REV. FATHER HICKSON.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2167, 4 June 1914, Page 2

REV. FATHER HICKSON.

FAREWELL ,fc fIIESENTATIQNS, Tlio Giiilfwd Torraoe was crowded on Tuesday evening, wlicm towshiOHci's of the/ α-itliolic parish <rf JliontelOH .assembled to bid faiweJl to tfio l{ev, I'atto Hkkssmi, who Ims been trntlßlWral to a iMrty sphere &f activity alter artmg to some ywrs as administrator oi ikMiidnu parish. Tiro chair was mc-ttwed by Coteiifri Celling (cfenijv ffian of iha committee of parishioners), and anions thoso present wow the 1W Father 'ftmoiis, wluj suceeeds Father Hjcksej) as adiflinisiratstr, tlio Ki?v. J Sillier Q'Oojiiieli, and tlio IW. ffailiw • Smyth. ■ . Ik presenting Father Hicfesmi witjj a» atlflrese expressing appreciation of his : work in tiro parish, and also with ' a bulky pßrsf! of sovereigns, tho dmirjium . Mid tbo i«»raid gciitlottian had eu--urarcd limisolf to t)» parisliionen, in '■ whose hearts ha vrmalrf iiivra.Ts ocanjiy a . very wai-iti. plaw. Ym over"eight fo'svrs ISO had kfjfnifcd as sidiniiimratof of the IMTtsh. and ho felt jiistlfied in saying that ho }n\t] tjwW ttiit lib duties "woli ■ ami faittift-Hb'. (Applimso.) In all Iks' aetiMis m !»(!■ shown himself to ho a n-an of eomntfiu ««is© iU)d shnMMl twlgmoni. In ttio Miittcf of Catholic oilata.twft ln;> .had ever k«i to tiie fo»; airtt in adahioß he hiul teen assaqiatert with various rivic activifes, such as' tto Boaiitifymg Koeioty and tile Oontptti■twvisj iMKI to all .iiia had given vahiaWo-; ■scrvKjo. In c-WMtoctJori with tlw .various ■' pansk , Cattrefic .seciijiies lio had-worW to? boft the spiritual and temporal v, ! et faro <rf-thp nionite*. aiid--jjo'vi , a3 swp<j tliat his -efforts in that direction Wl fcesn greatly appreoisted. '(ApßloasQ.) They had hears], ho said, that Father . Hickson's afcsenep ' waitlel ta Wieruly • teHrportvry. , Ho was sure that jfliou lie rettimed to ■ the parish ho weuM receive a warm wefcttino. (tknawocl appliinso.) Fa-rowoH gii'ts n-orc aj.?a pt'essutodt bj Whs Hibernians, the- ChiMrw ef Slary, tko choir, the Mai-Jst Jivcitliore , scheoi-uoj-s, and tlic alta.v boys. In retwi'inug tliafths, Father Ifiekson sakl ho shared tin regret expressed at his sevwmWi? from t!» parish. The sm-wanto 'was not of his seeking. Ho ristal to nteko that clear, boeaitso lie was given to lrmfeistaiis} in seme quarters that an imjiressisn was abraml that fits had ospressod a ttestre to ssouro a change. Tliat wss nbsohlto-ly contrary to fact. Neither dircfetly nor' i»drr*ctly has! he fiotiglit a changci.' Thfi news came to hhri as a [{rettt surprise whea Ho was tindefiioiiig Itealth treatment at Roto* rua. Be recoh-ed a letter from tbo Ucv. Fatlvor. Pfovitteiji, who, aeqHnintinp him with fto change, ' saidi—'Tdur st-nto of boaltt luis ftfttftal us ansictv for soino tins? past. Hoiico the ipemWe of the I'rovinoiaJ .Council Imvo tiiongbt it advisable to relieve you o.f vrnw rt>spmisiWe position, rind ther-ftiwre , of cares nnd worries, at least for a little vvliiie. ,, ft ivas net far Trirvi to question tlio decisifli) iu jtny way. Ee could only comply with the expressed wish of lii-s seperio-rs. He ihemght the parishioners might tobe a eoßsiderabfe raoasuro erf prido k\ the prepress made in flip pnrisk diiring i-c----cent years. Prior to ioi)7, wlien lie o.ftn?© iie.fß, tlio priests Imd only enoVliurdi to attond. Now the Holy &aerifiee of Hie Mass was eefeUrateel at fmjiwnt iij- [ tsrvals at Jl'iiknra. Wrnkstowji, Norlhj land, and.Kar-ori. The biggest paron-hia-i } liwls'itakiitE had been t-be" erection of a 1 boys 1 schooi, inwl.or tlve Marist Brotfwi'S. ; jn Ha«-k««touo Street. The wialdm of ■ that enterprisa kad town shown in tlia ; increasisfl atteotJance, iiMtluding many : boys -tt-lto had not pveviottslr attemled thp Catiiolift selwo|, mu! tho sMcee'sse-s which had been gakod by the sehola-rs bcitli -andef tlio esaiuinations held by tho Stat* instsectprs aitd in the examinations for «dioi-nttslaips totlabic at St. ■Collegft. father llscljsoh paid a high trilrale to bis successor, klio Kev. Fatlver Tj-bkhis, who, lii? beliovttl, was especially fitted for liio work of adiniiustratioit, and a hearty wefeofie to ttie Her. FatJw 4 * , Smyth, who L-a<l recently teen sent to the parish from Timare. An pscellcnt concert pregrMnme was provided by; Misses.. Gi'bbi, JsKsen, jt'Smfoo. and Ziia Clin.j}-m«in, ami Mr. Sievfrrs. Tha proceedings eenelwlerl mtk tl;e smging of "AmH Lang Syise."