THE LATE BISHOP OF WILCANNIA

New Zealand Tablet, 18 January 1917, Page 29

THE LATE BISHOP OF WILCANNIA

The death of the Bishop of Wilcannia (Right Rev. Dr. John Dunne) was not unexpected, as he had been in failing health since he was last seen in Adelaide less than a year ago, and it had been evident for some months past that the end was .not far off (says the Adelaide Southern C'iw). He passed away on the evening of Christmas Day at Broken Hill, while the Cathedral bell was tolling the Angelus, at the age of 70 years. Nearly 30 years of his life were spent as Bishop of the diocese of Wilcannia, of which he was the first episcopal ruler and he had been associated with its chief city, Broken Hill, from its earliest stages. Prior to his selection as Bishop of the newly-formed diocese of Wilcannia in 1887, Dr, Dunne had performed notable work in the Goulburn diocese, where he has left enduring monuments behind him in Burrowa, Albury, and other districts of which he had charge. When the Wilcannia diocese .was formed it was named after the river town, which was then the best-known place on the Darling River, along which the greater pare of the diocese lies. Silverton had, however, already risen to fame, and Broken Hill was soon to eclipse it and reduce it to a mere suburban village, through the rich silver discoveries on the line of lode where the Proprietary Mine had been pegged out. Dr. Dunne, who had been organising from Bathurst, his vast diocese (which comprises nearly half the area of New South Wales, including the western portion of the Riverina and all the sparsely populated territory on the Upper Darling to the Queensland border), came to Broken Hill in 1888, and with wise foresight determined to make the rising Silver City his headquarters. Soon the railway connecting Broken Hill with Adelaide was opened, and Dr. Dunne became a frequent visitor to this State on his way, via Melbourne and Sydney, to various parts of his diocese. In one sense he may have been said to have been a Federal prelate, as his diocesan journeys frequently obliged him to travel through large parts of New South Wales, Victoria, and. South Australia He was wellknown and highly-esteemed in all three States. Few men have accomplished more strenuous and successful work than Dr. Dunne in his 30 years of episcopal rule. As the Barrier Miner truly says, he was ‘the father of the diocese. He was its first Bishop J and its Catholic history is the history of his life for the past 30 years.’ lie traversed its vast extent almost yearly until a little over twelve months ago. After that, his last missionary journey, he was obliged to go into hospital at Lewisham (Sydney), and though he recovered temporarily, he had never been the same man since. In the early days his episcopal journeys were very strenuous, and had to be made mostly by means of buggy-and-pair in the backblocks where trains were not available, but of recent years the motor car afforded some relief. Nevertheless these yearly journeys must have become increasingly trying with advancing years ; still the Bishop never omitted making them until his health prevented. In fact, the breakdown which preceded his last illness was largely due to the exhaustion consequent on an extended tour of the remote parts of his diocese. Dr. Dunne was undoubtedly a great pioneer prelate, and an indefatigable missionary Bishop. The immense work which he accomplished in the Wilcanxxia diocese in less than 30 years may, perhaps, be best gauged from the' following figures: —ln the year 1887, when Dr. Dunne was first appointed its Bishop, the Wilcannia diocese contained seven parishes or districts, with eight priests to look after the spiritual welfare of its 7000 Catholic people, and with 28 Sisters to teach and guide the 770 scholars attending its five Catholic schools. To-day, after a period of nearly 30 years, we find the diocese made up of 13 parishes and 29 churches, with 20 priests and 157 Sisters, to whom is entrusted the spiritual welfare of over 20,000 Catholic people. In addition, there are now 18 primary schools, 8 boarding schools, and 8, superior day schools, and an orphanage. The primary schools are attended by 2783 children, and the high schools by 304, A? the Barrier

Miner said in its tribute to the deceased prelate: *'■ No Bishop has achieved so much in so short a period of time. All along the line he adopted a policy of progress, and by an indomitable courage which rose above-all difficulties, and by amazing activity and zeal, he made his diocese one of the foremost in the State.’ When he celebrated the silver jubilee of his episcopate in August, 1912, Archbishop Carr said: —‘l believe that were we to search the world around, we would fail to get another to undertake and accomplish that which Hr. Dunne has accomplished.’ These weighty words from a man of the experience, judgment, and eminence of Archbishop Carr, are the best testimonial to the work of Wilcannia’s first Bishop, whose remains fittingly rest in the Cathedral of the famous Silver City with whose existence his episcopal life was so closely and intimately associated.