CALLED FROM LABOUR.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 749, 23 February 1910, Page 6

CALLED FROM LABOUR.

BISHOP LENIHAN'S DEATH. THE' STOUT OF AN ACTIVE LIFE. AT HOME A2® TTRTi.Ti. By TelerraDh-Pr««^Aaaoelation—Corarlcht. Whangarei, February 22.. .-Bishop Xenihan, who was on a . visit to, Whangarei died 1 in bed this mprniiig at the Roman Catholic. Presbytery, the' cause of death being heart fail-, ure.: The bishop, arrived here on Saturday from Auckland,; and conducted the opening of: the Convent' School on; Sunday.and confirmation service and mass. Yesterday- he' visited Maiingakaramea and held a- confirmation, service there. -Last night a social -gathering in his honour was held, at the.Presbytery, the, gathering dispersing at \ During the evening : the . bishop complained of ill-health, but ; there was nothing .to 'indicate' that - such ' a ,6erions ..termination was at-hand. , : -

.On its amval at Auckland. early ;to;morrow> morping. the body, of r the late BishopiLflnihan .will. be embalmed, and will then be taken to the bishop's palace/' It ;will liD.in state there until Thursday evening,.'and will then be taken. to: the Cathedral where, it 1 will";lie till, Thursday night.'On-Friday; morning'this funeral takes place. ■"■;.;,... r . ■■ The office of Vicar-General (at present held by Monsignor Gillan of St, Benejtaofs) dies .with the bishop.. Archbishop ißedwood, metropolitan of. New Zealand, is now in charge of . the dioccso. He will a deputy to administer diocesan business .'until a. new bishop is appointed. Tinder ecclesiastical law nothing can be done 'in - the direction, of appointing • a new -.bishop until' a month's- time - has elapsed. . ' ,'• .

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. FEOM SPAIN TO AUCKLAND. ■ ,• i ■■■ / .■ —/' , ' (By Telegraph.— Bp&cial Correspondent.) .: rrn, /,'■ . _ Auckland, Februarr 22. • ine^late'Dr. Lenihah .became itoman 1 Catholic Bishop; of Aucldahd in: 1896 and ins work in the - diocese' has been carried . out, most •- successfully, since. . He was 51 age, and -was born in 'London of' Irißh parents 'in- the 1 year 1858. - At' the age of threie he lost-his'motherland.' eight years t later;' his father. ' At fourteen :he entered the Benedictine College :at Eamsgate then .under,; the charge'of the late.Lord' Abbott, Alcocks. and .Father! E<mund;. ; Luck—two names', subsequently: 5 ii? ©nshxined.. in the • loving • of. the Catholics, in the Antipodes. For nearly four- 1 years he studied, at Eamsgate, but subsequently, By the advice of Caiion. Toad (formerly of Trinity College, .Dubll1 ** a noted convert, and a-most-ardent Irish i'Nationalist;, and: then a>frierid -in- ' the London ' diocese) the young- 1 student was sent .to • St' Edmund's • College,' Oldhall Green, to study, for the : Westmihs-' ter diocess. • -;

In Spain. 1n'1i877.-ha ■■was sent out , to Spain to complete his,"philosophical and . theological training, and in April' 1882/ -being' then a sub-deacon, he received word from Father - Edmund: Luck, that he .(Father, iamund) was _ likely, .to '[ be. appointed; ■bishop of ''Auckland, and. he iras asked, ,if such were, the case, - would he accompany, him to the Antipodes. ..-He readilyconsented, being, anxious to labour again under his oldsuperior, and .further hop.ag .to, meet in distant. Auckland his guardian and baloverv tutors-Lord Abbot .Alcooks.- In July 1882 Father Jidmund , Luck was , designated for his new sphere as Bishop. ofAuckland, and at once wiote ,to .the young, deacon still mMAe ■' peninsula,.. bidding him' return.■ to ■. England • so" that; he'. ■ might ordain'him as soon; as possible after his own. consecration. On August 13, 1882, Father Edmund was consecrated Bishop at Banisgate by Cardinal Manning. On - this ; occasion tko 6amUy.cardinal. shook,him;' warmly by the .hand, and said: "My'young friend, l am so sorry that.'.t am about, to lose you.. _ ;on' August. 27, Father Leiiihan was raised to; the' priesthood.'-, 'He was the .first student, of' Rmusgat© College or-' dained as a secular. priest,•' and-the new Bishops first bom to the.ministry. On September •7, 1882, the .ship Austral left the London Docks for Australia",' conveying the Bishop, Father Lenihah; arid a number of clergy.- The-Austral-armed in Melbourne on November 1, the Lishop proceeding to Sydney, while Father I.enihan and party sailed from the Victorian capital in the 's.s; Wairarapa : for Auckland via. the Bluff.

A Musician. He reached. Auckland qn Novemijer 12, and' was;- warmly, welcomed by Xarbv:! Walter - and -Ogara - and several if, i lie' laity. .The'; Bishop arrived,four oay's later, and; at'"once placed Father Xeniham as : curate under' Father .•'Walter at, St. Pat-, rick's Cathedral, where-he laboured tireo and a half-years.' .He-was, it'may'be mentioned -en passant, a musician, and the various'.choirs in and around the city are much indebted -,to him. His favourite instrument was the. 'cello, and he also possessed', a.'good ..tenor- voice, v.- \ About : this,.;time. the .growing needs of the western suburb (then,attached'to-the Cathedral parish)' claimed' the attention of the Bishop; and Father Lenihari'was appointed to take charge ; of the new parish' of Ponsonby, then either church 'or presbytery. This was -in . April, 1886. On October 31 of the same year the new church was. opened' and dedicated to the Sacred • Heart. ■ Here ware manifested Father LenihanV many and.)undoubted administrative qualities, 'for, -under, his fostering care and attention,,.the,parish, mushroom-like,-." at once- : sprang . into active -life. So apparent was this to the - late Bishop that he added to Father'- Lenihan's already abundant parochial ; labours'the chai'ge of'the Star of -the Sea Orphanago at; St.- Mary's'.; .To' this work Father Lenihan devoted 'long and incessant toil; the ■ result, of which , was to place this laudable and deserving institution in a prosperous condition, ■

"Dignissimus." On February. • 19, -1831, Father - Lenihan was appointed irremovable rector of Piine!l parish, where he remained till appointed disoesan administrator by Hjj Grace Archbishop Eodwo->d on the death of the lato Right Rev. Bishop Luck, in tho'early part of 1895. Prior to the death • of. Bishop Luck his: Lordship, : : feeli ig' that. his., end : wasv approaching,', applied for a ooadjutor bishop., This ;application was approved' by the Roman authorities, and. by the votes of: the priests of the diocese, Father Lenihanwas recommended for tbe'high position. Meanwhile the bishop's death necessitated another election by the same.body, arid for the second • time Father, Lenihan was •chosen, dig'iisaiaoa. '

The lato bishop was beloved and respected by all classes of the community. Open-minded and open-handed, every deserving cause met with his assistance. In athletios of all kinds he • took a , very prominent intei'est, and' in football ,aiid cricket he was a keen enthusiast. During the.fourteen years that he was.Bishop of Auckland .he was closely identified with almost every movement - oonneote'd • with the public good. In the CliuicU work of his diocese he.was-a dominant force, and Lis friends wore legion; ireespeotive of creed. .

The late Dr. Lenihan leayes two sisters, one ,of whom; is married and, living in Brussels; and the other reside*-' in London.;"

Intimation Hps been received that Archbishop Eedwood, of Wellington, and Bishops .Grimes,...if Chris,tchiirch, 'and .Verdbn, of Dujiedin are leaving at once for Auckland. A" great number of priests pnd prominent churohiiien from---other centres are also coming to Auckland-for the funeral, which has been fixed for Friday- ..... .... ,