DIOCESE OF WAIAPU

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 18, 14 October 1937, Page 10

DIOCESE OF WAIAPU

Activities During Past Year Reviewed MA0RI MISSI0NS The following wero matters touched upon by the Bishop of Waiapu when i opening the first session of the 27th i Syno.d of the Dioeese of Waiapu at i Napier this afternoon. j °at the beginning of the year j arrangements were made under whick tho Eov. Canon w. g. Williams of i Whanganui should work for niue months of each year arnong the Maoria in this dioeese. He took up his rcsii dence in Napier in March, and entered I on his new work, which will be of i great assistance to the Bishop of i Aotearoa. The position in the Maori j part of our work is not as satisfactory as x couid wish. We are Still understaii'ed in our Maori districts, and the i iinances need to be brought into a heaithier "condition, It is - difBLcult to obtain accurate information in regard i to the llingatu, Ratana aiid Moruion i activities, but it is clear that tlie Ohurch should make a definite eft'ort towards a forward movement among the I Maori people of the dioeese. Beroro i passing on from consideration of the i Maori work i would like to place on i record my appreciation of the work i being done in our mission houses, and j to reinind you that .six of our workers^ the Misses Bulstrode, Miss Biddle, Ihe i Misses Hopley, and Miss Birley are working without salary. Miss Aplin is i being moved from Te Hauke to Tokoj maru Bay, wherO there is inuch work to be done. ' ' i would draw the attention particularly of tlie lay members of the syuod to'the stipends of the parochial Olergy. a few years ago the laity in synorl resolved themselves into a committee on the eubjeet, and- sometkihg was done; Ixut the position is now more acute than it was thqn. The eost of living has risen seriously, and in many cases tho incomes are wholely inadequate. i hope that synod may find some means to remedy this defeet. Support of Church. "ong metjiod of meeting the diliiculty 1 have refei'red to would be 10 make grants from the general diocesan fund; and this has mahy points to recommend it. But we are apt to be too parochial in our outlook, and it is to be feared that many ehurchmen do not realise that it is their privilege — i will not say duty— to support the Ckurfeh as a whole — and that wealthier parishaS and districts should show a readiness to assist those who are less fortunate, Tho aeeounts of the general diocesan fund do not show an iniprovement in proportion to the incr eased prosperity of the Dominioh durihg the last year; This may in part be due to the temporary disorganisation axising from a change in the organiser. Mr Mist resigned at the end 0f last year and the standing committee has appointed Mr i. s. GardinOr tb sueceed him. "Cathedral building is occupying 1 people 5s minds in the dioceses of Auckland and Wellington. i am afraid we cannot bring the question of building forward at present, but i am anxlous that it should not bo allowed to drop out of sight entirely. The matter is ono, ' not for the parish but for th© dioeese as a whole. It migkt be poSsible to arrange for a systein of annual contiibutions either by way of special collectiona or personal subscriptions so that a fund might be gradually built | up, i would like the synod to set up & committee to go into the matter, and if possible formulate some scheme to ensure that iiiterest should be maintaihe.d in the subjeet. Sunday Schooia. "i Would call the attention of menibers of the synod to the report of our Sunday School organiser, which is before them. It Will take sOme tiine before Miss Beattie will be able to visit ©very parish in the dioeese, but ehe has made ti beginning of the work, and we hope before long to have the Sunday School work systematically developed. In this connection i wish to say that i am issuing certificates to teachers who have satisiied her as to their qualifications. These certificatee will be given at evensong on Sunday next. In the past we have had tho assistance of helpers who have had to depend almdst entirely upon their own resources. i much appreciate thoir b'elf-denying offorts, and i wish to express my sincere thanks to them for all they have done, but i hope that many of them will bo willing to place themselves under Miss

Beattie and receive the adVantage of her adviee and instruction, so that ultimately our Stinday Schools may be etaffed bntirely by certificated teachers. The dioeese has suffered a severe loss by the return to England of Mr a. b. Ilarper, who instituted our Mailbag Siinday b\diool. Mr vf m. Eitehie is following up his work, but has nced of mOro voiuntary assistatite. ' ' Church Atmy workers have been helping at the failway camps, under the supervisioh of tho Rev. h, Speight. The work li&s been somewbat hampered by the lact that there ha« not yet been available a fully-qualified ofhcer for this work; but Capt. Bauyard is hopef ul that this Will be remedied dufing tka course of next month. "The reports show a marked increaeo in the numbor of pupil-s at Te Aute and Hukarere, but Waeronga-a-hika hds suifored disaster in the destruction by ilfe of the school in April last. Tho trustees have the matter of fobuildlng iu hand, but there are aerious fiuancial difficulti(-n to bo ovorcome. "Last month i completed fifty years of service as a priest. i am deoply conscious of many shortcominge, but have to tliank God for unnumbered bfessiugs; i ask you to join me in my thanks, and to pray that God will continue his mercaes to me for the remainder of the time in which He may be pleased to use me in his service.5'