ORDINATIONS AT ST. JOSEPH'S CATHEDRAL DUNEDIN.

New Zealand Tablet, 16 December 1909, Page 1974

ORDINATIONS AT ST. JOSEPH'S CATHEDRA L DUNEDIN.

On May 3, 1900 (the Feast of the Holy, Cross), ,the-com-{ mencement of a new chapter in .the. history of the .Catholic: 1 Church in New Zealand was, made, by the, blessing' rand' opening of the new Ecclesiastical Seminary of Holy Cross College, Mosgiel. The new institute of piety and 'learning" was destined for the training of aspirants to * the secular priesthood for the four diocese's that form the ecclesiastical province of New Zealand. The founding of the Seminary' was the outcome of a' decision arrived at 'by the" f ,First r » Provincial Synod held in "Wellington' the previous ! y£ar, : , and in accordance with the recommendations of the'SoVe-f reign Pontiff. The Seminary started ' with 'about half a dozen students, which number had increased' to over thirty in the scholastic year just closed. The' results of the work of the Seminary for the past nine years were' made manifest;

> <-.<• -i>The' i ordinandi iwerei:^ — Rev;.- ' James .-> J t (.McMenamin, >iiß'ev. r >Leo J: Daly, nand" Rev;. 1 I Thomas '■!?.■ Connolly |nof^the <archdiocese of <Wellingtori<; :Revi:.C. ! J.i I Cbllißs,'iHevj(!Hehry :irN»' Woods; 1 <and(7ReVii> Michael Scahla'n, of the« diocese- of -' Duriedin. -\"' r'i '!■> > i. • r ,51.1.1 ,!r „- •<■ <,'j\l ••i^n hitc. 'The 'solemn' and impressive ceremony I'was'follaw'ef1 'was 'follaw'efl > "vftith • the' greatest deyo'tioii "and 'closest attention, •thro'ughoutf by ' the "yery large' 'congregation l , ' and at its - conclusion' lt the relatives and friends went up to' the altar rails' arid 1 received ' the blessing 1 of the ,newly-or dained priests; the •' general' con,'grega'tion being also' blessed ' in' 'their 'turn.' '" ->'<2U. [ "'•' His Lordship ,. the Bishop .pontificated nn l at ' Vespers, .'the Rev. Fathers Scanlan Daly being deacons' at the' 'throne, . and! Rev. Fathers, Collins : and Woods, cantors. i The !) s,'ermoni which had special reference to the day's 1 ceremjony, , was preached by, the ' ( Eey.,' Father Coffey, 'Adm,', whq 1( b ( ased his discourse' on 'the,, words—^'Fqr every higli-priest,' i>aken from among men is ordained for men iii the thiiigs'^hat t appertain to' God, that he may offer up gifts, aii'd sacri-

Who were Ordained Priests in, St. Joseph's .Cathedral, Dunedin, by His Lordship Right Rev. Dr. Verdbn/ Bishop of Dunedin, on Sunday, December ,12, 1909. ' . n ',j ST q™ TT t t N t " : ?/ V - -L' J m (Wellington) Rev. L. ,J., Daly, (We^ingtpnJ/ttpv: ,C. '.J.",CoiliAs ,(Dlunea'in)Jf Sitting: Rev. H. N. Ayobds , (Dunedin), Rev. T. F. Connolly (Wellington),, Rev. lk. Scanlan (Dunedin),?,, \

at St. Joseph's Cathedral, Dunedin, 'on Sunday morning,' when six students — three for the archdiocese,, 'of -Wellington, and a similar number for the -diocese of. D.unedin — ;w'ere or- t dained priests. The impressive ' ceremony of ordination', to the priesthood has-been only* of- rare occurrence in Dun-] edin. Some time before the commencement of Mass the' sacred edifice was crowded in- every part. _„ A i number of i the front seats in the nave were reserved for the imme-,' diate relatives and friends of the prdinandi. Punctually 1 at the hour appointed— half-past 10 o'clock— a processions entered from the sacristy • in - the following order:' — Cross-; bearer, acolytes, or.dinandi, clergy, his Lordship thei Bishop.' The Right Rev. ,Dr. Verdon, as ordaining, prelate, was cele-f brant of the Mass, Rev. 'Faither Buckley' 1 (Holy Cross College) being master of ceremonies. r "Th'e othdr priests-dnl the sanctuary were Rey. :Father » Coff ey , Adra., St. % Joseph's' Cathedral, Rev. Father O'.Malley (South Dunedin)j" RevJ Dr. Kavanagh (Holy 'Cross' v College)',' l and "Rev".' I ' Father! Corcoran. The students of Holy Cross College-were also; present. • <„■.{?- >„ >i/j,;'. |

j- ficesifor sins: who can >hav6> compassion 1 on ! them r thati>are .ignorant and that; err; because^ ihe himself also, is ncqmpassed' with infirmity; and therefore he ought, as ' f or.; fbhe people, jso also for himself, to offer for sins, , Neither ' doth any. man take the hop'or to .himself/ but, he 'tha't'i's called^by God, as Aaron >( w,as'".(Heb.' V.',' 1-4). , /The unique 'beremony jat which they had assisted, in the Cathed'ral^a^moßling > '?as/? a s/ %?, ii i re' c , v ,- preacher) .brought to 'their ' min l ds t) the r ' ! w ! drds , of Paul, just u guoted. M^ In that q'eremonyJthey'hW'ijhese , /taken frpm ani,ong men, and' "ordained '£qr J meh- in , the .tliings {I tlialj',appjerta.in ,;fco .Gqdj'^tliat' th'eyV'migfit^'pfter .sacrifice,, T forgiy'(*',.sjns, and .h' aye ',cpmpassion;/on'^ffiank 7 md. They did , not | } tak vv e l( the^ honor'' tjieii(saiyesj theyj had' J 'been called in a special manner, 1 after" having "spe t rit f) years' r in i 1 preparati6n; <.f oro'their* 'high 1 'iandf ' holy hoffice^ <ahd/x\having ' 'proved; l themselves {•worthy? i they >'left>>allb,thingsi tpnifollow vChrjst.'t'<> | That w«s<a day 'of ' joy ;f or hiß fLdrdship»iifei ©iahop 1 andjthe^whblsio'r therdioceseyi » Thei-revispreachelr theniwent . ! on t o speak *> of i 'the^ihai'vellous 1 power i.and>"djignityfi conferred i^'byJCrod on iHis/.'priests. : i rHe -wonld' note tuseo any, cW&cAp. of

his own >' to describe that power- <and dignity,, bat! depend mainly on -.extracts .from i the teachings 1 ,ofi the iSa'intsjJ&nd Fathers >of the Church; 'and iHoly* Scripture... .These Saints of G-od were raised above the -clouded; atmosphere, of earth, and were abl,p to sec the proper value of things. -'The. rev.' preacher* then , quoted. St. Paul,, , St. John, Chrysostom, St.' Ambrose, , St. Bernard, St. Lawrence, ' Justinian, St., Augustine,, St., Isidore, and, others on the pqwex , and dignity- of the^ priesthood. Reference was ' made', ,to .the, commission given ,by. Christ to the , Apostles who, He said, were to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth, and /were to preserve it from corruption,.. The ' Apostles were the servants' of God. ' , They were 1 .more : ' they were 1 the 'friends of Christ. Thpy received the mighty power |of the priesthood from our Lord, and St.' Paul' calls 'them co-workers of, Christ.' That power has' been transmitted', to" the priest-: hood. ' There was this difference" between the teaching" ofi the priest and that of the learned professor in a university.. The latter's teaching is often, refuted^ whilst the 'priest can say that he has been sent to teach divine truth, • and lie teaches it with confidence. He takes the child from its mother's arms, makes it an heir of the Kingdom of Heaven at 'the Baptismal "font, and follows" that child from the cradle to the grave. In the sacred tribunal of penance he exercises a power equal to that of Christ Himself, when the penitent is pardoned his sins and receives" absolution, and then again in the sacrifice of the Mass the power of tho priest is shown in the changing of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. The priest takes the light of the Gospel to the ends of the earth; he is to be found in Asia, Africa, in America; he surmounts* all obstacles, and no dangers stand in the way of carrying out his mission for the salvation of souls. & -Father Coffey said in conclusion that it was no wonder that' good, Catholic fathers and mothers hearkened to the- call and gave '-theirrsons to the priesthood,, and they all ..rejoiced wi|k~th'£ir ' : Bishop that day In seeing "so many young, men sep'aratin'k themsolves fr,om the things -of the 'world, and ' devotink ?~ themselves to the priesthood in God's Church. - ".\v, '- '-- On Monday morning Rev. J. J. McMeriamin ceiel>rate.d Jus first Mass at the Home of the Little Sisters, of, the*.'' Poor, Anderson's Bay; Rev. L. J. Daly r l at the .Convent of Mercy, Mosgiel;^ Rev. C J. Collins.," at 'St." Joseph's-, ' Cathedral; Rev. H. N- .Woods, at Holy" Cross College, Mos-'. Kiel; Rev. T. F. Connolly,, at the Convent of^Mercy,' South \ Dunedm; Rev. M. Scanlan, at St. ' Dominick's Priory, Dun-, edin. • - • ' ,'• ; s -■'•■''•.',,