"BUILT ON LOVE"

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21413, 4 March 1935, Page 3

"BUILT ON LOVE"

FOUNDATION OF ST. MARGARET'S DEAN'S SERMON AT JUBILEE SERVICE The silver jubilee service at the Cathedral yesterday morning will go

down in the history of St. Margaret's College as one of the most important and inspiring events in the life of the school. A large congregation of old girls, former teachers, friends, and present members of the school rilled the Cathedral, and Dean Julius in his sermon spoke of the spirit of love on which the school was founded and upon which it might advance to a great future. . Three hundred old girls, formei teachers, and present members of the school formed a procession into the Cathedral. First in order were the present pupils, and they were followed bv members of the committee of the Old Girls' Association, undergraduate and graduate old girls in gowns, former members of the start and present members of the start, also in gowns, members of the Diocesan Board of Education, physical training students, school prefects, and old girls. Eucharist was celebrated by the Precentor, the Rev. F. R. Rawle. The school hvmn, "Blessed are the Pure in Heart " was sung, and at the offertory the congregation sang the commemoration hvmn of the college Canon S. Parr read the Epistle and Gospel. Central Function St Margaret's existed for the glory of God, the Dean said in his sermon—for the building up of those trained at the school so that they might serve faithfully in the. body of Christ s church. This service must therefore be the central function in the celebration of the silver jubilee of the college, and service to Jesus Christ in his church must be the central idea of the school if it was to fulfil the purpose

for which it was established. It was most appropriate that the eDistle for the day should be taken from the First Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians; St. Paul's epistle on love was one of the finest pieces of literature in the world. When bt. Paul came to the Corinthian Church it was full of vigour and enthusiasm and its people keen an d anxious to clo any spiritual work available, yet the whole church was bursting forth, as a email schoolgirl, with self assertion. Nowadays there were persons who advised young people to assert themselves and express themselves, and not to bother about their fellow-men —such was the outlet the Corinthian Christians found in their church They seized every opportunity to preacn Defore the notice of the public. Such a spirit was the foundation of parties, ■ cliques, and strife between members of these cliques. The person who led the ordinary, hum-drum life of goodness was thought no good and it was the evil of this spirit that St Paul had to teach the Corinthians He had to care for the church, and his care was a great burden He had to point out mistakes, but it was not here that his work could end. He had to find another channel into which to direct the exuberance of the Corinthian Church, and he taught them that they were members of the body of the church of Jesus Christ* Lessons From Parable So it was with teachers and parents who had the burden of the care oi their children. They must teach them to remember also that they were

members of the body of Jesus Christ, that they were not here in the world to advertise themselves, but to serve Him. They must give their gifts in service of Jesus Christ The esprit de corps of the school must be closely guarded by its members the Dean said, and they must be taught to realise that their school depended on what they were and what they did. Their duty was not to boost themselves up within the school, but to lift up their school—but that was not all. The esprit de corps of the school was not enough; the school had to ask itself on what this was founded. The directing force of the school's life was the spirit of love, of which St. Paul spoke; it was this spirit that had made St. Margaret's College worth while. The foundation of the school had been laid before the sisters came. Those who had a vision of the founding of St. Margaret's. 25 years ago had that spirit of service and love which had later distinguished the school. They had gone to the sisters for help and had provided a school for the teaching of the daughters of the church. The sisters had come devoted to the love of God and of God's children; they knew that the school must have a true and valuable education, and they had emphasised that love was the foundation of life. The girls who were at school now would know how well that spirit was being carried on. The teaching resources of the sisters had not been strong enough to maintain their work in New Zealand, but since they had gone the same spirit still prevailed. The school's life was based on the same foundations.

St. Paul found what love was through his contact with Jesus Christ, and it was this love that must be the centre, the heart, of the school. The girls must try to relate all their school activities to God. The lives of all must be directed to the love of God in Jesus Christ, and to that knowledge of love which came to us only through Him. Might God bless the school in years to come, the Dean concluded, for in it was the spirit of love. FAREWELL GATHERING On Saturday evening Miss Murray, matron of the Presbyterian Girls' Home, was entertained at a farewell party given by the old girls and boys of the homes. There were about 70 guests present, and the time passed pleasantly with games and singing. Miss I. Nickle was master of ceremonies.

After supper had been served Mrs L. Giddons, one of the old girls of the Rhodes Street Home, presented Miss

Miss J. Murray, matron of the Presbyterian Girls' Home, Christchurch, who has retired after 21 years' service in the Presbyterian | homes. Murray with a beautiful toilet set. and Miss Jessie Murray, the future matron, was presented with a bouquet of carnations. Miss E. McLauchlan, on behalf of the staffs of the Bligh's Road Homes, presented Miss Murray with a handbag. Miss Murray suitably responded. Mr V. French praised Miss Murray s work as matron and spoke of the splendid training that she had given girls and boys in the home.