Vicar to Leave Hastings

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 70, 15 December 1937, Page 4

Vicar to Leave Hastings

CANON MORTIMERJONES i Acceptance of Waipukurau Living ELEVEN YEAFS' SERVICE Acceptances of an offer made by tlie Board of N'.minatoTs of tlie Dioeese of TVaiapu of tlie parisb .if "Vfaipuknra'i to Canon C. M.or-timer-Jones, Vicar of St. Matthew's Chnrcli, Hastings, was announced this morning. For sodic time now Mr. Mortimer-Jones has jeen anxiotis to secure a country parish, and, before leaying on a visit to England, he asked the Bishop if he eould have a oountry parish soon after his return, having eompleted 11 years of hard work and faithful service in the important and diffi.cu.lt parish of Hastings. This request has been granted, and, towards the end of February, be will take up his new duties in Waipukurau. In 1935 he declined an offer to beeome vicar of Hamilton and dean of the Waikato Cathedral. Educated at Cheltenham and Wadham College, Oxford, Mr. MortimerJones secured his B.A. degree in 1903 and his M.A. in 1919, and later entered the Theological College, Leeds. Ordained in 1904 he was curate for a time at St. James', Fulham, and the foilowing year was a priest at St. Paul's Cathedral. In 1909 he came to New Zealand with Bishop Neligan for back-block mission work in the Bay of Islands and for two years he was at Waimate North and Hokianga, and later fof a similar period at Russell and Kawakawa. He sueeeeded Arckdeacon Willis as Vicar bf Cambridge in 1912 and there he had a very successful ministry for 13 yeafS, taking a prominent sliare in the formation of the Dioeese of Waikato as a member of the ProVislonal Committee. One of his curates at Cambridge Was the Rev. W. W. Averill, son of Arclibisliop Averill, Offer of Hastings Parish. The offer of the living in Hastings was accepted in November, 1926, and, in the foilowing January, he Was inStituted Vicar of St. Matthew's, sb that he will have eompleted 11 years as vicar of this parish shortly before he departs to Waipukurau, ln 1930 he Was appointed a Canon of Napier Cathedral and has been in the Standing Com* mittee of fthe dioeese for many years and also on the Board of Nominators, as well as holding othef important positions of the dioeese. The Canon acted as chaplain to the late Bishop Williams for the consecratibn of the Bishop of Melanesia and gave Retreat addresses to Bishop Bennett prior to his consecration. Of his military record, it is interesting to note that Mr. Mortimer-Jones received his commission in 1909 as chap" lain to the 3rd Auckland Mounted Volunteers and was latei chaplain to ihe 16th Waikato Regiment at Cambridge. He was holiday-making in England when War broke out in 191 1 but Was ttlrned down in his effort to enlist i& Kitchener 's Army. The folldwing yeaf he returned to New Zealand and enlisted as a "Digger" at thb Wellington Town Hall, having been rejected on account of eyesight as chaplain. He left with the 25th Reinforcoments in June, 1917, and was in Franee until 1918 and then in Germany, first with the 3rd Canterbury Regiment and later with the 1st Wellington Regiment, and fbr part of that time he was under Col. H. Holderness. Since becoming Vicar of St. M&tthew 's, the parish has received Mr Mor-timer-Jones' continual interest and attention, and substantial improvements have been made. As a preacher he has proved himself to he a strong church teachef, catholiC-minded and full of ev&ngelical zeal for conversion bf people to the Christian faith. A great daal of his time and energy has been 1 spent with the young people and children of the parish, and those in sickness have found him a most sympa- | thetie visitor and one very keen on faith-healing. Possessed of good organising ahility, 1 Mr. Mortimer-Jones has revealed pro1 gressive methods in his control of the ! church property, and ,at the satoe time, he has carried out beautifying schemes to the environs of the church and its buildings.' The extension work at St. Barnabas', Parkvale, and St. James', Mahora, further reflects credit upon the manner in Whieh the parish affairs have been managed.

Man of Many Interests. Among his general interest Mr. Mor-timer-Jones was a keen and prominent member of the Hastings Rotary Club, and was an enthusiastie tennis player, while in his earlier days, particularlj when at Cambridge, he was a lceen huntsman and frequently went over tlif fences. Associated very closely with him throughout his long and valuahle sCr vice has been his wife, and it will bc with profound regret that the parish ioners will note the Canon 's decision tc seek a more quiet living at Waipuku rau. But it will he appreciated fully at the same time, that Canon and Mrs, Mortimer-Jones have given a wonderful service to not only the parishioners, but to the community in general.