Civic Service at St Alban’s

The Roman Catholics of Denaby Main gave a cordial welcome to Mrs. Kaye, chairman of the Conisboro’ Urban District Council, when she arrived with her colleagues at the head of a procession representing the public life of the district, at St. Alban’s Church on Sunday morning, for the purpose of attending Mass and asking divine blessing on the municipal work of the year.

Mrs. Kaye is the only woman in this district occupying this office at the present time, and. probably the only Roman Catholic. I believe the only other woman who has so far held the position—I am still speaking of this district—Mrs. Dooley, of Hemsworth, is also a Roman Catholic; if so, the coincidence is an extraordinary one. Mrs. Kaye, who is over seventy years of age, is one of the oldest women councillors in the country, and probably the oldest exercising a quasi-mayoral function. The Roman Catholics of Denaby were delighted when the Council conferred on her the honour of the chairmanship, and their satisfaction was complete when she revived the Council Sunday custom (which seemed to have petered out dismally a couple of years ago), and invited her colleagues and friends in public life to come with her to St. Alban’s.

The Catholic Young Men’s Society escorted the visitors to church, and Mrs. Kaye was met at the church door by the parish priest, Canon Leteux, who conducted her to a chair at the sanctuary. During his sermon, Canon Leteux congratulated Mrs. Kaye on the position she had attained, and thanked the Council ‘for putting a Catholic there. It would he said, be a great encouragement to the Catholic community to practice the civic virtues; The majority of the visitors were Protestants, hut they followed the service with interest and appreciation. The music, which was Max Hohnerlein’s “Mass of St. Francis Xavier,” was very beautiful, and the choir, under the direction of Mr. Bradley, with Mr. R. Dunn at the organ, sang it admirably. The celebrant was Father Spence, who has lately come to the parish to assist Callen Leteux.