BISHOP OF MELANESIA.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1494, 17 July 1912, Page 8

BISHOP OF MELANESIA.

THE CONSECRATION 4 CEREMONY,

In its' report of tho consecration of' Dr. • C. J. Wood as Bishop of Melanesia at fit. Paul's Cathedral, Dunedin,, on Sunday, the "Otago Daily Time/" ' states:— For various reasons tho occasion was fraught with great interest to the 'whole of the Anglican 'community throughout Australasia, and as an ecclesiastical event ' it had special interest of being tho < only consecration which has taken placein tho southern diocese since the constcra-. tiou of the Primate- 41 years' ago. In addition, it marks the removal of tho headquarters\of the mission from Norfolk Island to one of the Solomon Islands. ,' A service of intercession,- preparatory to tho consecration was held at St. Matthew's Church on Snturday evening. There wero present the visiting Bishops of Auckland' and Wellington, the visiting clergy, and many of. the local clergy. It was a service, confined to the sacred ministry. Evensong was said by the vicar (Canon Curzon-Siggers), with special collects for the Bishop-Elect. Tho litany for Melanesia was read by Arcjuleacou Calder, and special petitions were offered; by the Bishop-elect (Dr. Wood). Tho address by tho Bishop of Auckland was on the portion of the second lesson dealing with-praycr-St. Matthew, vi„ G-15. The. . preacher spoko of tho value, conditions, and purposo of prayer, and emphasised the work of a bishop as being that of translating the Lord's Prayer into, action in his work with his clergy. Tho address was of a deeply spiritual and ■ helpful character, ■ The Cathedral was filled to overflow, in? on Sunday morning for the consecrn- . tion service, Which was conducted by tin Primate of.New Zealand (Bishop Nevill), assisted : by - Bishop Crosiloy (Auckland) • and Bishop Sproit (Wellington). .The ; Rev, Vincent- King officiated as chaplain to the Primate, Archdeacon Galder as chaplain: to the Bishop of Auckland, tho ~' Rev. 0. Stent as chaplain to tho Bishop of Wellington, and the Bishop-elect had as chaplain tho Revs. H. M. Drummond and G. IC. Moir, of Melanesia. Among others who took part in tho service.'\Vefc Archdeacon Gould, Dean Fitehctt (wild ' preached the sermon). Canon Woodthorpa, and the Revs;'"'T.-AV."lvewley. -ft!" G. V ■ Coatcs. B.Tj. IToxrW.'H. Roberts';"and D. Mitchell: ■■■.•: The Dean, who based his sermon' on the text. "Let' man so account of us as ' ministers of Christ and stewards of tho mvsleries of God—l. Cor., iv„ 1), concluded as follows:—The Bishop, now about to enter upon; labours burdensome and perilous in a high degree, would feel it an inspiration that the field of work assigned . him had been consecrated, by the blond of martyrs. In the service, as was fittine, they commemorated John Coleridge , Pattern, bishop, and .Toseph Atkin, priest, and Charles Christopher, Gotlden, priest, who literally sealed their testimony with their blood. Also John Riclwrdson Selvryn. bishop, and Frank Bollen, Priest, and Henrv Welshman, doctor of medicine," priest, and George Henry Andrews, priest, • whose lives were 'horfencd by. malarial disease contracted in the work nf tlis mi*., sion. Also _ they thanked - G<v] f«r the '. j faithful service of Bishop Cecil Wilson in [ labours morp abundant. The Bishop now ! tn go'forth-followed in a gnnd succession. , Their symnathies went .with him, and : thev prayed that in the-lousiness of iso ; lation, in the weariness of toil, in the snr- ; row .of disappointment—for that ton,'' would come—he plight be sustained-by th« .• Divine Ma.sfer, whose servant and steward i he was. under the great, commission: "All . power is wen" unto Mc in heaven and '-. earth. Go ve. therefore, and teach all , . nations. ,baptising them in. the name of . the .Father, and of'tho Son, and of th« ■ TT/ily Ghost, teachimr them to observe all things whatsoever I ha'-e commanded yon; and, 10, I am with ynv. alway, even unto the end of the world."