THE THAMES, VISIT OF BISHOP MORAN.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume V, Issue 257, 5 April 1878, Page 15

THE THAMES, VISIT OF BISHOP MORAN.

On sth March the Right Rev. Dr. Moran. Bishop of Dunedin, and Administrator of the Diocese of Auckland, paid a brief, though a lono. expected, visit to the Thames. ° He was accompanied from Auckland by the Right Rev Dr Redwood, Bishod of Wellington, and the Very Rev. H. J". Fynes, V.G , of the Auckland Diocese. During some days previous to his arrival the presence of his Loi-d-ship was anxiously awaited at the Thames ; and two addresses— one by the parishioners and another by the very faithful members of the local H.A.C.B.S.— were prepared for presentation. But the early hour (5 a.m.) of his Lordship's arrival and the shortness of his stay he had to leave on the evening of the day of his arrival— offering no fair opportunity, both the parishioners and the Hibernians were sadly disappointed iv their presentation of addresses to their beloved Dr. Moran. It is not to be tinclerstood that the Bishop was in any way indifferent to the reception of the addresses, but as it was some two or three years since last this diocese was graced by an episcopal presence every moment of Dr. Moran's time was fully engaged in the discharging of urgent duty in the various and far-distant parishes of the wide diocese of Auckland. However, notwithstanding the urgency of duty's call upon Dr Moran's time and attention, and his loyalty to the same, the Catholics of the Thames seriously regretted not being able to give expression to their feelings at seeing hip amongst them, for whom, it is unnecessary to state, they entertain very lively sentiments of veneration esteem, and affection. ■ The principal, if not the only, purpose of his Lordship's visit to the Thames was to administer the Sacrament of Confirmation ; but it was also generally expected by Catholics and non-Catholics that lie wonld not leave here without offering some criticism on the Education Act, and many being anxious to hear him speak on the subject, the church, for some time previous to the celebration of Mass, was densely crowded, and many more were refused admittance. Mass was pail at 9 a.m. in the Shortland Church, by the Rev. S Chastagnon (the pastor of the Thames), and immediately after it the candidates for Confirmation, numbering 200,— 20 of whom were adults, the rest the pupils of the Convent and Boys' Schools — were examined in the Christian Doctrine by his Lordship, Bishop Moran, who expressed his pleasure at the facility and readiness with which his questions were answered by them. The girls were very tastefully attired, the boys wore white sashes and they all conducted themselves during the ceremony with great propriety and decorum, which so pleased Dr. Moran that he took occasion to expross his satisfaction, not alone for their good answering but also for their ;./ood manners. After the examination of the candidates he delivered an excellent sermon on the Sacrament of Confirmation, dwelling especially on the dispositions necessary for its worthy reception aud the abundance of graces that it then conferred. The "imposition of hands" then took place, after which ho warmly exhorted those whom he had just confirmed to be ever faithful to their religion, observant of their duties as members of society, and never, through any cause, to forsake the. banner of their Heavenly Leader. The Education Act was next alluded to. He spoke at considerable length, an. I I can only favour your readers with a few points of his eloquent discourse. His Lordship said that without faith it was impossible to please God; that man's life was a failure unless he had faith, and all his actions, unless faith was their basis

no matter how praiseworthy from a worldly point of view, were valueless for eternity. What was this life compared to eternity ? or what did it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul ? Consequently there was nothing so precious, nothing which they should so zealously preserve for their children and themselves as the virtue of faith. They ought often to recall to memory the sacrifices their baviour made to give them the faith and to show them the way to heaven ; and also the sacrifices and many privations that their forefathers endured to be able to transmit to their children the knowledge of the faith. They (his hearers) ought to remember the good example and be worthy descendants of their forefathers. Their children should not then be excluded from the knowledge of God and of heavenly truths— truths purchased for them hy the blood of the Eedeemer and also preserved at great costs and sufferings by their forefathers. But the Education Act made it its distinctive aim to exclude from the school all such knowledge, and what then could he call it but a monstrous scheme against God and against religion— the exclusion of God from the school, and of the knowledge of their Great Creator from their children. The Church had condemned such a system of education as being' intrinsically dangerous to faith and morals. She never did accept it, and she never would accept it ; and the bad results of secular education, perceptible in countries such as America, or Victoria were warnings which should not be unheeded. Some misled Catholics had a notion that by their being Secular School Committeemen, they could affect a great improvement in the Education Act— but they d v n 2* make matters bett er than the law, and "they all knew what that bad, unjust law was. Besides, when the Church had str'onelv condemned that system of education, it was a standing- reproach to her teaching authority for Catholics to uphold or to administer the Act ; they could not consistently accept or reject a portion of her teaching without accepting or rejecting her doctrine altogether. Since thewhole rested upon the same foundation. He would therefore, only repeat what he had time after time previously repeated : that Catho«??il ™1 n< £ act ' or P arfc in the administration or carrying out °!™ Education Act ; as by so doing they incurred a terrible xespoa* : \ 7 nl v G™' and were actbl S in °P en disloyalty to the teaching of the Church. They ought to unite and act as one man ; do every, thing m their power to provide Catholic education for their children and use every legitimate means to thwart and to bonfuse in politics the enemies of Chnstian education. He was very much . delighted, ]tidgmg by the children whom he hod just confirmed, to find very" good schools at the Thames. They ought to be thankful to God for having the Sisters of Mercy in their midst, and from what he hadiust seen and heard, there was also a very good school for the boys ±1 is Lordship was most attentively listened to throughout, and the eloquent and logical language of his welcome voice carried conitliitsdc}ivery ' in the miQds of his and t ,B, B , c ? ore q uifctl "g this subject, I think it right to state that his Lordship did not characterise the Education Act as "infamous" n^st^\Sri^ CyteleSV&mSGnth ' Om te tbe same In the afternoon his Lordship, in company with the Right Bey. land'by^StlrS; * *"*" Since Bishop Moran's arrival in this diocese, he visited, in company with Dr. Redwood and Very Rev. Father Fynes, V.G., OnehunS Sn 7S i P ? nsoi *y)>.Otahu, Panmure, Thames, Auckland and Pa? Nell, and besides visiting all the schools in those places he So preached audadmmistcred Confirmation to large numbers at luck? land Cathedral, Onehunga. Thames, and Parnell ; and tothe chUdren chi?d2n"' ° ame Cll and We confimed ™th the Parnell I regret to state*that, through ill-health, among the visitors at Wauvcra Hot Springs is the Rev. Dr. Qumn, Bishop If Brisbane His Lordship is suffering from acute rheumatism ; be also visited sotoe Cambl^ e '- d P— * a few *£S wcra^n^ some sittings of the Senate of the New &&Ui*s3y and S Auckland for Welmgton the 17th inst. At Bishop Redwood's LvS HA rnStfSt ° n f V nga^ arf ', the penile members of theluSud Lordshf ended> and P la^ ed some fai ™vell airs in honour of Ms +1 7Tlf7 Tl f d iocese ha s been very unfortunate to bo without a bishoD for the last three years. Even now there is but a remote prospect of when it shall be blessed with one, and if it were possible to retain his LorS ship, Bishop Moran, here, Dunedin should not sec him again His Excellency the Marquis of Normanby, Governor of New Zealand, &c., honoured the Thames with his presence on the 20th inst £ company with the Hons. J. Sheehan, Colonel Whitmore, &c The occasion for his presence was to open, or declare opened, a new road ately constructed by the Thames county. A great effort waTmade to show him a popular welcome by the members of the County S£? cil and some others. But the recollection of the recent paLgTof arms between him and the popular hero of the day, Sir George Grer did not tell in favour of the former, so iLu. the reception SorSd while indeed pretty warm, was not near so enthusiastic or so poS as that some time ago given here to Sir Georee ypiuar March, 1878. * ' . D QtJ)