GRUESOME RECTOR.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1368, 20 February 1912, Page 3

GRUESOME RECTOR.

CARRIED ROUND CHURCH IN COFFIN. Never in the history of the Church of England, or, indeed, of Christianity, has (says the "Daily Chronicle") a more astounding ceremony been witnessed than that presented on Sunday, January 7, for the ' "edification" of the congregation assembled in the Church of St. Michael's and All Angels', Stockton, Warwickshire. At the closo of the evening service, the rector, the Venerable Archdeacon Collcy, took his place in a. coffin which had previously been prepared, and, carried by four of bis parishioners, wa& exhibited to tho gaze of the worshippers. He was clad in the canonicals he had worn during tho service, and his features were plainly visible through, the glass covering of the wooden cabinet, in which he was enclosed as if for burial. Some of the congregation were obviously seized with consternation at the weird spectacle. Others, knowing their rector's amiable idiosyncracies, giggled half-hysterically. . And a few, shocked at, tho mockery of death, hastily left the church.

The service had been of the ordinary character, th« sermon being from the text in Genesis, "(low old are you?" and from .Revelation, "Sst thy house in order, for thou shalt die and not live." It had been followed by the rector's own adaptation of "Tho Angelic Ascription, Praise" (Revelation vii, 12), set to Mozart's beautiful Twelfth Mass. Returning to the music desk, which is a special feature of tho church, and facing the large congregation, the rector made the following extraordinary statement:—"Not feeling to be getting any younger every day, I have bad my coffin—which many of you for some eight, years have known .has been made for me—brought over from tho rectory music room, and now is before you in tho chancel. In tho year 1901 (ou May U) I left my body to bo given up to the University of Birmingham for medical students' use, and to be cut •up in the interests of anatomical and surgical science when I havo done with it." Having got. so far in his strange address, the Archdeacon called for his "benrera" to come forward. Still clothed in full canonicals, consisting of cassock, surplice, stole, and hood, with the Canterbury biretta, he stepped into the square box-shaped coffin, which had been reared on end, and the glass cover was fixed in front of him.

Upon a sisn from the coffined rector, the four stalwart parishioners took their places at the sides of the coffin, which was .lowered into an horizontal position Each bearer took in one hand an end of the iron'bars that were threaded through rings in the side, ami the roffin was era Tcly borne from the chance! down Ihe church to the west door, and then back (o- the chancel. The occltsiastit- w:i< übout fl'iiiet-high of the bearer?, and .in full view of every member of the congregation. As it passwl seat after seat Hie titartlttl worslupper.a gazwl .'pelluoiiud at. the spectacle. Having rcturnnl to the chancel, th« ala-s cover was aguin removed from the casket, which had lx»pri rearwl on end, and the "Ikxl.v," quickly proving it still maintained normal condition, was heard to ejaculate, "For this relief much thanks." Still tstandini,' in the casket, the Archdeacon wished his parishioners "A happy New Year upon that • first Snnday in the New Year," and, in thankfulness for the mercies of the year passed, away, gave out,: aud vigorously joined in singing, "Prais? God, from whom' all blessings flow." The extraordinary -proceedings closed with the Benediction in the customary form, aud t.h« coujreg.itiou filed out. relieved from a'strain , that vrns well-nigh unbearable,