Storm Can't Halt St. Mary's Service, Car Lights Altar
Monday night's storm that plunged Oakville into darkness helped only to make the special Confirmation Services at St. Andrew's Catholic Church even more colorful and memorable than usual.
Against a flower-banked altar, lighted with dozens of wax tapers (?), Bishop J. F. Ryan, D.D., of Hamilton, performed the solemn rites while a pair of headlights from a motor car driven right up to the church doors was used to light up the main aisle for the congregation of several hundred parishioners.
Some 78 children and adults, including many converts, formed the largest Confirmation class in the recent history of St. Andrew's. Plans for the 40 school children, the girls in white with flowing veils and the boys wearing white armbands, to march in procession from St. Mary's school to the church had to be abandoned when the storm broke just before services were to begin at 7:30 p.m.
Following a few words of welcome from Rev. J. A. Kirby, pastor, the congregation was addressed by Bishop Ryan who stressed the necessity of increasing the number of vocations to the priesthood and sisterhood in view of the tremendous expansion in the catholic population of central Ontario, the importance of prayers in the home, the necessity of all catholics supporting their schools with their taxes, and the necessity of participating actively in the Marian Year exercises designed to petition God for peace on earth.
Some eight priests from various centres in the diocese assisted Bishop Ryan in the colorful ceremonies.
