MAORI MEMORIAL SERVICE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1079, 6 August 1912, Page 3

MAORI MEMORIAL SERVICE.

A memorial service was held at the Maori Pah, Motuiti, on Sunday afternoon. The Rev Teh Parata took shortened evensong in Maori, and the vicar of All Saints’ read the lessons and gave a short address in English. Mr Rori acted as interpreter. The vicar said that he had assisted in the funeral of the late daughter of Heta, and that he bad come to them first as a brother to sympathise with them in their loss, and secondly, as the parish priest of Foxtouand the representative of his parishioners, and on their behalf he offered them the right hand of fellowship. The message he had to give them was one of peace, and that was his text, “Peace I leave with you.’’ He pointed out that sorrow was part of our iove, but our peace was that Christ had conquered death —and death really was a gate through which we passed to our joyful resurrection. He dealt with the great Church to which they all belonged and spoke of its many parts. At present they were in the Church militant at war with sin, and each had to fight as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. When physical death came to us we should, like the one mourned for now, pass into the great Church expectant —and he told them that their dear one was now alive and nearer the Beatific Vision. Then he spoke of the Church triumphant, the Church in glory—and this was the final goal of all. This was the peace that Christ had promised and that was the peace which gave the truest happiness, peace in the love of God. A number of visitors j from Foxtou attended the service, the Maoris entertained them to afternoon tea and gave them a royal welcome.