PLAGE OF THE CATHEDRAL

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22244, 8 November 1937, Page 10

PLAGE OF THE CATHEDRAL

Mother Church Of Diocese

PLEA BY THE REV. OTHO FITZGERALD A plea that the Cathedral should be made the centre of all church activity, recapturing its rightful place as the Mother Church of the diocese, was made by the Rev. Otho FitzGerald in the sermon at evensong in the Cathedral last night. The parishes in the diocese should regard the Cathedral as the focal point of their work, he said, and he also suggested that more should be done to attract 'those people who did not go to church. At a meeting of the Friends of the Cathedral held last Thursday evening, said Mr FitzGerald, Dean Julius had emphasised that the Cathedral existed not only for its own services, "but also as the Mother Church for the people of all the parishes of the diocese. There was no reason why the members of various parishes should not centralise some of their activities in the Cathedral. He suggested that, for instance, the Cathedral might be the centre of the diocesan foreign mission work. "It might be very difficult at first and need a lot of patience," he added, "but a great deal of the Church's trouble at the present time is that its people acquiesce in things as they are." It was a sad thing to see children leaving their homes, and it was also sad to see the various parishes leaving the Mother Church, which should be the centre of diocesan activity. "I am not one of those people who object to picture shows; but for six nights a week the theatres in the Square are lit with attractive signs, while the Mother Church is in darkness,"' he said. "J don't say that we should counteract this; but we should give the people an opportunity on some of those nights of something higher and more lasting than picture shows." . . At one time open-air services had been held in the Cathedral grounds each Friday night, Mr FitzGerald added, suggesting that it might be possible to do something of a like nature again. Even if there were about even chances of failure as of success in such a venture, it should always be remembered that success was not the only thing in the world, and he hoped that the Cathedral authorities would make the present festival of All Saints a stepping-off stone for some great effort. "Very little has been done to reach those people who are not church-goers," Mr FitzGerald continued, and urged that something should be done, even if at first it should meet with apathy, indifference, or even ridicule.