THE LATE DEAN CAREW

New Zealand Tablet, 21 February 1918, Page 18

THE LATE DEAN CAREW

SOLEMN OFFICE AND REQUIEM. The remains of the lat-e Dean were transferred to St. Patrick's Church on Monday evening, February 11, where the lying in state continued until Wednesday. The church had been draped in mourning by the Sisters of Mercy. On Tuesday evening the Very Rev. Dean Holley recited the Holy Rosary and prayers in the presence of a large congregation. Masses were celebrated at the different altars from 6 a.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday, his Lordship the Bishop officiating at the blessing and distribution of the ashes preceding the Mass of Ash Wednesday, which he celebrated at 7 a.m. At 10 a.m. on Wednesday his Lordship the Bishop presided at the Solemn Requiem Mass, celebrated by the Very Rev. Dean Hyland, with the Very Rev. Father Roche, C.SS.R. (Superior) as deacon, and Rev. Father James Roche, S.M. (a Native of the Greymouth parish) as subdeacon. The Right Rev. Mgr. Walshe (Westport), and Very Rev. Dean Regnault, S.M. (St. Mary's, Christchurch), were deacons of honor at the throne; others of the clergy present in the sanctuary being Very Rev. Dean Holley, S.M. (Provincial), Very Rev. Dean Tubman, S.M. (Timaru), Ven. Archdeacon Devoy, S.M. (Wellington), Rev. Dr. Kennedy, Adm. (Cathedral, Christchurch), Rev. Fathers Kerley, S.M. (Temuka), Clancy, S.M. (Hokitika), Eccleton, S.M. (Reefton), O'Reilly, S.M. (Blenheim), Hanrahan (Ahaura), Riordan (Ross), O'Connor, S.M. (Wellington, Quinn, S.M., and Peoples, S.M. THE SERMON. His Lordship the Right Rev. M. J. Brodie, Bishop of Christchurch, delivered the following funeral oration, from the text: "I have chosen you and placed you that you should go forth and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain." (St. John xv.) The words of the Saviour were set before the young Levites in the seminary as the ideal which they should strive after in years of preparation for the priesthood and which they should have before their minds throughout their lives in the ministry. . The words embodied the elements which constituted the sacred, character of the priesthood—viz., the Divine vocation or selection from amongst men of those who were to be entrusted with the same mission, He, the Saviour, had given to the Apostles. The words, moreover, denoted the power of the priesthood ; those of sacrificing, those of offering sacrifice to God, and of reconciliation. Every day at the altar and within the church witnessed the fulfilment of these priestly offices for men's sanctification and God's glory. Their late pastor had heard these words 45 years ago, when a boy, beneath his . parents' roof in Ireland. He realised that his answer, which was prompt ■'•■ and whole-hearted, entailed life-long sacrifice

and VrenunciationV '-_ He . was admitted to ; the Society of \ Mary, professed therein, and, after finishing his course of I studies, was ordained priest yat the hands "of the Most • Rev. Dr. ' Redwood, Archbishop .;of Wellington. His vocation was 'a missionary ' one and he immediately set out, in obedience to : his superior, for . New Zealand. Many of those present could contrast the conditions in J the ; young colony of that now-distant time with those of to-day. It required a stout heart and apostolic zeal of no ordinary nature to assume in early life the charge oi the scattered and difficult missions in New Zealand. Wellington, Napier, Feilding, Palmerston North for short periods, Reefton for a longer one, and, lastly, Grey mouth for 34 years, had been the scenes where* his life's work had been carried out. -He would long be remembered as their pastor. It was of the work that he had been enabled to accomplish here that he was most proud. There were three features which marked his work in Greymouth. For the effective work of the priest, a church, as worthy as it can be made for its sacred use, is necessary. He was not long in Greymouth before he undertook the erection of St. Patrick's, which in his late years he enlarged and completed. It was justly his pride and "it was an object of his daily care and solicitude. Then there was the presbytery, his home and that of his assistants and visiting clergy. Then there were the schools, which, even though some would need reconstruction in the future, will always redound to his credit, for he established firmly and efficiently the system of imparting religious instruction, with secular knowledge, which will be perpetuated in the schools of the future. Like the late illustrious Bishop Moran, of Dunedin, he regarded the schools as .essential to religion. He was, the preacher continued, justly proud of the number on the roll and of the scholastic results from year to year. He was an uncompromising advocate of the justice of the claim of the Catholics for assistance for their schools. There was another feature of his work that won for Greymouth renown throughout New Zealand and Australia. It was the number of vocations to the priesthood on the part of youths trained in his schools and influenced by his example, and the number of young ladies who followed the example of the devoted Sisters of Mercy at Greymouth, who are laboring for God in religious communities throughout the Dominion. He had fought a good fight : he had kept the faith, and they hoped that he was now possessed of the crown which the Just Judge had laid for him. The Bishop, in feeling terms, stated how he would miss his wise counsel and mature judgment. The priests would miss one who had ever been a loyal and affectionate friend to the young and old. The Society of Mary, to which so many of their pioneer priests belonged, was deprived of one of their most distinguished members. lie (the Bishop) sympathised with them in their loss. The Sisters of Mercy and the Brothers had been deprived of their life-long friend, their guide, and counsellor. He offered them also his sympathy. In conclusion, he knew that all of them, Bishop, priests, religious, and the devoted parishioners who had loved him during life would pray for him now that he was removed from their midst, but united with them in the bonds of the communion of saints. Eternal rest, grant to him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. . His Lordship the Bishop expressed thanks to the physicians for their professional attention, which was rendered with true devotion ; also to the resident priests, upon whom the illness and the death of the pastor entailed much labor to the Sisters of Mercy, who throughout showed their appreciation of the Dean's life-long friendship; to the visiting priests from their own and neighboring dioceses, who ; had come in such numbers ; to their many kind non-Catholic friends for their solicitude for the Dean in his illness and condolences with them on his death and to-the press of Greymouth, that had voiced the feeling, of the citizens as a

whole towards the departed. As for their own people, they T had edified the community : by their devotion to him during life! and r then their - fervent ' prayers | for his repose. . / The congregation - filled the church, " amongst those \" r present at the impressive ceremonial being a large 1 number "of Sisters of Mercy and representatives of the Sisters of Nazareth, and Nursing Sisters of the Little Company of Mary (Lewisham Hospital), the Marist Brothers, and the boys and girls of the parochial schools. 7 ~ : "---•■ .„ ~- r *'.\ The Gregorian chant of the Mass was rendered by a choir of priests, assisted by St. Patrick's Choir. At the conclusion of the sermon his Lordship gave the absolution over the remains. The "Dead March" from "Saul" was then rendered. - Numerous apologies were received from priests from all parts of the Dominion, who were prevented by the short notice from being present. ■. ■ •■-. The funeral left St. Patrick's Church at 2.30 p.m. His Lordship Bishop Brodie and the large number of clergy who had come to Greymouth for the obsequies assembled in the church for the prescribed prayers. The body of. the late Dean was then carried by the members of the Hibernian Society to the hearse, a guard of honor from the same society lining the aisle and the approaches of the church. The procession then left the church in the following order— the -cross-bearer and sanctuary boys, the pupils of the Brothers' schools, the pupils of the convent schools, Sisters of Mercy, Children of Mary (in regalia), the members of the Hibernian Society (in regalia). These preceded the hearse, which was followed by a carriage in which were the relatives of the deceased (the Rev. Dean Hyland and two Sisters of Mercy). The visiting clergy, wearing soutane and surplice, his Lordship the Bishop, attended by Monsignor Walshe and Deans Regnault and Tubman, then followed. The parishioners and citizens of Greymouth and surrounding districts formed the largest cortege ever seen on the West Coast, the numbers being estimated at between three and four thousand people. The Mayor (Mr. J. D. Lynch), accompanied by the Town Clerk and Councillors, represented the municipality, the County Council being represented by the chairman (Mr. J. McCarthy), the County Clerk . (Mr. M. J. Phillips) and Councillors. Ven. Archdeacon York and Rev. J. W. Smyth and Rev. E. D. Patchett represented the local Protestant Churches. It was only when the whole procession reached Tainui Street and in looking back from the Sawyer's Creek bridge that an idea of its vast dimensions could be formed, for besides those who marched in processional order, in some instances six abreast, the footpaths on either side were lined with people. Such a demonstration of reverence and respect had never before been witnessed in Greymouth, and all this spontaneous expression of esteem was to the memory of a poor missionary priest who, like thousands of his countrymen, had left home and friends to do God's work, to obey the Divine command "Go, teach all nations"; who, without fee or reward, had spent a long life in that service and had won, as was proved by yesterday's demonstration, the love and esteem of the whole community. His Lordship Bishop Brodie conducted the impressive ceremonies of the interment. Then were sung two of the late Dean's favorite hymns, "Faith of Our Fathers" and "Hail, Queen of Heaven," and many a tear was shed at the closing scenes even after the grave had been filled in, many of his faithful people lingered long around what will be to them a sacred spot.