All Saints' Church.

Manawatu Herald, 31 October 1899, Page 2

All Saints' Church.

To-morrow, November the first, will be held the celebration of All Saints Day, a festival dating back to the time of Pope Boniface IV, in the year / 607, celebrated in the Pantheon of * Rome, and established by Pope Gregory IV, about 830, for the commemoration of all those saints^ and niartyrs in whose honour i^ pirticular day is assigned. The celebration will be'helJ in All Saints Church, Foxton.

The day will also be of moment as recalling to mind the erection of the Church dedicated to All Saints, by the people of this district some 25 years ago, and we purpose on such an interesting anniversary to give a few particulars concerning the Church and its workers.

Prior to the erection of a church, tne members of the church of England held services in the Kirk by the kind permission of the Rev. James Duncan, and the late Mr Charles Hulke, then school master here, read the services. After a time it was thought that fund®

could be raised to erect a building for themselves, and the late Mr William Osborne, who leased some Maori land at Atiki in conjunction with Mr Enderby, undertook the duty of canvassing. The eforts made were so successful that a contract for the erection of the building, as it now stands, was let to Mr O'Malley for the sum of £450. Churches in those days were built in faith without the requisite nmonnt of cash beine: in hand, and £150 of ttio contract m mey was financed by the Messrs Dawson, A. S. Easton, Flower, Beattie, Hulke, and J. M. Collins giving the Bank a Promissory note, jointly and severally, as such unpleasant documents are worked. This debt was carried on for a number of years until in either 1886 or 1887 a large bazaar was held in the Hall. The result was that £150 was netted, and £100 was immediately paid off. There was another bazaar held, which though very well attended, did not result in such a large surplus, and another £25 was paid off. Amongst the members of the congregation some doubt is expressed as to whether £25 is still owing, but if it is, that is all the debt upon church and school. The church was consecrated in 1876, and the different Vicars have been as follows :— Revs. F. Sherriff, J. L. Keating, 1881-82, E. Carus-Wilson 1882, J. C. Dodwell 1884-85, J. E. Blackburne 1886-88, A. S. Innes-Jones 1888-----92, G. Aitkens. 1893-96, R. Young 1896-----98, and H. S. Leach, January 1899. j The lay-readers who have done so much to retain the congregation to- j gether during the many voids which ! occurred between the coming and going of the different Vicars deserve honourable mention. From the opening of the church Messrs Flower and Hulke undertook the duties between them, then followed Messrs Hankins and C. H. Maclean, then the late Mr Wright Stewart practically attended to the whole of the services after the Rev. Innes-Jones left and before the Rev. G. Aitkens took up the duty. During Mr Aitkens residence Messrs J. T. Ray, A. E. T. Nixon and E. P. Cowles were layreaders, and whilst the Rev. R. Young was in charge, the present layreaders, Messrs Alf. Fraser and Morton, were appointed. The churchwardens have been few. For some years, the church neglected to elect these necessary officers, but about six or seven years after the opening, Messrs J. H. Hankins and C. H. Maclean were elected. On Mr Maclean leaving the district, Mr A. S. Easton was elected people's churchwarden, which honourable office he has retained, by election, up to the present, a period of 13 years. On Mr Hankins leaving the late Mr Wright Stewart was appointed Vicar's warden, which he held until he retired to Wellington, when Mr W. S. Stewart was appointed and has been yearly reappointed. Amongst the organists were Mrs J. N. Flower, Mrs J. Symons, who played for many years, Mrs C. H. Maclean. Mrs Aitkens. Miss A. Whyte, Miss J. Whyte, Miss Steele, Messrs J. R. Russell, J. Mackenzie, and Mr and Mrs England. It will be interesting to note that on the church being opened the members of the congregation chose their seats, and Mr A. S. Easton still retains the seats he selected 25 years ago.

The church on leaving the contractor's hands was bare ot furnishings, and we find that the altar table. Communion plate, reading desk, and carpet were obtained by sums collected, towards which an entertainment organised by the Rev. J. L. Keating, helped most materially. The presenb altar cloth was the gift of the late. Mr A. J. Whyte, the font was presented by the Rev. F. Sherriff. The offertory plate, of heart of English oak, was a present from Mr A, S. Easton. The ladies provided the offertory bags, also drapes for pulpit and reading desk. The harmonium obtained at the opening of the church was selected by Mr Beattie, and is still in use in the Sunday school. The present organ was purchased in Wellington through the medium of Mr A. S. Easton, and the money was obtained from the savings of the Sunday offerings during the time the late Mr Wright Stewart acted as layreader, as he gave his services free, as did Mr Easton for what he did for the church, and as it was the earnest wish of the late Mr Stewart that a new organ should be obtained the money was so used. This is but an outline of the work done for the church in past years, and in compiling it we may have forgotten a worker, but as there are no official records our statement has been based on memory only. Within the last few years more energy, with the growth of the district, has been shown, as a sum of £200 has been paid on account of the purchase ot a parsonage, and a Sunday school has been built at a cost of £160.

To-morrow, at the church, there will be a celebration of the Holy Communion at 8 o'clock, morning prayer at 10.30, and choral evensong at 7.30 p.m. The preacher will be the Rev. Innes-Jones, the Vicar of Feilding, and who was seven years ago the Vicar of Foxton. We understand the church will be decorated with flowers, and the hymns will be special ones suited to the occasion.