Ordination at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Auckland

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVI, Issue 2, 9 January 1908, Page 15

Ordination at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Auckland

(From our own correspondent.)

■ The ordination of the Rev. Owen Doyle took place at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Auckland, on Wednesday last," the Feast of the (.. iroumcision of Our Lord. The ordaining prelate was the Right Rev. Dr. Lenihan, the 'diocesan clergy being present in the sanctuary, as well as several priests. His Lordship the Bishop was assisted by the Very Rev. Dean G-illan, V.G., Right Rev. Mgr. O'Reilly, Rev. Blather Hoibrook, Adm., and Rev. Father Farthing. The Rev. Fathe? O'Donnell, an old , college companion of Rev. Father Doyle, was expected from Rome, but he did not arrive in time. It was some time since an ordination, was held in Auckland and this was the first in the new Cathedral , consequently there) was an immense concourse present. A very "pleasing .feature of the ceremony was the presence- in "the "Cathedral of so many representatives of the various, religious Orders— Marist and Redemptorist Fathers, Fathers of St. Joseph's Mission, Marist Brothers, Sisters of St. Joseph, Little Sisters of the Poor, and Sisters of -jMercy. The 'ordination Mass commenced at 7 o'clock, and it must be said „ that the imipressiveness of the sacred rite ■ was brought into strong relief by the spacious and elevated sanctuary of the beautiful Cathedral. Certainly, no feature of the ceremony seemed more solemn than the. triple blessing impacted by the Bishop to the-white-robed prostrate cleric. The vast congregation watched the whole service with the greatest interest and evident ( devotion, and when the Mass was ended crowder Ground the altar rails in such" great numbers to receive. , the young priest's blessing that it was fully* an hour and a half before he could leave the sanctuary. Amongst those who approached the rails to receive the young priest's blessing were Sir George Clifford and his family.. The ordination breakfast was held at St. Patrick's presbytery. Later in the day his Lordship the Bishop gave a dinner in honor of Father Doyle, at which the city priests as well as the visitors were present. Hiis Lordship, while proposing the toast of their young guest, spoke of him. in the most flattering terms, and said that Father Doyle had come to the diocese with the highest credentials. He wished him long years of faithful and devoted service in this portion- of the Lord's vineyard.

The Right Rev. Mirr. O'Reilly, the doyen of the diocese, spoke in high eulogy of Father Doyle. Father Doyle, in reply, briefly thanked his Lordship and the clergy for the great kindness they had all shown him since his arrival in Auckland, and he hoped they would have many years' happy companionship.

On Thursday, the Octave ol the feast of St. Stephen, Father Doylo celebrated his first Mass in St. Benedict's Convent chapel, for the Sisters of St. Joseph,. He was assisted by Rev. Father Farthing.

-Father Doyle is a native of Sydney, and received his classical education at St. Patrick's College, Goulburn, after which he snent some years in the Kensington Seminary, under the care of the Sacred Heairt Fathers. In passing it may be 'mentioned that Auckland is under a deep debt of gratitude to this college, for Father, Doyle is the fourth student from there to devote his services to this mission. Non", indeed, is 1 Auckland singular in this respect, for priests and students from this excellent college are to be found all over Australia, notably in the dioceses of Bathurst, Armidale, Goulburn, and the arGhdiocese of Hobart, as well as in the far away Philippine mission and in America.