DEATH OF BISHOP GRIMES

New Zealand Tablet, 18 March 1915, Unnumbered Page (Supplement)

DEATH OF BISHOP GRIMES

END OF A ZEALOUS AND FRUITFUL LIFE

SINCERELY REGRETTED BY ALL CLASSES.

On Monday a cable message from Sydney brought the sad news of the death of the Right Rev. Dr. Grimes, •S.M., first Bishop of Christchurch, who passed away in the 73rd year of his age. It is unnecessary to say that the news of the demise of the popular and zealous prelate was received with the most sincere sorrow, not -alone by the clergy and laity of Christchurch, but also by the Catholics of the whole Dominion, and even by people of other denominations to whom he was personally known. The deceased prelate, who had been ill for some time, left for Sydney on the 4th inst., accompanied by the Very Rev. Chancellor Price, and a cable message was received on their arrival, stating that his Lordship had kept well during the voyage, and consequently hopes were entertained that the change would prove beneficial to him. It appears that on his arrival in Sydney he entered the Lewisham Hospital, conducted by the Nursing Sisters of the Little Company of Mary, to undergo an operation for appendicitis, where he passed away on Monday afternoon. His Last Public Appearance. The last public appearance of Bishop Grimes (says the Christchurch correspondent of the Otago Daily Times) was at the laying of the foundation stone of the additions to the Lewisham Hospital by the Governor, when, in spite of great weakness, he made a brave speech, commending the work of the Sisters, of whom he had just before been a patient, and making a strong ■appeal to the generosity of the public to help them to extend their work and build a free ward. He also preached at the Cathedral. A few days later he left for Sydney in the care of the Rev. Mother of Lewisham and a nursing Sister to become an inmate of the Lewisham Hospital there. It was hoped that rest, care, and nursing might prolong his life, though only a weak physical thread remained to hold the strong intellect, ■which was still quite unimpaired. Many of those who heard the Bishop at the Lewisham ceremony felt that they were hearing him for the last time, and this proved to be the case. The late Bishop’s greatest individual work was the erection of the fine Catholic Cathedral here. This was the one object for which he spent himself without ceasing, and he personally collected many thousands of pounds for the building fund. He always identified himself with the interests of Christchurch, the whole of Canterbury and Westland, especially in educational, philanthropic, and patriotic matters, •doing good work as a member of the University Senate and in such other capacities as his health would allow. He never refused to take a citizen’s part in what appertained to the public welfare, and on several occasions, notably on the departure of the Third Contingent, he •delivered patriotic speeches which rose to the standard of genuine oratory. He was universally esteemed, and his death is a matter for widespread regret. { His Life and Work. r Bishop Grimes was born in Bromley-by-Bow, in the archdiocese of Westminster, London, in 1842, ordained priest in Dublin by Archbishop Whelan of Bombay, and was for a time professor in the well-known Marist College, of Dundalk (Ireland). In 1874 he became professor in the Marist College of Jefferson (Louisiana, United States), and after seven years became rector of that institute of learning. , While assist-

iug the over-wrought clergy of New Orleans during a fierce epidemic of the dreaded yellow fever, he contracted the deadly malady, but happily recovered. • He was afterwards appointed by his superiors to the charge of the novitiate and pastorate of Paignton (South Devon, England), and erected there the first Catholic, church that was built in the district since the Reformation. On the petition of the Bishops of the Sydney Plenary Synod of 1885 the diocese of Christchurch was erected by Papal Brief bearing date May 10, 1887, Dr. Grimes was appointed its first Bishop. He was the first Bishop consecrated by the late Cardinal (then Bishop) Vaughan. The ceremony took place in St. Anne’s Church, Spitalfields, London, on July 26, 1887. On his arrival in Christchurch he was made the object of a remarkable demonstration of good-will by his people. Three years later broken health compelled a long voyage. During his absence he had the happiness of taking part in the celebrations connected with the beatification of that bright young star of the Marist Congregation, the Blessed Peter Chanel, the protomartyr of Oceania. After his return he, in company with Archbishop Redwood, set out on a cruise of work through the principal Marist missions in the South Pacific. He also officiated in his episcopal capacity throughout the diocese of Dunedin during the interregnum that ensued between the death of the Right Rev. Dr. Moran in May, 1895, and the appointment of the deceased prelate’s successor, the Right Rev. Dr. Verdon, in the following year. As a preacher he had the gifts of earnestness and verve, and in the arena of apologetics his discourses stamped him as an able controversalist and a gifted student and ready writer on theology and ecclesiastical and national history. For years after his arrival in Christchurch his Lordship had kept steadily in view the building of a suitable cathedral. Owing, however, to many pressing needs in connection with church and school extension the matter had to be left in abeyance, even after the accommodation of the old wooden Pro-Cathedral had become totally inadequate for the congregation. When nearly every parish in the diocese had been provided with schools, his Lordship felt the time was ripe for the realisation of his long-deferred project. A substantial donation from the Very Rev, Dean Foley formed the nucleus of a Cathedral fund. In 1898, during his visit to the Eternal City, Pope Leo XIII. blessed and encouraged the work, and contributed towards it. Whilst on a tour of the Continent, the United Kingdom, and the United States, his Lordship collected for the building fund of the Cathedral the sum of £3OOO. To this he added, on his return, his own handsome gift of £IOOO. On Sunday, February 10, 1901, the foundation stone was laid by the Most Rev, Dr. Carr, Archbishop of Melbourne, in the presence of a vast concourse of prelates, clergy, and people. The ceremonies of blessing and dedication took place just four years lateron February 11, 1905. An Appreciation. In June, 1912, Bishop Grimes celebrated the silver jubilee of his consecration. The Lyttelton Times, a few months prior to that event, took the opportunity to congratulate his Lordship on the success of his efforts since he came to Christchurch. During that time

(it said) he had taken an active and zealous part in public life, and in many ways had shown that he had the welfare of the city and the whole community at .heart. After dealing with the creation of the diocese of Christchurch, which was originally a part of Wellington, our contemporary 1 went on to say:On May 10, 1887, Pope Leo XIII: named Dr. Grimes, then Rector of St. Mary’s, Paignton, in Devonshire, first Bishop of the See. Cardinal Manning had consented to consecrate the new prelate, but was taken ill a few days before the function, and Cardinal Vaughan, then Bishop of Salford, took his place, and. performed the ceremony in the beautiful church of the Marist Fathers, St. Ann’s, London. The Bishop of Christchurch was the first Bishop consecrated by Cardinal Vaughan. The co-consecrators, or assistant prelates, were the Bishop of Southwark (the Right Rev. Dr. Butt) and the Bishop •of Emmaus (the Right Rev. Dr. Patterson), -who also preached the consecration sermon. Among the laity

Bishop Harper, Dean Harper, Sir C. C. Bowen, Sir Westby Perceval, and Messrs. H. H. Loughnan, J. Barrett, G. O’Malley, M. Ryan, P. Henly, the late Mr. E. O’Connor, and other prominent residents. On his arrival in the city he found that the Catholic church was served by ? three zealous priests, who had to minister not only to all the Catholics of the city, but - also to those in the outlying districts of Addington, Hals well, Hornby, Papanui, Woolston, Sumner, and New Brighton, besides visiting the two prisons, the mental hospital, and other institutions in the city. After a short stay in Christchurch, Bishop Grimes began the visitation of his diocese, comprising the whole of Canterbury, Westland, and a portion of the province of Nelson, and the Chatham Islands, and since then he has visited the whole diocese eleven or twelve times, preaching and ministering in every church, convent, and chapel within its boundaries. He had not been many years in the diocese before he saw the need of

present at the solemn and impressive function were Sir Charles Clifford, father of Sir George Clifford, the first Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. and Mrs. A. J. White, with several members of their family, and Mr. and Mrs. Martin Kennedy, who then resided in Greymouth. Arrival in New Zealand. It was impossible for the new Bishop to leave Europe until December in the same year. He reached Wellington at the end of January, 1888, and, accompanied by his Grace the Archbishop, the late Dean Ginaty, and several other priests, arrived at Lyttelton in time to offer up the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on Candlemas Day, February 2. On the evening of the same day he came on to. Christchurch by a special train, was met by an immense gathering of priests and people, and was installed by the Metropolitan, Archbishop Redwood. Amongst those who met him were the late

establishing another parish in Christchurch. He cut off a large part from the Pro-Cathedral parish, and formed an independent one in Manchester street, now known as St. Mary’s parish. A Quarter of a Century’s Progress. During the quarter of a century great progress had been made in church and in school matters in the diocese, while the number of priests had doubled itself. There are now sixty churches, ten teaching Brothers of the Marist Order, six different Orders of nuns with 240 Sisters, nine boarding or high schools, and twenty-six primary schools, attended by over 3000 children. In addition, there is the institute known as Mount Magdala with an industrial and preservation school containing over 250 inmates; a home for the aged and infirm of both sexes, conducted by the Sisters of Nazareth, who attend to the wants of ninety aged persons, some of them blind, others paralysed or other-

-f 11l • , 1 * ' ■ wise helpless, and nearly 100 orphans. A high school for boys has been opened recently on the Ferry road, and is known as St. Bede’s Collegiate School; and a missionary residence, with four missionaries, has been established at Temuka. Increase of Churches and Schools. Since'the'erection of 7 the diocese in 1887, new parishes have been established at Fairlie, Akaroa, ’ Leeston, Barfield, Hawarden, and Christchurch North, and in addition to the .magnificent Cathedral in the city, churches have been built or enlarged at Manchester street,-Timaru, Waimate, Waiau Downs, Makikihi, St. Andrews, Hakataramea, Fairlie, Albany, the Cave, the Hinds, . Rakaia, Methven, Hornby,' New Brighton, Woolston, Leeston, Barfield, Springfield, Coalgate, Rangiora, Hawarden, Cheviot, Hanmer, Waiau, Greymouth, Blackball, Rimu, Ahaura, Barrytpwh, Dunollie, Kanieri, and Waitangi. New schools have been erected or enlarged in Christchurch North, 7 Christchurch .South, Addington, Halswell, Lyttelton, Akaroa, Rangiora, Barfield, Leeston, Temuka, Timaru, Waimate, Kumara, Greymouth, Brunnerton, Dunollie, Hokitika, Kanieri, Ross, and Rimu. Presbyteries have been built, secured, or greatly enlarged in Christchurch, Lyttelton, Akaroa, Barfield, Hawarden, Leeston, Lincoln, Greymouth, Hokitika, Ross, Ahaura, Ashburton, Temuka, Timaru, and Waimate; new convents have been erected in Colombo street, Christchurch, Mount Magdala, Sydenham, Lyttelton, Akaroa, Rangiora, Barfield, Kumara, and Ross ; Catholic Clubs have been opened in Christchurch, Ashburton, Temuka, Timaru, Waimate, Greymouth, and Hokitika; and domestic chapels have been erected in the convents in Christchurch, Timaru, Temuka, Waimate, and at Mount Magdala. The expenditure for the erection or enlarging of these ecclesiastical or scholastic properties has reached large proportions. Without taking into account what is daily required for their upkeep, the church and scholastic properties in Christchurch alone have cost £170,000 since 1887. A Noble Record. The late Bishop, in replying to the addresses presented to him, accompanied by a purse of £IO2O, by the clergy, laity, and various societies on the occasion of his silver jubilee, said: Since Christchurch was, a quarter of a century ago, erected into a separate diocese, great changes have taken place as you remind us, and great deeds have been. done. The local press, a few weeks back, gave several striking facts illustrating these changes and deeds chiefly in the material order, such as the building of churches and presbyteries, schools, and convents and

clubs. God alone knows the great things done in the spiritual, the intellectual, and' the moral order. This is surely a fitting occasion to add to what the .pressrelated a few supplementary , facts no less startling. ’ Twenty-five years ago the Catholic population of our diocese was barely 20,000. To-day it has increased to about 30,000. The diocesan registers; record 19,000’ Baptisms, more than 15,000 First Communions and Confirmations, nearly 2000 conversions, 3341 marriages, 450 religious or ecclesiastical vocations, whilst the munificent sum of over £304,00,0 has been expended in the erection of churches and educational establishments, without taking into account the enormous* amount spent in their upkeep. l lt were impossible toenumerate the immense good done for suffering, humanity in the noble institutes of Mount Magdala and Nazareth House, . whilst the recently opened collegiate school of St. Bede. is slowly, but surely laying, the foundation of a successful future. The Missionary Fathers, temporarily installed in the parish of Temuka, have already shown the great good we are likely toexpect from them not only in this our diocese, but in the whole of the Dominion and far beyond. This isindeed a noble record, one whereof priests and people may be truly proud. Public Sympathy. On the news being conveyed to Bishop Julius (writes the Christchurch correspondent of the OtagoDaily Times), his Lordship said: ‘ The loss occasioned by the death of Bishop Grimes will be felt by many others than the members of his own communion. Asone who has served with him for many years in public institutions, and has been closely associated with him in matters of public interest for the last five-and-twenty years, I can bear witness to his genuine loyalty, hisChristian courtesy, and his broad sympathies. In thename of the Anglican communion I tender to the members of the Roman Catholic Church our respectful sympathy in the loss they have sustained.* ‘ It is with sincere regret that I learn of his Lordship’s death,’ remarked the Mayor. ‘lt was my pleasure to meet him as a colleague on the McLean Institute Board of Governors. I found him to be a man of broad ideas and good judgment, and I am sure his* loss will be severely felt by the citizens of Christchurch as a whole.’ Very Rev. Dean Hills, V.G., said he had known Bishop Grimes for over 40 years, and had always found him to be a Christian gentleman. He had done great work here, and the splendid Cathedral in Barbadoesstreet would be a lasting monument to his memory. — R.I.P.