1888 - Pompallier, J. Early History of the Catholic Church in Oceania - CHAPTER XIV

       
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  1888 - Pompallier, J. Early History of the Catholic Church in Oceania - CHAPTER XIV
 
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CHAPTER XIV.

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CHAPTER XIV.

Return to Kororareka--Renewed Mission Work--Establishment of the Station at Auckland--Voyage to Tauranga--A Station planted at Matamata--Visits to Maketu, Rotorua, and Opotiki.

I SET sail for the Bay of Islands in March, 1841, from whence I had been gone six months. Our voyage was prosperous, and we arrived at my place of residence at the end of eight days; it was the end of March.

I saw this station once more with pleasure; it had been carried on under the direction of Father Petit. I rejoiced in the Lord, together with the members of this principal establishment, over the work of salvation which had been accomplished in favour of the people I had just visited. How useful the mission schooner, the Sancta Maria, had been in carrying the Word of God with promptitude and success. The vessel was a veritable travelling mission station: it was more than a frigate or a fleet against heresy and infidelity. In six months about a thousand leagues had been traversed. How many native tribes had seen the light of salvation! And besides, the fact of the Catholic Bishop possessing a missionary vessel encouraged all the people to follow the Catholic Church. Through it they saw that the Church had at heart the desire to bring them the help of the faith, and that she occupied herself effectually about their salvation. So when this vessel entered the ports of Oceania, with its white flag floating from the top of the mast, and on which was displayed a large blue cross with the monogram of Mary, all the people rejoiced, and prepared to give an honourable reception to the Catholic Bishop, and to profit by his pastoral visit.

While I was at the Bay of Islands I learned from the Sydney newspapers the happy news that a shipment of people and funds had taken place at Lyons; that these people were in London ready to embark for New Zealand. This news filled my soul with consolation; for the labours of the voyage that the Vicar Apostolic had made in the south of this archipelago disclosed the spiritual wants of these people, who everywhere required Catholic missionaries; and after the heavy costs the mission had imposed in its development, it is easy to understand that fresh funds were much needed. More than a year had elapsed since I had received any news from Europe.

At length in the month of June, 1841, the expected people arrived at the Bay of Islands. They were Fathers Seon, Garin, Borgeon, Bozet, and M. Bouleaux, together with six catechist brothers. This reinforcement of people increased the confidence of the native tribes more and more in the Catholic minister. How many people rejoiced that they were about to be assisted in their salvation.

Several weeks before, chiefs from Terakeko and the Bay of Plenty--that is to say, about a hundred and fifty leagues distant--had come to the Bay of Islands to obtain from me some missionaries to instruct them, as I had told them priests would soon reach me from Europe. These chiefs remained in the country, waiting, saying that they would take upon themselves to conduct the priests to their tribes, and teach them their language. It was difficult for me to resist their demands, which were pressed with such praiseworthy eagerness.

So, at the end of the month of July, after having given the new missionaries information on the work of the mission and grammatical notes on the language of the country, I provisioned the Sancta Maria, and embarked with five priests and three or four catechists to make a fresh voyage round the coasts of New Zealand, and a pastoral visit to Wallis

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THE INFANT CAPITAL AT AUCKLAND.

and Futuna and to the Friendly Islands. The chiefs who had been waiting at the Bay of Islands begged me to take them on board to go to their tribes with the priests who were destined for them. During the voyage, morning and evening prayers were said, and instructions in religion regularly given on board to some fifteen native passengers.

The first place we anchored at was Auckland or Waitemata. We stayed there five or six days. The English Colonial authority had its headquarters in Auckland. This town contained about three thousand English emigrants. The majority of them were Protestants of various sects. Two or three Protestant ministers had been on the spot since the founding of the town, which was not yet a year old. There were about three or four hundred Catholics, nearly all composed of Irish people. I gathered them together in a house in the town, and I gave them Holy Mass twice during my stay. In their assemblies, over which I presided, these faithful people showed great attachment to the legitimate minister, and great zeal in co-operating for the establishment of a Catholic mission in Auckland. They made a subscription for the construction of a temporary wooden church and a residence for the priest. The Colonial Administration, in the person of the English Governor, received the Catholic Bishop with civility and kindness, and showed himself well disposed towards his minister. He gave a small piece of land for a mission station and for a cemetery for the faithful.

In Auckland itself there were no natives; one met only a few tribes in the neighbourhood and at a certain distance. The principal chiefs came to visit me and requested a Catholic minister for themselves and their people. The station at Auckland was placed under the patronage of St. Patrick.

I promised a priest to the white people and to the natives. He was to come in about two or three months when the residence they undertook to build for him should be finished and after he had accompanied me in the pastoral visit I was about to make. Before leaving Auckland I baptized some of the children of the European faithful and confirmed them.

I left all the Catholics of this town in a state of encouragement as to their salvation, and set sail for the Bay of Coromandel which is about thirty miles from Auckland. On our way in the Gulf of Hauraki we met some shipwrecked men on the shore of the island of Waiheke, who asked for the assistance of my mission vessel to raise their sunken schooner, the tops of the masts of which could be seen on the surface of the water. I acceded to their request, my captain undertook the work necessary to raise the schooner, and after half a day's work, she was afloat and set sail.

We stopped about two days at the Bay of Coromandel. There were two white families of Catholics, and the sacraments of penance, marriage, and the Holy Eucharist were conferred at a Mass I celebrated in the house of one of these families.

Several tribes in this vast bay, who had been converted to the Catholic Church more than a year and a half ago, and who were already beginning to be discouraged at not having been assisted by the ministrations of one of my missionaries, felt their hopes rekindle in seeing once more the Catholic Bishop with several priests, and also on learning that a priest was to be stationed at Auckland and would visit them frequently. In the meantime, prayer-books, books of instruction, medals and rosaries were distributed, and we left these people full of hope for their salvation.

Then I set sail for the Bay of Tauranga. I intended during this voyage to celebrate the fete of the Assumption in the island of Aotea, which is on the way; but owing to contrary winds we could not reach there. I cast anchor, therefore, in a little bay on the continent, not far distant from that island. There I celebrated Holy Mass on board the Sancta Maria. Four or five of our native passengers, who had been instructed during the voyage, received holy baptism and confirmation.

The next day we arrived at the Bay of Tauranga, to the great joy of the people of that place. I visited all the tribes there three or four days. I also conferred baptism and confirmation on a certain number of native catechumens. This mission station had been for some months confided to Father Pesant in place of Father Viard, who had been stationed there before him, and whom I had sent for to create him Grand Vicar of my mission.

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Before quitting Tauranga I deputed Father Seon to Matamata, under the direction of Father Baty, in order to teach the people there who had been expecting a priest for more than a year and a half. Matamata is situated in the interior of the island, about fourteen or fifteen leagues from Tauranga. This station was placed under the patronage of the Holy Guardian Angels.

While these two priests went to fulfil their mission at Matamata I hove up the anchor of the Sancta Maria, and sailed with Father Viard for Maketu. There I disembarked the chief Tangaroa and his followers, and landed myself with Father Borgeon and the catechist, Brother Justin. Nearly all the people belonging to this tribe were away. They had gone to seek provisions from some tribes, their allies, about twenty leagues distant. I found at Maketu a Catholic chapel very well made of reeds and a house of the same material for the priest whom they expected. The day after my arrival I sent the Sancta Maria back to Tauranga. I baptized, confirmed, and married the wife of Tangaroa, and, accompanied by Father Viard, I left to visit the tribes of Rotorua. As to Father Borgeon and Brother Justin I left them at Maketu at the new station that had just been inaugurated under the patronage of St. Joachim and St. Anne. I was conducted on my journey to Rotorua by chiefs of great distinction and renowned for their former wars and cannibalism. They treated us with the greatest cordiality and goodwill. We encountered tribes on our way who had never seen the face of a Catholic priest and who had only one little mission book, and yet who recited word for word the catechism and morning and evening prayers without a single mistake. I gave them several other books and announced the ministration of the new missionary at Maketu which was to include them. These people heard the news with great joy, and they set to work to construct a reed house to entertain him hospitably during his pastoral visits.

On continuing our journey towards Rotorua, we found several tribes of infidels who also sought for the teachings of the Mother Church; but native Protestant catechists had already been among them. I had to uphold against them the legitimacy of the church and of the truths of the faith. Public conferences took place between them and me, and their ignorance and rambling statements damaged their cause and confirmed the people in their desire for the teaching of the Catholic Church.

On my arrival at Rotorua I saw with pleasure the great chief Korokai with a following of three to four hundred natives. These people, as well as the tribes we had just visited, had nearly all used the Catholic prayers for more than a year. The nephew of a leading chief of this tribe who was married, and who had great influence over that part of the country, and also for a considerable distance, found himself providentially at Whakatane whilst I was preaching our holy religion. There he had listened to the instructions I had given, and had asked me for prayer-books, books of instruction, and medals, begging me to send him a missionary priest to instruct all the people under him. I did not fail then to encourage his hopes, and gave him a certain number of the books he asked for. This young chief was called Tupara. On returning to his tribe he filled the functions of an apostle; he told all that he had heard, and gave to each tribe one of the books. This explains how that for more than a year these people knew their catechism and said Catholic prayers. I remained five or six days at Rotorua. I celebrated Holy Mass there several times, conferred baptism and confirmation on four or five children of the principal chiefs, announced to the people the ministration of Father Borgeon, who would frequently visit them, and I left them all in the hope of salvation.

There was an Anglican Protestant mission station on the banks of Lake Rotorua. At the request of the people I had a public conference with the Protestant minister of this station. On that occasion the feebleness of Protestantism was brought to light, and the truth of the doctrine of the Mother Church made a fresh impression on all minds. All the people of the neighbouring tribes proclaimed the great victory that this Church had just gained. At length we left these people in an excellent disposition, and at the end of two days we were back at Tauranga, where the Sancta Maria lay at anchor waiting for us.

I hastened to set sail to visit the tribes of Whakatane, where we arrived a day after

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FATHER CHANEL MURDERED AT FUTUNA.

leaving. There I baptized and confirmed about nine natives, and gave the nuptial blessing to an alliance between a white man and a native woman.

From thence we went to Opotiki, which we reached in less than a day. All these people had been waiting for a missionary for more than ten months. I left them Father Rozet with a white servant. These people were filled with joy; for my part I admired their constancy to the principles of the Mother Church. For more than a year there had been an Anglican missionary station among them, and the natives of Opotiki were frequently assailed by the Protestant minister who resided in those parts with objections against the Catholic faith. Nevertheless, hardly one of the members of these tribes had been drawn into heresy.

From Opotiki we went to the peninsula of Terekako, our voyage only lasting three days. The chief Tohi and the people of his tribe received us eagerly. I left them Father Baty for some months; a residence had been constructed by these people for the Catholic missionary whom they expected; they were well disposed to receive the Word of God, so that before a year had past Father Baty had baptized about ninety catechumens.

After a stay of a day and a-half at Terekako, I gave the captain instructions to take us to Banks Peninsula, where we arrived at the end of five or six days. We cast anchor in the Bay of Akaroa. The French naval authorities received the Catholic Bishop with great respect and distinction.


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