THE CHURCH IN NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVI, Issue 19, 14 May 1908, Page 11

THE CHURCH IN NEW ZEALAND

» MEMOIRS OF THE EARLY DAYS

(Contributed.) WELLINGTON. (Continued.)

Bishop Pompallier records in >his diary a second visit he made to Wellington from the Bay of Islands in a hired schooner of 60 tons, dating his departure thence as Feibocuary, 1844. 'I found there' (Port Nicholson), he writes, ' about two hundred and fifty white Catholics, the majority of whom were Irish. The care of their salvation was entiusted to Father O'Reily. I added to him Father Comte, whom I specially charged with, the spiritual care of the Natives. I spent about three days amidst the people at Port Nicholson, where I conferred the Sacrament of Confirmation. Then I sought the assistance of Father O'Reily to visit Akaro'a, the tribes of Port Cooper (Lyttelton), the Eimgilish colonists of Nelson, and the Natives of Kapiti Island (the. stronghold of the redoubtable Te Rauparaha and his warrior chiefs).-. On all these visits the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Matrimony were conferred. 1 took Father O'Reily back: to Port Nicholson, from vv hence I started alone on my. icturn to the Bay of Islands. 1 Ihis is the last recorded \isit of the \enerable Bishop to Wellington.

Father O'Reily erected at Te Aro, Wellington, the first church in this district, and it was recently stated on thej authority of one of the earliest settlers that the oldest house in the city now existing is that little cottage built and formerly occupied by him. For two score years he labored with untiling energy in Wellington and district. Across Cook Strait in van open fboat, along the western coast and inland he travelled, bringing the consolations of religdon to the scattered' pioneers of the settlement. His first little church, dedicated to St. Maxy of the Angels', in Boulcott street, had more than once to be enlarged, and through' his exertions it was rebuilt in 1874.

At this stage of our memoirs, the following personal narrative from one whose recollections of Wellington extend to his boyhood"days will prove intesesting- r. ' The latter end of the forties found us, a lot of schoolboys under the tuition of Mr. Fryer, in the school ohapel on. the site now occupied by the presbytery of St. Mary of the Angels', Boulcott street, Wellington. We were astonished one day at seeing two foreignloojking personages come in and accost our tutor. Mr. Fryer, who was- the embodiment of politeness, at once entered into conversation with his visitors'. We were greatly interested at hearing our visitors speak a strange language, and felt a certain pride at the versatility displayed by our good old teacher. The visitors were were two French pioneer priests of the Marist Order, newly arrived from the northern capital in order to provide for the spiritual wants of Catholic residents, European and aboriginal, in the farstretching wilds of the southern part of the Colony. These two priests were, if memory does not fail me, Fathers Petitjean and Garin. We were inclined, boylike, to laugh at the peculiar appearance they presented with their strange sombrero-like hats, so ttiflereni to our dear Father O'Reily. The visitors, however, had not taken their departure many minutes when our inclination for merriment at their expense was turned to deep Interest and respect. Our master, evidently noticing the want of appreciation displayed, gave a short but most impressive lecture to all upon the trials and vicissitudes suffered by these holy men amongst the Maoris of the north in their endeavor to spread our holy religion amongst them and their children.' A new period opened up, states a missionary record, with the advent of European immigration, and also new duties for the missionaries. In 1848 the progress of colonization decided the Holy See to establish fen New Zealand a regular hierarchy. Bishop Ponupallier exchanged his ,. title of Vicar- Apostolic of

Western Oceanica for that of Bishop of Auckland, whilst Monsignor Viard., his coadjutor since 1845, was charged with the new diocese of Wellington, comprising p, partof the North Island and the whole of "the South, and adjoining islands. After ""this change the Mar Ist Fathers quitted the diocese of Auckland for— that of Wellington. The Right Rev. Dr. Viard,- S.M., first. Bishop of Wellington, was born in Lyons, France, on October 11, •180 D. He was a fellow-student of Father Bataillon, the aposfcie of Wallis, and like him a Marist. He made his religious profession as a member of the Marist Order in May, 1839. In the same year he left his native land for Mew Zealand with a- small company of priests and a lay Brother to reinforce the ranks of , tifoe earlier missionaries. He arrived on -December 11, 1839, was closely associated with Bishop Pompallier, and entered upon the work of evangelising the Maoris with great zeal and energy. After a short time he was on the point of accompanying the Bishop on^ his first visit to Rome on the French man-of-war, ' Aube,' at Akaroa, when the startling" intelligence of the massacre of Father Chanel reached them. Their pians were iirimediiiately changed. Father \ iard proceeded to Futuna to secure the venerated remains of Father Chanel. He returned to the Bay of Islands with the body of the Blessed Chanel, which was sent to the mother house of the Society of Mary in Li3 r ons, where 'it is now reverently enshrined. He returned to the South Sea Islands, engaged in missionary work there, and subsequently ()in 1843.) accompanied Bishop Douarre to 'New Caledonia when the latter went to take possession of his mission.

Father Viard was consecrated by Archbishop Polddng at Sydney on January 4, 184.6. Bishop Via'rd left Auckland on Api ix 20, 1850, with five Fathers and ten Brothers, to enter the new mission entrusted to the Society of Mary. The Prelate and his companions, entered Wellington Harbor on May 1, 1850, and were accorded a very kind reception by Father O'Reily and "tifoe heading Catholics', who did all in thc'ir power to assist them. From an account supplied by Mr. A. H. Blake, 1 learn that very shortly afterwards a start was made .with the Cathedral, schoolhouse, and presbytery. Bishop yiaird and' Ms assistant priests, Fathers Scon Petatjean, Comte, Pezant, Forest, and Garin, occupying in the meantime a house in Karori Road. The Bishop meanwhile was not idle in his peaceful retreat ; he devised plans to utilise 'in the most efficient manner possible his little band of missionaries. The site for these buildings, one of the best in Wellington, was -given by the Hon. Mr. Petre. A convent school was soon established, with Sister Mary St. Joseph a& principal. When the presbytery, or Bishop's House as it was termed, was nearing completion, the Holy Saori'fice was celebrated in the upper storey, a room capable of holding about fifty persons, "was used for the purpose. This was indeed) a lcwig-looked-for blessing, as previously the residents of Thiorndon, linakori Road, Kaiwhara, and other places had to walk long distances over an almost pathless country to attend Mass, whilst children were growing up without education, religious or secular. Frere Yvert, a Mairist Brother, and Mr. Huntley were in charge of the boys' school. The latter was an* English gentleman and a convert, his conversion -taking place during Hone Helve's historical struggle against British supremacy at" Kororareka. Brother Yvert taught English in the^ school, being an accomplished linguist, and also gave 'private lessons in foreign languages to various personages apart from the school, Lady Grey, wife of the Governor, being among, the number of his pupils. The Maoris were not forgotten, a house toeing erected for their shelter when wishing to stay In town for the purpose of attending Mass. On one occasion, a Sunday morning, the narrator, then a very small boy, was told by. Father Petitjean to go and tell the Maoris to come to prayers. My knowledge of Maori at the time Was somewhat limited, consequently the Father made me repeat the message until I had learned it thoroughly : ' Haere mac, ki te karakia ' fcoire to prayers). Proceeding to the house, I gave the message to a much astonished company, who wondered that so small a pakeha boy could be such a fluient speaker of their langiuage. The puzzled Natives then handed me a New Testament, which they had been trying to decipher, requesting me to read! it for them.^) I 'did so, and, without understanding but few of~tne words, thus establishing another record* as a youthful prodigy in the minds of the Natives. I closed the book without remark, and hurried back to Mass, the Maoris following.

(To be Continued.) l