ST. MICHAEL'S CHURCH.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19151, 7 November 1927, Page 8

ST. MICHAEL'S CHURCH.

DEDICATION SERVICE. The vicar of St. Michael's immediately before the morning service yesterday dedicated some carved representations of the scenes of the Passion, which are from the studio of Mr Gurnsey, of Fendalton, and are probably unique in New Zealand. In the course of the occasional sermon the Rev. Charles Perry spoke at length of the life and work of the late Canon Coates, to whose memory the carvings had been given by his daughter. He said that some years ago the Canon and the present Archbishop of New Zealand, who was then vicar of St. Michael's, had visited the Holy Land and had probably walked along the traditional way of sorrows, and that the last occasion on which Canon Coates had preached at St. Michael's had been at the three hours' devotion on Good Friday, 1924. It seemed, therefore, appropriate that he should be, in St. Michael's, commemorated in that way.' Canon Coates, after resigning the cure of Lyttelton, had ministered in manv parishes temporarily, from Auckland to Stewart Island with great acceptance, and always as a pioneer of Catholic truth. He was in charge of St. Michael's when he (the preacher) had taken up his work there, and was of inestimable help to him by means of his sympathetic advice, while it was his high privilege to visit his friend in hi? sickness, witness his piety and give to liim the last Sacraments.