THE MOST REV. DR. CROKE IN KILDARE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XII, Issue 42, 6 February 1885, Page 13

THE MOST REV. DR. CROKE IN KILDARE.

On Monday evening, Dec. 15^ his Grace the Most Rev. Dr.Croke arrived at Kildare, on a visit to the Very Rev. Dr. Kavanagh, P.P. He received an enthusiastic greeting from the people. At Dr. Kavanagh's residence addresses were read to his Grace from the members of the Rathangan branch of the National League, asking him to presida at the county convention on the following day, and from the priests and people of Eildare. To these two addresses Dr. Croke replied as follows : — My first duty is to make a couple of acts of thanksgiving, and my first act of thanksgiving shall be, as it should be, to God, in token of all He has done for us since last I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking to you here. We have made great progress since then, I need not recapitulate for you the different stages of it. Suffice it to say that our representatives in Parliament were never more powerful or more determined than they are at present (cheers), that priests and people were never more thoroughly united, and that the- national cause never looked brighter or more promising (cheers). ,Wo thank God for this. My next act of thanksgiving shall be addressed to your venerated and patriotic pastor (cheers). I thank him for having iuvited me to his hospitable house this evening, and for the additional great pleasure that he has afforded me of meeting once again the sterling patriots of Kildare (cheers), lour pastor is a credit to you and to us all (prolonged cheers). Besides being a ripe scholar, an eloquent speaker, and a learned divine, he is the ablest advocate, perhaps, of the people's rights amongst tbe gifted priests of Ireland (cheers , and you and I owe him a debt of gratitude accordingly, which I fear we shall never have funds enough on hands to repay. My third act of thanksgiving is to yourselves. I thank you very sincerely for the hearty welcome that you have given me (cheers, and a voice— (" You are heartily welcome'")— not, indeed, for the first time — to the holy shrine of Kildare. The honour that you have thus repeatedly conferred on me, in publicly and right royally welcoming me here, was meant more, I'm sure, as a proof of your high regard for the exalted position which, however unworthy, I fill in the Irish Churcb, than as a personal compliment to my humble self. I take demonstrations like this to be a public expression of your faith as Catholics in the Divine origin and constitution of your Church, and in its pastoral arrangements ; and if, in addition, anything may be supposed to be mixed up with it of a purely secular nature, I may assume that you are kind and complimentary tome, in an unusual degree because you believe that I am not only devotea to the interests of the Church, which claims our first love and allegiance, but in proper measure to the land likewise in which you and I were born and brought up (cheers). That land is entitled to our lore and devotion (cheers). I cannot say that it is a rich, but certainly it is a " rar,e and fair land thia native land of ours "(loud and prolonged cheering). 'Tis a land worth fighting for, as I believe the robber Cromwell said of old. We are waging a constitutional fight for its advancement and social emancipation ; and lam sure I can safely say of you, as I do of myself, that we shall never lay down our arms iv this laudable and legitimate combat until we have either secured the blessings which we desire, or built a solid platform, at all events, on which those who come after us may stand securely, and carry on the goo f fight to lasting victory (prolonged cheers). I hope this consummation may be near at hand, and that we may live to see it (cheers). But, whatever may betide, history will tell that foremost in the fray were the men of historic Kildare, headed by their fearleas and devoted pastor (cheers). As to the convention, it would be my delight to be there, and, if necessary, to preside ; but there is no necessity for it, and it would not suit me for reasons which I need not enter into now. But if I shall not be there in the fleßh. I shall be with you in the spirit (cheers). My views are known to the good pastor who stands beside me (cheers) for Dr. Kavanagh). He will be there (cheers). Though I have received a good many demonstrations of good will, I can assure you that in no case, not even in popular gallant Tipperary (cheers, have I felt more grateful for kindness than that which I have received from the good people of Kildare (loud and prolonged cheers).