A TARANAKI BISHOPRIC.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 214, 15 October 1909, Page 4

A TARANAKI BISHOPRIC.

ST. .MARY'S AS A CATHEDRAL. | ARCHDEACON WALSH'S ADVOCACY (By Telegraph.—Special to "News'-, Auckland, Last Night. Speaking to his inuliuu re the formation of n Tarnmiki Diocese of Unchurch of England at the Anglican Synod yesterday, Archdeacon Walsh

said that he had an intimate and friendly interest in Taranaki and its people, amongst whom he had bad 'his earliest ] experiences in New Zealand. He knew the people to be warmhearted and keen m the mutter of the English Church, an.l this proposal appealed strongly to their local patriotism. Taranaki 'Anglicans had always been loyal to the churc i, and during the year that had gone | they had -.prcad widely their religious I ministration to the people. The area proposed for the new diocese was practically the same as that of Taranaki province, with additions from the adjoining district-', which were in the diocese of Wellington ami Auckland. It involved a very large area, with a c..-, line extending from Waitotaia to m-.ir Kawhia, probably nearly 2011 miles and perhaps extending inland 40 miles, lb" population of the area was about 32,01111. ami is rapidly increasing. There were in Taranaki 2:i church buildings, including Si. Marv's Church. Xew I*l viiiouth. This .historic stone church was well worthy of being created a cat. iedral, and it compared more than favourably with any of the cathedrals o( tie other dioceses, as it was a church uisii|iio ill its' historic associations, and no church in any district of the Dominion was more dear to its people, more rich in tradition, or more venerable in its appearance. When the new additions contemplated as a Govctl memorial were completed the beautiful church would bo a worthy centre of the proposed diocese. If justilicalio i I \vc re needed for the proposal, the fuel ''•••I the -whole district hail been pecnli .riy self contained since its beginning

and was by its situation isolated in 'i way from both the Auckland and Wellington diocese centres were more than enough. It had been active in 'ts' chinch life in a very special way. It had a wealth of tradition, wrapping up its people with one another's interests, more than any other district. It was richer than most colonial districts n parochial endowments, and in every ■way it seemed fitted 'by nature and circumstance to be as independent and self-contained as a diocese should he. (Jr.'te -pari from the desire of those who were seeking to accomplish the segregation of Taranaki, it would be an advantage to the Auckland dioces", because the working of this part of the 'diocese- from Aulckland was attend" 1 at present with great difficulty and waste of time and money, and the growing needs of the larger northern part of the diocese. This was by no means a new scheme, for it had been in the. minds of the Taranaki people for some, years. The Taranaki clergy had discussed the matter some time ago, and a scheme was brought forward by which an endowment could lie raised. Sin-'O then, chiefly through the instrumentality of Archdeacon Cole, a commencement was made towards the raising of an endowment fund, which now stood, he believed, at nearly £4OO. Of course there would naturally hare to be a division of the family inheritance of endowments of Auckland and Wellington, lint the synod need not fear that the people of Taranaki would fail to recognise the responsibility which the separation would involve. The Taranaki people had shown bv their actions in the past, as in the case of the Recreation grounds, the most beautiful i'. all the Dominion, that they did not wait for rich people to die or t" make them gifls. but thev went about it Uicmsclves. He believed that the proposal would meet with Ihe warmest approva' and support of the church members throughout Taranaki. and he therefore had much pleasure in moving the resolution. As was reported vclerdav. the, motion, was carried unanimously.