The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, IS6S. CONSECRATION OF ST. ALBAN'S CHURCH.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 284, 1 December 1868, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, IS6S. CONSECRATION OF ST. ALBAN'S CHURCH.

Yesterday, the festival ol fet. Andrew, having been fixed for the consecration of the new Anglican Church of bt Albau atAppleby, the ceremony took place in the presence of a very large concourse of the neighboring settlers, the buildiug being crowded to excess. St. Alban's, which is erected on a picturesque and central site, presented by Mr Best, was designed by Mr Wiofiekl Higgins, of Waimea West, and is entitled to especial praise as being far more ecclesiastical in character, both externally and internally, than perhaps any other building dedicated to religions worship in this province. The holy table is of- massive timber, covered with a rich frontal, most elaborately embroidered, and presented by friends at home, and the altar rails, corona for lights, &c, are all of good character, and harmoniaiog with the style ofthe building, to which a handsome font, altar chair and stalls, altar carpet, and harmonium have also been offered. The cost has, we understand, exceeded £400; and it is intended hereafter to add a spire and tower, the floor of which will afford still further accommodation. The ceremony commenced at 11 o'clock, when the Right Rev. Bishop Suter, attended by his clergy, was met at the entrance to the Church by the Churchwardens, who proceeded together, repeating the 24th Psalm, into the building, where the remainder of the Consecration Service took place, followed by the ordinary Morning Service, the psalms and Athanasian Creed beiug chanted by the choir of the parish, assisted by Mr Walcot and the Richmond and Waimea West choirs. The following clergy— the Revs. G-. H. Johnstone, R. J. Thorp, C. 0. Mules, and W. D. R. Lewis (Incumbent), took part in the service, and the Bishop preached an able and appropriate sermon from St. John i, 42, 'And he brought him to Jesus,' at the conclusion of which a collection was made, . amounting to £16 6s. 4d. A public luncheon afterwards took place in a large shed erected near the Church, the Bishop presiding, of wlrch a considerable number of guests partook, and at which his Lordship took occasion to refer inthe most complimentary terms to the zeaL aud taste which had been displayed in the erection of the new church, and gave expression to his wish that all the other churches tn his diocese were equally well and appropriately furnished. A parochial tea-meeting followed, at which the Bishop also took the chair, and the proceedings of the day were terminated with the celebration of evening service, which was well attended. The incumbent and parishioners of St. Alban's may fairly be congratulated on possessing a place of worship which is most creditable to their zeal, taste, and liberality, and which is eminently church.like in character, in spite of the disadvantages under which the designers of such buildings must suffer in this colony from the absence of adequately skilled labor to carry out their conceptions in detail.