Death of the Very Rev. Father Lewis,S.M .,V.G.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXV, Issue 27, 4 July 1907, Page 17

Death of the Very Rev. Father Lewis,S.M „V.G.

(From our Wellington correspondent.)

The Catholics of this Colony will be deeply grieved to learn of the groat loss sustained ,-by the Church in the deaito of one of the most saintly and highly respected of her pastors, the Very Rev. Faitiher Lewis, Vicar-General of the archdiioceee. Father Lewis recently underwent an operation for appendicitis, anid' for a time made satisfactory progress. Complications 1 , howevjer, set in,_ and for the past two week,s little hope was enteitained for his recovery. On Thursdiay evening at about half-pasit ten he* passed peacefully away, the Rev. Fathers Ainsworth and Moloney being at the bedside. Father Lewis was bborn,, n , in County Kildare on Marcih 20, 1853, and was ordained in Dundalk on August 15, 1882, by Archbishop McGe-Migan. Immediately after his - ordination he came to New Zealand, &nd was appointed assistant priest at St. Mary of the Angels', Boiilcot't street, with Father Kerrigan, where he remained for a- year. He then went to Meanee (Hawkes Bay) to assist Father Re&nier in the latter s declining years. He was next appointed to the charge of the parish at Ble-nhieun, aud remained until 1891, -when he took up -the duties of Procurator at St.* Patrick's College, replacing Father (now Archdeacon) Devoy, which position he'held until 189-1. He then returned to Blenheim to assist th 3 Very Rev. Father McNamara, but the followinr year saw him appointed parish priest at Timaxu wilwre lira remained for -ihrec years, e earning 'the es^ teem of everyone in that district, as in others that had known his ministrations. In 1898 he was appointed Administrator of St. Mary's Cathedral, Hill street, Wellington (destroyed by fire at the end of the same year), and Vicar-General cf the archdiocese, which-posi-tion he had occupied since. While the Archbishop w fl s in iMuope, Father Lewis was his representative in the archdrocuse. in February last Father Lewis was elector! 1o go to Europe as representative of the Marist Orrku- m Netw Zealand at the General Chapter of the Order to be told at DiiTert, Belgium, on August 10. Ur should have left Wellington with Archdeacon d£ Se a fo thT end 1 "'" 011 ". an ' d "'"eemeni. tad fc.c n ci X to h ' ee M LeW l S WaS o a l )ei ' S(>na S e of the most gentle *nd lovable nature. By all with whom he came in wm h P ' T aS fH eM iD Xhe hi 'S Jl . est esteem, and Ws loss will be keenly felt, more particularly by the clerev to wham he had especially endeared himself by • hRiPiSh nf PoSltl °' n ,- Hls ,, (Jracp is deeply affected by the death of a zealous, able, an d generous assistant

Wellington, July 2. (By telegraph from our own correspondent.) M'j£ elillS . referince was mt " de t0 the sa d event at th 3 M-sbos and evening emotions in all the Catholic churches on Sunday. On Monday evenin»- th» "Solemn Office oF the Dead was recited in the *Sac?ed HcTrt Basilica, when the church was crowded. A very laree re--ne t C t' i°' f^Y """^"l '*> P*7 a last trfbuJe S SS }h "S S^t^^sS^ Aurou, we*e unable to be present. The Right Rev. sgr. g£MTB JSff ,-B^Sli* If *S atSigre^ionV^ atSaer b I large number. 0 £ priests, led by the Rev FX r Ains i^ssssra^sa^tffi^^^ its. shnr»le S an n i O t M ? S . Ms , Grace the Archbishop delivered a ?ot fi, a f v , to r^ ng e " 10^ of tlie deceased. He chose The death if FnfhT* f' 6 -^ •*>* die in the Lord.' jointly pastor, the parishioners an able, zealous and Sst^^y SS ofSe^£seS I litest*? M?M bb i l7 i, 6Xample ° f a n^nd^dJvo i" JiU- the faithful have one more intercessor 'at. the the, throne of God's mercy. Beautiful, indeed, was ihe

life of Father Lewis. First of all, he was a perfect M&rist. From his earliest years he was a model of humility, obedience, and study. Whatever he did, he did it well ; solid and substantial was nis work v in every regard. -He was a maji of more than average ability, remarkable for ihe correctness and solidity of - his judgment. In all he undertook, he did his 1 'best, seriously, calmly, modestly. His " confreres Knew his virtues and, «as ..showing their confidence in him, they chose him unanimously to represent' 'them at the general Chapter of the Order in Belgium. He looked forward with delight to the hai-piness of returning once more to the Old Land, and .revisiting the friends and scenes" of his youth. It was not God's will that he should go ; to. that will he calmly resigned iiis own. He was a perfect example of every priestly virtue, showing m his life the model oT the Master. The j.ioat lesson of Christ was, ' Learn of Me to ! c me; I . ond humUe of heart.'

Father Lewis was meekness itself ; no one ever heard him boast, nay, rather he always endeavored to conceal, as far as he could, the w ork. he -did. His charity equalled ,his humility. He spent himself for the ' faithful under' his care. In him was the true spirit of self-sacrifice.- As a priest, it was an education to see st'ch a religious in the Church. He was grave, dignified,, and perfectly priestly in his functions, as a pastor they loved him well. Wherever he had been he was held in veneration. Presbytery, school, and" church stood' as monuments of his great zeal for the glory of God and the interests of tha 'Church. The life of such • a man had its lessen for all. We have to sanctify ourselves in the position in 'which God's providence has placed iis. Father Lewis realised his obligations, and faithfully discharged them. It was by the discharge of the duties of' their state of life that men and women became saints— men and women of ail positions, from besrgar to king. In- the midst of all this they must nqt forget the soul of the departed - one— the -greater the duty, the greater Ihe resoonsibility. They must pray, perform ejood' works, and offer their Masses and Communions for Ihe renose of his soul. Here, his Grace became deeply affected, and his voice was full of the deepest emotion. He thanVed the visiting clergy and all that had come to do honor to the dead.

The coffin was carried from the church through a vast concourse of people by the Hibernians, who acted as pall-bearers. The procession, one of the largest seen here, then wended its way to Karori, where a most impressive service was held. His Grace officiated at the graveside, and was assisted by a large body of \hc clergy. His Lordship Bishop Lenihan - and Monsignor Mackay were present.— R.l. P.

Feeling reference (writes our Christchurch correspondent) was made by his Lordship the Bishop in the Cathedral on Sunday to the lamented death of the Very Rev. Father Lewis, S.M., Vicar-General of Wellington. The archdiocese of Wellington (said his Lordship) is mourning the loss v of its' Vicar-General, who was well and favorably known, nob alone in the- diocese of Chjristchurch, where he labored with zeal and true devotion, but throughout New Zealand. He was a man of lively faith, most strictly attached to his priestly calling, and to the discharge of his administrative duties. Firm and steadfast in his conviotions, he was yet most gentle in enforcing his desires. He was so characteristically noted for suavity and refinement of manner that his motto might fittingly be, ' Fortiter in re suaviter in modo.'' Whilst extending to the ArcWbishioip, priests 1 , and people of Wellington the assurance of their drop sorrow and "sympathy, they must not be unmindful of tho dear departed in their prayers.