyed during the Pacific War but the statues [fortunately escaped with little The new church was built from 'plans given by a Brisbane architect, Mr. P. Cullen. A distinct feature of it is the fixed and movable louvres, and the general effect of colour and light which is achieved by the pastel interior painting and ithe strip fluorescent lighting that (continues down the whole length of the church. [ In the week preceding the celebration, natives and native pods poured into Honiara from places as far distant as Malaita.

At 9 a.m. on July 21 the Most Rev. J. M. Aubin, SM, DD. CBE, Ch.d.H., in cope and mitre and With crozier in hand, left the presbytery preceded by the priests of his Mission and by the altar servers. These were boys from the Marist Brothers’ school and from the Tenaru minor seminary. ■ For the Solemn Blessing His MDrdship was assisted by Frs. D.

Btuyvenberg, SM, and F. Kennedy, SM. After he had blessed the pxterior, the servers and priests went before him up the main aisle to the singing of the Litany of the Saints. All the singing for the Blessing and for the Pontifical High Mass was sung by the school-boys and school-girls of Visale. After Messing the altar, and the interior tfalls, the Bishop dedicated the dew Church to the Holy Cross. [ The name “Holy Cross” will perpetuate the memory of the historic circumstances under which the Solomon Islands first made contact with Catholicism. When Mendana’s expedition of 1568 came ishore where Honiara now stands, •here were four Franciscan priests present who were chaplains to the

seamen of the vessels. These Fathers erected a Cross on a hill overlooking the present anchorage which Mendana named Fort Cruz The name has since changed to Point Cruz.

The first Catholic missionaries to come to the Solomon Islands were members of the Society of Mary, and it is their successors who are still working on Guadalcanal, .Malaita, and San Cristoval.

Those heroic pioneers are also commemorated by this new church A brick from the dwelling built by them at Makira Bay, San Cristoval, in 1846, is included in the facade. Of those pioneers 2 priests and a brother were slain not long after their arrival.

The Acting High Commissioner.

Mi. R. j Minnet, accompanied by- Mr. J. Hearth, of the Secretariat represented the Government; and amongst the distinguished guests was Mr. P. J. Twomey, of New Zea land, who has done so much for the lepers of the South Pacific.

Following the religious ceremonies.

Pontifical High Mass and the Papal Blessing, European and Chinese guests were entertained at an open air buffet lunch in the Cathedral grounds, and natives enjoyed one of their typical feasts.

It is fitting that the Cathedral should be completed in this year— which is the 50th year of Bishop Aubin’s missionary work in the

Solomons-

Civis.