MONSIGNOR VERDON LEAVES SYDNEY FOR ROME

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIII, Issue 43, 21 February 1896, Page 15

MONSIGNOR VERDON LEAVES SYDNEY FOR ROME

PRESENTATION BF THE CLERGY. At the close of the clerical retreat of the clergy of Ihe diocese o£ Sydney (says the Sydney Freeman, February Bth)— that is to say, on Saturday morning last — the priesta made a presentation to Monsignor Verdon. The ceremony took place in (he Council Hall of St Patrick's College, Manly, and the Very Bey Dr Carroll, Vie ir-General , was the spokesmin. Ii addition to an address, D; Verdon received a gift in the form of a cosiy gold chalic. The chalice, which is of Australian gold, and weighs 200zj., was made by Mr E. J, Hollmgdale, of King street. It i 3 copied from a handsome French-Gothic model, and the ornamentation of both the cup and the base is very artistic and elaborate. The gems used are emeralds. We understand that the Monsigaor was also the recepientof another gift from the clergy. The second presentation was of a private character. Our Sydney contemporary gives the following account of Monsignor Verdon and his work at St Patrick's College, Manly, since 1888 : - DEPARTURE FOB EOME. At the close of the Plenary Council of 1895, held in St Patrick's Ecclesiastical College, Manly, the Freeman announced that Moneignor Verdon, who had been at the head of the college since its foundation, would leave for Rome early this year. It was then stated that the Monsignor, at the request of the prelates of Australia and Tasmania, had accep'ed the important and responsible position of Australian representative in Rome. Tbis, as a matter of course, meant his retirement with personal honour, and the gratitude of the Cardinal-Archbishop, and the whole Catholic community, from the effice of President of our Ecclesiastical College. The Monsignor leaves for Europe by the Orient Co'a mail steamer Oratava, on Monday next. The Very Rev P. V. Dwyer, President of the Sasred Heart College, West Maitland (one of th? Monsignor's old pupils), is a fellow-passenger. VlCfi-BECrOB O» TUB IBISH COLLEGE, BOMS. Our readers (continues the Freeman) hardly need reminding that before coming to Australia Dr Verdon was for many years the esteemed Vice- Rector of the Irish College in Rome. It was thus the Roman correspondent of the Boston Pilot, March 17, 1888, wrote before Monsignor Verdon's departure :— " Canon Verdon, the ViceRector of the Irish College, has accepted the position of Rector in the new college of 8t Patrick at Manly, Sydney, wbich is almost cotnpleied, that has been offered to him by his Eminence Cariinal Moran. He leaves Rome in a few days to return to Irelan i to visit his friends and bid them farewell ; and then will Bet out, about the beginning of April, on his long jonrney. During the years he has filled the important < fii:e of Vice-Rector in the Irish College, he has known how to gam the confidence and respect of the students and of all those others, whether clerics or laymen, with whom he was brought in contact." Prior to leaving Rome in April, 1888, Monsignor Verdon was entertained at a farewell dinner by the late Archbishop Kirby, the head of the Irish College. Amongst the dignitaries present were the Mo&t Rev Dr Walsh, Archbishop of Dublin ; Monsignor Jacobini, Secretary of the Propaganda, the Priors ot St Clement's, Saata Maria in Po3teruls, and St Isidore, Dr TbomDSon and Dt Maz ere Brady, Tt>e students of. the college guv<j Dr Verdon aa enthusiastic God-speed on their own acsount. HIS AKBIVAL IN SYDNEY. Mons'eQor Verdon arrived in Sydney by the R.M.S, Orizaba on Tuesday, May 13, 1888. While passing thiough Melbourne on his way to Sydney, he was Archbishop'd Carr's guest. He was present at a meeting of tr e Sodality in connection with St Patrick's College, und received at ovaMou from the memb rs on baDg introduced by Dr Carr On arrival in Sydney, the Monsienor was met snJ welcomed by the Very R v Dr Carroll, V.G., the Very Rev Dr Murphy, and a number of old ttudents, including the Rev J. J. Byrne, the Rev E. O'Callaghan, the Rev W. Coffiy, a-id the late Key E. F. O Connor, On the followmg day, Dr Verdon inspected the Seminary at Manly, and expressed h-mself in high terms of praise of its beamy a^d completeness. ADDKESri OF WELCOME FiiOM FOBMEB S:UDENTS IN IHEL \ND AND ROME. On Monday, May 21 of that year, the Monsignor was presented with an address by a number of priests of the colony whose relations with him bid been formed in Holy Cross College, Clonliff*, Ireland, and the Irish College in Bonae. These ex-studeat 0 , in their address, said .—. — 'We are glad to nave the very pleasing privi e^e of welcoming to this young country an tc2lesiastic whj ri presents so much of the Old Woild refinement and learning, and we are pleised to know that the aerninarj', on the succes3 of which much of the futuru of Aus'iaha's priesthood depin'lg, will have for its president one who during the past twenty years has worked with aucb tnirked stcsesa id directing what we may be pard m-'d for cil id" now two amongst t"ie best conducted of ecclesiastical seminaries. We venture to say it auguis well forth"! future ot St Patricks College at Mailv, tea*- in the j,e s n of its first Piet-ident it has one whtse past ixpenence will connect it with the b 'at ecc'esiastical tm-1 ilionsof Ireland and of Jorae — a matter of \h^ first importance f^r the National Seminary of Australia " The address was signed by Denis F. O'Haran, William Ccffey, John J. Byrne, Edward F O'C'oimr, Edward O'CallaghaD, James Gracp, Diocese of Sydney ; John Hearoe, P. Meagher, Thomas Darcy, P. V. Dwyer, Diocese of Maitland ; and P, Lynch, Dunedin, New Zealand.

1 (Continued on imgc 28).