PRESENTATION TO THE Rev. Father Coffey, Adm.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 36, 7 September 1905, Page 4

PRESENTATION TO THE Rev. Father Coffey, Adm.

As was generally expected, xhe pastoral duties which 1 , lor a period extiettiding over seven years, ihe Rev. Father Coffey had exercisod among t/he Catholics of South Dunedin, weroi not allowed to come to an end without some 'tangible expression of regret at his depart uie and practical token of their esteem and regard and appreciation of his work whilst among them. During his time in South Dunedin Father Coffey had seen the congrcipjition increase and multiply to a marked extent. The progress covered bioth Ihe spiritual and material diomainj of h\ks' adiinmis'tndion. "Ihe Oatihoiliosvo't Smith Dunedin are not, generally speaking, overburdened uith the) world's goods, bi.t uhat tney lack in wealth they amply make up in generosity. Among the piiucipal workd carried out dining his time v. as the erection of the liino new brick consent for tire Sisteis of Mercy , tho adornment of St. Patrick's Basilica, one of the notable features of which was the erection of the Stations of He Cross at a cost of o>er 1.500 , the completiom and openmg of the St. Vine ml do Paail Oiphanage,' in which he has 'always shown the gru^e-t interest, the cnlaiaemcT t oS the piinsh schn* X , r.nl tho liquidating of the dcM. on the Basilica, which will very soon be extinguished altogcthei. Of comis,* in all this ho had the hearty and geneious co-operation of ii»e people, to whom much credit is due The parish societies, too, came in for a ghod deal of his attention, and more especially the Young Men's Club, which ho helped and 'encouraged in every possible way, recognising m it one of the best institutions in the parish. •No sotoner had the Catholics of South Dunedin realised that they had to part with their pastor than they tooik stcpis lo make him a presentation, and thus in a practical way to give expression to their regret at his departure, and appreciation of his zealous work amiongst them. At a general meeting of the parishioners the matter was placed in the hands of a committee, of Which Mr. C. A. Shiel was chairman and Mr. Marlow secretary. The presentation took place in the schoolroom, South Dunedin, on Monday evening in the presence of a large gathering of parishioners In the unavoidafblO a'W-.efnce of Mr. C. A. SMel, chairman of the presentation committee, Mr. J. J. Marlow, Mayor of St. Kilda, presided,, having on his right the Rev. Father Ooffey, Adm. The following clergy occupied seats on Ihe platform : Rev. Fathers Howard, Delaney, Cleary, O'Malley, Liston, and Corcoran, as well as several of the laity. The chart rmafn. read a letter from Mr. C A. Shiel, expressing regTCt for his unavoidable absence In the course of his communication Mr. Shiel paid a high tribute tot Father Cofiey's worth and work, his charity, awl his popiila»rity, hotfti with Catholics and non-Catih-

olics. He wished the Rev. Father many years to use his untiring energy in ihe larger sphere to which he had been called, and that he would enjoy many years of uninterrupted baipyiness.' At the conclusion of a miusi'oal programme the chairman said that he had before him a little task for which he would prefer to hiaw Ween better prepared— to make a pret>emtati!on to the Rev. Father Coffey expressive of the regard and esteem felt for him <b/y the Catholics of South Dunedin. Since his advent amongst Ihem 'ho had done great work, and — apart from his duty as a Catholic priest and merely as a citizen of South Dulncdin— the had won the admiration of all classes. As a priest he had done work which had endeared him to his people, and he would leave behind him feelings of the highest regard and esitieem that would l(asti for years to come. To nKgiy an Irishman who had just come cut from the Old Land Father Ooffey. had pro\ed a real and true friend, and although he would always have a warm place in his heart for his nathe tfaund, still he bad a gjreat love for his adopted country, lie had nothing further to add to the address which ho was about to read but to say that Father Coffey carried with him to his new sphere of labor their very besit wishes for his success. (Applaorse).

The Address. Rev. and Dear Father,— ... The regret with which we learned of your departure from South Dunedin has been tempered by the 1 mowlcldige that you are not gioang far from amongst us, that yomr new pnsdtion will give wider scope to those splendid qualities that have enabled you to do sweh grand work in our midst. It is* rarely tyhen to a priest to see such marked e\idence of successful administration as has been granted to you to see in this parish during the seven and a half years you have Ueen in charge. Yours has 1 been the pleasure: of witnessing the completion and opening of the Orph'ainacje and its establishment on the sound basis it now occupies ; the erection of the splendid Con\enit of Mercy , the enlargement of our schools ; Ihe beautifying of our church and freeing it from defct ; the acquiring of additional land to allow of further expansion ; and, more than all, you have seen the memlbters of your com<g rogation doubled.

Your whole-souled devotion to your priestly duties, yoiur care of the sick anid dying, your solicitude for the poor, and the interest you have ever taken in the welfare of the young, have endeared you to us, arid caused your name to be a household word for many years in this parish. In asking you to accept the accompanying purse of sovereigns as a Bright token of our appreciation, we do so with the sincere wish that your future may be blessed with health, happiness, and the energy to continue your good work. We beg to remain, Rev. and dear Father, affectionately yours, C. A. Siiiei,, Chairman. J. J. Maklow, Hon. Secretary. Austin Miscall D. O'Mahoney P. Fi'izpatiuck M. McKey John Dw\ek J. McCukdy J. O'Connor For St. Patrick's Congregation, South Dunedin. The address, which was accompanied by a cheque for £90, was tastefully illuminated by the Sisters of Mercy, and framed in carved oak and gold. Mr. Marlow,, in presenting a purse of £10, accompanied by a silvoxHmjounted walking stick, from the Catholic Young Men's Club, said that the young men desired in a special manner to m a rk their appreciation of the work which Father Cofiey had done in their behalf. He had encouraged and helped them in every way to improve themselves,, so that in after life they might be able to take their proper place in the world. He had devoted a 'great defal of his time to the young men, and it was owing to the great interest which he took in the society that it was now one of the largest in New Zealand. He would carry with him their heartiest wishes that he would have many years of happiness. (Applause). The chairman also made Father Coffey a presentation of a silver-mounted pocket-book on behalf of the Confraternity of the Children of Mary. On the invitation of the chairman, Rev. Father Cleary briefly addressed the meeting. He was pleased to see a fellow-priest receive at the hands of a con•gregation such warm and cordial appreciation as had been extended to Father Coffey that evening. That splendid demonstration showed that Father Coffey had ■gained the esteem of the Catholics of South Dunedin He felicitated Father Coffey on the manner in which his work was appreciated by the Catholics of South Dunedin, and congratulated the people on having such a splendid successor a s Father Howard, who concealed beneath an extremely modest exterior many admiraible qualities of heart and mind. (Applause). ,Roy, Roy - F ather Howard thanked Father Cleary for the kind remarks he had made regarding him, and also the meeting for the very cordial manner in which it had expressed its approval. In one sense he was fortunate in having to follow such a man as Father Coffey, as he found there was no work in construction, organisation, or Wuildmp; left to be done, the taste and solidity displayed in everything about were 'quite in keeping with the characteristics of Father Cofiey himself. On the other hand he felt very diffident about filling tho place of Father Coffey, who was most successful in making himself agreeable. It would not be for want of trying if he did not succeed, and while God spared him he would do all in his power to fulfil his duties towards the people. (Applause). Father Coftey's Reply. The Rev. Father Coffey, whose rising to reply, was the signal for enthusiastic applause, said that he was somewhat at a less as to what he would say. I here were two occasions when a man felt in such a position ; in Ihe first place when he had got nothing to talk about, and secondly, when his thoughts are crowded in his nun.l, and his feelings get the better of his words, and he finds great difficulty in truing expression to his thoughts, lie was m the latter position that cwnmg-jhe could not s;ive expression to his thoupffits in words A father did not require to remind his children that he loved them, nor need the children assure the father that they inspected him In the same way, after his stay of seven and a-half years mi South Dunedin, having come among them as a stranger, it was not necessary to be told that there existed that iglood feeling between them that was referred to m the address. They had called him Father. Ho had tried to act as a" father towards them, both in a spiritual and temporal sense. (Applause). In do'inc; this he had to acknowledge faults and failiijn/gis. When he commenced to work amongst them ho set before his mind certain ideals, and he was perfectly satisfied he had failed to a certain extent in carrying them out. He had worked for the

good of the congregation to btuild up a suitable edifice and to pay off the aetot upon it, tout at the saime time he had not neglected to visit the homes of the people or to care for their youth. It was his pleasing duty to accept their handsome testimonial, and to thank them for their kind expressions of esteem and regard. The people of South Diuiddin knew full well thia't i he had not enriched himseff whilst amongst them, and he did not think he woiuld enriioh himself in the future, but he trusted that when they required his assistance in any way they would ask it, and they would find him right willing to ihelp them, and render any assistance that might bej iiu his power to give. (Applause). The address spoke of the work that 'had been done— the ■beautifying of the church, the bjuilding of the orphanage, the btuilding of the consent, and the enlarging of the school. Now, as far as the church was concerned as a parish church, it was second to none in New ZeaJ/ainid. l »As for the Qrphianage, it ,was a. very necessary work, and he Hoped they woiuld be as kind and generous to the orphans in the rutuTe as they had been in the past. Wi+h regard to the convent, like many others who had left a place, he was leaving a heavy legacy to hi's successor. (Daughter). It was not he who had done the work referred to in the address, it was the people themselves ; it was they who hiad done every bit of it. Sometimes a general who had won a 'bfattle got all the credit, whilst his soldiers did the work, in the same way he (the rev. speaker) could not have done this work without the help and co-ofperiation of the people during the past seven years. He had not been more than a few weeks in the parish when he called a meeting] toi oatry out some work,, (and fivei or six men were picked cut to assist him, and it was the brightest; thought in his mind to know that these men wfre to the fore ever since in every good work, that they were there present on the platform that evening. (Applause). He was sure they would be found working with his successor, and he could assure 'him that there is no' p,arish in New Zealand he could find more willing workers than in that hall. He could assure them that he was very loth to leave South Dunedin, and he only wished . that he could take his people with him. With regard to his work among the young men, he would take credit for it, as he worked very hard on their behalf, as -he considered it a very necessary work. He was proud to Know that to a certain extent it was successful. When first he conceived the idea of starting the society he saw many difficulties in the way, and among those who gave him advice and encouragement to go on with the work, and sai9 the difficulties waulid oventuailly be overcome, was Mr. Gallaway, a gentleman who did not belong, to the congregation. (Ap1 lcuise). The result was 1 as anticipated, the society was most successful. He had always maintained the most friendly relations witih his flock ; in fact he did not think he had made a single enemy, and sometimes ho felt as if this state of things did not require an examination of conscience to see if he were doing his duty and admonishing those who deserved it. Ho thajiked Iho people from his heart for their great kindness towardsi him and their appreciation of his work. The chairman referred to the manner in which he had discharged his* duties as a citizen, and ho could only say 'that ha had never sought to curry faivor with anybody, lyuti had always acted in a straightforward manner. After referring to the address from the Children of Mary, 'Father Coffey expressed the hope that the people would show the same kindly feelings towards his successor, that they would receive him with warm and oipen hearts, and he (Father CofTey) would promise that Father Howard on his part would fulfil his duty as a priest towards t«hem, for Father Howard cloaked the mo c t excellent (qualities under a modest demeanor, and they would make no mfstaK'C in following his advioe. In conclusion ho referred to the respect that had been always sfbown him by all classes in South Dunedin, and although his duties had often taken Mm out late at night he had never been the object of a rough and insuiting remark. (Applause). He thanked his fellowv priests for their kindness in coming there that evening, and again expressed the hope that his successor would meet with the same kindness and con sitd oration that had been extended to himself, and that during Father Howard's stay amongst them the congregation would not only be doubled but trebled. (Applause). On the motion of the Rev. Father Coffey a hearty vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Mario w ior presiding. During the" evening songs were contributed by Misses McLean, Mahoney, Heffernan, and Messrs. E. Mcc, B. Knox, and Master O'Connor, a pianoforte solo by Mr.Knoxy and a recitation !by Mr. J. Dec.