JUBILEE OF THE VERY REV. FATHER FOREST, S.M.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume VII, Issue 375, 25 June 1880, Page 7

JUBILEE OF THE VERY REV. FATHER FOREST, S.M.

(From the Napier Daily Telegraph.) In response to an invitation, a large number of subscribers to the Rev. Father Forest's Golden Jubilee testimonial, attended at the Catholic schoolroom yesterday afternoon (6th inst.) for the purpose of witnessing the presentation. The large schoolhouse was crammed, there being hardly standing room. There were also present the Key. Fathers Yardin (Wellington), Garin (Nelson), Lampila (Napier;, McGuinness (Waipawa), Reignier (Meanee), Soulas (Meanee), and Macnamara (Wellington). The proceedings were opened by the scholars of the Marist Brother's school singing the " Laudate." The pupils then presented to Father Forest two golden altar cruets and stand, two censers and incense holder, a birefra, an aspersory vase, and a beautifully illuminated address, which was read out by Master Scully in a firm clear voice, as follows : — " To the Rev. J. Forest, S.M., on the occasion of his Golden Jubilee.

"Very Rev, and Dear Father, — It is with very great pleasure that we unite our hearts and voices with those of many others in congratulating you on this the fiftieth anniversary of your ordination, and in thanking our Lord for having blessed you with bo many years of fruitful labour in His vineyard. . Your years, dear and Rev. Father, have been many and well-known, often chequered with trials and privations, but the generous spirit which prompted you to leave your beautiful home and country cheered you on the road of sacrifice, and caused you many a time to forget your own needs in your solicitude for the welfare of your spiritual children. " The Bay of Islands, Auckland, Wellington, and Hutt, all bear testimony to your onerous labours in planting the faith during the early days of the colonies, but Napier more favoured than they, has been the 6cene of your untiring zeal for twenty years, and we can proudly point out to future generations, St. Mary's Church, Convent, Providence, and Brothers' school, as testimonials ever evoking feelings of sincerest gratitude and loving remembrance of you, our beloved pastor. "In conclusion, we beg your acceptance of the accompanying souvenir of our gratitude and affection, with our ardent wishes that you may long be spared to continue in our midst the glorious work which Divine Providence has entrusted to your care, and earnestly praying that the reward of instructing many unto justice may have its fullest realisation in our beloved Father in God. " We subscribe ourselves your affectionate children, " The Pupils of the Maeist Beothkbs' School. "Napier, June 6th, 1880." Father Forest replied in feeling terms. He Baid that he had worked in several parts of the colony, and it had pleased Providence that he should come to Napier. He intended when he came to do all he could for the children, for they were like young trees, and if well attended to would bear good fruit. He said they owed all to the Marist Brothers, and they should thank God who had given them such brothers. He concluded by saying "thank you, my dear children, for your gifts, and may God bless and keep you always." The scholars sang " God Bless the Pope," the audience standing. Mr. Lee then came ferward, and said, as chairman of the Con-* gregational Committee, he had received letters expressing good wishes and inability to attend from the following : — Bishop Redwood, Archbishop Steins, Father Kerigan (Wellington), Father O'Reilly (Thames'), Father Moreau (Taranaki), Father Sauzeau (Blenheim), and Dr. Spencer. Mr. Lee then, on behalf of the congregation, presented to the Rev. Father Forest an address, accompanied with a purse containing sixty sovereigns. The address is bordered with the portraits of Pope Gregorj !XVI (who was reigning at the time of Father Forest's ordination), Pope Pius IX, Pope Leo XIII, the Bishop of Oceanica, the late Bishop of Wellington, the present Bishop of Wellington, the Bishop of Auckland, the present Superior of the Order to which Father Forest belonged, and a number of his old friends and fellow-workers. The following are the words of the Address : — "Napier, 6th June, 1880. To the Rev. Father J. Forest, S.M., " Very Rev. and Dear Father, — We gladly avail ourselves of the opportunity afforded by the occasion (the fiftieth anniversary of your ordination) to give expression to the very high esteem and affection which we have always entertained for you. " Other parts of New Zealand bear evidence of your labours, but the Catholics of Napier have been especially favoured by the many years of indefatigable zeal you have spent in their midst ; and we regard with pleasure the satisfactory manner in which the educational wants of the parish have been provided for mainly through your personal exertions and influence. " Associated as you have been from the earliest days of the colony with the work of its evangelisation, we cannot but feel deeply grateful to you and your fellow-labourers, and especially to the Society of Mary, of which you are so worthy a representative, and whose members, in the face of hardships and trials inseparable from missionary work in a new country, so nobly devoted themselves (in addition to their special mission among the natives) to supply the spiritual needs of the much scattered European settlers. " Thanking God for having blessed you with so many years of useful labour, and praying that you may be long spared to continue ' the good work, we congratulate you most sincerely, and beg your acceptance of the accompanying testimonial of our affection and gratitude. " G. B. Lee, Chairman of Committee. " J. N. Bowebmak, Honorary Secretary." Father "Forest, in reply, delivered the following address : — Rev. Fathers and Gentlemen, — 1 really do not know how to express myself in order to make yon fully understand how much I appreciate the testimony .of respect, affection, and gratitude which you have 'in such flattering terms conveyed to me in congratulating me on this

happy occasion, the fiftieth anniversary of my ordination to the priesthood. How thankful I should feel to Almighty God for having favoured me with so many years of labour for His glory and the salvation of souls. On my beloved parishioners I rely for their assistance in enabling me to discharge the immense debt of gratitude. A priest, you know, is not a priest for himself alone, but also to work for the glory of His Divine Master, and the salvation of the sheep and lambs entrusted to him. When, therefore, you wißh to make some recognition of his labours in the discharge of the duties of his Sacred Ministry, he is to regard it not so much as a personal compliment paid lo himself, but as an act of gratitude to Our Lord for the many blessings He has deigned to bestow upon you through the ministry of His humble labourer, the priest. During the twenty years I have spent in your midst some good works have been done, but we must, in the first place, thank God for the success with which His beneficent kindness has. deigned to bless them ; Secondly their accomplishment has been greatly facilitated by the admirable union which has always existed between the pastor and his people, and which has contributed so much to our mutual happiness. By this union of mind and heart we have been able, notwithstanding our poverty, to erect a handsome church in which we assemble to praise and thank the Almighty God, author of all these benefits, both spiritual and temporal ; by this union and joint effort we have been able to found those excellent religious schools, in which, as you very truly remark in your flattering address, the educational requirements of our youth are so well provided for. Of the good Sisters there is not need to speak much, because the very efficient manner in which they have discharged their duties towards our European girls is well-known to you all. In their ardent zeal they embrace also the children of the Maori race, and by a rare combination of mind and heart, they have succeeded in transforming^those much-neglected children untutored from savages into civilised Christians. The success which has attended their persevering efforts has been the subject of universal admiration, and has drawn upon them well deserved approbation from every quarter. Though the Brothers have been with us scarcely two years they have already given many proofs of their efficiency for the work entrusted to them. We have all been greatly surprised and consoled by the improvement that has taken place in our boys. Those good, clever, hard-working and unassuming Brothers have completely gained the respect, affection, and esteem of not only the children and their parents, but also of all those with whom they have become acquainted. But to whom are we indebted for these excellent teachers ? To a society founded by a pious, intelligent, and zealous missionary, the Very Rev. Father Champagnal, with whom it was my happy lot to spend some time in the commencement of my duties as Catholic priest, and from whom I have received striking examples of self-abnegation, zeal, and devotedness, that are ever fresh in my memory, and I am happy to say that I recognise the spirit of that saintly founder in his Brothers. The grain of mustard seed sown by that humble priest has grown into a large tree, under whose sheltering branches our youths are protected from the blighting blasts of godless education, and are fortised against the violent attacks of infidelity and its consequent immorality. That Society, whose beginning was so humble, now numbers about 4000 members, 8 noviciates, 800 schools, and about 100,000 pupils. Its branches extend to France, Kelgium, England, Ireland, Scotland, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and New Caledonia. This prodigious growth manifestly shows that Divine Providence has blessed in no small manner the work of these zealous religious. On behalf of the Society of Mary, of which I am an unworthy membei, I thank you cordially for the very high compliments you pay us, and for the very feeling manner in which you recall the hardships endured by some of my confreres in the early days of the colony. Their self-denial, zeal, and unostentatious piety, besides edifying has been a cause of much consolation to their superiors. Under the trials and privations to which they were subjected, they were strengthened by interior consolation, and the hope that He who promises to reward a hundred fold — even a cup of cold water given in his name — would amply repay every hardship and toil endured for His glory. I accept gratefully your affectiouate address and accompanying testimonial, and thank you for enabling me to contribute my mite toward! I the liquidation of the debt which your zeal in the cause of Catholic education has caused you to place generously on your own shoulders. That God may reward a hundred-fold the good you have done me, that peace and union may ever reign amongst us, and that you and your families may be abundantly blessed by our loving Lord, and ever experience the protection of His Immaculate Mother Mary, is the humble prayer of your affectionate and grateful pastor. I must also say a word to those present who are not Catholics, as we have received much from them, the Catholics have many friends amongst the Protestants ever ready to help them, during the twenty years I have spent amongst you I nave always found friends amongst them, and I hope we shall always remain friends. The Very Rev. Father Yardin presented Father Forest with a beautifully bound Missal and three sets of vestments with altar linen, on behalf of a number of his old friends, at Lyons, in France, and other associates. He was very glad to be present that afternoon. Father Forest returned thanks for the gift. He said he really did not know where all the good things were coming from, bnt his good parishioners should have the b«st of them. Father Garin also expressed his pleasure at being present that day. He and Father Forest were old friends, and he had traced a good deal of Father Forest's work in Napier. He received an orphan boy from Napier a short time ago, and he could see from the way in which he was versed in his catechism that he was a pupil of Father Forest. Father Forest said he was glad to sec Father Garin that day. It might be the last day they would meet, as Nelson and Napier were a great distance apart. Father Garin had founded an establishment in Nelson for receiving poor Catholic orphans. Before that, Protestant and Catholic children were mixed together. Of course the Catholics wanted to see orphans of their persuasion brought up in

their religion, and Father Gann took steps to ropply the want. He was also about to establish a place frr the reception of Catholic girls. Mr. Lee 1 hanked the Rev. Fathers for their attendance, and the meeting ended. Father Forest waß then invited to St. Joseph's Monastery, where he *fie cordially welcomed by the Sisters and all the pupils of their varin.s klioolf, most of them being dressed in the habits of the vaiit if- confraternities to which they belonged, and the little children verj r.caily dieFftrl with chaplets of flowers on their heads. After sonu veiy nice mnsic undercd by iVe young ladies, Mips Boylan presented an address from the pupils of the various establishments and confraternities connected therewith — together with a complete dinner and tea service. Father Forest replied in suitable terms, thanking them for their pTesmts and address. He then gave all present his Benediction, and the proceedings ended. Holidays were granted to both schools for the following day in honour of the occasion. Yesterday morning Mass was celebrated by Father Lampila— the sermon being preached by Father M'Guinness of Waipawa. The choir sang Mozart's Mass No. 12 in a most creditable manner. Vesperß were conducted in a most solemn manner. At the Benediction service Father Forest acted as officiating priest, with Father Garin deacon, and Father Lampila sub-deacon, with Dalmatics. The choir pang effectively Zingarelli's " Laudate," and at the Benediction service, Rossi's " Tantum Ergo " and the "Te Demn." The service concluded with the hymn •• Faith of our Fathers," sung by the Sisterß and school girls.