Death Of Bishop Hermel At Papeete.

Papeete, Feb. 23.

I HAVE to record, with deep regret, the death of his Excellency, the Reverend Monsignor Athanase Andre Etienne Hermel, third Vicar Aposto lique of Tahiti, which took place in Papeete on February 20, after a long and painful illness. It was generally known here, some months ago, that the deceased gentleman underwent an un successful operation for some serious internal malady, so that this sad event was not altogether unexpected.

Bishop Hermel was born in Fecamp, France, 59 years ago, of a family which has given many officers to the French navy for generations; his surviving brother now holds the rank of Com mandant. He was educated in France, and latterly in Spain, and joined the order of the Sacre Coeur de Picpus.

Arriving in Tahiti in 1903, he was ap pointed Bishop three years later at the age of 34, thereby gaining the distinc tion of being the youngest Catholic Bishop in the world at that time.

As an example of high courage, un flinching self-sacrifice, and devotion to duty, Bishop Hermel will long be re membered in Tahiti and the surround ing archipelagoes, for he was as sin cerely loved by the wild people of the Tuamotu atolls as by their more so phisticated relatives in Papeete, and travelled there to see them under the most appalling difficulties.

To him also must be given the credit of re-building the boys’ and girls’ schools at Papeete, and the erection of similar edifices on the Island of Raia tea. The part of Papeete now known as the Mission Quarter also came into existence owing to his gen erosity and breadth of outlook. This was a piece of jungle land formerly be longing to the Catholic fraternity, which was cut up into sections, sold on very easy terms and now forms one of the most desirable residential sections.

During his distinguished career in Drench Oceania, Bishop Hermel won many laurels, including the coveted red ribbon of the Legion d’Honneur,