MARTYRED BISHOP.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 225, 23 September 1929, Page 9

MARTYRED BISHOP.

VENGEANCE OF NATIVES.

FIVE FATAL WOUNDS

SERVICE IN MELANESIA.

The anniversary of the martyrdom of John Coleridge Patteson, first Bishop of Melanesia, which occurred at Nukapu Island on September 20, IS7I, was the subject of many sermons in Auckland churches yesterday.

Preaching from the text, "I bear in my body tiio marks of the Lord Jccsue," in Holy Sepulchre Church, the Rev, G. Gordon Bell spoke of the strange mystical significance of incidents accompanying the bishop's martyrdom. When the bishop's body was discovered in a drifting canoe it was found that it bore five wounds, while on it was placed a palm leaf, the fronds of which were knotted in five places. The number of the wounde and knots was evidently meant by the heathen islanders to point to the fact that the killing of the bishop was an act of vengeance on a white man for tho kidnapping of live men from the island by white traders, but to Christians they spoke of the live sacred wounds of Christ, in hands and feet and side, made in His eacred body as it hung upon the Cross.

Bishop Patteson entered closely into relationship with the sacred passing of Jesus in the mariner of hie death, said the speaker. He met his death in the course of his work of carrying to tho peopLee of the islands the knowledge of the love of God. People had asked why a church should be decorated with palms with five-knotted leaves, showing clearly that they were ignorant of this most beautiful accompaniment of the martyrdom. Melanesia, the miseion for which Bishop Patteeon gave his life, although it retained its hold upon the affections of New Zealand people, was not valued as it should be as a precious heritage of endeavour bequeathed to us. The work of the mission was sadly hampered by lack of workers and lack of finance. Out of the 42 European workers in the mission at present only eight were from New Zealand—three priests and five women workers. For years past tho mission had been struggling to maintain its work in the face of tremendous obstacles, and there was serious danger that unlees Melanesia secured more adequate financial support large portions of the work might have to bo handed over to other denominations and native Christians left to lapse into heathenism. Recently lads had to be refused admission to the school at Maravovo,_ which could easily bo increased to twice its present size, so many were the Melanesiane who sought to enter it; and the theological college at Lolowai and the. girls' school at Torgil were temporarily closed becanee the missionaries in charge were away on much-needed furlough and there were no others to take their places. Many of the missionaries had built their own houses at their own charges because the mission could not provide them'with decent dwellings. The same failure to value rightly our precious heritages was seen in the mission buildings at Kohimarama. Until recently the kitchen and refectory, the only remaining parts of Bishop Patteson's college there, were in a state of great disrepair. These had been restored and put into use as a, museum of Mclanesian relics and curios, but the stone foundations of the chapel in which Bishop Patteson was enthroned as Bishop of Melanesia after his consecration in St. Paul's Church were still outside the plot of land given into the care of the Church, and were constantly desecrated by picnickers. In other countries which valued more highly precious historical associations these foundations would he enclosed and the Bpot over which Bishop Patteson was enthroned would be carefully marked. The sermon closed with an appeal to all to support the work more adequately.