OBITUARY

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIX, Issue 304, 10 December 1929, Page 5

OBITUARY

BISHOP CLEARY. DISTINGUISHED SCHOLAR. Auckland, December 9. Bishop Cleary, Roman Catholic Bishop of Auckland, died this afternoon. About 2 p.m. the anxious watchers around His Lordship’s bed noti ed that the end would not be long delayed. Once more Bishop Liston, assisted by a large number of clergy and religious, recited prayers for the dying and the final absolutions were imparted. The breathing of the dying prelate became quieter and quieter, and just when the end was thought to have been reached, the Bishop opened his eyes, and with a seeming smile of recognition of those who surrounded his bed gently breathed his last at 2-43 p.m. The funeral arrangements were finalised late to-night. The body, dress ed in the vestments of office, was removed to the Bishop’s house m Ponsonby, and will be taken privately tomorrow afternoon to St Patrick’s Cathedral for lying in state. Solemn Requiem Mass, to be attended by the children of Catholic schools and oiphanages, will be held on Wednesdaymorning, and the Funeral Mass will take place on Thursday morning. At the express wish of the late Bishop, interment will take place in the cemetery at Panmure, where are buried many former priests of the diocese. Also, at the Bishop’s request, there will be no flowers in connection with the obsequies. Archbishops Redwood and O’Shea (Wellington), Bishop Brodie (Christchurch), and Bishop Whyte (Dunedin) will take part in the various services. Dr. J. M. Liston, who has been Coadjutor Bishop to Bishop Cleary since 1920, automatically becomes Bishop of Auckland,

The Right Rev. Henry William Cleary was born at Oulart, County Wexford, Ireland, in 1859. and he was one of five sons of a well-known South of Ireland farmer. Bishop Cleary was educated first at St. Peter’s Col lege, Wexford, then at Plymouth Ecclesiastical College, near Dublin, later at St. Sulpice College, Pans, and the Irish College at Salamanca, Spain, completing his scholastic career at the Apollinare College, Rome. In the Italian capital he was ordained in 1884. His health failing, ho decided to go to Australia, and in 1888 he took up a post as priest in the diocese of Ballarat, Victoria. Ton years later Dr. Verdon, Bishop of Dunedin, obtained the then Father Cleary’s services as editor of the Catholic organ. ‘'The New Zealand Tablet,” a position he held for 12 years. On August 21, 1910, he was consecrated as Bishop of Auckland at St. Aidan’s Cathedral, Enniscorthy, by Dr. Brownrigg, Bishop of Ossory, County Kilkenny. On his return to the Dominion on January 10, 1911. the new Bishop was formally welcomed at Auckland. The late Bishop Cleary was a distinguished scholar and a uniformly popular priest. Since his appointment as Bishop of Auckland he won the high esteem of the entire community, and his loss will be greatly felt and deeply deplored. He was untiring in zeal and visitations, and in the organisation of his diocese especially did he interest himself in the more scattered districts, above all displaying interest in the well-being of the Native race. In 1918 Bishop Cleary established a new illustrated Roman Catholic journal, ‘‘The Month,” which rapidly became one of the best and most enterprising religious periodicals in the Dominion. He remained its editor for the rest of his life. The Bishop was never robust in health, hut this did not curb his activity, as his war service showed. Tn October, 1916. he left on a visit to Rome by way of tho United States. Later in tho year he joined tho New Zealand troops in France and served for some time as chaplain. Although efforts were made to dissuade him, he insisted on ministering to men in tho front line, and several times ran a grave risk of losing his life. In April, 1917, a signal recognition of Bishop Cleary’s work wa s made by the Pope, who made him a member of the Pontific Chapel, with nomination as Assistant to the Pontifical Throne.

■ Bishop Cleary returned to New Zealand in October, 1917, nnd resumed his episcopal duties. The latter became steadily more onerous with the growth of population, and in 1920 Dr. J. M. Liston was consecrated Coad, jutor Bishop of Auckland. At the beginning of 1927 Dr. Cleary left for Romo in order to be received in audience by the Pope. In July, 1928, the Bishop, while driving his car from Rotorua in company with Father Cyril Martindale, collided with another car near Cambridge, and suffered a fracture of the right leg below the knee. Bishop Cleary made a good though rather slow recovery, and was able to attend public functions two or three months later. His intended visit to Sydney for the Eucharistic Congress had to be cancelled, but later, acting on medical advice, he made a trip to Honolulu and California, accompanying tho Papal delegate. Cardinal Cerretti, who was returning to Romo. On Sunday. November 21, Bishop Cleary was admitted to the Mater Misericordiae Hospital suffering from an inflammation of the throat and head, and although he made a turn for the better he suffered a relapse from which he failed to recover.