PRESENTATION TO FATHER O'DONNELL, GORE

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVII, Issue 17, 29 April 1909, Page 652

PRESENTATION TO FATHER O'DONNELL, GORE

The large room in Holland's Buildings, Gore,, was filled to overflowing on Thursday night of last week on the occasion of a valedictory conversazione to the Very Eev. Father O'Donnell, who left on the following morning on a trip to Europe. There were present in the first place (says the Gore Standard) representatives of the Catholic clergy in the persons of the Very Rev. Dean Burke (Invercargill) and the Rev. Fatliers O'Donnell (Queenstown), Keenan (Eiversdale), ELavanagh, O'Riordan (Australia), and Delany (Father ,o'DonnelFs locum tenens in Gore). There were members' s of the Church in Gore, with a goodly number of visitors from the outlying portions of the parish ; there were representatives of the citizens of the borough ; there were many members of. other denominations. In fact, a more representative gathering it would be hard to find at any function of similar nature. To say that the proceedings were hearty' and spontaneous is to state the fact bluntly; one had only to look at the faces of the gathering, of the men no less than the women, to realise that eulogistic though the speeches were,- they but feebly expressed the thoughts of all. Musical and other items were contributed during the evening by Misses Hynes, Leonard, Hanneffy, Smaill, and O'Brien, Messrs. Aeneas, Smith, Ferguson, and Thompson. At the close of the evening supper was .handed round, after which a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to the chairman.

Mr. D. L. Poppelwell, who occupied the chair, said the occasion" on which they had met was one -which naturally aroused mingled feelings in the hearts of all — feelings of sorrow at the thought that they were about to miss the face of their revered pastor for some time io come; feelings of joy that the severance was only temporary. For fifteen long years Father O'Donnell had labore"d amongst them, entering into the joys and sorrows of their lives. Father O'Donnell had come to the parish when it was very small, and had faced what he found to do, doing it well. And now the parish was one of which any priest might well be proud, showing not only the impress of spiritual benefit, but also of material prosperity. Fifteen years ■'was a long time in any man's life, and Father O'Donnell had come here as a young man, and was now entering upon years when he could look back on his" work with feelings of pride. )It was natural that Father O'Donnell should look forward to a trip- to the haunts of his youth, and to the older countries and centres

of learning. It was not entirely a question of a holiday — it would be something to go to headquarters, and -see the Old Land and draw inspiration from what he saw; still better,' to go to the village, where he was born and see his aged mother again. There was nothing he (Mr. Poppelwell) could say to add one jot to the feelings they all felt towards Father O'Donnell.' They regretted his departure, but after fifteen years' labor he well earned a holiday. Mr. Poppelwell aslced Father O'Donnell to accept a small token of their estimation, as- representing the feelings if the parishioners that they desired him to enjoy a pleasant holiday and good health. "Mr, Poppelwell concluded by assuring Father O'Donnell that'the heartiness of the sendoff would be nothiiig to the heartiness of the welcome that awaited him on his return. The presentation from the parishioners took the form of a purse of 200 guineas. Mr. J. Maher said as representing the "VVaikaia portion of the parish they wished Father O'Donnell health during the voyage and health in Ireland, and they lioped he would find great improvement there. Mr, Maher said the warmth of feeling that night would be very little compared with the heartiness of the welcome awaiting him on- his return. Messrs. John Boyle (Clinton), O. Kelly, and Carr (Invercargill) also paid a meed of praise to Father O'Donnell's work in the parish, to his zeal and charity, and expressed the hope that he would have a pleasant holiday and a safe return. , ! Rev. Father Kavanagh, on behalf of the Altar Society, then presented -Father O'Donnell with a silver-moxmted umbrella, suitably inscribed. Very Rev. Father O'Donnoll, who was greeted with hearty and long applause, said he did not think he had ever felt so happy and at sthe same time so uncomfortablein his life. He had never liad an experience of that kind before. It was a very pleasant thing to hear all the nice things said of him by the various speakers. He knew they were said sincerely and with the best intentions, if he could only bring himself to believe he was l anything like what- he was described. "When he came to Gore he was a very young, slim, simple sort of man,' and there was given to him a very big- work, for the district over wMch he was given spiritual charge extended from Waikaia to Fortrose, and to Tapanui. A-fter living here for fifteen years he had the consolation of seeing that the people — the young ones especially that he had given spiritual instruction to — were a credit to the parish. Yes, fifteen years was a long time in. a man's life, and he had experienced much kindness from the people, but he had come to the conclusion that they needed a rest from his services, and feeling the need for a rest himself, it was only natural' that lie should go to the country he was bora in, and to his mother, who was still alive, and who was always writing complaining that he had not gone liome, as he had promised to do in ten years, a period long since gone by. Therefore it was with feelings of gladness that he looked forward to his visit to the Emerald Isle. But at the same time it was with considerable sorrow that he parted from the people of Gore. During the whole course of the fifteen years there his life had been an easy and pleasant one, though there was a great deal of work, for the parishioners lad nobly responded to any calls upon them. He had to thank the parishioners for the loyalty with which they had supported, him. The Rev. Father Delany, who was going to take his place," was a young priest with a great deal of experience, and he had no doubt the congregation would so appreciate his successor as to 'almost wish he -were not coining back. Some of the speakers had spoken of the danger that existed of his not returning, but Father O'Donnell assured them that nf that there was not the slightest "probability. It was not that he did not love the country of his "birth, but he .had been so long in New Zealand that he was now more of a New Zealander than an Irishman. In conclusion, Father O'Donnell expressed his sincere thanks for the present they had made him. In parting he would express his sincere appreciation of Father Kavanagh's loyalty and earnestness .as a helper in the work he had "undertaken. He also thanked the members of the Altar Society for their useful and thoughtful present. Mr. G. J. Anderson, M.P.j in the unavoidable aKsence of the Mayor, for whom he apologised, yoiced the sentiments of the citizens of Gore. He said that when :t became known that Father O'Donnell intended to take, a well-earned rest, mot only the parishioners,^, but the priest's many personal friends felt they could not let him .go without a token of appreciation. Father O'Donnell had endeared himself to all, and as some appreciation of the way in which he had worked for the good of the whole district, irrespective of creed, the citizens had subscribed for a gold watch and albert.

Mr. A* A. Mac Gibbon, who arrived at a later stage of the proceedings, said Father O'Donnell was held in high

esteem by every citizen of Gore, and as Mayor of the town he. had pleasure in wishing him a pleasant trip and a safe return. ___ father O'Donnell, in acknowledging this presentation, said he had been in Gore for a period of fifteen years, and no one could -say that he had ever in any way interfered with the different religious bodies of the community, or acted in any manner that would be meddling or interfering in business, and the fact that people were' not members of the Catholic Church did not in any way cause him to have the smallest dislike or anything .other than goodwill for them. He would not be hiiman if on an occasion such as that he did not feel their kindness very much; in fact, it quite overwhelmed "Mm. ~* •- Very Rev. Dean Burke said two outstanding features had struck him most forcibly. The first was the expression of the happy cordial relations that existed between pastor and flock. But no less significant than x the evidence of cordial relationship and active- -"co-operation on the part of the Gore congregation was "the manifestation* of good feeling by the varioiis denominations in the towu. Speaking for the clergy, Dean Burke said Father O'Donnell stood very high in their estimation. Father O'Donnell possessed one quality which was rather uncommon, and at the same time common — Father O'Domnell had a great deal of common sense, and in the rule of. the parish, in carrying out the various designs mooted, 'the congregation would not be very far astray if they followed his lead. Rev. Father Delaiiy endorsed all that had been said regarding Father O'Donnell' s many good qualities, priestly and personal, saying they were of such a high order that he could foresee great difficulty in keeping up the standard set r him. Rev. Father O'Donnell (Queenstown) also gave expression to -the feeling of brotherhood ex-isting between Father O'Donnell and his fellow-priests, and joined in the many -good wishes extended to him.. Thursday night's demonstration and presentations were not the only assurance of esteem tendered to Father O'Donnell. -A few- days before Messrs. J. Heslin and' T. W. McGowan, representing the Mataxira congregation, handed nim a purse containing twenty -accompanied by many kindly wishes. ' -The Q-bre^branch of the H.A.C.B. Society through their president (Mr. O. Kelly) made a presentation to him. The pupils of the Gore Convent School presented him with a set of breviaries. DTJNEDIN. Very Rev. Father O'Donnell passed through Dunedin on his way to Europe on Friday 'morning of last week. He was met at the railway station by the Very Rey. Mgr. O'Leary (Lawrence), Rev. Father Coffey, Adm., Rev. Dr. Cleary, and Rev. Fathers ■ O'Reilly, Corcoran, and "D. O'Neill. On behalf of the priests of the diocese of Duiiedin Very Rev. Mgr. O'Lea/ry presented Father O'Donnell with a purse of sovereigns, and in doing so briefly referred to the high esteem in which he was held by them, and their appreciation of the work done by him in the diocese and' the genial hospitality which he had extended to them on all occasions. Monsignor O'Leary concluded. by wishing him a pleasant voyage, an enjoyable stay in the Old Land, and a safe and happy return. In the course of his reply Father O'Donnell referred to himself as a link between the old order of priests in the diocese a,nd the new. He spoke in terms of Ligh appreciation of the work done in the diocese by the priests of the old time and the new, and /thanked 'those present and the other priests of the diocese for their kindly gift and good wishes.