COMBINED PARISH SERVICE.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume LIII, Issue 5531, 24 September 1929, Page 4

COMBINED PARISH SERVICE.

A -LARGE GATHERING AT ST. PEfIIEIR'S CHURCH.

BISHOP WEST4WIAOISOIN CONDUCTS CONFIRMATION SERVICE.

On Sunday one of the largest gatherings' of parishioners which has ( been held' at St. Peter's Church took place when Bishop West-Watson ] visited Akaroa, and conducted a con- ] firmation service when thirty-two , candidates were presented for con- , firmation. BISHOP'S AODRIESS. In his address to the candidates Bishop .West-Watson stressed the promise of goodwill from. 'God in the Confirmation service. He referred to the 'baptismal service where God's goodwill was asked for the infant by . the godparents andi said that that request was asked direct in the laying- on of hands 1 that the candidates should receive the favour and blessing of God. He! said l that later in life they might often be inclined to doubt whether there was a Divine Presence guiding them' when they were surrounded by misfortuness and nothing seemed to go right. He asked themi to hold to the faith' that they had God's favour and blessing if they only asked .by prayer for these great gifts. He asked them to learn the prayer pronounced in the Laying on of hands putting i't in ihe first person and asking direct from' God for his favour and goodwill. LIST OP CANDIDATES. J The following is the list of candidates :— Edward Armstrong Henry Wright 'Sydney Langrope Louis 'Phillips John Wright Max Gilbert Vernon Armstrong Rex Davis William) Hen wing Gerald 1 Jacobs on Denis Jacdbson John Wright Thomas Wright Tobin Hartley Stanley Wright Ida Phillips The Ima Mickle Joan Mase'field' Mary Henning Rulby Hay ward Gladys Hayward • Audrey Haley Patricia Bucklancl Wih-ifred Innes 1 Freda D ! avis Avr.il Kearney Marjorie Hay lock Ena Woodill Dora Wright Joan Wriight 'Florence Hopkins Beatrice Hopkins PAIRIISH GATHERING. 'Combined with) the Confirmation ceremony was the third annual gathering of parishioners to take part m their annual Parish Service and from all over the Parish church people assembled. St. Peter's church was well taxed to accommodate so large a congregation consisting of about 250 persons. Added! interest to this year's; servfce was the presence of as many living past vicars of the Parish as were able to be present. In seniority in thfe respect parishioners were able to meet and' welcome the Rev. Jasper Smyth, who at the ripe age of 90 yeara was able to attend and with his successor IRev A. H. Julius, who retired some years ago from active service .in the 'Church, and both took Communion 1 and attended the Parish luncheon later. Rev. A. ,C. Purchas, who left Akaroa about a year ago to take up his Parish in Lyttelton was also present and renewed hi's acquaintance with his many Akaroa friends;

PARISH LUNCHEON,

After the service a luncheon was held in the Parish Hall when a very large numflber of parishioners attended and the Akairoai parishioners entertained their visitors from the outside Bays. A nice cold luncheon was provided, arranged l for by Mrs Wilson

and the Aka'roa parishioners, The vicar, Rev. C. L. Wilson at the conclusion of the luncheon welcomed Bishop West-Watson and Mrs WestWatson among l them and said His Lordship had! Ibeen very considerate in agreeing to the alteration fcr the time of Confirmation from 3 p.m. to 11 a.m. as this 'had enaibled them to combine the (Confirmation service with the combined Parish service. He also appreciated very much a message fromi Rev. J. C. MtiCaw, wishing' therm a successful service and gathering' on behalf of the Presbyterian townspeople. They had with them thait day as many of the past living Vicars of the Parish as cculdi possibly attend. Bishop Sedgwick had sent his apology and though only vicar for a short term asked to ,be remembered to all those who remembered him. He found it impossible to attend. Rev. Jasper Snv/th, who was vicar of Akaroa from '1893 to 190S was present and they were all very pleased to see him and! many of his old parishioners had welcomed him. Mr Juilius and Mrs Julius they had had always with them and Mr Julius was still rendering good service l to the Church and had assisted hrm greatly. 'Rev. A. C. Purchas had found it possible to attend and hadi put himself out considerably to 'be present. He was only sorry Mrsi Purchas could not also come with him. The kind assistance Mr W. H. Taylor had given in bringing Mr iPurchas over in his car had made this possible. Bishop West Watson in replying to the welcome of the Vicar said how greatly the service and subsequent gathering had impressed- him and he was sure such a service gave strength, unity and encouragement to all 1 the Church people in the Parish., He hoped to tell the story of this central meeting to others, where he hoped) the example would be followed with the same success. He was grateful to iMr Wilson for the great welcome given to iMrs West Watson and himself by all present and ever since he came to New Zealand' that sa,iri3 welcome had been extended to them. When be went to Cumberland he was told they .would) "winter" and "summer" him and "winter" him again if they liked him,. It was very different in New Zealand'. The spirit here was extraordinary and they had met with kindness and they were grateful fcr i't. He was very interested in" the: history of Akaroa and the great spirit of Commodore Lavaud, the French leadter of that expedition: Here the two national streams, French and English, had mingled. Akaroa was a jewel in a very wonderful setting and the people had the life and spirit which corresponded with its wonderful beauty. He knew a day like this would' help them to become nearer to one another and form an important part of the : Diocese. If, as Mr Julius had suggested, a tunnel were made through) the l hills to French Farm as an outlet for Christchurch, Akaroa might yet be' an important place. In conclusion His Lordship extended l a welcome to his church people to visit him at Bishopcourt where he would' always be [pleased to meet them. (Applause).

Kiev. Jasper Smyth, who is 90 years of age and looks remarikalbly fit and well, expressed his great pleasure at "being present and: said he: saw. many new faces and) missed many whohad gone since he wasi Vicar of the Parish 37 years ago. When he was in charge of the Parish' he attended to his pastoral duties by means of a horse or in his Li'ttle boat and) during his 111 years ministry on only two occasions he 'had been half an hour late. That was before the time of launches and motor cars and flying machines would probaibly be the next thing. Akaroa had )been called "Sleepy Hollow," but' he assured' his listeners that many improvements had been made since he was in Akaroa Besides the new puibli'c buildings erected' the ratepayers had installed drainage and water works, electric lighting, baths, a butter factory and a very finei War Memorial 1 which was a credit to any town. He concluded by thanking all for the warm welcome extended to him.

Rev. A. 'H. Julius- spoke of Akaroa and when 1 he first arrived 26 years ago. He said the gathering- they hadi had that day and the two previous years was Mr Purchas' idea and he deserved credit for such a splendid ideat Such gatherings convinced one

of the meaning of the great Church j they all belonged' to and helped them to see the great possibilities of the corporate .body which extended far beyond' their own domains. Rev. *A. €. Purchas 1 congratulated 'Mr Wilson upon the splendid manner in which he had organised! the service whiiich was feeing held for the third time. He had got part of the Peninsula ini his new Parish and was very glad l to be back among the parishioners they had spent four happy years with. Like Akaroa, Lyttelton went back to the early days of Canterbury's settlement and if anything Lyttelton was more conservative. It was a great thing to meet together once a year fromi all parts of the Parish and' to realize they were members of one great Church. Mr W. W. Williams expressed his pleasure at being present and at seeing so many' of the former Vicars of the Parish present.

Scotland Yard's "Black Museum"

is a sinister place. Here are preserved many things associated with great crimes and notorious criminals. Amongst them is a battered oLd 1 briar pipe, once the property of Charles Peace, of infamous memory. He smoked this pipe the night before his execution. Mighty is the power of the weed! It can bring something of comfort and of solace to even the desperate criiminail during hi,s last hours upon earth —or so they will tell you. Injurious? Not if the quality is righrt. The tobaccos manufactured by the National' Tobacco Co., Ltd., are the purest of all. Unlike other brands they contain hardly any nicotine, and are therefore quite harmless—a point of importance to constant smoke'ris. They owe their comparative freedom from nicotine to the toasting of the leaf. This is an elaborate process, the secret of the National Tobacco Co., (the pioneers of the tobacco industry in New Zealand). Ask for Riverhead Gold (mild), Cavendish (medium), Navy Cut (medium), or Cut Plug No. 10 (full strength). 23