A STRENUOUS VISITATION TOUR

New Zealand Tablet, 14 March 1918, Page 39

A STRENUOUS VISITATION TOUR

DR. CLEARY IN THE NORTH. His Lordship Dr. Cleary, Bishop of Auckland, returned to his episcopal city at the end of last month from a visitation of over four weeks to the extensive Northern parishes of Whangarei, Okaihau, Dargaville; and Puhoi. The far greater part of the trip was made in heavy rain, which rendered the mostly clay tracks of the “roadless North” extremely difficult—and at times dangerous— to negotiate with a motor car. In tile course of this scries of parochial visitations, the Bishop made it his business to see, and minister spiritually, to even very small groups of two or three Catholic families scattered over the great area covered by him.- He thus visited not only such centres as Whangai ei, Dargaville, Ivawakawa, Ovoca, Te Ivopuru, Hikurangi, Raupo, Warkworth, Puhoi, Ahuroa, Helenslie, etc., but also Whananaki and Batley (each with t ree Catholic Maori families), Pahi, Maungaturoto, Mangawai, the rail-head camp at Wharera, Russell, and several other places, where the Catholic “little flock” could be counted on the fingers of one or two hands. Throughout the greater part of this extensive trip of j 303 miles, the Bishop was accompanied by Rev. Father Kreymborg, of Whangarei. Several exciting experiences which befel Dr. Cleary in his motor-tour of the Northern districts were related in last week’s issue of the Tablet. One of the most trying mishaps was on the tide-ruined causeway near Mangawai, where the powerful driving-shaft of his car was smashed in a particularly terrible tract of deep and gluey clay. The only other damage sustained by his strongly-built car was a bent and fractured spring-bracket. Each of the breakages mentioned entailed a day’s delay for repair or replacement.