HIS LORDSHIP BISHOP VERDON

New Zealand Tablet, 4 January 1912, Page 31

HIS LORDSHIP BISHOP VERDON

GOLDEN JUBILEE OF HIS ORDINATION On December 28, the Feast of the Holy Innocents; the Right Rev. Dr. Verdon, the revered Bishop of Dunedin celebrated the golden, jubilee of his ordination to the priesthood. ..-■;A few months ago when it became known that the jubilee would'occur this year, the priests of the diocese approached his Lordship with the view of getting his permission to hold a public celebration of the event. His Lordship absolutely declined to consent to : any such celebratipn, much to the regret not only of the clergy but also of the laity, who; would have been only ; too pleased of the opportunity to honor in a befitting manner their beloved Bishop. • On the morning of the jubilee his Lordship celebrated Mass in the Chapel of the Convent of Mercy, South Dunedin, and later on attended an entertainment given in his honor by . the children of the St. Vincent de Paul Orphanage. After the ..enters tainment . the children adjourned 'to the dining hall, where ample ; ... justice was ; done Ito a bountiful luncheon, to which his Lordship had ■;.. sent a substantial donation.' In the afternoon his Lordship entertained at dinner at the Palace a number of the clergy of the diocese, amongst whom were some who had received their ecclesiastical training at Holy Cross College, Mosgiel, and had been ordained by him. Very Rev. Mgr. O'Leary, speaking at the dinner on behalf of the clergy of the diocese, congratulated his Lordship on the attainment of the golden jubilee of his ordination, and expressed the fervent wish that he would be spared for many years to rule over .the diocese. :'„«,.'.. . ■ v

It is now fifteen and a-half years since Dr. Verdon' was consecrated Bishop of Dunedin, and during that : time the diocese has made steady progress. Among the principal events of Dr. Verdon's episcopate have been the introduction of the Sisters of Mercy into the diocese, and the founding of the. St. Vincent de Paul Orphanage, South Dunedin,,an institution which is doing most necessary and praiseworthy work; the founding of Holy Cross College, an ecclesiastical seminary which, in the' short time it has been in existence, has done much to supply, in some measure, the needs of every diocese in New Zealand; and the. introduction of the Little Sisters of the Poor, whose work on behalf of the aged and needy is well known to all. ' During the "same time several churches have been erected,. and .dedicated to the service of God, convents founded, schools erected and placed in charge of religious Orders, and other useful and necessary works carried out, such as, for instance, St. Joseph's Hall, Dunedin, which serves the purpose of a parish hall and meeting place for the various societies.. As previously'stated, steady progress has been made during the past fifteen and a-half years, and the laity, knowing how much of this progress is due to his Lordship's wise and devoted administration, regret that he had not seen fit to allow them the opportunity of showing their respect and appreciation in some public and tangible manner. This being denied them, they, have to content themselves by joining with* the clergy in their congratulations, wishing his Lordshop many years of health and strength to rule over his diocese. . , .