DR. REDWOOD'S CAREER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18642, 25 February 1924, Page 8

DR. REDWOOD'S CAREER

SON OF A NELSON PIONEER. EARLY DAYS X AT SCHOOL,ENTRY INTO PRIESTHOOD. Archbishop Redwood was born on April 8, 1839, at Lower Hanyard, a hamlet some three miles outside the town of Stafford. His mother came of a notable Staffordshire. family, the Gilberts of Penkridge, and her son was born with a liberal endowment of the typical Staffordshire quali—zeal, enthusiasm, J and determination, and loyalty to conviction. When he was only three years old, his parents left England in the ship George Fife, arriving at Wellington in 1842. The future Archbishop was the youngest of the family. Proceeding to Nelson, the family settled on a section of land at Waimea West. Mr. Redwood built a rough house for his family, and in clearing and planting the land they experienced all the hardships of the pioneer's life. The Archbishop remembers the first eucalypt planted at Waimea West on the farm of Dr. Monro, afterwards Sir David Monro, second speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives. Francis Redwood, at the age of 13 years, became a pupil of Father (Sarin's school, at Nelson, and he was such a promising student, that. Father Garin prevailed upon his parents to give him a better education than was available in New Zealand, and, when a lad of fifteen, he was sent to France.

For some years the future Archbishop studied in France, in the Department of the Loire, and then continued hiii studies for ten years in Ireland. He so surpassed all his classmates and competitors in the various branches of science, polite literature, and philosophy as to cause admiration and attract the attention of his professors and superiors. After a distinguished course he was ordained priest, and made his religious profession in the Society of Mary, January 6, 1864. The first years of his priestly life were occupied in the important position of Professor of Scholastic Philosophy and Theology in Dundalk and Dublin, Ireland. Dr. Redwood was called to the episcopate, and consecrated by the late Cardinal Manning, then Archbishop, in the Church-of the Marist Fathers, St. Anne's, Spitalfields, London, on March 17, 1874, and appointed Bishop of Wellington. . On May 13, 1887, he was created Archbishop of Papal Brief, and was then constituted Metropolitan of New Zealand. "The Call and Hand of God." In recounting his reminiscences recently the Archbishop described the interesting circumstances under which he entered the Church. "It was determined/' he said, "that I should go to France, study completely, and become a priest, the first fruit of the priesthood from this fair adopted land. But how had divine Providence provided the means? They were shown with unexpected suddenness. And in this wise. A small brig, the Mountain Maid, 150 tons, suddenly arrived at Nelson from Wellington. She was not a usual trader to Nelson, but she came, because Providence had foredoomed her coming, though some emergency cargo was the natural allurement. Father Comte, a Marist missioner. was on board, bound for Sydney, and from Sydney to London. " Father Garin saw at ones the unmistakable hand of Providence. He came to me and said: 'Frank, Providence has acted in your behalf in answer to my long wishes and prayers. One of our fathers is leaving the Maori missions for good, and is retiring to France. He is a Frenchman, but knows English fairly well. He will take you to Sydney, and thence to France. He will watch over you, and improve your French on the voyage. He will introduce you to one of our colleges, where you can study and so in time, please God, become a priest. The vessel is to sail away on the third day from now. Make &t. your mind and seize the opportunity held out to you by God's favour and mercy— you go V J, went up to the little chapel. I praved as I never before prayed, and I made up my mind to face the great sacrifice of home and parents and friends, and to go into an unknown land, guided, I felt by the call and hand of God. A Unique Distinction, "On January 6, 1864, Feast of the Epiphany. I made my religions profession, and so became a Marist. In that year, also, I received Tonsure, Minor Orders, and Subdeaconship. In 1865, I was ordained Deacon, and on June 6 of the same year, at Maynooth, I was raised to the high and awful dignity of the priesthood. I wont to Maynooth purposely for the ordination on the morrow, and the whole of the night of June 5. I spent in prayer. " My health bore the strain very well, until a neglected cold, caught in the mountain of La Salette. in France, August, 1567, brought on in Dundalk an attack of pneumonia, which nearly proved fatal. I blessed God for it afterwards, because it procured for me a visit to Rome, and the sojourn of a winter in that eternal city. I returned to Ireland in 1869, cured of my chest complaint, and was made Professor of Dogma to the Marist scholastics removed to Dublin. Fathers Leterrir, Pestre, and I spent several happy years at 89, Lower Leeson Street. I had with my Superior General, a private audience with His Holiness Pope Phis IX., and got his paternal blessing. " When the time came for me to bid farewell to the City of the Popes, I felt a keen pang of sorrow ut the 'thought that I should never set my eyes upon it again. I would fain have kissed the sacred soil so often drenched with the prolific blood of countless martyrs, now little dreamt I then that I should in my long lifetime return a.<jain and again and again to the Holy City, and have repeated audiences with four ftuccessive Popes—Pius, Leo. Pius, and Benedict. Senior Bishop of the Church. "At the close of the Vatican Council, my predecessor, Dr. Viard, returned to New Zealand, and shortly after fell ill. My superiors' immediately began negotiations with Rome for my appointment as his Coadjutor, and, during the negotiations he died, in 1872. Two years afterwards, when Dr. Moran, Bishop of Dunedin, had, by direction of the Holy See. visited the diocese of Wellington, and made his favourable report upon it. I was appointed Bishop of Wellington in 1874, at the age of not quite 35 yearsbeing then the youngest Bishop in the world. I was destined through God's mercy to become by consecration, the senior Bishop in the Catholic world, and that is my unique distinction to-day." — Archbishop Redwood "has been well described as a pillar of the church in 'the Dominion— eloquent preacher, and an indefatigable worker. " His literary ability and activity are represented by his admirable pastoral letters, his lectures, and the many pamphlets and valuable articles which, from time to time, have emanated from his pen. He has always evinced a deep interest in religious education, and in this regard St. Patrick's College. Wellington, stands out as a glorious monument. From his youth up ho has always been passionately fond of music, and his one recreation is to play the composition of pome treat artist, on his' highly beloved " Stvad." As a boy. at, Waimea West, he learned to play the violin. Although now is his 85tn year, he is still well preserved in body and mind. a.nd is nip"'* a. familiar fitnn'R in the streets of Wellington, and seldom misses bis forenoon " constitutional " on Lambton Quay. '