RECEPTION OF BISHOP REDWOOD.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume X, Issue 13, 15 January 1875, Page 2

RECEPTION OF BISHOP REDWOOD.

The Right Rev. Francis Redwood, D.D., Roman Catholic Bishop of Wellington, arrived by the Phoebe yesterday morning] which, by a strange coincidence, was the 21st anniversary of hiß departure from Nelson. The ships were giy with bunting on the occasion, as was the signal staff and several flagstaffs in town. His arrival was announced by the firing of a pun from Brittania Heights. At 2 p.m. bis Lordship, accompanied by the Church Committee, drove up to the junction of Nile and Collingwood streets, where a procession had been formed of the members of the congregation, and the children attending St. Mary's schools, with gay flags and banners of every description. On hia arrival, the ArtilleryBand, engaged for the occasion, struck up the Gloria from Mozart' d Twelfth Mass, at the conclusion of which the Bishop descended from his carriage, and the following address from the laity was read to him by L. Broad, Eeq., R.M. :— To tho Eight Rev. -Francis Redwood, D.D., Bishop of Wellington. Tho Laity of Ne son desire to offer you a most cordial welcome ou your return to tho scenes of your youth. The son of a much respected pioneer of this province, and educated during boyhood at St. Mary's Station, you come back to us, after tome years absence, a Bishop of th*. Church, with peculiar claims upon our affection. We take this opportunity of acknowledging how much we owe to our dear friend and priest Father Garin, whose simple goodness and piety will be held in tender remembrance by our children's children ; to whose zeal we are indebted for many good works, including the presence of the Hsters of the Convent, whose untiring usefulness in tbe cause of education we most gratefully ree gnise. Bit while we specially n*me Father Garin, we wish to mention also tho j e other pious men who hive acted fiom time to time as ciratfs of this parish, whose s*.lf-denying live hive ever been to us as bright examples. We assure your Lordship of bur unfailing devotion to the Sovereign Pontiff, of our (Seep sympathy with him in hia trials an*! persecutio s, and our admiration of his patient endurance. It wi 1 be a pleasure to us to aid in all good works whicli you miy be pleased to continue or initiate in this part of the Diocese, nnd among them we hope it may be possible to make arrangements lor the hlgfier education of Catholic youth, either by fouwiin.. a. College affiliated to the New Zealand University, (which includes a Catholic Bishop and two laymen in its Council), or by the erection of a boarding hous? under the immediate supervision of the clergy, enable our youths to take advantage oi: an existing institution, or in any other way that may be most de-irable. We believe that with Go Ps blessing your Lordship's labors here wil prove of greit b nefit to the cause o* religion, and we, your fai hf til children, will constantly pray the Almighty to str. ngthen and support you, that you may be spared for many .. ears to God's service, and may grow daily in His grace, as you surely will in the affections of your people. Mr Ferris then read the following address from the working classes : — May it please your Lordship — We, the undersigned members of the Nelson coa-v gr eg i tion, for, and on behalf of, the working classes, beg to congratulate your Lordship upon your visit to this portion of your krge diocese, and to thank jou for the honor you have done this parish in -giving ug so early an opportunity of expressing our attachment and devotion to your Lordship and our Iloly Fsiher the Pope. -*3f-sThero are some of us who remember you as a boy, and all of us arc acquainted with yoar good fimi.y, and what they have done towards fostering our holy religion, and it is a great pleasure to us to see one laken Irom those wo know to occupy so elevated a position. -We are not expected, nor hive we the means, to give you on elaborate or costly address, but in all sincerity wo can pay we welcome you, we rejoice at your being appointed over us, nnd we will endeavor to obey and pit aso you. In conclusion, we humbly invite your Lordship to bestow oo us your episcopal blessing. (Here follow the signatures ) The procession then started frr the church, the Band playing cne of the Oratory Ilymns, which was changed to "None of all thy noblest cities " on arrival at the building, where the Rev. A. M. Garin, who was much affected ou the occasion of welcoming back to Nelson, in so elevated a position, hia former pnpii, read tbe following address : — To the Right Eev Dr. Redwood, Bishop of WelUrgton! May it please your Lordship - Our hopes at last are realised, our wishes accompli-hcd. We had been left in a long bereavement by the unexpected death of our veneraed and Holy Pastor, Bishop Viard That lamented prelate, ofter having administered this Diocese during the long period of eight- en years, has gone to receive the reward of h s labors ; and we, his flock, rtmained orphans. It was natural for us to f.rm hopes and to express wi-hes. It is not necessary to say with what gladness the happy tilings of your L* rdship's nomination to fr.e See of Wellington W; re received here both by cle*gy and laity. But it such was the universal joy, what will your Lor.lßhip think of the leeling** of die who, several y<ars ago. used to call you My Son, and who, by a providential inver.ion, rejoices now to call your Lordship Mv Father, My Lor.U Already we had heard of your conseeraton by the eminent Archbishop Mann.ng, and anticipated soon to c joy your prc*en( c. Bi>t .your Lordship could not leave Europe w;thou f payini. a visit to our glorl us aud mo t afflicted Sovereign Pontiff. From him you had received a spiritu tl mission. He was in torrow, he was a captive; yet he had in h ; s han*-* the power whih rules the world; he had in his mouih th« words of wisdom wor s which import life, words which striking the ear pen trate the heart, and *are nevor forgotten; he had special blcs-ings for those who app- os) cb him. This was your Lordship's objecy to obtain from hin> a blessing for yowrself, aUd one for } our newly adoptt d flock; and it is that prce'.* us bbssing which we hope to receive to-day from you. Now, my Lord, allow us clergy of Nelson to express our jubilation at tho remembrance of thy days ofj our .outh. It was here, on this very spot, in this school, in cur little Church, that we mingled wi h your boyhood's diversions, y- ur studies, and your promising virtues This we corsiJer most aus icious, an • our endeavors under your solicitous influence will r* ceive a now impulse to make rs work to develop and improve this estaDlishment, which jour Lordship h-is s en in its infancy. . England, as you have alluded to in your first

circular, gave you birth; New Zealand nursed j your childhood; France educated your youth; Ireland won your affections by your teaching j her sons there; Italy entertained you as her I guest. These facts a'one, besides that Citholic spirit of faith which characterises our Holy Church and unites the members of different nations in one, will also be as a natural and powerful tie which will cement a mutual affection between the Pastor and his flock. But what endears your person to us in a special manner, is the fact of the selection the Sovereign Pontiff made of your Lordship to the sub .ime dignity of the Episcopate ; yes, if his Holiness laid this heavy responsibility on your young shoulders, it was because it was supported by tried virtues and acquired merits, for " venerable old age is not that of long time, nor counted by the number of years, but the understanding of a man is grey hairs, and a spotless life is old age."— (Wisd. iv., 8, 9.) Iv conclusion, my Lord, allow me person*ally to entreat your Lordship that, as in your boyhood I often gave you my blessing, you wil', in-r^wiyoftw impart to me yourß; mine was only a sacerdotal one, and yet it may beits effect which _h|B worked in your young heart the grace of Gp 1 ; yours is an Episcopal, and therefore a more efficacious one; what have I not to expect from such a blessing, particularly when it is enriched with that of the Sovereign Pontiff. • The procession then entered the church, which was crowded to overflowing, and the choir having sung a Te Deum, the Bishop replied to the addresses as follows : — Dear Bbethubn and Ebibmds*— l desire to thank you most sincerely for your kind addresses, and for your very cordial welcome, and the town of Nelson for all its display in honor of the Pontiff sent ont by the successor of St. Peter to preach the truth in these parts. The flags flying from the masts, from the wharf, and from (he hill-top, and the solemn voice of the cannon, and tbe decorations in the streets, I look upon as a token of your affection to one who is essentially a child of this town. I do not claim any special merit for myself with regard to the position I now occupy, which, under God, is owing to the venerable man who has so long been your pastor, and who is so earnest, co singleminded, and so hearty in the service of God. To him you are indebted for one who now comes to you in the name of Christ to preach His word. I thank the Laity for the kindly sentiments displayed by all classes and conditions ot society, and especially for their expressions of affection for and sympathy with their yen .ruble pastor. It does not perhaps euit the eo'emnity end joy fulness of tbe present occasion to allude to our Sovereign Pontiff, now persecuted and imprisoned in his own palace, but I must thank you for the sympathy, wonderment, and love towards him expressed in your address. I thank the clergy, too, not only him to whom I have specially referred, but the others, and to all who have assisted in the progress of the Church. Years sgo 1 left here, scarcely knowing whither I was goiDg, but through all my career I tr.ee the hand of a watchful Providence, which has led me on from step to step, and circumstance to circumstance, until I return to. my early home appointed to the highest office the Church has at her disposal. As a child, I have joined with many of you in partaking of the religious ministration?, the RRcraments, and the instruction afforded at thig church, and it is with no little pl'-asu-e that I now return to it iv my present position.-' I rely much on the spirit of good feeling hitherto displayed in this town, and exhorl you to continue in it that you may always remaiu in peace with your neigh-bour.-i. 1 wish sincerely that I may be, and do, that which you express in your addresses, but I mmt largely rely on your co-operation and } our prayers, and then I may pay, with St. Augustine, " I shall be happy if you do that which I tell you, and you will be happy if you will obey me." Hitherto I have omitte i to refer to the schools, the pupils ot which I see to-day dressed liie an orchard in bloom, and I look to those flowers to yield r.ch fruits. If I hive forgotten to allude to any particular clas*, it is not intentional, for 1 look upon all around as old acquaintance., and each spot in this neighbourhood epe«ks eloquently to me of the past, and stirs my every feeling to it. upmost dip h j , ns I recall the memories of my childish days. I will now prmounce the bleesing: I hive brought to you fron Rome wh°re I saw the Holy Either who is the admiration of the Merit. I have spoken to him of this remote country, in which he takes the greitet-t interest, snd I bring from him the most kindly sentiments towards you, while for my own part I n.ir pronounce the Episcopal bbesing His Lordship then pronounced the benediction. This brought the proceedings to a c!o**e. Eishop Redwood will preach at St Mary's on Sunday, morning and evening.