Wellington Diocesan Synod.

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 86, 8 October 1896, Page 2

Wellington Diocesan Synod.

(Per Press Association) Wellington, October 7. The annual session of the Wellington Diocesan Synod opened this afternoon, there being a large number of clergy present, also lay representatives from every parish and parochial district of the Diocese. Only formal business was transacted in the afternoon and this evening Bishop Wallis welcomed the large attendance and delivered an address. Referring to the work of raising a Cathedral in this city, he said promises of £4167 had been received, of which £2700 had already been paid in the Bank. He declared a Cathedral was needed for this city and he saw there was no hope of reaching the large mass of our fellow citizens until we have a large church absolutely free and open to all, and into which a man may enter whether he be poor or rich, Christian or agnostic, and listen to the word of God without asking his neighbor's leave or paying the price of sitting. He urged that prompt and vigorous efforts should be made to place the erection of the Cathedral beyond doubt. As to the Bible in schools, if they desired, as he did, to maintain the present free, compulsory and nndenominational character of our primary schools, he saw no course open but for the introduction of the Irish text book which, though not an ideal book, bad been adopted by the Anglican General Synod. There was, he saw, no better proof of the necessity of religions teachings in our large towns than the bill introduced by Government " for the suppression of juvenile depravity " with its drastic provisions for punishment. Meanwhile their duty was first to urge upon the members of the legislature the objects they had at heart ; secondly, to use the utmost opportuni- j ties accorded of teaching the children of our State schools before or after school school hours, not only by clergymen, but by laymen and, best of all, by women, working on a definite plan under a clergyman's superintendence ; thirdly t to increase the efficiency of Sunday schools, and it was of the highest importance that the clergyman should spend a few minutes at least in the school. In these schools greater system was required, and regular classes should be held on week days by a few teachers so that lessons may be properly pre. pared. They welcomed the Key. G. P. Davys, who would be appointed to the Ongo-Apiti district. Thanks to the exertions of Mr Innes Jones and of Mr Yorke the inhabitants of the Ongo, Apiti and the Eketahuna districts have raised money sufficient to justify a clergyman being sent to minister to them, provided that tho fund is able to supplement their contributions for a short time. Building Bites had been obtained at Plio>mertou, Pohamgjna and Mangaweka. _