HEROIC BISHOP.

Western Star, 4 March 1938, Page 2

HEROIC BISHOP.

The centenary; of the Roman Catholic Church held in Auckland last week was visited by members of the Church from all parts of the Dominion and overseas. Th e commemoration brings clearly to the minds of all a realisation that although the Catholic Church, as it is known today in New Zealand, j s strong and vigorous, its were small, and its early growth difficult and precarious. Any man or woman, who came to settle in this co-uatiy in its earliest days needed courage and fortitude in high degree, but even more were those qualities demanded in tlie few men who planted the seed of the Catholic faith. They were Frenchmeji in an English-speaking countiy, and Frenchmen at. a time when memories of the Napoleonic Wars had not faded in the mindg of Englishmen. They were propagating a faith which, at that time, was regarded with suspicion and often with hatred. These were grave obstacles indeed, and added to them were the difficulties common to all evangelising work among native races in primitive countries. To surmount such obstacles there were needed men of fine Quality, inspired and illuminated by a quietly-burning faith. It wa g the good fortune of tire Catholic Church that it found such men in the young Bishop Pompallier and his two associates, who landed at Totara Point on January 10, 1838. To these men the Church i s deeply indebted for inspiration and example, ahd it i s appropriate that, in addition to the many tributes which will, be paid in ’Auckland to Bishop Pompallier, the final commemorative ceremony is to be a pilgrimage to Tptara Point. ’ Non-Catholic s also will join in spirit' in this deeply impressive tribute to one who was a great New Zealand pioneer. The years of this century have seen a rapid multiplication of Catholic churches, schools, institutions and religious houses, which by their number and quality bear testimony to the faith and enterprise of the Church’s leaders and to the steady zeal and selfsacrifice of Catholic people. These qualities are particularly notable in the field of education. In addition to paying their share of taxation for the support' of the State schools, the Catholics have established and to maintain their own, in which the ordinary curriculum, is both conditioned aqd supplemented by religiou g instruction. Perhaps hy no other course jai conduct do they more impress their non-Catholic neighbours with the quality of their zeal. Yet despite the host and work involved in those .activities they have played, and continue 1 to play, a full part in the affairs of the local cpmmunity and of the State, and in the test of patriotism which came with the outbreak of the World War they yielded place to none. From Bishop Pompallier onwards their love of and devotion to New Zealand ha s been fixed and unwavering.