DEATH OF THE BISHOP OF GOULBURN.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVIII, Issue 25, 21 June 1900, Page 6

DEATH OF THE BISHOP OF GOULBURN.

We regret to record the death of the Right Rev. Dr. Lanigan, the venerable Bishop of Goulburn, who passed away last week at the age of 80 years. His Lordship had been seriously ill for some time, bo that his demise had not been wholly unexpected. Goulburn was crested into a diocese on March 10, 18(54, and the Right Rev. Dr. Geoghegan, Bishop of Adelaide, was translated as first bishop to the newly erected see. Dr. Geoghegan was on a visit to the Home countries at the time of his translation to Goulburn, and he died in Ireland on May 9, 1K64, before taking possession of the see. The responsibility of forming and organising the new diocese then devolved on the Rev. William Lanigan, pastor of Berrima, in the archdiocese of Sydney, the Brief of his appointment being dated December 10, LS66. The late Bishop Lanigan was a native of Tipperary, Ireland, where he was born in 1820. Dr. Lanigan came from a family which had suffered much for faith and fatherland during the Cromwellian period, being compelled to leave their ancestral home and settle in the West of Ireland. In the last century three brothers returned from Connaught and settled in Kilkenny and Tipperary. He, who settled in Kilkenny, gave an illustrious bishop to the S^e of 0-«ory. . The other two became wealthy farmers in Tipperary, uup family giving the most learned of our ecclesiastical historians to the Church. and the other giving to Australia the Bishop of Goulburn. The deceased prelate spent some years in Thurles College, but finished bis higher ecclesiastical studies in Maynooth, where he was rai-ed t > (he priesthood 52 years ago. For 11 years he labored in the sier-d ministry in the diocese of Cashel. In response to an address of Archdeacon McEnroe, soliciting the aid of pne^ts for the Church in Australia, Father Lanigan. with the approval of the Archbishop of Cashel, came out to New South Wales, arriving in Sydney in is.V.i. For two years after his arrival he acted as assistant to Dean Walsh In Goulburn. In 1861 he was transferred to the charge of the Berrima district, where he remained until appointed Bishop of Goulburn. On his departure from Berrima Dr. Lanigan was pietented with an address from the Catholics of the district, congratulating him on his promotion, aud expressing regret at his departure from amongst them. A great number of the people accompanied him the first part of the journey to his new See. ana before reaching Goulburn he was met by hundreds of the townspeople in carriages and on horseback, who gave him a hearty welcome In addressinghis people on his arrival in Goulburn he said that had he consu'ttd his own wishes he would have declined the honor, as neither his physical strength nor mental requirements qual fitd him for the high office he was about to assume. The consecration of Dr. Lai.igan took place in Goulburn Cathedral, on Whit-Sunday, June 2, Im<7. It was the lirat time that an Australian Bishop was consecrated in his own Cathedral City. The ceremony was performed by the Bishop of Brisbane, assisted by the Bishops of Bathurst and Maitland Dr. Lanigan took part in the Provincial fcynoi in Melbourne in 1869, and subsequently smlml for Europe where he assisted at ih^ Vatican General Council in IS7<>. During his visit to Europe ho made ample provision lor Lh<* .spiritual interests of his Houk, and on his return to Austral a in 1 >s7 l he »pplitd him-elf (v\riten ha Eminence Cardinal Moran in his /futur;/ of tin Catholic Clninli in Australasia') with an energy that could not be surpassed to build schools, and convents and churches, to form new missionary districts, and to guard the faith of the children for whose welfare he always cherished a most special regard. The number of priests had increased from live to fifteen. The first stone of tbe new Cathedral was blessed by the Bishop on February 12, I S 7 I . Considerable additions were at the same time made to ihe episcopal residence, and new churches, schools, and convents began to spring up wherever they were needed throughout the diocese. The new college dedicated to St. Patrick, was commenced in 15 73, and a year later was ready for students, and it has ever sinee^held a prominent place among the educational establishments of Australia. A second time Dr. Lanigan sailed for Europe in March 18S0. Referring to his departure one of the Sydney newspapers said :—: — 1 Unobtrusive, profoundly and sincerely humble, and deeply devoted to his charge, no man could do more for religion in his time than he has done.' In the official report presented by his Lordship to the Holy See there were interesting details as to the progress of tbe Church in Goulburo. la 1567 there were in the Diocese 16,000 Catholics and 7 priests, and one Convent of Mer L y with 12 professed Sisters. In the schools there were (100 children. There were 2."> churches, some of them very small and many of them of wood. In 1880 the Catholics wtre reckoned at 24 oD<> with 25 priests, •) convents, with 3<> Sisters. There were 1700 children in schools under diocesan control, and COO Catholic children in other schools. In 1887 the foundation-stone for the completion of the Cathedral was laid by the Cardinal-Archbishop of Sydney, and the solemn dedication took place in June, lS'.)n. At the end of April, 18 ( Jl, Dr. Lanigan made his third visit ad limina Apostolorum. During his absence his Lordship suffered from a severe illness, and whilst at Naples the last Sacraments were administered to him. On his return to Goulburn he received a ■pjendid reception. Soon after bis return another joyous celebration took place, the event being the Silver Jubilee of his Lordship's consecration, when he waa presented with an address and a massive gold chalice. His Lordship in thanking his prrests ai.d people for their address said, in reviewing the progress that had been made during the previous 25 years : 'You may count ."Jt! churches of stone or brick, and many of those very fine. You may count 1.1 churches of wood, making 51 churches, all built in 2.1 year?. You may count 13 presbyteries of brick ; 20 convents, and amongst them one only of wood, the others of brick ; 3 monasteries of brick ; 20 schools, dintinot from tho convents, of brick ; making in all 107 building". Twenty-five years ago our people in this diocese numbered under 17,000 ; now there are about 30,000.'

The summary of the Diocese of Goulburn for last year shows that the progress that had marked tbe first 25 years of the deceased prelate's episcopate had been well maintained. In 1899 there were in the diocese 71 churches, 44 priests, eight religious Brothers, 191 religious Sisters, one college, eight superior day and boarding schools for girls, 3i» primary schools, and two orphanages. The total number of children receiving Catholic education was 4161, against <">OO when the late Bishop took charge of tbe diocese. The Catholic population had risen during his episcopate from 17,000 in 1867 to 37,000 last year.

On July 8, IH ( JS, the Right Rev. J. Gallagher, D.D., waa consecrated Coadjutor-Bishop and titular bishop of Adrasßa, and therefore succeeds the iate Right Rev. Dr. Lanigan. — 11.1.P.