JUBILEE OF THE BISHOP OF MAITLAND.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 19, 8 May 1902, Page 20

JUBILEE OF THE BISHOP OF MAITL A N D.

The sacerdotal goMen jubilee of the Fight Rev. Dr. Murray, the venerable Bishop of Maitland, was celebrated with great rejoicings during the week commencing April 20 Bishop Murray's desire to emphasise the religious portion of the celebration was expressed in a circular some time back, in which he asked the priests and people to engaee in a week of prayer on his behalf, first of reparation for any negligences of his as a priest, and next as a thanksgiving for the Divine protection which had been extended to him in the early days of his priesthood. Sunday, 20th April, was set apart as the opening of this week of devotion ; and the crowds who attended all the Ma«ses on that day, and the many who received Holy Communion, attested to the importance the people attached to their Bishop's request. At the conclusion of the Mass his Lordship Bishop Murray addressed the congregation, treating in an especial manner of the duties of a priest. He was ordained, he s iid, on a Passion Sunday. but did not dare to go the altar till the following Friday He was engaged in examination work, and had not the time to prepare, but acted on the advice of hia director and refrained for a few days It was very difficult for a pric-t to always find the proper dispositions to r.piebrate daily, and to do "-o in the state of moi tal sin was a °in of such magnitude that it scarcely could be condoned. They would see, therefore, that he hai erreat reasons for asking them to piay Ui.it Cod might pardon anj T <-in be hai over committal in that respect. The second object was t ) ]oin him m returning thanks to God for having protected him while a young an 1 inexperienced priest from the dangers of the world No one was e\posei to so much danger as a young pri»st in the earliest years of his ministry. He was not a monk, nor was he shut up in a college. He personally, was in college for 10 years, but on returning from Rome to Dublin had to mix in all kinds of society. He was a young man of 21 years hitherto accustomed to a seclude 1 life. He was exposed to terrible dangers, for a great m >ny young priests succumbed to the danger during that time. He waß thankful to God for his protection. He fell in with a very good priest who was a man of considerable experience much older than he, and who was kind enough to give his advice, for which he was ever giatcful. He remained under that priest for two years and was than called upon to take up the duties of private beoretaiy to Cardinal Cullen with whom he rcrnainel for 11 years. He was then called upon by the Pope to come nut to Austral'a. It never occurred to him while studying in the grt'at College of the Piopag ui<'a ut R"ine. with young: men preparing for the foreign mis-ion^ to go to a distant one himpclf. It wan an awful < hange to him but he c mid not disobey the Pope. lie left Ireland with v< ry great regret, lie was very ill on the vojaire out. and he believed th.it lllro-s aro«e from the fact th>it he had not accepted with proper disposition" the responsible position given him by the l'o;>e. On his arris al in Ma'tland he trot a w.um re -ej'tion irom pne-ts and pc ip'c and his regret at leaving Ireland soon m-appoarcd. There v, as plenty of work but not many priests, but they weiegool '1 here was Monsignor Phrlan, w 'r.o died last year in Ireland, lie was agiand priest. There were the lute Dean Kenny m Ei t Mait'aml . the Lite Dean Leonard in Singleton: and Dtan IL-a'y. now of Sjdmy In a few yt ars the number of pn< nts ir.cuas.ed. and he was able to travel through vinous parts of his then < \t. n<ne d,o -f^-e He thankeo God that he was selected to found the in iee j e of Maitland. He appealed to them aU ro join him duuug the afternoon in huge numbers in returning thanks to God fc,r the many jca's He had given him, an i in asking th it he might bo able to do s'>!n> thing more for the glory of God and in the interests of the Chun h. lie thanked pne^s and people fur all they hid done and were about to do for him. On Tues lay. April 22, Solemn Pontifical High Mass was celebrated in the C ithcdral, when th"re was a crowded congregation. No fewer than eleven prelates we r e pre-ont His Grate the Archbishop of Melbourne, his Grace the Mo-<t Rev. Dr. Kelly, their Lurdshipa the Right Rev Dr. Murray, the Right Key Dr. Torrogmani, the Right Ri v. Dr. Moore, the llight tii v. Dr. Corbe. t, th<- Riirht Rev. Dr Doyle, the Right Rev. Dr. G.<ll igber, the Right Rev. Dr. Higgins, the Right Itev. Dr. Dwyer. the Rijrht Rev. Dr. Murray, O S.A., Bnhop and Vicir-Apontohc of Cooktown. In addition there was present a very large number of priests from all parts ot the Commonwealth. The occasional sermon wa^ preached by his Grace Anhbixhop Kelly, who said, in the course o1"o 1 " an eloquent discourse. In 1 S t » ~» well prepared for tho work by thirteen yeaia nio--t intimate eonniction with the great churchman and sterling saint — Paul Catilrial Cullen — the Bishop-Elect of Maitlund. m c nnpany witli ihe BishopElect of Bathurst. was consecrated iv Dublin on the Feast of St. Laurence OToole Since 'hen \7 years have come ai.d trone. Their record is the history ot the Ca'holic Chun h in Australia, and I believe that in zealous Lib irs and marvellous fruufulne«s tins record will ever be luminous in our annuls Having nceivul from the Supreme Pontiff the pa-toral i ha rye of nil that territory which was compri-ed in this parnit dioef-e. Dr. Murray put his hand to the plough and sought for fellow -laborers — priests and religions — to work in his vineyard. See what mciea^e God his given to his planting and watering M.ntland to d >y, aitei rer c pi ate.l pt.i tition of herstKiiglh numbu^ ISO.UU.) faithful i-unls organised m 17 district-, having ii. ,i - 1 y inn churches njid ch'Un. 1-". served by moie ttrm |o pn 'hts vvi'h a lir.ij ! ot ,si,ns vi >■> Alphos.sijs in r. s' rv* 1 , and the elueaiionot rh^y u> ir is piovided Jin by moie t h,m 20U icligious ttachi is, \\ si i l t - iri he ili-t" I—i.l1 — i.l and allhcted, tin orphan anil the ppeithk-ss thtie. i- cial ail') ai! imr.iijJu cue. During his day's labor happily no' jcl --leni.ric l>i-h )i of Maitland has given us an example of that /o, 1 whi>h the Apo-tle ot tin; Vatican o >in-

raands to Bishops in the person of Timothy : ' Continue then in the things which thou has hast learned and which have been committed to thee, All Scripture Divinely inspired ia profitable to teach, to reprove, to instruct in justice : That the man of God may be perfectly furnished unto every pood work.' Immediately after thi* Mass the priests of the diocese pres nted Bishop Murray with an address and a purae of 2'M) sovereigns. The laity also presented an address, that was accompanied by a money offering of £1300, which it was expected would roach £1500 when all the return*" were in Th<> R<i.lrp«<* from the Hibernian Society was accompanied by a ch< que, for £30, In reply me to the addre-ses and thanking the donors for their presentation-"! hi" Lordship h«M that not one penny of the money received would be spent on himself but would be devote I to the interests of religion and education. In the evening a banquet was held in the Town Hall, at which 300 guests were present. * The celebrations were continued on the following day when the prelate?, priests and laity proceeded to Waratah to witness an entertainment given by the deaf mutes in charge of the Dominican Nuns. Later on the visitors were entertained at luncheon at the Redemptoritt Monastery.