No Signs of Discord Put Before Bishop

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 396, 3 July 1928, Page 8

No Signs of Discord Put Before Bishop

WAIKATO DIOCESE HIS LORDSHIP'S REVIEW (From Our Ou'n Correspondent J HAMILTON. Tuesday. ‘•There has been a great deal of talk and a wonderful amount of newspaper correspondence on the so-called dissension in the diocese,” said Bishop Cherrington in his charge to the Diocesan Synod which opened this morning. “None of the clergy of the diocese lias officially been before me in matters in which they are at variance with their parishioners, nor has any vestry appealed to me against the decision of its vicar. There has been no dissension with regard to any instruction or episcopal order that I may be supposed to have given to any parish, foi I have had not had occasion to give any.” The bishop then dealt with the great progress made in various parishes in the diocese. Referring to the cathedral parish, about which so much has been said, he said: “Three clergy have been maintained here without any special financial effort and .£2OO has been raised for land for a new church building. Evidence of definite spiritual advance has been marked by a large increase in communicants made possible by the maintenarce of an adequate staff. “No change in the use of ritual has been made during my episcopate.” he continued. “When Canon Strong accepted the deanery I asked him if he would be willing to adopt the custom of celebrating Holy Communion as the chief service on Lord’s Day and he agreed. When the present dean was offered the position of head of tHe cathedral parish it was with the wish on my part that the use of vestments at Holy Communion and the celebration of Holy Communion, as the chief service on Sunday, should be maintained. “It is with his concurrence that I state that there is no intention of departing from the details of worship so ably worked for by the Archdeacon of Waikato, Yen. E. M. Cowie, for 19 years.”