MEMORIAL CHURCH AT HORORATA.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13651, 7 February 1910, Page 8

MEMORIAL CHURCH AT HORORATA.

LAYING THE FOUNDATION STONE. At Hororata on Saturday the foundation stone of St. John's Hororata Memorial Church was laid by Bishop Julius in the presence of a large and representative gathering of the parishioners. There were also present Archdeacon Ensor, the Rev. E. N. B'akiston (vicar ox Hororata), arid members of thc late Sir John Hall's family.

Mr Wilfred Hall, before asking his Lordship to perform the ceremony, said that he desired to tell them regarding the occasion on which they were met. They knew that for years they had a little church which was possibly quite sufficient for all their requirements, but it was not so beautiful or dignified as they would like to have it. He often heara his mother, during her lifetime, express her intention of leaving in her will a sum of money for the purpose ol raising tho old church, but she did not do so; he did not- know why,, but he supposed that his father advised her not to do so, as he himself intended doing soinetlung of the sort. The late Sir John Hall did not do so during his lifetime, but in his will he made provision for a sum of £10,000 being available for the purpose of building a church in stone or brick, and h vicarage in wood. Mr Hall then asked the Bishop to lay the foundation stone.

Bishop Julius, having performed the ceremony, addressed the gathering. He said that one thing lacking in New Zealand was the absence- of historic associations. There were beautiful scenery and beaitiful places, but no liistoric associations; the country was too young for such to have developed. In England, on the other band, almost every spot had its historic associations. In New Zealand they were ju3t beginning to have such associations; there were buildings and suchlike being raised in memory of events and of individuals which were going towards creating an historic atmosphere. The late Sir John Hall, a man with a statesmanlike mind, was probably led to think of the lack of that'atmosphere as well as of tbe need of the church when he left funds to build a church at Hororata—a church that would last not for a brief space of time but for centuries. There was a danger, his Lordship continued, lest bequests such as these should do some harm and lead the people to lie back and say: This is all done for us, and we need not do anything. But by thinking so they missed tbe main benefit of Sir John Hall's work, which was example. Though Sir John had endowed the building of the church and vicarage, and had endowed the living to a certain extent, yet there was plenty for them to do, and if their own parish did not absolutely need it, there were others outside of it that required assistance. His Lordship exhorted them to follow the examoleof the late Sir John Hall, and dedicate part of their substance to the work of God.

Archdeacon Ensor was introduced by the Bishop as the Archdeacon of Akaroa on the occasion of his first official visit to Hororata. Archdeacon Ensor, in a brief address, remarked that in his mind there were associations with Hororata, as twenty-eight years ago he had visited the township, and had then met the late Sir John Hall. It was a matter for congratulation that the day's ceremony had taken place before the departure for England of Mrs J. Cracroft Wilson.

During the proceedings an order of service was gone through, and several Psalms and hymns were sung, and prayers were said. At the conclusion of the ceremony and service, those oresent partook of afternoon tea on the lawn at the vicara_e. Tlie new church is to be built of stone from Glentunnel, and the interior will be lined with Oamaru stone.