Archbishop Redwood's Great Service to Church

Manawatu Times, Volume LVI, Issue 6520, 8 April 1931, Page 6

Archbishop Redwood's Great Service to Church

NINETY-SECOND BIRTHDAY TO-DAY. Archbishop Redwood will celebrate Ills niety-second birthday to-day. He is in very good health and is still interested actively in everything that concerns his Church in this country .Archbishop Redwood was bom in Staffordshire in 1539. He came to New Zealand when practically an infant with his parents, who settled in the Nelson district. When 15 years of age the .chance visit of tl;o schooner Mountain Maid Dimed the whole course of his life. She had on board a Marist priest in poor health who was on hi.s way to France by way of Australia. Young Redwood then aspired to the priesthood and this priest offered to escort the lad to Europe. The offer was accepted. Young Redwood made rapid progress, not only in theology, but also in languages. He was called to Ireland in 1863 to teach Latin and Greek at the Marist College at Dundalk. On January 6, 1864, he made his religious prolession as a Marist and the followingyear he was ordained priest. In 1872 his superiors stated that they wished to appoint him coadjutor to Bishop Viard, then in Wellington.. While negotiations were in progess news reached England of the death of Bishop Viard and, in 1874, the Archbishop was appointed Bishop of Wellington. 'He entered upon those duties, which he has performed so well for the last 57 years.