THE LATE MONSIGNOR COLEMAN.

Evening Star, Issue 8115, 15 January 1890, Page 2

THE LATE MONSIGNOR COLEMAN.

The very sudden death of the Right Monsignor Coleman will, we feel sure, excite a universal feeling of sorrowthroughout the City and district, where for so many years he has been known and esteemed, An ecclesiastic of marked ability and devoted to the dnties of his office, he was at the same time the most genial of men whilst the breadth of his charity knew no difference of country or creed. Father Coleman, to use his more familiar designation, since it is only quite recently that he was advauced to the prelacy, will be sadly missed in the many households where his visits brought cheerfulness and comfort, and his loss will be deplored wherever there was personal knowledge of his high qualities. His valued friendship extended beyond the sphere of his own communion, and there are sore hearts to-day among many who knew lain only as a friend and fellow citizen. The loss to the Roman Catholic Church in this diocese, and we may with truth say in New Zealand, is a very serious one, and much sympathy must needs be felt with the Bishop and clergy now assembled in Synod. The late Right Reverened Monsignor William Coleman, domestic prolate to the Pope and archdeacon of the diocese of Duuodin, was born fifty-six ycara ago on the banks of the Blackwater, County Waterford, Ireland, between Lismore and Fermoy. As a boy he was educated at the seminary of the Viucentian Brothers in Cork, and thence proceeded to Maynooth, where he highly distinguished himself in his ecclesiastical studies. Being ordained when he arrived at the canonical age, he held several curacies in the diocese of Cloyne, and subsequently was appointed to Ballymacada, in County Cork, where he was parish priest when Dr Morau was translated from the Cape to Dunedin. Knowing that the Bishop was much perplexed to obtain clergy to accompany him to so distant a part of the world, Father Coleqian, in a spirit of complete self-sacrifice, gave up home, kindred, country, and very excellent prospects! volunteering to accompany the Bishop, whose right-hand man he has been since his arrival in IS7I. Appointed Vicar-Genoral almost immediately, important work in connection with the organisation of the new diocese was at once thrown upon Father Coleman, and discharged with the ability and energy which were his characteristics. In IS7-1 he was despatched by the Bishop on a mission to the Old Country in order to provide for the increasing needs of the diocese, in which mission he wa3 eminently successful, returning with several young priests and nuns of the teaching order whose educational labors are so highly appreciated. In October, 1876, Father Coleman was appointed to the charge of the Oamaru district, in which he has labored since that date, having only within the last year or two had the assistance of a curate. In 1882 the Bishop created Father Coleman archdeacon of the diocese being the highest honor in his power to confer ; and on his recent visit to Rome would appear to have made such representation in the proper quarter that the archdeacon was advanced to the dignity of a monsignor and appointed a domestic chaplain to the Pope, the rank conferred being only inferior to the episcopate, and placing him among the prelates of the church. The congratulations on his well-merited elevation have hardly ceased; and now, having "fought the good fight," he has finished his course.

As regards the manner of Monsignor Coleman's death, the immediate cause was serous apoplexy. He arrived from Oamaru yesterday forenoon, apparently in good health, to attend the meeting of the Synod today. At the early dinner, where the clergy of the diocese and several visiting priests were the guests of the Bishop, the monsignor, generally the life of such a party, was observed to be not- in his usual spirits, indicating rather that he was a little fatigued with his journey in a crowded train. After dinner he complained of a slight headache, which he thought would soon go off, and he accompanied two' or three of tho fathers to the Exhibition; Soon after entering he developed symptoms which somewhat alarmed his friends, having difficulty at times in keeping his feet, but he resisted their wish to drive back to the Bishop's residence, and after a short stay in the Exhibition they returned on foot. It would seem then that he did not feel equal to sitting up, and he accordingly retired to his room, where he was left for a time undisturbed. At 10 p.m. Father Walsh, going in to 6ee him, was so alarmed by' his a'ppeai? ance that he at once Rent for Dr Ferguson, who was by the bedside in a few minutes. The doctor realised at once the serious nature of the attack, which was one of apoplexy, and gave no hopes that he would pull through. The last saoraments were accordingly administered, and at two o'clock this morning he breathed his last.

The late Monsignor Coleman, by his will dated in 1874, leaves all his real and personal property absolutely for church* purposes in the diocese of Dnnedin.