ARCHBISHOP REDWOOD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21688, 5 July 1932, Page 13

ARCHBISHOP REDWOOD

ARRIVAL AT HOME The other morning 1 met one of the most picturesque personalities who have stepped ashore at this port in recent years (wrote the Southampton correspondent of the Catholic Times recently). Immediately the tender from the liner Tamaroa arrived a tall man of commanding appearance strode at a sharp pace down the gangway on to the quay. He was Archbishop Redwood, Metropolitan of New Zealand and Archbishop of Wellington. To look at him one would have hesitated to have put his qge beyond 35 or 70, but in actual fact the venerable prelate is in his ninety-fifth year. luce upon a time he was the world’s youngest bishop, but now he had reached tin other end of the ladder, and is the oldest archbishop in the world. He has held this high office in the church for the past 58 years. Archbishop Redwood was born at Stafford in 1837, and five years later was taken as a child to New Zealand, where he has lived ever since. He has not forgotten his native shores, and if any proof of this is necessary it is to be found in the fact that this is his twentyfirst voyage back to the Homeland. The reason for his visit, Dr Redwood told me, is primarily to attend the Eucharistic Congress in Dublin, but whilst in Europe he is also taking the opportunity of visiting France and Rome. Then, with the vigour and abandon of a young man, he is paciciug his bag again and returning to Now Zealand. Archbishop Redwood, although approaching his century, does not allow his years to put him in the background. He was first down to meals during the long voyage, and ate them with relish; he was first to pass the immigration authorities; the first passenger to be photographed, and the first to land. Without a doubt he is full of the zest of life. There is one thing, however, about which the archbishop is not keen, and that is being interviewed. After a few words with me he strode off to pass his baggage through the Customs and board the express for London. The world s oldest archbishop—94 years young! Archbishop Redwood left England last week on his return journey to the Dominion