The Bishop of Maitland.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 16, 17 April 1902, Page 4

The Bishop of Maitland.

During the coming week, the venerable Bishop of Maitland, the Right Rev. Dr. Murray, will celebrate the golden jubilee of his ordination as a priest. Th» date proper fell within Holy Week, and was postponed until the 22nd in*l.. The celebration of the important event will be opined with Pontifical High Mass in Sc. John's Cathedr.J, West Maitland, at which the visiting prelates and priests and the diocesan clergy will asMs\ His Lordship's birthday fell on M.irch 2.1, po that in the same week he was entitled to celebrate two anniversaries. His Lordship was 74 years on March 27>, having been horn in County Wicklow in 1828. The vocation to a religious life (says the Sydney Freeman's Journal) was manifested very early in life, and at the age of 14 the future Bishop entered the College of the Propaganda at Rome, where for 10 years he remained studying for the priesthood. Here he was a contemporary of Cardinal Moran ; and here, too, in the College chapel, on Passion Sunday, March, 18.12, he was advanced from deacon's orders to the priesthood, Returning to the diocese of Dublin, for which he was ordained, Dr. Murray spent over 12 years there, 11 of wh eh were passed in the onerous office of private secretary to his episcopal superior and relative, Archbishop (afterwards Cardinal) Cullen. Of this periol of Bishop Murray's life we may employ the testimony of Very Rev. Dean Beeohinor, of Launceston, Tasmania : ' The scene of 25 years ago. when his Lordship was consecrated (said the Dean, speaking on the occasion of Bishop Murray's Episcopal Silver Jubilee in 1800) was still vivid in his memory. He was a witness of that scene, bat his knowledge of Dr. Murray did not begin there, for he was connected with the same diocese, the diocese of Dublin, in which Dr. Murray labored before his elevation to the Episcopate. With the curates, and indeed with the whole of the clergy, Dr. Murray was singularly popular, and when the news got about that he was to go to Australia as Bishop of Maitland, there was a genuine sorrow expressed on all sides. Of course they realised in Dublin that what waa Ireland's loss was Australia's gain, but they were loth to part with him all the same, and he (the Dean) doubted if ever a mau left Ireland whose departure was more regretted by priests and people. They ware fellow-travellers from Ireland to Australia ; they came out together with a wonderful crew of priests and nuns in the good ship Empress, which was 93 days on the water. To him Dr. Murray had endeared himself before he left Ireland, and he had conceived a warmth of love and affection for him which, he confessed, scarcely any other prelate in Australia commandei to the same degree.' Dr. Murray was only 37 years of age when

The Burden of Episcopal Responsibility was imposed upon him by the Supreme Pontiff. The younger g-eneration has often wondered why Bishop Murray has always taken such a special interest in the diocese of Bathurst, and why his Lordship is looked upon almost in the lisht of their Bish; p by the people of the Western diocese. It has been explained by the warm personal attachment which existed between B.shop Murray ard Kisbop Quinn, and the memory of which was strengthened when one of ISibhop Murray's first priests provided Bathurut with iis second Bishop in the person of the late Dr. Byrne. The history oi' that attachment is an affecting one indeed. At the vi ry time, in ISG.j, when the Rc-v. James Murray was appointed lii.s,iop of Mauland, hi.) rriend, the Riv. Matthew Qumn, was select ei tonne o\er the new See of Bathurst. '1 he two were conbe.iat.-.! at tl.e mi ne Lime, and they came together to Australia. And no couniry evir had the benefit of two finer prelates than ihe-o. upon whom the late Cardinal Cullen put the Apostolic seal on tv- K<.si-t of .St. Tjiurmoe O Toole. November 14, 18(3.3. Figures ai e nut aUiacti\e to the geneial reader. But they are sometimts useful, and Oiay be here Used to exemplify the

ProgrebS made in Religion and Education undtrDr Munay's rule. Trie Catholic population returns of the dio cse are not asailable before 1870, when they stood at a total of 21.200. The (JiiUiulio pop Uatioii was returned last year at 30,000, so thdC it may be presumed to have increased only about .">0 per cent since I>G(>, when Bionup Mumy took possession. In that year theie weie m the dioue-e 8 missions, with a total of 1(5 churches, sid ministered by '.) putits ; at the end of lnsb year there were 17 musHioiis, 6'J uhurohe , and Gl stauo is. with I?'.) secular priests and 5 Iteriemptornt minion try p i^ts with headquarters at • Mount St. Alphoii'-us,' Waidtah. In 1815(5 theie was m the whole diocese but one convent ana live nuns ; last year there were HO convents, 189 nuns, and 11' Brothers. In 18Gti there were It Catholic primary t-choo s, all St -.te-aided, nud no secondary schools; last year there were :)7 primary and l(j seoondaiy schools, all maintained by the Catholic body. In 18GG there were lttil scholars attending Catholic schools ; last year theie wete 3i).si>. At the end of last year Ihi re were in the diocese !• (.Juilda vvuh li)!> mnmbe's, 4 branches of the Hibernian feocieiy (since nieieat-ed) with 170 members, 35 branches or the Le-igue ot the Sacred Heart with a membership of 4881, 2:> .Vidal'ties or the ChiJdr.jn of Mary with a membership of 437, and (> other religious confraternities wilh a nru'mberbhip of 702, and 02 Uhristuu Dootiine c'asses attended by 3'JOil pupils. This propress has studded the diocese with buildings for the bervice of God, the religious training of youth, and the housing of priehts and religlOU.S.

This i 3 truly a % marvellous record of achievements in a single generation. But while woiking &o enthusiastically and with such well-directed ze.il to ebtabhbh the true spirit of religion throughout his extensive riu,ceae, and while leaving uuavailed of no opportunity to ador'i that diocese with institutions of piety, education, and charity, hia Lord&hip has by no means allowed his zeal for the spread of religion to be confined within the limits of his own particular fLid of labor. To the bervices rendered by hia Lordship

outside his own diocese in the promotion and extension of the Church, and in the performance of which all diocesan and parochial considerations were swallowed up in a great and broad Catholicity reference has so frequently been made that they need not be referred to now.