Father Henneberry has the greatest faith in his mission if we are to credit the report of the Southland Times. From that we extract the following remarkable statements: — " Father Henneberry then alluded to the power of these missions, stating his conviction that if Judas Iscariot had attended one he would have been converted. And what would be the effect if they did not attend ? Why, when in America, he had asked a man to attend one; the man pleaded as an excuse that he had to sow a crop of oats, and throughout bis mission he did not make his appearance. His neighbours did. And what wa3 the result ? Simply this, that his neighbours' crops were good, and only weeds resulted from the labors of the man who had refused to attend the mission. In another case, a rich American lady was asked to attend, messages were sent, but she refused. Before the mission was over the woman was struck dead, and one of her children died without baptism. He (the speaker) was now expecting to hear of the fate of her husband, who also had refused to attend the service. But why need be go to America for such instances ? Here in New Zealand they had examples of a similar character. During his mission in Blenheim a wretched Catholic refused to attend, and before the service vas over he was a corpse. At Ahaura there was a wretched woman who waa fond of the ballroom ; in fact, she was called the 'belle of the ball,' and she could drink like a fish. She was asked to attend the mission, and refused. Before the mission was over she was found dead with a bottle of whisky half empty by her side. He appealed to them not to risk the matter. Men who refused were branded for hell. The mission would not be a long one, and he urged all to come, not for the sake of curiosity, but with the idea of rectifying their lives." "We do not know what Father Henneberry would say in reply to the state- \ ment of the American agriculturist, who said he tempted Providence by tilling and cultivating a five acre plot on Sundays only, and that the return therefrom was 50 per cent greater than that cultivated by his neighbours or bimself<during week days. An American editor's reply was to warn that individual that heaven did not square all ita accounts up in the month of October.
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Bibliographic details
Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 89, 15 April 1879, Page 4
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413Untitled Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 89, 15 April 1879, Page 4
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