Father Moreau's Departure.

Feilding Star, Volume IV, Issue 12, 7 July 1883, Page 2

Father Moreau's Departure.

The following is the address delivered by Father Moreau to his congregation, in reply to their address and presentation : — Dear brethren, I thank you most sincerely for your kind demonstration, your address, and presentation. All this honors you as well as myself, The remembrance of this day shall for ever live with me and will never be obliterated from my me'nory. The tie of love that has existed between us shall never be parted, and I sincerely hope that, although separated by distance, we shall continue to be united in God by fervently praying, one for the other. I suppose you would like to know bow the telegram that brought the change was worded. Listen — " Will you for the greater good of the Church accept at least temporarily, the Wangaitui River Maori mission, with Father Senlas. Reply immediately. Bishop Redwood." You thus see that there has been no compulsion on the part of his Lordship, hut because it was for the great God, and the merit of such an act of obedience was worth a sacrifice, though a great one indeed. I answered at once by these few words, "Quite at your disposal." My acceptance of tho Maori mission once received, the Bishop lost no time iv communicating with the Ber. Father Carew, of Reefton, and he too, the Rer. F. Carew, like myself, bad to make a sacrifice. His congregation keenly felt the parting with their able and zealous pastor. I quite agree with his Lordship that the change is for greater good and is a necessary step taken in the proper time. To me it will be a rest, for I shall have less labour. I candidly assure you that of late I have been afraid of the quantity of work before me, in seeing the population increasing so fast, and settling everywhere in our immense bush. The mission among the Natives will offer me but bttle difficulty. I have not, indeed, forgotten that I was sent from home to evangelise them, leaving my family in the year 1840, and France in the year 1842 for New Zealand. It was not of my own accord, but through obedience to the Church that I was severed from them, about the year 1850. As it is today, through obedience that I become connected with the Maoris once more. To the N atives* the change will give them one who already knows their language and customs, and whom they can understand. I hope, brethren, you will pray for the new mission, and its success, and that my ministry among them might bring forth abundant fruit of salvation. His Lordship was bound to take such a step, not only by the fact that he is the Bishop of ths Maoris, as well as of the Europeans, but also because every year he receives sums of meney from the Society fur the Propagation of Faith at Home, to carry on these Maori missions in his diocese. Dear brethren,. I hare no doubt in my naiad that his Lordship the : Bishop made the change chiefly fer your benefit, for he could hot but see that a • man of my age, 70 years, was inadequate : for the work to be done, and you may thauk bis Lordship for the- ehoiee of the successor he has made te- costume my work. You will find ia the Rev. Father . Carew all that you can desire. , You will find him able and zealous, aud capable of doing a great deal of work in the Lord's vineyard. I was the pioneer in this now all important district. In the beginning I could do the work, but to-day it is different. A better is wanted, and he is granted you in the person of the Bey. Father Carew. The rev. geatleman, in taking my place will have to face many very important works, for instance, schools and churches, Ac. I hope dear brethren you will welcome the Rer. Father, assist him in all his labor, enter into his views, facilitate his holy ministry in every way possible, even oat of your purses, for in our days nothing is done without money. By so doing you will help your Rer. Father ip his heavy labor, you will be his consolation aud comfort. . Pray for his, pray for me, pray for the success of my mission among the Maoris, , and may God bless you and your families. '