OBITUARY

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21729, 11 March 1936, Page 12

OBITUARY

THE VERY REV. DJR. DAVID KENNEDY (PRKSS ABSOOUTIOJt YBUEQBUt.) WELLINGTON, March 10. The death has occurred of the Very Rev. Dr. David Kennedy, formerly Provincial of the Marist Order in Australia and New Zealand. Dr David Kennedy was born at Lytlelton in 1864. He was the son ofMr David Kennedy, who had come from Scotland. His mother twos Irish. His i first education was received at the Catholic school conducted by Mr E. O'Connor, in Barbadoes street. He showed such promise that he was selected to go to Europe to study for the priesthood. He first went, in 1878, to St. Mary's College, Dundalk, Ireland. He was later transferred to the Maris, t School in Dublin, and kept terms at the Catholic University. He graduated 8.A., and wrote a textbook on mechanics which is still in regular use in Europe. In 1883 he was transferred to St. Mary's House of Studies, JPaign* ton, Devonshire, which had been recently founded by "Bishop Grimes, the first Roman Catholic bishop of ChrisJ;church.

After his profession as a member of the Marist , Order in 1885 he was trans-

ferred to the Marist House of Studies in Barcelona, Spain, where, among other studies, he excelled in Hebrew. In 1890 he was transferred to Rome, where he entered the Gregoriana University and took the degree of D.D. He returned to New Zealand in 1893, when he was appointed professor of dogmatic theology at the Old St. Mary's House of Studies at Meanee, Hawke's Bay. He did not devote all his time to the teaching of theology, but was an enthusiastic teacher and student of science, especially theology and meteorology. During the following years he purchased a fine telescope and built an observatory. His work in this sphere gained him the membership of several learned societies throughout the world.

In 1901 he was appointed rector of St. Mary's, where he continued his teaching work, till he was appointed rector of St. Patrick's College, Wellington, in 1910.

He was chosen to be a representative at the septennial chapter meeting of the Society of Mary in Europe in 1014. He,returned to New Zealand in the. next year and resumed his rectorship. In 1918 he was appointed rector of the Marist Seminary, now transferred to Greenmeadows, near Napier* and greatly enlarged. Dr. Kennedy became parish priest of Temuka in 1921, but left in the following year to beconie head of the new Highden Marist •Novitiate at Palmerston North, a position which he held till 1928. In that year he was appointed Provincial of the Society of Mary for Australia and New Zealand, with headquarters at Wellington. This year, when his term of office was up, he was appointed master of novices «t Highden.rbut he was too ill to take ud his duties. •

Dr. Kennedy made many reports of considerable value to the societies of which he was a member. He was the first to discover Halley's comet on its reappearance some years ago. He was recognised as a quiet and unassuming !T an u is survived by his only brother/Mr Donald Kennedy, of Malvern, a well known breeder of Jersey cattle. The funeral will take place in Wellington on Friday.