BISHOP MORAN'S VISIT TO NAPIER.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume I, Issue 19, 6 September 1873, Page 8

BISHOP MORAN'S VISIT TO NAPIER.

[£ correspondent, whose letter has come rather late to hand . jfciZvSSXSXJ* of hiß Lordßh * the *& THEyiritof the Right Rev. Dr. Moran to Napier, which has been tiS&fiT** Wi ? TerygWt inte^t for a considerable tLety lfttlahWh 00 ? 1?1 ?^ 11111 ? 1^ ared ]etfer *Vintbe history oftheS Ew fif 7 HtUafced fcOWn ' At a rer y earl * ho «r <» the 4th ultimo, were to be seen young and old wending their way to the Bolt anxious to catch the first glim pße of his LordsSp Amongsi Tthe earliest arrivals was the Rev. Father Goutenoire, who having procured a boat, proceeded to the 8 . >. Rangatira, returning soon afterwards Srith t* SiSt, ° n k ft g L be Waß eeted With fchree His Lordship then celebrated Mass for an unusually We mn ai. •j j TH , E . B L SH 9 P ' S ""SIT TO THE BOX'S SCHOOL. "To the Lord Bishop ofDunedmand Administrator oftheDioeese „ _ _ of Wellington. We trust you will be favorably impressed with your visit to Napier, and m conclusion on bended knee we beseech you L"e 3 toS upon us your Benediction." - oeatow His Lordship commenting on the address, said he was tmlv pleased to accep.t it from the Catholic Boys of NkoW narf^ 8 i y for the first reason for which it was prated to Thfm-C^%££ tatiye of the Holy Father." It was a great source of comoS? £ him to find that the Catholic Boys of Napier were 1 SS^ j their allegiance to the Holy «ee?and he hSpTd -Tpi^U tW^uld always preserve that Faith for which many of their forefather! MA not hesitate to B hed the last drop of their blood. lorel a«iera did With reference to the second reason why they welcomed him h« He would preserve this address, and when writing to the Hal* MaJ/s School 8 he W ° Uld DOt forget c of S? His Lordship then gave them his Benediction. Instructions were given at 7 o'clock on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings, by the Bishop, to crowded audiences, he dweUfaJ pnucipally on the dupositaons requisite for worthUy approach^ thS Sacraments, after which he hear 4 confessions. «*w«Hun» mo THE BISHOP'S VISIT TO MEANBB. Meanee to visit the mission Station. They arrived aboui Q n™* J were received at the entrance to the grSaT? tbJ^ocal «£££? Proceeding through the triumphal arch which was very Sfo^ the Church which his Lorihipt&edfefby pleasure at finding so great a spirit of Catholicity in Halke's § Bat He then examined the candidates for confirmation, all of whom pafsl IU a B T re examinfttl °a eminently satisfactory to themselves and redounding great credit on their instructors.' • Pontificial Mass was then celebrated, after which his Lordshio preached and administered the Sacrament of Confirmation. P lhe little Church was beautifully decorated, and the choir, noted for its effiecmcy, gave the music of the service with effect. At 5 p.m. the Church was again crowded, not even standing room being available, to hear his Lordship preach a discourse with

his usual ability and eloquence, on the blessed Sacrament. Having given his benediction to the congregation, he' returned to town about 7 p.m., where he was busily engaged untii long after midnight in the confessional. , I now give you an account of the opening of St. Mary's Church which I take from the Napier 'Daily Telegraph' of the 11th,' to which journal it was 'communicated.' " The new Catholic Church, under the title of St. Mary, was opened yesterday for Divine service. At ten o'clock a procession was formed, comprising the Right Rev. Dr Moran and the Rev. Fathers Forest, Reignier, and G-outenoire, attended by numerous acolytesand leaving the Sanctuary, the circuit of the Church' was made without and within, the customary orayers being intoned, and aspersions given. On returning to the Sanctuary, the Bishop solemnly completed the ceremony by blessing the building, and devoting it to the purposes of religious service. t£is Lordship then celebrated Hi"h Mass, the choir singing •• Mozart's Twelfth Mass " in a very creditable manner. The Bishop gave a very effective discourse on the Epistle and Gospel of the day, explaining the essentials of prayer, and the special need of humility." Reception of children of Mary at .St. Joseph's Convent.— -At 2 pm, his Lordship, assisted by the clergy, repaired to the convent grounds, where an altar had been erected to the Blessed Virgin. An address was there read by Miss Oorry, President of the children of Mary, to which his Lordship replied in a most paternal and encouraging manner. Eight children of Mary and one postulant of the same congregation were then received by his Lordship, to whom he cave his Benediction. 6 A procession was then formed- headed by the children of Mary, with their banner; after which came the several schools belonging to the Monastary ; Ladies' school, parish school, Maori Providence, and members of the Living Rosary, Binging hymns and litanies, the procession closed by His Lordship attended by the Rev. Fathet Regnier, proceeded round the hill to the new Church "At three o'clock," (to quote the words of the report, communicated to the Telegraph) the Bishop administrated Confirmation to nearly a hundred candidates, having first carefully explained the nature of the ordinance and the conditions under which it could be given. After the confirmation, he preached on the value of Confirmation as a means left by Christ to his Church, by which Christians were strengthened in the faith, and enabled to fight valiantly against the frailties of human nature, and the other temptations by which they are surrounded. In the evening at seven, o clock, Vespers were sung, after which the Bishop delivered a discourse on the institution and meaning of the devotion called the Rosary. He earnestly advocated its continual family use. The object o£ the sermon was to show that the " Hail Mary" so commonly used by Catholics, was a continual meditation on the doctrine of the Incarnation ; that the Incarnation was the root of Christianity, and without ft there could be none. That the division of the Rosary into mysteries gave opportunity for reflection on the principal events which occurred in the life and death of Christ and the institution of Christianity. That the "Hail Mary" was ia words taken from the Holy Scriptures, and that the concluding portion containing a prayer to the Blessed Virgin was added by the church. His Lordship explained the doctrine of invocation of Saints as taught by the Catholic Church, and explained the meaning of prayers to them as distinguished from the prayers which were offered to Christ, whose name is the only one whereby men could be saved. The Bishop dwelt at length upon the dignity of the Blessed Virgiu, and the honor which is given to her by the Catholics. Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament concluded the ! service. The church was filled to overflowing at all the services and the collections amounted to £34. On Monday evening, at 7.30., his Lordship performed the ceremony of erecting the pictures of the Holy way of the Cross, after •which he preached a most impresssive sermon on the Passion of our Lord. His Lordship's visit here has had the most beneficial effect on the congregation. The majority of them have not seen a Bishop for ten years and scarcely a member of the congregation who did not take advantage of this opportnnity to receive the Holy Communion at his hands.