THE LATE BISHOP VERDON

Otago Witness, Issue 3384, 22 January 1919, Page 8

THE LATE BISHOP VERDON

OBSERVANCE OF MONTH'S MIND. AN IMPRESSIVE CEREMONIAL. The Month's Mind of the late Bishop Verdon was most impressively solemnised on the 15th in - St. Joseph's Cathedral. Representatives of the Hierarchy of New Zealand present were his Grace Archbishop O'Shea, S.M. (Wellington), .his';.Lordship Bishop Cleary (Auckland), and his Lordahip Bishop, Brodie (Christchurch). Representing the clergy' of the Archdiocese . of Wellington and the other three dioceses were: Wellington—Right Rev. Mgr. M'Kenna,' V.G., Very Rev. Dean Holley, S.M. (Provincial), Very Rev. P. Whelaii, C.SS.R. (Superior), Fathers Smyth, S.M., T. Gilbert, 5.M.,.M.A., Daly, J. O'Connor, S.M., and B. Ryan, S.M.: AucklandFather Buckley; Christchurch —Very Rev. Deans Regnault S.M., O'Donnell, and Hyland, Rev. Dr Kennedy. Adm., Fathers C. Graham, S.M., M.A., J. Hanrahan, Peoples, S.M., and O'Leary, S.M.; Dunedin —Very Rev. J. Coffey (Diocesan Administrator), Right 'Rev. Mgr. Mackay, Very Rev. Dean Burke, Fathers J. O'Neill, Huntr O'Donnell, Murphy, P. O'Neill, M'Mullan, James Lynch, O'Dea, Howard, Delany, O'Reilly, John Lynch, P. J. O'Neill, Buckley, Corcoran, Liston, D. O'Neill, Kavanagh, Morkane, Farthing, Collins, Foley, Kaveney, Graham, Ardagh, Rooney, and Spillane. Commencing at 9 a.m. the Solemn Office of Requiem was sung, the chanters being Fathers Liston and O'Reilly. Pontifical Requiem Mass followed, Right Rev. Dr Cleary, Bishop of Auckland, being celebrant; Right Rev. Mgr. M'Kenna. V.G., Wellington, assistant priest; Rev. Dr Kennedy, Admj, Christchurch, deacon; Rev. C. Morkane, Holy Cross College, Mosgiel, sub-deacon; and Father Buckley, Dunedin, master of ceremonies. The incidental music was splendidly rendered by St. Joseph's Cathedral Choir, assisted by the clergy and students of Holy Cross College. Mr A. Vallis pre•sided at the organ, and at the conclusion of ihe solemnities played the "Dead March" from "Saul." The Cathedral and sanctuary were draped in mourning. From the text. "Know you not that a Prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel?" (2 Kings, iii, 38), his Grace Archbishop O'Shea delivered a panegyric. In the course of his remarks ho said the Royal David mourned the death of Abner, a valiant leader of tho house of Israel, who had beon treacherously slain by Joab, one of David's own captains; and, though the circumstances of their mourning were far different, how true it was that a prince and a great man had fallen in the Church of God. This southern diocese of Dunedin had been widowed for the second time in its history, and tho valiant prince who for ihe past 22 ycara ruled it with gentleness, prudence, and dignity had .laid aside for over tho cares and .responsibilities of his exalted office. He wished to pay a tribute to the saintly prelate, whom he had known and revered ever since he came to New Zealand. He was a link between the past and tho present. Ho had lived in his younger days in a world that was far different from ours. He had lived through times that were stirring ones; both for tho Church and for his native, land. He had known and mixed with many of tho men yrho had made the history of those days. And during all the years he had acquired only a fund of knowledge and ecclesiastical science, but also a wonderful experi-

lence of men and affairs. _ And thus he brought to bear on all things not only a clear, well-informed mind, but a judgment matured by long and varied experience. I This in later years, when he was raised to the Episcopate, made him a tower of strength to the Hierarchy of New Zealand, who found his advice and counsel of the greatest help in settling every difficulty and in dealing with every situation which arose during the past 20 years. His taking away i was therefore a distinct loss to them and ' to the whole New Zealand Church. i And the work he did in his own diocese ! was her© to speak for itself. When Dr j Verdon assumed the reins of government in Dunedin he succeeded one of the most fearless and energetic bishops that has ever ruled in s these southern lands. The late Bishop Moran had laid well and truly the foundations of the young diocese. He had lived in troublous times, and when the secular system of education was introduced into the colony he quickly saw its dangers, and took a prominent part in combating it as far as Catholics were concerned, and" in establishing that splendid system of Catholio schools that were to-day their hope and their pride throughout the length and breadth of the land. Tho new bishop was altogether different in character and disposition from his predecessor. His nature was not such as would prompt him to go out into the arena and give as well as take hard blows. He loved quiet and peace. But none the less he continued Dr Moran's educational programme, and one of his first acts was to strengthen tho ranks of the teaching nuns of the diocese by introducing the Sisters of Mercy. With steady persistence he saw that new parochial schools were opened wherever they were needed. And in this work of providing primary education on Christian lines he was entirely successful. Nor did he forget to provide for tho poor and the unfortunate, especially for the little ones, of his flock. A splendid orphanage was erected in South "Dunedin, and hundreds of children have passed from its sheltering walls to become useful citizens and good Catholics. Then the aged poor found him solicitous for their temporal and spiritual welfare, and he introduced some years ago the world-famed Little Sisters of tho Poor, who have now such a splendid, flourishing home at Anderson's Bay. Tho orphans and poor of the diocese he looked upon as the special charge of the bishop, and well and nobly did he provide for them. He loved the solemn liturgical ceremonial of Holy Church, and none could carry it out with more dignity or becomingness than tho late bishop. His glorious voice in the Church's chant and his thorough knowledge of the ceremonies made a very great impression upon all who witnessed any Pontifical function in which he took part. And ho' loved these- ceremonies not because of any personal liking for display, for we all know that nothing could have been further from his thoughts, but because of the tremendous things _ that they enshrined. Nothing, to his mind, could be top grand or too magnificent either in musio or ceremony for.the House of God and the worship' ol the Almighty. These things, however, were but the externals of Catßolioism, i and if the bishop was faithful to them no was none the less faithful to the essential J things which are not surrounded by pomp and oircumstance. The sacred tribunal of

penanco is ono of these essentials, that sits in secret and in quiet, far removed from all display. And your bishop week after week used to attend there for long hours at a time. God alone knows the amount of

good he did in the confessional. Think if you can of those who came in their numbers to lay their load of sin and sorrow at his feet and who went away comforted. You, his own people, know this far better than I, and for this reason alone his memory will' be long held in benediction amongst you. f Of his private life .ind constant union with God who should dare speak? He loved retirement, and he shunned notoriety. In the years to come holy and learned and distinguished bishops will no doubt rule over this southern diocese, but nomoreUovable figure will ever grasp the crozier of this See than Michael Verdon, second Bishop of Dunedin. The Absolution at the Catafalque was given by his Lordship BishopvCleary, thus concluding a most impressive ceremonial.