AN ENTHUSIASTIC RECEPTION

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8, 25 February 1909, Page 294

AN ENTHUSIASTIC RECEPTION

- ■ (By/ telegraph from our own correspondent.) +b» «& t? ab |f nc f of. about twelve months in v Europe, the Right Rev. Dr. Lemhan arrived in Auckland on Sunday night, .the steamer having come up to the - wharf by° r t& R^ re T? + ?CloC£? CloC £- ++ His Lordgiip iaa acc6mpanfed by the Rev. Father-. Patterson. Hundreds greeted the Bishop s appearance on the deck of the steamer, and as ne came down the gangway the vast crowd surged round and with the utmost difficulty- .the Bishop made his way to the carriage which was in Vaiting. There. could be no. J? vu Q b V° w heartiness and spontaneity- of the welcome. The Very Rev. Dean Gillan, V.G., Very Rev. Deans liackett and Lightheart, and the executive committee followed m carriages. The -procession then proceeded through the principal streets to the Bishop's Palace, where" the pupils of the convent, high school and the orphan children greeted his Lordship with cheers. The palace and convent were brilliantly illuminated. At the palace his Lordship, personally thanked the committee (priests and people) for their good work. The Right H fi n. the Premier, who left by Wellington express before the Bishop landed wrote welcoming him home.. During Monday his Lordi ship was in the city, and on all sides he was cordially greeted. In the evening the "Cathedral was packed for the public welcome. The. members of the Hibernian So+f%*£ d district officers formed a, guard of honor -from the Cathedral toj*he presbytery -the altar boys following Ihejslergy present m the , procession were -Very Rev. Dean Gillan VG. .Very Rev. Dean Hackett, Very Rev. Dean Lightheart, Very Rev. Father W? Malioney, -Very Rev Father Brodie, Rev, Father O'Connell (Tc6woombaj, Rev. Father Buckley Rev. Father Darby, , Bey,." Fathers Dignan, Meagher,. Murphy, Wright, O'Hara, , McGuinnesi, To r m £y> *urlong, Carran, L ynch, Molloy, -Edge!' Doyle and Williams. -After these came his Lordship, who 1 entered amidst .welcome strains of the organ.' The members of the Hibernian Society followed. The address of - the clergy and laity .was read by Father Mahoney, who. was accompanied -_ by the executive committee— Messrs. J - J O'Brien (president),- P. J._ Nerhehy (treasurer), M j' Sheahan (secretary). At the conclusion of the address from the clergy and laity, Mr. P. J. Nerheny handed" his Lordship a cheque for £312. The address^- from the Hibernian^ Society was read, by y^Bro. Hubert Nerheny (president), who was accompanied by Bros. Kane Flynn, Wright, and. Mulholland. : . The' address from the choir was xead by Mr.Hiscocks (conductor). ADDRESSES. . -. -\ The following was the address f fom^he clergy and laity: — - . >=>•> To the Right Rev. George M. Lenihan, Bishop of Auckland. - - • % , . My Lord, — It is with sentiments , of joy and thankfulness that we welcome you - back to ,your episcopal city, for we rejoice that you are once more amongst us to guide the destinies of the Church in this- portion of Our Lord's Vineyard, and we are thankful that "Almighty God 'has brought you back safe after your journey round the world. We realise that this, your latest visit to Europe, has been full of absorbing interest both to your Lordship and to us your faithful children in Christ, for you have been privileged to participate in two great events, unique of their kind. We have learnt that in Rome your Lordship assisted in a pilgrimage from England to felicitate him whom Cardinal Gibbons styles the ' White Shepherd of the Vatican,' Our Holy Father %the Pope, upon the celebration of the golden jubilee of his priesthood, and in England we have been interested^to learn that your Lordship also took part in that great event, the Eucharistic Congress, the first of its kind in Great- Britain, and one full of stirring incidents, and most likely -to result in untold -good to the' cause of our Holy Faith in English-speaking lands. We have also followed with interest your progress through the dear Green Isle and your visits to the different religious institutions there in the interests -of this diocese, and we feel certain that on -account of the many things which you have seen, the many ideas which you have made your own in the cotirse of your travels in Ireland and elsewhere will before long find practical shape in the works which your Lordship contemplates for the good of our holy religion in the diocese. - , Monsionor O'Reilly, J. T. Botlan. The address from the Hibernian Society was as follows : — - ' . To the Right Rev. George Michael Lenihan, D.D., Bishop of Auckland^ May it please your Lordship, — On behalf of the members of the Auckland branch No. 81 of the Hibernian Australasian Catholic Benefit Society ire cordially welcome your Lordship's return from this\ your v second ad limina visit to our Holy Father the Pope. The regret caused by your departure and long absence from us is amply rewarded by your Lordship's presence, and the

proud privilege we cherish so dearly of joining wholeheartedly in the manifestations of reverence, and love to you, our dearly beloved Bishop. In- spirit we have travelled with you through those lands whose sacred traditions, handed down to us by Holy Church, are ever dear to our hearts and ever present in our minds. - Your Lordship, representing us, avowed renewed fealty to our illustrious Pontiff, Pope Pius 2L, and we in return take this, opportunity of proclaiming to you our faithfulness and obedience. With ardent pleasure we noted that in holy Ireland "you fearlessly and strenuously espoused that righteous movement which tended to her uplifting; and we -rejoiced exceedingly at the signal and deserved honors extended to you by the ecclesiastical- and lay representatives of Ireland. In the great work of our diocese, upon which the present and the future depends, we recognise that you have accomplished much, and the knowledge gained by your Lordship's close observance of methods adopted in favored Catholic, countries will fully recompense our diocese for your temporary absence. In" conclusion we again reiterate our joy upon your Lordship's return, and we fervently pray that Almighty God may grant you many years of health and strength to labor as our guide in this portion of God's vineyard in which your Lordship so earnestly and successfully devoted your life. We remain your Lordship's most dutiful children, Hubert Nerheny (President), Wilfred Wright (Vice-president), Wm. Kane (Secretary), D. Flynn (Treasurer), C. Mulholland (Past President).