DEATH OF BISHOP LENINAN.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 45, 22 February 1910, Page 5

DEATH OF BISHOP LENINAN.

SUDDEN:END AT 1 WHANGAREI. FOUND DEAD. IN BED. ■WIDESPREAD MOURNING. - A painful sensation was caused in' Auckland this morning on receipt of the news of the sudden death of-his Lordship Dr. Lenihan, Roman Catholic Bishop of Auckland. The information travelled quickly, and came as a profound shock to the None but his Lordship's intimate friends knew that he had been suffering lately, but on Friday, prior to his departure for Whangarei, he -was present at the opening day's! play of the match between the Auckland and Australian cricketers. As usual, the Bishop was jovial and hearty in manner, and his many friends were ignorant of the fact that he had the warning of lids medical advisers that the end might come at any time. To a gentleman of Dr. Lenihan's active and forceful disposition, however; a life of ■ inactivity was uteri yimpossible, and so the Bishop- died in harness, carrying on his great work in his extensive diocese, beloved by his people, a man whose friendships were not bounded by creed or colour.

I HIS LAST BLESSING. ' The late Bishop Lenihan arrived in j Whangarei on Saturday by the steamer 'Ngapuhi from Auckland. He conducted the opening of the Convent boarding i school on Sunday, and also a Confirmation ! service and Mass during the day. From ■the particulars wired by our correspondent at Whangarei, it appears that \ Bishop Lenihan was found dead in bed this morning, at the Roman Catholic . Presbytery, Whangarei, having expired in ' i 'his sleep, presumably from heart disease. Going to call him this morning, Father, Patterson found the Bishop lying in a j ! natural position, but quite cold. Dr. Good was immediately called in, and j could only pronounce life extinct. In the doctor, opinion, death ensued shortly after retiring to rest. His Lordship • did not feel well on Sunday, but seemed to recover during the evening. Yester- 1 day he felt well enough to proceed to Maungakaramea, and there held a Con- j firmation service. Returning to Whangarei, he was entertained at a social held last night in his honour, and was presented with a purse of sovereigns by Mr. P. J. Mulhern, on behalf of the parishioners.

At 10-30 . the' gathering was brought to a close, and .the . Bishop then said good-bye to those assembled, and from the verandah of 'the Presbytery bestowed his final blessing, them. During the evening the Bishop had, as usual, been jovial and kindly, but after the event he complained ' of ill-health. There was nothing to indicate a serious state, however, and he retired a little later. This morning he was discovered in bed, lying as though peacefully . asleep, but quite | dead. • A" PECULIAR COINCIDENCE. The >( Jate Dr. Lenihan became Bishop ! of Auckland • in ■ 1896, and his work in „ the diocese ■ has been carried on most successfully . since. In accordance I with the customs whereby Roman Catholic Bishops proceed to Rome once every ' : ten years to report to his Holiness the i Pope, ■ the late Dr. ■ Lenihan proceeded [ twice to Europe. It is an extraordinary | i coincidence that it is just twelve "months ; '• ago to-day since "his people in Auckland j welcomed ' him back from Rome. Prior to his-appointment as Bishop, the ' rev. • gentleman was rector of the Parnell parish. The Right Reverend Bishop Luck was then in charge of the diocese, and his health was so feeble that he asked that a' coadjutor bishop should.be ap- jpointed. The clergy were called together, ' and as a ' result of their deliberations voted as follows Dignissinius;. Father ■ Lenihan;-Dig_ior, Dean' O'Reilly, Dignus, .Father Hackett. This.-result was ' sent;'"' it» ir Rome,' but in the:; "meantime Bishop Luck died. .This necessitated, an-, - other election for the Bishop of Auckland, and the same result was again recorded. A few months. later the selection ■ of the; priests was ratified by the Pope, and Father Lenihan; became the fifth, Bishop of Auckland. -'".'. t ... . ,' I ...": A -• GREAT. BISHOP. 77.- : i During the ■ 14 : years , that -he - was Bishop of Auckland the late Dr. Lenihan was closely identified with aknost every movement for the public ."good.". .-In- the : church , work of his " diocese he -was:; a: . dominant force, and his friends ' were ' legion, irrespective, of creed. i./He; was devotedly : attached to the orphans,: and, his visits to the Orphans'; Home were always looked forward . to ieyents, both by the ■ Bishop; himself and the children. The late Dr. Lenihan . was: himself an

orphan, "and / was -: brought 'J up';by the priests -in"".:the -. Benedictine '■.. College at Ramsgate, .London. More than once, in Auckland, ' he 'has been heard sto. remark, "I think I owe my] worldly position .to the good wishes-and' prayers': of' the little orphans." . -LThe--l_feVDr;i.lje^han< : leaves two sisters,, one- of whom is^married and living in Brussels, .and'thfi. other resides in London.'- ' '.!.■'-''_..':'-■:'' "_■'■ : A SKETCH of HIS LIFE! AND work. j The .late Bishop. '.-,_ was 51 years of age, and was' born in London, of Irish parents, in'the -year .185 S. At i the age of three he lost. his mother, and eight years later his father. 'The young lad was hot -long, permit ted. to remain in the world,, for we find, him,* at the age of - fourteen, in. the Benedictine -.' Collegp at Ramsgate, then under the- charge of the late Lord Abbot Alcock' and Father Edmund Luck, two names ..destined subsequently to be 'enshrined: in -the loving ! memories of Catholicity in -the antipo- ' dean diocese. For nearly four years he i studied at Ramsgate'.-" Subsequently, by I | tbe advice of Canon-Todd, formerly of ' ' Trinity College, Dublin, 1 a. noted convert and a most ardent Irish National- j I ist, .and then a priest in the London j diocese, the young student was sent to 1 St. Edmund's College, Oldhall Green, to study' for the Westminster 'diocese. In 1877 he was sent out to . Spain to complete his philosophical- and theological training. In April, 1882, being then subdeacon, he received word from Father Edmund Luck that he (Father Edmund) was likely to be appointed Bishop of Auckland, and - asked if such . Were the case, would he accompany him' to the Antipodes. He readily consented, beinsr | anxious to labour again under his old superior, and further hoping .to meet in distant Auckland his ■ other quondam , and beloved tutor, Lord 'Abbot Alcock. In July, 1882, Father Edmund Duelwas preconised. Bishop of Auckland, and j at once wrote to the young Levite, still in the famous - peninsula, . bidding him to return to England so that he might ordain him as soon as possible . after his own consecration. On August 13th, 1882, Father Edmund was consecrated Bishop at Ramsgate by Cardinal Manning. On this occasion the saintly Cardinal shook liim warmly by the hand, and said, "My young friend, I- am so sorry that I am about to lose you." On August 27th, Father Lenihan was raised to the priesthood. He was the first student of Ramsgate College ordained as a secular priest, and the new Bishop's first-born to the ministry. On September 7th, 1882, the ship Austral left the London docks for ' Australia,

conveying. the .- Bishop, Father ' Lenihan, and . _ . number": or'clergy. : - -The, Austral arrived in Melbourne' November Ist, j the Bishop, proceeding to ; Sydney, while Father Lenihan and. party sailed from the Victorian capital: in the-Wairarapa I for Auckland, via. : .the : / He reached Auckland. on .'November. 12th j and was warmly welcomed by Fathers I Walter and O'Gara and several of the I laity. The '-''arrived'":'four days I later, and at once. placed him as curate under Father Walter, at } St. Patrick's ! Cathedral, where he laboured three and a-half years. He was a "musician, and the various, choirs in ; and- around the I city are much indebted to him. His favourite instrument' was 'tie 'cello. i and he possessed a. good : tenor voice. I .About: this time, the--growing needs of the v western' suburb, ' then attached to j the cathedral. parish,", claimed v the atI tention of, the Bishop, and' Father :,Leni- ! han -was. appointed over the new parish of Ponsonby, then without either church' ! or presbytery. This was in April, 1886. On October 31st of the. same year the new church was opened and dedicated to the Sacred Heart. Here were manifested Slather __enihan's:,'m_ny and undoubted"' 'administrative : qualities'; i for .under his .fostering ' care : ; and' attention ! a parish, at once, mushroom-like,, sprang into active life. So 'apparent was this to the late. Bishop that .he' added to Father , Lenihan's already abundant .parochial'-."labours the.-' charge of the -Star- of "the Sea Orphanage at St. Mary's.: To this/work he devoted long and incessant ' toil,' the result of' which .was ..to , place 'this' laudable 'and- - deserving.' institution in- a prosperous -condition. • The little orphans -were to their kindly.- and . Teverend manager an object • of ,t special j and peculiar. devotion. That : his . work was appreciated by the. orphans i. goes "without saying, -for- whenever" 'entered I the grounds at- St: Mary's'he was at once, surrounded by-, the. little, ones, ; whose '..beaming faces'. .betokened" the gratitude felt for him" who did so, much to assiiage their hard lot. On February! .10,. 1891, Father, iinihau -was appointed -irremovable J rector of,.Parnell "parish, where"he; remained till V appointed Dip-* cesan Administrator by -his Grace. Archbishop , / Redw.6od'.on;;-the death of the .late ' Right .Reverend 'Bishop: TLuck. Li the ' early .part ZZ pi 1895, : prior- to' the .death. of Bishop Luck, lusLiordaliip, feel-''

' ing"; that his' end: was-approaching, : applied --to f Romeor - -a ;<- coadjutor-bishop i This "was assented to .by . the Roman I authorities, and, by . votes 'of the , priests-of the Diocese, Father Lenihan j was recommended for the high position. I Meanwhile . the > Bishop's death* necessitated another election by the same body, j and for- the'second time Father Lenihan! -was chosen, dignissimus. ■ , Hearkening; to this voice,, ' the Holy. Pontiff, after _ due j consideration of the . many . various j and singular-qualities. requisite-to the sacred office: of a Bishop; in the Holy.••Church,, saw-.-, fit ■to place ".'■ on ■'-.. the. roll of the] Episcopate,..as ' Bishop of Auckland, the honoured name ;of Father. George Mi-, chael Lenihan. "* , .| ST. PATRICK'S o_T___Dß___ ■

One of the many "-works in ■ which Bishop Lenihan -was most interested was the completion and beautifieation of St. Patrick's Cathedral, and February, -1908, saw it completed and opened by. Cardinal Morah. The whole of the .beautiful interior design was Bis_op,Leni__n's idea, and carried out according to his instructions. In his last pastoral, issued this month, he stated, "1 am. glad to think the. parishioners take such, pride in their ; cathedral, and that it compels the ad-1 miration of visitors. As Auckland progresses, however; large stores.and ware- I houses will surround the Cathedral, and! |in course of time a new site and new Cathedral will 'be required, but the pre- j sent Cathedral -will al-ways be a useful ' church for the port, and . will satisfy the-needs of visitors by train or 'boat. j • The late Bishop was beloved and re- I I spected toy all classes of the community. Open minded and open handed, every: deserving cause met with his assistance, J ,In athletics of all kinds he took a very' prominent interest, and in <■ football and cricket he .was a keen enthusiast. , PREVIOUS CATHOLIC BISHOPS OF -'. ■ AUC____ND.

I The, Roman Catholic Diocese of AuckI land comprises the provincial district of Auckland, the surrounding' islands, and the Kermadeo Group, and took its rise from the mission founded by . Bishop Pompallier, who, as Vicar Apostolic of I Western Oceania, arrived at Hokianga in | 1838. t He subsequently fixed his headI quarters at Russell, but removed them to Auckland in 1847. In 1848 ihe dioI cese of Auckland .was formed, with Dr. Pompallier as its first Bishop. During his episcopate old St. Patrick's Cathedral j was -built, and now.forms the transepts of the new ' building, which was erected during Bishop Luck's term of office, and completed during the term of the late Bishop ' _______ Bishop Pompallier resigned charge.of the diocese in 1569, and died in _ ranee in 1870. 'He 'was succeeded' by. Bishop Crokei who" was consecrated' Bishop of Auckland on June 23, 1870, and who,, five years later, became AixS_bi__op of Cashel, Ireland. He was followed 'by Arc_bis_op Steins, S.J., who was translated in"April,' 1879, from Bombay/but ■ only occupied the See fOT • a short time, as he died at Sydney in 1881. He -was succeeded by • Bishop ; Luck, who was consecrated -oh August 13, 1832, by Cardinal Manning, in London. - Bishop Luck died from heart disease on January 23, 1896, and was succeeded toy the Right Rev. George - Michael' Lenihan, D.D., who became fifth- Roman Catholic Bishop •of i Auckland. : -.- .

' FUNERAL' ON ; FRIDAY. | The cause of death haying been certi- i fled to, an inquest was not deemed necessary by' the Coroner at Whangarei (Mr. J. M. Kitten). The 'body was'; this morning removed at noon to St. Frances Xavier_ Church, and lay /there in state until 4 o'clock. It was''then taken toy special •train to the sit*.'Ngapuhi; and" will arrive in Auckland'early to-morrow morning. .'' '. -.' 77" '''.''."", "'; ' . A solemn 1 -Requirem.; M_6s will be held in St. Patrick's' Cathedral at 10 a.m. on Friday, and the funeral will leave the Cathedral immediately afterwards. •',' SOUTHERN .* BISHOPS COMING, . 7,', "7.-'.";7 NORTH. '; v Jntima .has ...been. -eeeiyed that Archbishop Redwood of Wellington, and Bishops 'Grimes- of Christchurch, and of Dunedin, are leaving;at once for -Auckland.' A great number of priests and prominent churchmen-from ,other centres , are also coming to Auckland for the .funeral. -