Visit of the Roman Catholic Bishop.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4351, 11 December 1882, Page 2

Visit of the Roman Catholic Bishop.

The Eight Eev. Luck, the newly ap* pointed Catholic bishop of the, diocese, paid his first visit to this, district on Saturday, arriving by the ftotomabana about 5 o'clock. The bishop was at the steamer,by Father O'Keilly, the resident priest, and a large number of the leading members of his congregation, and the reception was of that hearty, enthusiastic character which distinguishes Catholics when their church is concerned. Cead milU failthe, was the expression on every countenance. The cortage consisted of eleven carriages. Along the route to Shortland, were many persons— amongst them parents who had brought their children — desirous of having a peep at their bishop. Arrived at the Church, Willoughby street, an address of welcome from the Catholics of the district was read by Mr Michael Landers. The address was of a congratulatory character, and amoncst the salient features were the following :—" Wo can-' not be too highly sensible of the paternal solicitude of the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIII/j than whom scarcely any who have sat in the chair of St. Petei 1, was more worthy, in appointing your Lordship to this portion of his spiritual dominions. Nor can we overlook the eminent services of Cardinal Manning, the central figure at your consecration. We deeply sympathise with His Holiness in his present painful position, and deplore the revolutionary spirit of the age which has encouraged 'wicked men to despoil him.of his patrimony. There is scarely anything that we have read in your Lordship's official utterances since your arrival in Auckland that has given us greater pleasure than the promise that you intend at no distant date to inaugurate a system of education that will be within the reach of every Catholic child as far as practicable, and no better guarantee of this could we have than the fact that you yourself have spent several years in' teaching and conducting the successful collegiate institution at Ramsgate, from which you were taken to govern this distant portion of the Church of God. The Catholics of Thames can take some credit for doing a little towards the cause of Christian fducatipn, inasmuch as, during the last nine years, three schools of the Sisters of Mercy and one boys' school have been erected, and there can be no gainsaying the fact that their operations ha»e been attended with satisfactory results. We have also to express our sense of thankfulness for the considera tion you have shown in granting our worthy pastor's request for clerical assist ance, and anticipate that spiritual ad vantages will accrue, especially to our brethren in the up»country districts, which we hope your Lordship will be able shortly to visit. We desire to plare on record the obligations we are under to the Key. Father O'Reilly for his zeal, and to bear testimony to the judicious manner in which the affairs of this parish are administered."

Bishop Luck, in reply, said it afforded him much pleesu^e and satisfaction to be amongst them to thank them for their kind reception. They had formed lr'gh expectations as t> the r<?su!ta of the appointment of a bishop of the diocece, and the one fact that comforted him was the knowledge that while of ourselves we can do nothing we have the promise of the Divine Spirit to work with us aid make our freble efforts effectual. The interest exhibited in his v?sit evincjd proof of their fidelity 'p the principles f>f the Church. He was pleased lo know that in face ofneany adverse circumsiacces the Dioeere ha ; made a gre;:t advance, and had done this though great difliculties's! xniin the way of i:'s administration. Since his arrival in the co'.ony be hed met with hardly aught else than consolation. This was the first visit he b.:d paid at any distal* c frooi Auckland, a!id he was much pieced with what he he ird apd saw. He had always felt great interest in education. Many circus stances coinbin.u .'oma.ee him look with pain and disapproval on some of it, though from kck of means he felt trammelled and hinderd in applying the needful remedies. He was delighted to know what they hrd done, and to find a band of faithlul ministers who act up to the dictates of their consciences. It was a pier sure to him to find that Father O'Reilly's services are appreciatrd

At yesterday mort?''ng's service, which wr.s numerously attended, the sacranieEt of confirmation was administered to about 50 young persons. la the afternoon an address of welcome was presented to the bishop by the members of the Christian Doctrine Society.

At Vespers the church was crowded. The bishop preached a simple exhortation from the text, " Seek ye first the Kiß.^doru of God, and liis blessing and all things shall be added unto you." He could not help calling to mind what brought them hither, to search for gold, which had so often been the source of damnation. It was a source of pain to him, as their bishop, thf.t thousands of Catholics who came from a land of faith were neglecting their church and were wholly absorbed in the ecuqisition of wealth, of that gold which had sent so.many to the depths of hell. He hoped his words might brinf thorn back to their holy mother church. It gave him great pleasure to see the* township so well provided with means of truly Christiaa education. Still he oould not help thinking there wat great apathy on the part of many. They must sixain every nerve to get their ohiidren a good Catholic education. There was a great temptation to send their children :o the Government secular schools, which professed to bring up the children ss good citizens without reference to religion. But this was not Catholic education; as their bishop he told them it was not. The eternal welfare of' their children's souls was demanded of them. They were not minding the great business of life, if they did not give their children a Christian education. If they neglected this they were not true, loyal Catholics ; they had fallen away from duty, and were not children of the Church.