ARCHBISHOP REDWOOD

Hokitika Guardian, 8 April 1931, Page 6

ARCHBISHOP REDWOOD

—— -<s•«<92nd BIRTHDAY. WELLINGTON, April 6. Archbishop Redwood will celebrate his ninety-second birthday on Wednesday. He is in very good health, and is still actively interested in evet'yv thing that concerns episcopal effort in this country. Archbishop Redwood was born in Staffordshire in 1839, and was baptised in the parish church at Great- Haywood. Me came to New Zealand when practically an infant, with his parents, who settled in the Nelson district. A.t the age of eleven lie made his first, communion at Nelson, under the ,car.e of Father Garin, at whose boardinghouse in Nelson lie stayed during his earlier scKool days.. When he was fifteen years of age a chance visit, the schooner Mountain Maid turned the whole course of his life. S l ”' 1 '.',2 on hoard a Marist priest in poor health who was on his way to Franco by way of Australia. Young Redwood, then, aspired to the priesthood, and this Driest offered to escort,the. led to Europe if lie and his parents were so minded. Me had three days to make up his mind. The.-.offer was. accepted, and he arrived safely in France, where, lie was entered at Wt. Mary’s College, St. Chainond ('LoireV. He entered the Marist Peliolasticate' at Mqut Bel. near Bouton-. and Jyeres, whor? lie made rapid progress not only in theology, ’hut also in languages. -• After a year’s.noyitiate at St. Foy; near I.yoiis '-he called to Ireland in- 1863,- to ’teach Latin and Greek'at the "Marist. College at Dundalk. On January 6th, 189 L the same year ip which he was ordained a Slib-den.cpn., lie made, his jeligions profession as."a Marist, and the following year lie was ordained a priest at. vMayiiooth. In 1872 his superiors stated that, they wished fo anpoint him coadjutor tp Bishop Viard, then in Wellington. While, negotiations wore in progress, news reached the Old Country of the death here ’of Bishop A iard, and in 1871 Father Redwood was appointed Bishop of Wellington in succession to Bishop Viard. In due course lie entered upon those duties which lie Inis performed so well for the last .57 years, a length of service for which he is honoured all oyer the Roman Catholic world. ,