“HATS-OFF” TO TOILING PARISH PRIESTS

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 82, 28 June 1927, Page 7

“HATS-OFF” TO TOILING PARISH PRIESTS

WAIKATO DIOCESE BISHOP’S CHARGE TO SYNOD (.From Our Own Correspondent.) HAMILTON, To-day. The second session of the Waikato Synod opened in Hamilton last night. The Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Dr. C. A. Cherrington, presided. JN the course of his charge he referred with regret to the resignations and transfers which had taken place during the year, but he also extended a hearty welcome to ministers newly appointed. He paid a warm tribute to the fine work done by many of the clergy. Before proceeding to deal with financial questions the Bishop referred to his impressions of the Church in New Zealand, and said: “As far as this diocese is concerned, I think the work of the Church is simply wonderful. To take the size of the parishes first; they are, at any rate to a newcomer, nothing less than bewildering; and the way in which the clergy bravely try to cope with them is. if without impertinence I may be allowed to say so, little short of heroic. To endeavour to keep oneself fresh and interested in each of the many centres that have to be cared for with equal concern, in a task that would plunge many men into despair: to be everlastingly on the road, as most of the priests of this diocese have to be, and to get practically no opportunity for prayer and quiet between one service and another (which is such a help to a busy priest on a Sunday) are some of the difficulties which make one, metaphorically speaking, ‘take off one’s hat’ to the brave-hearted men who face them so cheerfully.

“And the power for good that the lay officials of the Church are. The energy of the vestries, their organisaing of the finances of the parishes, the fact that the work of the church is practically unendowed and entirely self-supporting, the readiness of so many busy men to attend a gathering such as thi-s meeting of the Diocesan Synod, not to sneak of the numerous committees and subcommittees which, even in my short time here, have been attended by those appointed to them; all these, I say, are facts which to a newcomer are marks that prove the very real power that our Church is in this country.” FINANCE Dealing with finance the Bishop said the total sum the diocese asked for was £50,000. “I need not go into the details of the ap-

peal, copies of which are on the table,” he said, "but just emphasise one or two points which in my opinion make the necessity of the appeal a matter of urgency:— (a> The increase of clerical stipends. I do not think that in our endeavour to make

Dr. Cherrington the minimum stipend of the vicars of our parishes £ 350 and house, we are asking too much. If a vestry will write to the office saying that they will increase their vicar’s stipend by £5, the diocese should meet that offer by another £5, and so on till the £350 is reached, (b) Many parishes need assistant clergy. (c) One of the most urgent of our needs, if not the most urgent, is the extension of the Church by means of the creation of new parochial districts. The total y sum promised or given is £12,728 17s, of which Hamilton has promised or given £7,344. “As far as my own little offering to the diocese is concerned, I should like to say that I offered the Standing Committee an episcopal chapel for the diocese, or else a sum toward the lady chapel of the cathedral. The fbrmer was accepted. “A step that will be of the greatest service to the diocese is. the appointment of the Rev. F. G. Harvie to be diocesan chaplain to the bishop. He will be free to visit parishes which are temporarily vacant, and so, I hope, prevent any loss of enthusiasm during the unavoidable interregnum between the departure ox one vicar and the arrival of another. “One of the most important problems that our diocese has to face is the care of our Maori brethren. As everyone knows, there is a large population of that people in our midst, and what perhaps everyone does not know, very little is being done at present bv the Church for their spiritual welfare.” MAYORAL RECEPTION A reception was •-* * the Synod members by the Mayor, Mr. G. R. Fow, this morning, after they had been the guests of the Bishop at breakfast. The Synod will be in session the whole week.