DEATH OF BISHOP OLIER, S.M., TONGA

New Zealand Tablet, 12 October 1911, Page 2039

DEATH OF BISHOP OLIER, S.M., TONGA

The Right Rev. Armand Olier, of the Society of Mary, Titular Bishop of Tipaza, and fourth Vicar Apostolic of Central Oceanica, died at Moafaga, Tonga, on Sunday, September 17 (says the Catholic I’re'ss). The news of his death was received with general regret in Sydney, for, as Provincial of the Marist Fathers in Australasia, he resided at Villa Maria, Hunter's Hill, for three years previous to his elevation to the episcopate, which was in 1904. The hard life of an island bishop impaired the erstwhile robust constitution of his Lordship, and for some time he suffered from an affection of the heart and dropsy. Then his sight began to fail, a cararact having grown over one of his eyes, and he came to Sydney at the beginning of December last year to seek surgical relief. His hopes, however, were not fulfilled, and when he embarked for his home in the Tongan Group towards the end of April last, he was almost blind ; and the leave-taking of his brethren was sad, as few, if any, of them expected to see him again in this life. A life of danger and devotion among strange peoples enriched him with a ready sympathy and a keen appreciation of character that turned acquaint- , ance into friendship. So it was not surprising that in the heart of Sydney ho held an honored place, and few have ever been more affectionately regarded than he who breathed his last away in far Tonga a couple of weeks ago. If Sydney loved Bishop Olier, in the islands, where he passed so many years of his life, his dusky people and fellow missionaries loved him. still more. Indeed, when it was known in 1904 that Pere Olier was coming back to them with well-won dignities, priests and people were wild with joy. In the islands many stories are told of his charity, his universal kindness and sweet manner, and in Tonga, where his headquarters were, he was the friend of all denominations. And if there are records of his good heart, there are also tales of his intrepid courage. His was a nature that dared all for the glory of God, and few men knew better what peril was, or had dared it more hardily. Dr. Olier spent 28 years in the South J3eas, and saw the faith spread among the natives. Whilst he was in charge of Tonga he helped to build a beautiful church of coral stone— an edifice as large as St. Patrick’s, Church Hill, Sydney. This, of course, was only one of many works of a similar nature. In the islands a man is noted more for his influence with the natives, and the number of his conversions, and here Dr. Olier’s record was brilliant among the records of heroic and persevering men. Bishop Olier was born in Rodez, Franco, in 1851. The diocese of Rodez, which by the way, is in the department of Aveyron, has, in proportion, supplied a greater number of priests and Brothers and nuns for the foreign missions than any other in the land. On his mother’s side the late Bishop was related to one of the most distinguished travellers of the nineteenth century, M. Bomalot, whose discoveries in Central Asia, Tibet, and some western portions of China have received the highest praise from the geographical societies of Europe. Educated in the seminaries of his native town, and having the religious young Olier, then 22, entered the novitiate of the Society of Marv in 1873. He made his religious profession in due course, completing his theological studies in Ireland, where he was ordained priest on December 8, 1877, by. the present Archbishop of Wellington, Dr. Redwood, S.M. For a while he was a professor in the Marists’ college at Dundalk, but, returning to France, he was, in 1880, detailed for duty on the Tongan mission. There he rose to be VicarGeneral to Bishop Lamaze, subsequently becoming Provincial of the Marist Order in Australasia. It was while ho was holding this latter position that Bishop Lamaze, owing to advancing years and infirmities, anplied for a Coadjutor, Dr. Olier being the unanimous choice of the old prelate and his priests. Bishop Olier was the 16th Bishop consecrated by the late Cardinal Moran, who, in his lifetime, officiated at no less than 18 such ceremonies. Dr. Olier’s conse-

cration took place in St. Mary’s Cathedral on Sunday, April 17, 1904, Bishop Vidal, S.M., of Fiji Bishop Gallagher, of Goulburn ; the late Bishop Doyle, of Lismore, and Bishop O’Connor, of Armidale, and a great number of priests, many of them Marists from the various islands, being present. The imposing ceremony was witnessed by one of those immense congregations that gather in the Cathedral on big ecclesiastical occasions. .. Almost immediately after his consecration Bishop Olier set out for his vicariate, his progress to Nukualofa, the capital of Tonga, being a series of triumphs, the natives having prepared great feasts and rejoicings everywhere to fittingly celebrate Pere Olier’s return to them with his new dignities. On September 9, 1906, the aged Bishop Lamaze, who had ruled the Vicariate for 28 years, passed to his reward. Dr. Olier succeeding him as Vicar Apostolic. Not long afterwards Bishop Olier set out for Rome to pay his visit ad limina to the Holy Father, returning to Tonga about the middle of 1907. During his stay in Europe he spent some time in his native land, renewing old acquaintances in the diocese of Rodez, in which, by the wav, is the birthplace of the present Vicar Apostolic of Fiji, Bishop Vidal. The late Bishop Fraysse, of New Caledonia, was also born there. It will be remembered that when Bishop Olier was last in Sydney he came direct from Wallis Island, where he had been making investigations in connection' with charges against the missionaries by Dr. Brochard, who had been French Commissioner there. This official’s slanderous attack met with a crushing reply from. the Bishop, who in his charity, refrained from using evidence in his possession, which would have considerably discredited the Commissioner, who. had been recalled. His Lordship merely satisfied himself with an effective answer to the statements 14, made, and there let , the matter, which is familiar to our readers, drop. The Vicariate of Central Oceanica was established in 1842, and comprises the Friendly Archipelago, the Nina Gioup, and Wallis and Futuna Islands, which are the joy of the Marist missions, both being entirely Catholic, the former having a population of 5000. The population of the Vicariate is about 38,000, of whom 8460 are Catholics. Altogether there are 16 central stations, in each of which, as well as in the secondary districts, there are primary schools taught by native masters. In the diocese the churches number 17, with sevcial chapels, and there are 19 European and 4 native priests, 2 lay Brothers, 51 nuns, and 53 catechists. There are two colleges for boys, and two' high schools.for girls. “ b