Armidale's Bishop Dead

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXII, Issue 5, 4 February 1904, Page 20

Armidale's Bishop Dead

A brief message in last Friday's daily papers announced the death of the Right Rev. Elzear TorregBishop of Armidale, New South Wales. The deceased prelate was born at Porto Recanati, near Loreto in Italy, on May 28, 1830. When seventeen years old, he joined the Order of the* Capuchins in the pretty mountain town of Camenno, in Umbria, Italy. He was raised to the priesthood in 1853, and soon afterwards pioceeded to England, wlieie he (labored with great and iruitful zeal in the Capuchin missions of Peckham, Panlasaph, and Pontypool. He was rector of Pontypool when he was appointed to the See of Armidale, in succession to its first Bishop, Dr. O'Mahony. He was consecrated on March 25, 1879. On September 29, of the same year, he sailed from Brindisi for Australia, accompanied by six Capuchin Fathers. At Armidale he met with an enthusiastic reception from Protestants and Catholics alike. In the following year (1880) there were in his diocese about 10,000 Catholics, ministered to by 17 priests There were only two Catholic schools. Fi\e years later, at the Plenary Synod, a new diocese — that of Grafton — was set up within the original boundaries of that of Armidale, which had contained a territory of some 46,000 square miles. Bishop Torreggiani lived to see, in the same territory, 2 bishoprics, 89 missionary districts, 37 priests, 220 nuns, 9 boarding schools for girls, 9 superior day schools, 27 parochial primary schools, 4641 children in attendance at Catholic schools, and a Catholic population of 44,523 souls. Bishop Torreggiani was a familiar and striking figure with his brown Capuchin habit, which he always wore, both in public and m the privacy of his own episcopal residence. He was a man of singular piety, and he was greatly revered by people oi every creed and class for his genial kindliness and his large-hearted charity. Throughout his extensive diocese he has le/ft greatj numbers of convents, schools, presbyteries, etc., which stand as monuments of his missionary zeal. — R.I. P.