Presentation to the Very Rev. Father Power, Hawera

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3, 30 January 1908, Page 23

Presentation to the Very Rev. Father Power, Hawera

(From our own' correspondent.) ~ The Catholics of Hawera were present" in' large num-",, bers in- the Convent schoolroom on Tuesday .evening lot the" purpose of "bidding good-uye to the \ery Rev. *ath r /Bower, on the occasion- oi h s departure for a welllarned holiday to, Ireland. Amongst those present were , • tne Very^ Rev. Dean Gro-an, Very Rev. Dean McKi.ft.l.l. Rev. 'Falhers McuManus, Tr^acy, Haire,. Sounds, J4*rn , Gondringer,- Duffy, and O'Dwyer., - • „ . -. , "Mr" 'B "McCarthy, who presided, in mtioducins;' the business of the . evening, sa.d .-H ■ fa? my honor, and pxi.ilege this eseiunc- on the occasion, of .your' projected visit to your : J^^Und, to voice, on belialf of your parishioners, .^^Pf o f admiration',- esteem and affection, and to mark the .00-, casion in ..some- tangible way by asking your accept- , ance of ?n address and a purse of sovereigns.^ Although this movement of inaLing a presentation was- somewhat ; precipitated by a 'change in the time -of your departure it" is pleasing" to knowthit the efforts of -the committee met with a prompt and ready response by the ' parishioners, which is^stri ing .testimony of their :. love and esteem for you as their, pastor and frirnd. Jirleod, - there are> evidences not wanting that you have warm friends amongst the clergy," as is borne out by the number of those present. -We are", indeed pleased . to welcome here" this evening, in- addition, to' th-j pioincial priests, two former rectors of- our- parish in .the. persons c.f the Very Rev. Dean Grcgan and-,, Very ■ Rev. Dean McKennaV The* nine years' of your administration in this portion of* the Lord s vineyard' have been as fruitful in- the spiritual welfare of -'the-parislf ''as they have been in the material progress of the" distrust, and we recognise that it is in no small d gree~ due to your tact, ahility and tireless r<nergy. The "more notable works successfully carried to completion- are the" erection of a presbytery and school in Hawera, convent v and school at Manaio, and churches at Okaiawa and Auroa. The arduous labor's tint have fallen -to A.our lot here, apart altoge'her from your previous, eleven years of active 'service for the honor" and glory _l of God,- have entitled, you to "a weU^arnrd" rest, and'ii is our_pl asure this evening to heartily wish you the fullest measure of -enjoyment of your h : liday. God. sped, a- " pleasant ' voyajgje, , and a safe return, reinvigtorated in health and strength to carry on the great and holy work ■ which you have so successfully accomplished in"- >our midst, -Before calling upon -Mr.- Bunting to read the address "on behalf of- the. parishioners,""! have., also 1 . much' pleasure in extending the same, good wishes to. our esteemed*^rector's sister, Miss Power; , who has . very, I .materially -assisted the. promotion and success of every i Church work." . ' _' ? Mr. Bunting endorsed the remarks of the Chairman, ' ■ and read the address ."('which -was sighed by 25 members ■on behalf of the parishioners) as follows :— < -_ - ' • Very Reverend Jaiid'JDe&f- Father,—- On the -eve-- of your departurtTfor EU.ro.ne '6n an extended holiday tour, '.we, Hfte" Parishioners of' Hawera, cannot permit you to ■1 aye" -without Some 'toVefrjof. our admiration, esteem and • nffidc'tdOn.' During the nine" years^ of' your r _ administration/here .we "hi, vp /had "constant occasion ' to" admire your ' rem?'rlcab 1 c comVinfit'on of '^uSlitic?,' intellectual pn^ sdcialr which' you brought /to the achievement of your • taWc r/ in 'the discharge of your " ' sacprddtnl duties* -^ As v :fas+or, oreacher, and x Mend' of the "people r on have estaMished many cMm's"to"""th'V'g I r*atiti'd.ef reverr'me, jjnd affection of thos» amongst whorp,.yoii havp so assiduous • lv labored for th<?. ho-vor, , arid jsrlorv of CW." fn,,thnretools, \in tne '^ulnit, pnd c""en in the T>a fr e < ' of th~j^e rt-'-Hr press. Tt is especiaUv gratifyine to us to ' le^rn thaf your f->m° as a niiinit orator, ,»nnd ns on« of .the -mnst arc^m^liph^d sc^ol^rs and wri+"r«? in the .^cvthevn Hft r "i c ''"h"Te < h*>s mpri^e.'i suc^ bi^h pn^rvminmQ from s<>ras of. th° highest -and - mnsiy enlightened .dj^n't^rips'. nf .our Holy Church -in"*Australasia'; -as witnessed by a" few

of the recently published testimonials from the Australasian Prelates in reviewing yo.ur latest woiik, " The Virginal' Life." The new church and schcol buildings (eight in nuinuber) which ,you lnve .been instrumental in. erecting since your advent here are standing monuments of your zeal for the advancement of the spiritiir- - al interests of this parish. Should you have the privilege of an interview with o r Holy Father, in Home, you will be able to assure his Holiness tint the loyalty of your pai ishi )ners to him is as unbound d as that of his children in older lnds. Whm you revisit old Ireland, the land cf your 'birth, which is to most of us the dearest spot on earth, and exneiience tin felicity of meeting the fiierds of your boyhrod, we f~el that the warmth of the genuine Irish greeting 'wi 1 ! make amends for the trials and -\icis i+udes of a twenty years' exile. Asking you to accept 1h? accompanying pur^e of sovereigns, and wishing you- a Prosperous voyajrp anrl a safq return to your la-ing recle, and homing' tint you will rempmWer us in th- Holy Sscrif-ce as we shall fellow you with our prayers.' Mr. Bartlett then as 1 ed the Very Rev. Father Power's acceptance of a puiTe of sovereigns. Tn. doing: so he referred to Father Power's long service of' 21 years in the Dominion, and his nine years' work in Hawera, saying he had always fourd that their priest had 'done a.rd was dome his best to forward the interests of his floe 1 -". Father Power hnd PsVed that the parishioners shouM not do f-r him, but the parishioners had disobeyed their priest for once. He joined with previous speakers in wishing their guests a pleas-ant time and a safe return. The Very Rev. Father Power upon rising to reply was received with long-continued applause. He said : Though I feel I have not done much to deserve them, I am gratified by the sentiments so ldndly and so beautifully expressed in this address. I am gratified, not because my vanity has been excited, but because I feel I have parishioners kind and generous enough to discover and magnify the few points in my personality that are not altogether wortrlrss. I have, it is true, paid some little attention "to the children under my care, I have built, or rather 1 have persuaded others to build, one or two r hristian schools and con. ewts 1 here and elsewhere, and I have tried to speak in these schools words of edification and encouragement'; but I was performing a pleasant duty which had none of the characteristics of a task. For children are fresh from the hands of God, (hey are still unspoiled and unspotted by the woild, and devotion to them is a joy to the priest who labors fur them, while their grateful, ho-ly lexve is like a precious fragrance round about him. I have spoken to you from the pulpit three times each Sunday during the past nine years, but when I examine my conscience to see if I have ways spoken after that careful preparation and with that dignity which reverence for • the word of God demands, I know that I stand more in need of your prayers than of your praise, for it is a serious thing ' to stand in the sacramental presence rf -the Divine Master and speak a rressage in His name to those who form His Mystic Bcdy. It is true, that so far as iry limited abilities enabled me, I. have defended the Faith and 1 the honor rf Hcly ( hurch in the pages of the secular press, but to neglect to do so would be a grave dereliction of .duty,' and for ,fche opportunity afforded me I have to thank the fair-m.indedness and more than common liberality of the editors of the press in this parish. I .have .often sp'ol-en to you on the duty of loyalty to the Pope, the Archbishop, and the priests, and ' I am plad .to acknowledge that you make ' most loyal spiritual children. There is an .unswerving constancy in yorr devotion, in } T oi:r sen ice, in your fidelity, in your love, which manifests itself under every varying circumstance and leases little to be desired. I lfno'w the demands that I" have made upon your purse and yovr patience, and r know how expressive of faith and devotion has- been your unvarying response. Your allusion to my beloved • fatherland and that' of • many you is sweet and graceful. Irelard is the home of- natural and- supernatural ■ bea.uty, • still the fairest and still the holiest spot on earth; but-, ] lease God, I will .tell there of the -beauty of this new l?nd whose provinces were- once named New . IHster, New I einster, and- New Munster. I will tell of the beauties, cf T&ranaki and rf the grand monarch of the mountains -that reigns in , the midst cf its fertile plains, whose rovpl head is diademed with the eternal snows, .and whose . robes are decided, wi^h nature's richest tints., But with mpre pride and patriotism I will tell of the spiritual beauties, of the sixteen homes of ' the Blrscpd Sacrament that, nestle round that mountain, and of tre . eKht Cihristipn"" schools where the sweetest work cf God is done, and rf the -thousand har«py homes where the guardin' angels he*r the names of Jesus, Mary, and Patrick srex'-eh with

reverence mtorning and night, and this sometimes in therich,..and eloquent and ancient Gaelic tcngue; ' The twenty years- of fatigues and trii.ls fcr which you think I need .a' recompense .have been to me twenty golden years of happiness, without one continuous half- , 'hour 'of sadness. It was ine\iiable that - persons should make mistakes- in my regard and lin theirs, for it is o.ily God Who makes no mistakes, but— in the case of my parishioners' and their pastor, the differences ," of friends • have ever been b'ut the beginnings of friendship: It will" he so' in the case of- the young, zealous, and energetic priest under whose care I am leaving you with confidence. .He and you will he to each other a mutual help and a mutual comfort. I, as in duty bound, will. offer the holy Mass especially for your spiritual and temporal welfare every Sunday and holiday during my absence ; and you, I know, will pray for me that on my return from the holday ■which your gift wijl make more enjoyable, we may feel ourselves nearer to Gcd and dearer to each other. -Deans Grogan and McKenna and Father Treacy all joined in wishing Father rower and Miss Power bon voyage, a pleas-ant trip, and a safe return. Rev. Father O'Dwyer (uho will be in charge of the parish during 1 Very Rev. Father Power's absence) said he hoped! that ho and the parishioners a\ ould during their pastor's absence be a hippy family. , He endorsed the remarks of previous sj eafcers. Very 'Rev. Father Power returned thanks for the kindly references -to Miss I ower. - ' Interspersed with the speeches an acceptable musical programme was- given, to which the following contributed :— Misses Connell, A. Gallagher, Sutton, O:Neill, U. O'Reilly, Swan, ar.d Father Power. The accompanimenits were played by Mrs. W. A. Quin and Mrs. D. Banks. /The ladies provided refreshments on- a liberal scale. "