THE LATE BISHOP MURRAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 6871, 15 July 1909, Page 8

THE LATE BISHOP MURRAY

By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright SYDNEY, July 14.

Dr Murray, Roman Catholic Bishop of Maitland, did not possess sixpence when he died last week.

Dr Murray found his diocese a wilderness, and has left it one o» the best equipped (remarks the Sydney .Morning Herald"). In 1872 he paid his first visit Home, seeking more nuns and missionaries for his scattered people. In 188!) ho again visited Europe, ana it was on this occasion, that ho secured for his diocese a community of lledomptorkt missionaries, who finally settled at Waratah. Ho returned to his diocese In 1882, and in 1890 celebrated the silver Jubilee of bis episcopate. Forty-three years ego there were 20 churches in his diocese, and the nunlber of schools was 12 or 14. Now there are 20 districts, 81 churches and 31 chapels, 10 secular priests and 8 regular priests, 22 religious brothers, 231 nuns, three boarding schools for girls, 12 superior day schools, 42 primary schools, a splendid orphanage at Singleton controlled by the Sisters of Mercy, and the well-known extensive Deaf and Dumb Institution at Waratah, controlled by the Dominican Nuns. According to official figures there are. 3874 children in this diocese receiving education in the Roman Catholic schools, and the total Roman Catholic population is given at 39,000. Dr. Murray, who has been described ns the grandfather of bishops in Now South'wales, was the only prelate to occupy this see. Charles Henry Davis was i n February, 1818, consecrated Bishop of Maitland and Coadjutor Archbishop of S3 T dney, but he died before the time for taking possession of the diocese. No fewer than six different teaching orders were introduced into his diocese ty Bishon Murray—the Patrician and Marist Brothers, the Dominican Nuns, the Sisters of Mercy, Sisters of St. Joseph, and tho Bngidine Nuns. Me, was tho last survivor of the prelates who assisted at tho second provincial council of Australia held in Melbourne in 1869, the only other priest who took (part in that council and still survives being the Yen. Archpriest Sheehy, ol Sydney. He had seen no fewer than six Popes ocouping the chair of St. Peter at Rome—Popes Leo XIX., Pius VIII., (iregory XVI., Pius IX., Leo XIII., and Pius X. THE NEW BISHOP OP MAITEAND. The Eight Eov. Patrick Vincent Dwyer, tho first Australian bishop of the Homan Catholic Church, will now -succeed to the see of Maitland, his appointment as coadjutor bishop being made with the established right of succession. Ho was given the title of Bishop of Zoaxa.