OBITUARY.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 134, 9 June 1925, Page 5

OBITUARY.

AUCKLAND-BORN PRIEST. "j MOXSIttXOR MAHUXF.V. o 'i A highly esteemed priest of the Human ~, •atholic "Church, Monxipnor W. 11. c j lahoney.died at the Mater Misericordiae ,| fospita! yesterday afternoon. He was ( j arish priest of Onehunga and. until v uite recently, Vicar-General of the atholic Diocese of Auckland. Monsignor jj lahoney was born in Auckland li.S years go, and was the first Xew Zealand-born ti 'atholic to be raised to the priesthood, n 1015 he was created domestic prelate ■y the Pope, and held the post of Yicarleneral to Bishop Cleary from 19lti until ailing health compelled his retirement ast year. A requiem mass will be celeTated by Bishop Cleary at the Church f the Assumption, Onehunga, at 10 a.m. o-morrow, after which the interment rill take place. Monsignor Ma honey was the son of he late Mr. Edward Mahoney, architect. ■f this city. The late Mr. Thomas .lahoney was a brother. A surviving relaive is his sister. Miss E. M. Mahoney. i-ho resides at the Presbytery, Oneuinga. Mr. FMmund Mahoney. barrister nd solicitor, of Remucra, and Miss C. via honey are first cousins of the deeased. Monsignor Mahoney was eduated first by the Sisters of' Mercy, and t the Catholic Boys' School, Auckland. Vhen 19 years of "age he went to Treand, where he entered Thurles College n lS7f>. Later he studied at St. Troud's n Belgium, fit. Omar's. France, and )scott. England. He was ordained to he priesthood in IHR4 by the An>h>ishop of Birmingham, the Right Rer. Edward Ilsley. Tho same year he reurned to his native city, and was staioned at St. Patrick's Cathedral. He ras transferred as parish priest to Puhoi welvc months later, and. for the next 4 years, had charge of the largest disrict in New Zealand, extending from I'akapuna to the North Cape, and cm>racing the Great Barrier Island. The cork of Monsignor Mahoney in those lays was most arduous, as it entailed a ot of travelling over rough country, the rreater part having to be done on horsejack on very bad roads. In 1890 Monsignor Mahoney wns appointed priest at Thames Parish, but returned to Puhoi two years later, where he remained until his removal to Onchunpa in 1905. Monsignor Mahoney had numerous friends in the Auckland district who will sincerely regret the termination of a useful life. At the meeting of the Onehunga Borough Council, held last night, the Mayor (Mr. J. K. ( owell) referred in feeling terms to the death of Monsignor Mahoney. He said that the deceased gentleman had been ailing for some time and therefore his death was not unexpected. Monsignor Mahoney had always taken a keen interest in the spiritual and material welfare of the borough. He was held in the highest esteem by all sections of the community. Indeed, he was looked upon as one of Onehunga'a landmarks, and his familiar figure will be greatly mis.-cd. A vote of condolence with the relatives of the deceased gentleman wr.s carried in silence, all present standing. MR. W. F. HARROP. One of Auckland's prominent business men. and a man of unblemished character, in the person of Mr. W. F. Harrop. passed away at his residence. No. 2, Corona Avenue, off St. Stephen's Avenue, Parnell, this morning. Mr. Harrop, who was a widower, having lost his wife during the influenza epidemic in 1918, was one of the city's leading land agents, and for years was a head of the firm of Harrop and Medley. For several years he held the office of president of the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand, and was a very active worker in the cause of religion. The deceased at thp time of his death was 57 years of age. MR. G. A. HERON. An old and respected citizen of Auckland, Mr. George Andrew Heron of Bell Road, Kemuera, died at the Auckland Hospital recently. Deceased was the eldest son of the late Mr. and Mrs. George Heron, of Remuera. He came out to Auckland i with his mother, in the ship African, j about 65 years ago. His father had 1 arrived in the Dominion two years pre- ; viously. Mr. Heron followed the occuj pation of a builder and contractor. Just prior to his death he attended a reunion of old colonists. He leaves a I widow. tVo sons and four grandchildren.