ST. PAUL'S PARISH.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1735, 28 April 1913, Page 5

ST. PAUL'S PARISH.

THE ANNUAL REPORT. Tho following is tho annual roport of tho churchwardens of St, Paul's Anglican Sarish, Thorndon, for tho year ended taroli 31, 13131Tho Rev. N. S. Barnett, L.Tli., took up his work oil July 1, 1912, and lias win tho respect of tho parishioners by hiii untiring dovotion to duty. 'J'lie clmrchwardcns consider thati tho finances of tho parish aro, on tlio whole, satisfactory. During tho past year the Thorndon School Society, from which in former years considerable revenuo lias been derived, has had to moot heavy claims. Tho renovation of the Tinakori Road Churchroom has absorbed a considerable part of the income of that society, and it has had to expend its funds on. necessary work at the vicarage 6ifo in Bolton Street. It is hoped that"in future there will jx> larger returns from tlio Bolton Street property. Scat rents snow JJ353 16s. 2d., fls compared with J!'l73 Os. Gil. last year. Ordinary offertories show a total of ,£548 3s. id. Special offertories amount to ,£HI 12s. Ud.

Tho attention of parishioners is directed to tho state of tho curate fund. Tht* was established in 1011 to provido for Uie engagement of an nssistant cuiate. Of tlio subscribers who responded to Iho appeal of Mrs, A. E. Pcarco, to whom tilts fund is primarily due, throe 'have passed away, throo havo left Wellington, iivo gavo no promiso beyond tho first year. Those, botween them, moan a loss to the l'uud of .£4l. SnbscripHons outstanding amount to i! 9 15s. Tho clmrchwardcns, thorefore, recommend very earnestly to the parishioners the necessity of further and moro pormanent support of this important part of tho parish organisation. During tho year tlio ivlio/o church hat been fitted with Osram lamps. Thcro is an undoubted improvement ia t-hn lighting, and (ho cost of (ho installation will bo mot by decroasod consumption of current. Tlio thanks of Iho parish aro duo to tho ladies who organised the salo of work last October, especially to Mrs }V. J. Blundoll, tho eeciotary. Tho total proceeds amounted to .Cl4B 35., of which sum XlOfl was added to tho rebuilding fund; ,£4O was given to tho organ improvement fund, and the balance to tlio St. Paul's Dav and Kindergarten School. The churchwardens tender (ho thanks of (ho parish to u sub-committco of the vestry, especially to Mr. _S. M. Hobb:!, for considering and rn-ndjusting the insurances mi tho church and furniture. The Thnrmlon School Society has done n great deal of work this year, and Mr. E. 11. Anderson, tlio treasurer of Hint society, deserves tho recognition of the parish for his labours in providing for a belter syslom of managing the books and proper-lies of lli'o society than was praclloable liilhorlo.

The church grounds havo been kept ill cood order by members of tlio C.K.M.S. To them our thanks are duo, as well as to nil who in various ways have helped to maintain our parochial life; to tbo organist and choir of the Pro-Cathedral, tho teachers mid helpers ill tho Sunday School, tho members of tho Ladies' Guild and Dorcas Society, the secretaries of tho missionary puilds, tho lay-readers who from time to time have helped, ill the Tiliakori Hoad service, Miss Uphnin, nud Mr. Coles, who have regularly acted us organists there, to Miss Q. Davis, ivho has umlcrlaken. tho distribution of tho "Church Chroniclo" in tlio parish, to the rlnircb decorators—especially Miss ' MacIcod—ami to Mrs. Warren, district visilor, who has brought many into contact with tlio church in times of need ami distress, and whoso help c.'.n only be estimated by those who know lior untiring zeal.