DISTRICT MEMORIAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 August 1938, Page 5

DISTRICT MEMORIAL

PROPOSED WELLINGTON CATHEDRAL EARNEST APPEALS FOR SUPPORT. MEETING IN MASTERTON LAST NIGHT. Earnest appeals in support of the Wellington Anglican Cathedral Fund •were made in the Opera House as night by the Bishop of Wellington, the Rt Rev H. St Barbe Holland, the Mayor, Mr T. Jordan, and Mr C. M. Bowden, representing the Wellington Citizens’ Committee. Stressing the need for a Cathedral in Wellington, the Bishop said: “Frankly, I am ashamed of the Anglican Church in Wellington” and he went on to say that M W. Howard Booth, of Carterton, had promised to give £5OO to the Cathedral Fund. , Mr Jordan occupied the chair and there was a fairly large attendance of the public. Mr Jordan commended the Cathedral project as a fitting and significant; memorial of the close of he first lot years of the history o Dominion. The Cathedral project was of more than local or sectarian signficance. A representative committee had been set up in Wellington all deciding to unite, irrespective of class or creed and to build in the capital city a Cathedral which would be a beacon light and would mark the beginning of a new chapter in the: brotherhood of man in the Dominion. M Jordan said he felt sure that Masterton would not lag behind in supporting the proposal. Referring to the sug gested provincial centennial memorials Mr Jordan said he felt sure tha Wellington Provincial Centennial Committee, of which he was a member would unanimously support th Anglican Cathedral project. Mr Bowden said the fact that e - lington city had no Cathedral was a reproach that should be removed and would, he felt'sure, be remove 1 ini the near future. A proposal to build a Cathedral in Wellington. had I been talked of 50 years ago, while 20 years ago determined efforts were made in +1 ?„ t direction. For various reasons, however, the proposals did not come to fruition. A definite effort was now being made to raise £300,000 for the Cathedral and the Bishop’s Fighting Fund. The proposed Cathedral wou be stately in conception and would ap propriate to the dignity and magnificence of Wellington. Other churche had given the scheme their unqualified support and the enthusiasm with which the proposal had been received was amazing. The Cathedral would not be for Wellington alone, but would belong to the whole Wellington Diocese and would be a tribute to ' °* our forefathers and a pledge to future g6 The a ßishop. expressed his gratitude to Mr Jordan for creating such a favourable atmosphere for the appeal ’ n the Wairarapa. He fully realised continued the Bishop, that the Cathedral project was the most audacious thing that had been launched m the history of the church in New Zealand, o average New Zealander, the church meant nothing today and taken as a whole, the idea in the world today was that the. Christian Church had lost its power and had no answer to the challenges that were being made by the forces of evil. If they were going to create a new atmosphere for the generations to come in New Zealand they would have to believe that the church was on the attack and that it had recovered its initiative. In these critical days the solidity and initiative of the church were being fully tested. To his mind the church was just carrying on pathetically, lacking in force, and it was his job to try and . bring home to all sections of the community the true spirit of Christ. If the church did not measure up to its job at the moment it was damned. ’ , , “We of the church,” he added, have got to pull together, apart altogether from going to church once a month and giving £5 a year to its upkeep. That attitude is preposterous. There is a great challenge'to the church today to be faithful to its origin and to its founder. . “The pioneers left us a glorious - memorial,” continued the Bishop, “but this generation takes it all for granted. It makes me sad to think that the spirit of the pioneers is dead. There is nothing in Wellington today to suggest that the Christian faith has an eternal message to hand on to the nation, nothing to show that the faith of Jesus Christ is the concern of our nation and nothing to show that the church is marching to overcome the powers of evil. Frankly, I am ashamed of the Anglican Church in Wellington and what we have to show for the corporate effort of the nation. It is astounding that New Zealanders do not realise the disgrace of having no Cathedral in the capital city.” The Bishop also made a strong appeal for support of his Fighting Fund for the general assistance and improvement of parishes in the diocese.