ST PAUL'S JUBILEE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2788, 5 June 1916, Page 3

ST PAUL'S JUBILEE

Some ■interesting references to church i in , fifty years ago wcro made by Archdeacon in has sermon yesterday at St. ■ Paul's Anglican proUathedral, which is celebrating the jubilee oi its consecration, which took place on Juno 6, 186 G. The Archdeacon said Wellington was only a small place when bt. Paul s was built, and there we're not sixteen clergy in the diocese. of them had now passed to their rest 5 16 ® sce P l , loll o f liimself and . the Kev*. Mr. Ivoiiaidson, who was now Uviivp" in Dunedin. .The building was designed by the Eev. Frederic Thatcher, a church architect oi great ability and enthusiasm, who lad caught the spirit that had bi ought about the w.oniierinl revival of church architecture that bad taken place in recent times, it was surprisiug • that such a fine church could have been built at such a time.' He thought St. Paul's was stiil the most beautiful of all the churches in. New Zealand that had been elected iii wood. He hoped that it would last for a long time yet. It would grieve him to see it replaced in his lit'otraie by any other building, however grand and beautiful... It was endeared to hira by many sacred associations. Archdeacon Paucourt went ,on to speak of Charles John Abraham, the lirst Bishop of Yi'tllingtoii, who preached at the consecra* tion of St. Paul's from the text: "The King's daughter is all glorious withiu; her clothing is of wrought gold." The reference was, of course, to the Church as the spouse of Christ. After speaking of the incumbents of St. Paul's—some of them men of great power, and. all faithful pastors—Archdeacon ifancourt said the parish had good reason to thank God for those who had ministered to it. God's blessings to the parish had been very great, and the people should be very grateful for them. The jubilee will be celebrated to-mor-row (Tuesday), when there will be two celebrations of the Holy- Communion, and a special • thanksgiving service at 8 p.m., at which the Bishop of Wellington (Dr. Sprott) will be the preacher. To-morrow will be the fifth anniversary of tho Ui.-ihop's consocration.