BISHOP VERDON IN RIVERTON.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 7, 13 February 1902, Page 20

BISHOP VERDON IN RIVERTON.

His Lordship the Right Rev Dr. Verdon, assisted by the Very Rev. Father Sheehan, administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to about 30 children and adults in St. Columb-i's Church, Kiverton, on Thursday morning. At the conclusion of the ceremony (says Western Star) his Lordship exhorted the children to rememb-r the seriousness of this great event in their lives, and dwelt upon the good to be derived from receiving the sacrament worth* ;y.; y. He brought forcibly before their minds the evil af intemp-rance, and said that intoxicating liquors of any kind were injurious to them. Before concluding, he administered to them the pledge of the League of the Cross — to abstain from intoxicating liquors until they had reached the age of 21 years. At the close of the Confirmation service, Mr. J. Geary, on behalf of the district, read the following address : — ' To his Lordship the Most R,ev. Dr. Verdon, Bishop of Dunedin — On this your firHt visit to this district since your return from the Apostolic See, the Chair of Poter, Rome, tne centre ot: Catholicity we beg to offpr your Lordship a most cordial welcome. It is with pride and joy we have since then been observing your unwearying activity in the erection and opening of churcl-e*, schoo's, and literary and social halls, for the propagation of Chri-tiai ity and the uplifting and genuine projins.s ot the people under your fatLn riy care. Neither, my loui, have you been I mjetful of the poor, old and young, who, we me a-snred on tne h^h authonty, shall b« always with us. And last, but not least, you have been anticipating, as it were, the spiritual u.tnts of ihe present ami future generations by the inauguration of an BoclesiastLal Coll. ge, at Mo a giel, an event unique in itself, and the op nmg of a new era in the history of the Catholic Church in New Zealand. We wish your Lordship many, many years of hippiiiesH a-id su<ii.ei-< in your noble ami Godlike vocation. For the rest, we have only to rt iterate once again the oft repeated assurance that your Lordship ein always rely on the practical sympathy and mat- rial a-sisfauee of the Cach <liv people of this district in all your undertakings Begging your Lordship's blessing for ourselves and families. Signed, P Jo^ce, Otautau ; J. Geary, Riverton ; J. Mirrielt-es, Orepuki.' His Lord&hip, m returning thanks tor the kind expressions conveyed in the address, h<i d he wassorrv to have disappointed them on Sunday last and would hive been glad to meet them all. He was very pleased to renew his aLqiwinuu a with them throughout the district, and was qjite i onfi'l^ut of their Hymp^thy and support on all occasions when called upon. Ho would give his blessings to ail, and hoped God would pi o -per them and their fauulie-, aiM keep them on tne right path of rectitude and Christian welldoing.