ECCLESIASTICAL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 153, 29 June 1903, Page 3

ECCLESIASTICAL.

ORDINATION AT ST. MARY'S CATHEDRAL.

Yesterday morning at St. Mary's Cathedral, Parnell, the Bishop of Auckland (the Right Rev. Dr. Neligan) held an ordination service, at which the Rev. H. L. Snow (of Waitekauri) and the Rev. Wiremu Keretene (of Orakei) were admitted to the order of priests. There was a very large congregation. The following clergy .assisted the Bishop in the service—Archdeacon Calder, Canon Macmurray, the Revs. J. K. Davis, H. A. Hawkins and J. T. McWilliam. Canon Mac Murray preached an impressive sermon on Acts xx., 28, in which he declared that in a very true and real sense every member of the congregation took part in the service. He compared the petty ideals which many people held nowadays with St. Paul's lofty conception of the church as a divine society, established by Christ, to bring in guilty humanity and cleanse them from their sins. The duty of the clergy was to feed the Church of Christ, to be messengers, watchmen and stewards of the Lord, and the office was a high and sacred one. He called upon the congregation to realise their privileges as members of the Church. After the sermon Archdeacon Calder presented the candidates to the Bishop, who addressed the people in the prescribed form. Canon Mac Murray sang the Litany. After part of the Communion service had been read the Bishop read the address to the candidates, after which the prescribed questions were put and answered. Then followed the hymn, "Come Holy Ghost Our Souls Inspire," and another prayer for the candidates, after which the Bishop, with the priests present, laid their hands on the heads of those who were receiving the order of priesthood, the Bishop pronouncing the solemn words of ordination as ordered in the rubric. . A Bible was then delivered to each candidate, and the Nicene Creed was sung, followed by the remainder of the Communion service, the Bishop being the celebrant.