CONSECRATION OF ST. MARY'S CHURCH, GERALDINE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1136, 18 August 1883, Page 3

CONSECRATION OF ST. MARY'S CHURCH, GERALDINE.

On Thursday lust, the handsome Church, of St. Mary's Geraldinfl, was consecrate.! by the L>nl Primate of New Zealand.

We hivd already, in our issue of the 10th July last giv«:i a description of the I'uillmg itself. The furn'shiiigs bavo Iraen very faithfully executed. The altnr is a handsome piece of workmanship of a similar design, we have been informed, to that in the convent at limaru. It is raised on a platform tbrefl steps in height. The woolwork is of red pine, the front consisting: of three pmelfi, in the centre of which is a ruse 1 shield on which is a cross, nnd on the shield in the other panela are the Greek letters for Alpha nnd Omega. Above the altar is a handsome reredos, of three panels surmonnt«d in the centre by a small cross of the same material as the altar. The altar rails aie handsomely carved. Ihese, together with the ere lence table, lectern and reading desk are the workmanship of Messrs Henderson Bros., of Timaru, Mr Duval being the architect. Tho teats, also of red pine, are the handicraft 'of the. Dqnedin Iron and Hardware Company,

Too consecration service (in which faia Lordship the Primate was assisted by the Ven Archdeacon Harper, the Revs J. Preston, Incumbent of the parinli ; L. Brady, Otaio ; 0. Ooatef, Waimatc ; Scott, Ashburlon, and T. A." Hamilton, T>mukn), cnmmpncpfl •tlla.m. Tli" Bishop, on arrival at the jmreh, wai received by the abovenamed clergymen, tlio Rt»v J, Preston reading the request of the church-

wardens and vestrymen that he would dedicate the building to the service of Almighty God. To this His Lordship replied that he was ready to] proceed with the consecration. The clergy having filed out in open order, the Bishop followed by the Archdeacon and the clergy wended their way up the aisle repeating the Psalm commencing ' The Earth is the Lord's, etc' Arriving in front of tho altar the clergy] took their seats, the Bishop being seated within the altar rails. He then addressed those present and read the mandate of consecration, stating he would cause it to be duly registered, and deposited amongst the muniments of the diocese. Morning prayer was read by the Rev J. Preston, the special Psalm* being the 84th, 122nd, 132nd. The Rev Mr Scott read the first lesson, and the Rev Mr Coates, the second. The Communion Service hiving been read by the Bishop, and the Archdeacon tho epistle, the former preached a very impressive sermon on the effcacy of prayer, taking as his text the 13th chapter of the Prophet Zachariah, a part of the 10th verse. The offertory at the morning service will be add«d to the Church building fund. Service was also held in the evening at 7 o'clock, the prayers being read by the Rev Mr Scott, and the sermon by the Rev Mr Coates, who chose for his text the 16th and 17th verses of 28th chapter of Genesis, and gave an extempore address bearing on the special services of the day.