HIS LORDSHIP BISHOP LENIHAN

New Zealand Tablet, Issue 17, 25 April 1907, Page 11

HIS LORDSHIP BISHOP LENIHAN

The Right Rev. Dr. Leni-han, the present occupant of the See, and whose appointment in 1896 was received with such widespread satisfaction by others, as well as by his own flock, was horn in London of Irish parents in 1858, so that he , is now ,in his fiftieth, year. At the age of- three he lost his mother, and flvie years later his father died-: At the age of fourteen he entered the -Benedictine Collepr, at Ramsg;ate, th'en under the ch&ree of Lord Abbot Alcock and Father Edmund Luck. 'For nearly four years he studied at

Ramsgate, and then on the advice of-Canon Todd, formerly of Trinity' College, Dublin, a distinguished convert the young student was sent to St. Edmund s College! Oldhall Green, to study for the Westminster diocese. In 1877 he went to Spain to complete ; his philosophical and theological training. In April, 188U, -being then sufodeacon, he received word from Father Edmund Luck that he (Father Luck) was likely to-be appointed Bishop of - Auckland, and asked, if such were the' 1 case, would he ■ accompany him to the Antipodes. He readily consented, Weing anxious to labor under his old superior, and further hoping- to meet in Auckland his beloved .tutor, Lord Abbot Alcqck. On August 13, 1882, J ather Luck was consecrated Bishop at Ramsgate by Cardinal Manning, and on August 27 the Rev. U-. M. Lenihan was raised to ~the priesthood. He was the first student of RamsgVte College ordained as a secular priest, arid the first priest ordained by Bishop Luck,. On September 1, 1882, Bishop Luck, J-atfaet Lenihan, and a number of clergy left -London for the Antipodes. On arriving at Melbourne the Bishop -went . on to Sydney, whilst Blather Lenihan came on to Auckland via the Bluff. He reached the northern capital on November 12, and was warmly welcomed by the clerg\ and laity. The Bishop arrived four days later, and at once placed Father Lenihan as curate under the late MonsLgnior Walter McDonald at St. Patrick's Cathedral, where he labored for three and a half years. In April, 1886, Father Lenihan was appointed- pastor of the new parish of Ponsonby, then without a church or prestoytery. On October 31 of the same year the new church , at Fonsonbty was blessed, and on the following January was opened and dedicated to the Sacred Heart. Here was a striking example of Father Lenihan"s many and undoubted administrative qualities, and this was so apparent-^ to the Bishop that his Lordship added to the new pastor's already abundant parochial responsibilities' the charge of the Star of the Sea Orphanage at St. Mary's. On February 10, 1891, Father Lenihan was made irremovable rector of Parnell, which position he occupied until he was appointed diocesan administrator by Archbishop Redwood on the death of Bishop Luck in January, 1896. As previously mentioned, at a meeting .of the clergy, presided over by the Metropolitan, Father < Lenihan l 's name was placed first in the list forwarded to the Holy See from which to appoint a successor to the deceased prelate. His Holiness ratified the choice of the priests. Sunday, November 15, the impressive ceremony of^ consecration took place in St. Patrick's Cathedral. His Lordship the Bishop of Christchurch was the con--secrating prelate, and he was assisted by the Right Rev. Dr. Verdon (Dunedin) and the Right Rev. Dr.f Gallagher (Goulburn). Besides the diocesan clergy present there were visitors from other parts of the Colony as well as from Sydney and the Islands. Solemn High Mass was celebiated by the Right Rev. Dr. Grimes, Rev. Fathers Kirk and Hacket-t being deacon and subdeacon respectively. Father Cummings (Christohurch) assistant priest, Father. Gillan master of ceremonies. The preacher on this occasion was his Lordship the Bishop of Goulburn. The ' sermon in the evening was preached by his Lordship Bishop Grimes. On 'the following evening a conversazione in homor of the new Bishop was held in the Choral Hall, -which was beautifully decorated. 'There was an immense concourse of people to do honor to their new Bishop, who was accompanied by the Right Rev, Dr. Grimes and the Right • -Rev. Dr. Verdon. Priests from all parts of the Colony attended » Addresses were presented from the clergy, - laity, Hibernian Society, the students of the Marist Brothers, to all of which his Lordship fittingly replied. Since then he has done yeoman work in the diocese ; much of it is known to our readers ; but few except those on „ the spot can have an adequate conception of the splendid and far-seeing administrative work which his Lordship ha,s been doing in conserving and securing educational and other endowments for his important See. The Auckland diocese of the future will have good reason to rank Bishop Lenihan high among its greatest "benefactors.