CATHOLIC MISSIONS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume VI, Issue 284, 11 October 1878, Page 19

CATHOLIC MISSIONS.

♦ The Rev. A. M. Garin writes to the editor of fhe Nelson Colonist : — The approaching visit of the Rev. Father Hennebery to Nelson renders it desirable to offer some explanation of his purposo in coming here. The Church has many missionary priests doing different kinds of work. Some having a special vocation, are sent to labour among the heathen ; others visit places where Catholic congregations are already established, for the purpose of exciting greater zeal in the cause of religion. There are many other ways in which the Church makes use of missionaries ; for instance, some devote themselves to teaching philosophy and theology to young men destined for the priesthood. The Marist Fathers, whose Order closely resembles that of the Jesuits, which comprises in its constitution all sorts of missions, came to New Zealand originally to minister to the Maoris, and some of them are still engaged in that work. TII3 rapidly changing circumstances of the country, however, consequent upon tha influx of Europeans, cast jjjy# the Catholic Bishops of New Zealand the duty of providing for i^W .tered spiritual wants, and the mission was extended so as to embrace on a larger scale both Europeans and Natives. Thus the Marists bacams not only the missionaries to the Maoris, but also the parish priests of the colony. The diocese of Wellington was from the first uider their exclusive charge ; first under the lamented Bishop Viard, a'ld now under Bishop Redwood. It was in 1850 I was appointed by Bishop Viard to tho charge of the Nelson Mission, receiving from him the appoiutment of Rictorof St. Mary's, and being allowed at the same time a Curate to assist me, an I to act as Curate-in-charge of Waimea, Wakefield, and Takaka. But the Rev. Father Hennebery is a missionary not doing exactly fie same work. He goes to such plaeas as tha Holy See thinks proper, for a limited time, anna! with the special recommendation of th 2 Pope, anl empowered to grant certain indulgences to such of the f lithful as religiously attend his services. He is sent not to prosalytise, bat as a Catholic priest of eloquence and ability to deliver a course of spiritual lectures to the members of his Church. IE Protestants choose to attend his services, which they are perfectly welcome to do, and as they have done in large numbers elsewhere, let them first of all clearly understand the position the rev. father occupies, and the special duties he comes here to perform. They ought not to blame him afterwards if they hear anything they do not like. He doe snot appear as a controversialist, bat it is evident that in expounding Catholic doctrines to Catholics, he may say something that would sound offensively in Protestant ears. So much for the mission services, which, as I have tried to explain, are specially intended for Catholics, but to which all can go who please. There is, however, another matter which the rev. missionary advocates from strong personal conviction, the result of world-wide experience ; that is the causj of temporance. He is one of the ablest anl most ardent apostles of teetotalism, and it is certainly rather a startling fact that he should, in less than a year, by his reasoniug and eloquence, have induced about 7000 persons in this colony to take tho pledge. Many of these perhaps will fall away, but nevertheless it is wonderful that so many should have been seriously induced to mak« an attempt at total abstinence. Ido not know if he will consent to deliver a lecture on this subject in a public hall, bat those interested specially in the cause should lose no time in ascertaining, if they wish to secure his eloquent advocacy.

During the five months from the Ist October last to the Ist March of the present year, nearly 19,000 adult pagans have been instructed and baptised in the three Vicariates- Apostolic of Coimbatore, Mysore, Pondicherry ; and besides these 12,000 children at the point of death have been baptised. At Pondicherry there are now 3,831 catechumens.