SILVER JUBILEE OF HIS LORDSHIP THE BISHOP OF DUNEDIN.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume VIII, Issue 418, 15 April 1881, Page 14

SILVER JUBILEE OF HIS LORDSHIP THE BISHOP OF DUNEDIN.

On Sunday morning last an address in connection with the Silve r Jubilee of His Lordship the Bishop of the Diocese was presented to the Bishop by the pupils of the Christian Brothers' Sunday Schools, Dunedin, together with a contribution towards the Seminary Fund on the part of the boys. The address read as follows :—: — " Address of the Pupils of the Christian Brothers' Schools to His Lordship the Most Rev. Dr. Moran, on the occasion of his Silver Jubilee. " May it please your Lordship, — "We, the Catholic yo\ith of Dunedin attending the Christian Brothers' Sunday classes, take this opportunity of expressing to your Lordship our congratulation on the occasion of yotir jubilee. We pray that Almighty God may continue to pour down. His graces and blessings oa your Lordship, to enable yon to discharge the heavy burden it has pleased His Divine Majesty to impose on you. " Your care and solicitude for us has contributed in no small degree to render that burden the heavier, "but we trust that our conduct hereafter will in some degree repay for all that your Lordship has done foT our spiritual and temporal welfare. "We understaud that it is your Lordslip's intention to visit the Holy City shortly, but -we trust that your absence from your diocese will be for a short time only, and that we will soon have the pleasure of welcoming your return amongst us. "Hearing that it is your intention while in Europe to make arrangements for a further supply of priests and teac"hers, we thought it would be ungrateful in us, for whom so much has been done, if we allowed this opportunity to pass without contributing our mite to the good work. We have, therefore, put together the accompanying small sum, which we beg you to accept in token of our love and ' gratitude. "We beg your Lordship to remember your little flock at the tombs of the Holy Apostles. On our part we promise to pray to God that you may have success in your affairs, and a speedy return ; and we will be sure to recite with great fervour the daily prayer said in school for your Lordship. "In conclusion, we humbly ask for the Brothers and ourselves the blessing of your Lordship. " Dunedin, April 10, 1881." His Lordship replied as follows :—": — " My dear boys, it gives me very great pleasure to receive this address and your congratulations on this occasion. Your prayers will, I trust, be the means of procuring strength for me under rhe heavy burden of the Episcopal office. My care and solicitude for you has not, as you suppose, rendered this "burden heavier. On the contrary, were it not for the excellent Catholic schools of this diocese, particularly those of the Christian and Nuns, the burden would lave been heavy indeed, and more than I could have borne. These, whilst consoling and rejoicing me, have made the burden comparatively light. You arc correctly ' nf ormed as to my intention to start immediately for Home, to visit, in obedience to the law of the Church, the tombs of the Apostles, and render an account of my stewardship during the last 10 years to the Bishop of Rome — the Ticar of Christ ; but, with you, I hope my absence from this diocese stall not be a protracted one. You are also correctly informed that it is my intention, whilst in Europe, to endeavour to obtain a supply of priests and teachers, or at all events to make such arrangements as will ensure in the future a sufficient supply of both. Though as a rule I am unwilling to accept anything in the shape of a testimonial, vinder the circumstances I must not decline to accept your gift, seeing: that its primary object is to> help me to supply your educational wants. Nor dare I, by a refusal, seem to undervalue the spontaneous offering of young, ardent and generous hearts. I shall not fail to remember you and yours at the tombs of the Apostles, nor shall I neglect to ask the Holy Father

for a special "blessing for you all. It gives me great happiness to ieel assured that during my absence your prayera and good -wishes will accoicpany me everywhere. I bless you with all my heart, and will make a daily commemoration of you in my prayers." I have nothiug further to say, except to congratulate you for many reasons. I congratulate you in having such excellent schools and such devoted and qualified teachers. I congratulate you upon your own progress, which has been very satisfactory. I congratulate you upon your good conduct, and I have no doubt that the tope you have expressed in the address will find its fulfilment in the future, and that you will show by your future conduct the nature of the training you have received in ttese admirable schools. Lastly , I congratulate you upon the ceremony we have just witnessed — the reception to the Confraternity of the Child Jesus of a number of young lads, who propose to themselves a more exact imitation of the virtues of the child Jesus. I trust by their good conduct and example — by their piety and fervor, they will merit permission to ascend to a state higher in a sliort time, and I ask them now to be particularly good — to "be particular in giving good example, in order that others and all may be led to come to esteem and value that holy religion established by Christ, which, if obeyed is most powerful in advancing all human virtue and happiness. lam -very much obliged to you, children, and have to thank you very sincerely.