PRESENTATIONS TO BISHOP LENIHAN

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 47, 23 November 1905, Page 6

PRESENTATIONS TO BISHOP LENIHAN

(From our Auckland correspondent.)

November 17.

The presentations to his Lordship the Right Rev. Dr. Lenihan, on the occasion of the ninth anniversary of his consecration as Bishop of Auckland, took place on Wednesday evening at the Federal Hall. His Worship the Mayor, accompanied by the Mayoress, attended, the former presiding. There were also present the Right Rev. Mgr. O'Reilly, Very Rev. Dr. Egan, 0.5.8., and Rev. Fathers Meagher, O'Hara, Tormcy, Lynch, Furlong, CahiJl, Edge, Buckley, Dignan, Holbrook, Adm., and the Marist Brothers, Hon. W. Beehan, M.L.C., Messrs. Kidd and Baume, Ms.H.R., and a very iarge' assemblage of ladies and gentlemen. The hall was tastefuily decorated, and presented a gay appearance. At the conclusion of the opening chorus by the children. three little girls presented the Bishop, the Mayor and Mayoress each with a splendid bouquet of flowers. After the first four items of the programme had been gone through, his Worship the Mayor, Mr. Arthur M. Myers, the Bishop, the Right Rev. Mgr. O'Reilly, Messrs. Baume, Kidd, J. J. O'Brien, J. Larkin, P. Darby, sen., Maurice O'Connor, P. Hansen, Hon. W. Beehan, and M. J. Sheahan ascended the stage. Mr. 'Adolph Kohn, to whom the whole credit of collecting the purse of sovereigns, amounting to £258, was due, read apologies from the Rev. Father Duffy and a number of others, regretting their inability to be present, and wishing the Bishop long life and happiness. The Mayor read an apology from the Hon. T. Thompson, M.L.C., from Gisborne. His Worship the Mayor said : My Lord Bishop, Right Rev. Mgr., Rev. Fathers, ladies and gentlemen. New Zealand is a democratic country ; but the Irishman's definition of democracy as a stale of things in which any one man is as good as any other man, and better, is not one that will stand the test of practical experience. No organised community can exist without leaders, whether they lead by virtue of their own personal foice of character, of some official position granted or recognised by the State, or of office in one of those voluntary associations, those ' stales within the State,' into which, in a free country, men naturally tend to form themselves. Of these latter there can be few who occupy positions of greater responsibility, of more power for good or ill, than the heads of the great religious bodies. And in view of the immense influence which religion has over the daily lives of men, the manner in which our ecclesiastical dignitaries exercise their functions, and especially the attitude which they adopt towards those outside their own organisation, is a matter of legitimate interest not only to those who acknowledge their authority, but to the whole community. I feel therefore that m consenting -to picside at tins gathering of those who have met to express their personal regard for the chief representative in Auckland of one of the most ancient and powerful of the Churches, and their appreciation of the manner in which he has discharged the arduous and responsible duties of his position, I am not in any way departing fiom that strict impartiality which should characterise the holder of the office which I have the honor to occupy. Doubtless, as long as human nature remains what it is, men will differ on religious and other questions. But while it is not possible, and perhaps not even desirable, that we should cease to differ, it is desirable, and it should be possible, that we should recognise the unities underlying our superficial differences — underlying even differences that arc not superficial. During the nine years that he has had charge of the diocese of 'Auckland, his Lordship Bishop Lenihan has in this respect been a model ecclesiastic. Blessed arc the peacemakers , and since prevention is better than cure, those whose tact and kindliness and large-hearted charity avert strife that a very little deficiency in those qualities would inevitably have caused are as much comprised in that blessing as those who compose strifes that have actually arisen. Bishop Lenihan's position is in some ways one of peculiar difficulty, as local head of a Church whose constitution forbids any association in ritual with members of other religious bodies ; but difficulties were made to be overcome, and he has shown himself equal to the task. With malice towards none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God has given him to see the right, he has so discharged the duties of his high office that ho has won the regard— indeed I may say the affection— of men of all classes. This, being the ninth anniversary of Dr. Lenihan's consecration as Bishop of Auckland, has seemed to several of his friends an appropriate occasion for offering him t some tangible tokens of their feelings towards him ; and I am very glad to have the opportunity of joining in such

It a pleasant function. The gifts to be presented are varied in character. There is a purse of sovereigns, collected by Mr. A. Kohn. Sovereigns, as we know, are made round so that they may circulate, and flat so that they may be piled up ; and now that these have at last found their way into the right hands I hope that, however much they may circulate, the pile may never grow less. There is a ring, emerald centre in_ diamond cluster, given by Mr. A. Kohn— lpng may it adorn the episcopal finger— and a present from Bradley and Kohn, of London. Next we have some large photographs, jgiven by Mr. Carnie. Photography, as the Scotchman remarked when he saw the artist sketching, is a hantle easier than painting, and mair liker the place forbye ; and doubtless these beautiful pictures will often call up pleasant visions of the places they represent Lastly there is a chess table, presented by Mr. M. H. Walsh ; and I trust that Dr. Lenihan, in such leisure as he can command, may spend many enjoyable hours seated at this table, with a sovereign in hi? pocket, the ring on his finger, and the photographs hanging on the walls around him, overcoming all the crooked wiles of his opponent's knights by the simple and straightforward moves of his bishops — the only pieces in tha game that are really consistent, never changing the color of their standpoint. The Mayor then presented the Bishop with a purse of sovereigns from his friends ; a diamong ring set with a beautiful emerald valued at 100 guineas, the gift of Mr. A. Kohn ; a beautifully ' ornamented gift from Mr. Kohn's brother of London ; and a chess board, i the gift of Mr. M. H. Walsh. Mr. F. E. Baume, M.H.R., in an eloquent and stirring speech, gave voice to the high admiration and esteem in which Bishop Lenihan was held not only by his own devoted Hock, but also by the general public in \ arious parts of the Colony, where he was loved and rightly honored as a man, a priest, and a Bishop. Mr. Alfred Kidd, M.H.R., followed and said he had the pleasure, while serving on local governing' bodies, to become intimately associated with Father Lenihan and Bishop Lenihan. As manager of the orphanages, he found him to be an ecclesiastic with a large heart full of kindly and sympathetic feelings to those young children, who so sadly stood in need of them. The Bishop had won his heart, and there was nothing that lay in his power to do, at the Bishop's bidding, that he would not endeavor to accomplish. Monsignor O'Reilly, on bchall ol the priests of the diocese, joined in his commendation of the Bishop. The preceding speakers made reference to Ireland. He was the only one so far who had spoken in whose \eins coursed Irish blood. It was gratifying to them to know the high regard in which their Bishop was held. While ho, as a Bishop, upheld the tenets of his Church, he had succeeded in doing so without hurting the feelings of anybody. He (Monsignor O'Reilly) was to-night before them as the senior priest of the diocese, and, in this there was cause for regret because the position was held at the cost of the death of good Monsignor Paul. In conclusion lie would again tender his hearty congratulations to the Bishop, and in the words used by the Church he wished him 'Ad liiultos annos.' His Lordship upon rising was received with tremendous applause, which lasted for some minutes. He said :•' Your Worship, Right Rev. Mgr., Very Rev. and Rev. Fathers, ladies and gentlemen, it is needless to say how deeply touched I am by this manifestation towards me. Costly and handsome as those presents arc, 1 value much more the kindly regards and good wishes of my many friends of which these presents arc evidence. I low can I thank you all ? Mr. Kohn, who has so often manifested his esteem for me, I can never adequately thank. The amount of time and trouble, as well as the munificence of his gifts to me {■imply amaze me. To my priests I owe whatever success I may have attained, as without them I could 1 have done nothing. To me they have been loyal and dutiful, and 1 sincerely hope that we may long be associated in the work of Almighty God.' His Lordship added that the money gift would be of great use to him, because he was not overburdened with it. He would set it apart for a necessary work. He was indeed gratified at the warmth extended to him by the Mayor, and the two city members, Messrs. Baume and Kidd, He valued their friendship, which he had so long enjoyed, and which he knew would continue. In conclusion he returned his heartfelt thanks to all those who contributed, and in a particular manner to Mr. Kohn for his unaided efforts in collecting, and to the kind donors for those nice presents. He invoked the blessing of God upon themselves, their families, and friends. His Lordship resumed his seat amidst loud applause.