HOLY CROSS CHURCH

Evening Star, Issue 18253, 18 April 1923, Page 1

HOLY CROSS CHURCH

The sixth annual meeting of the parishioners of St. Hilda parish was held last evening, when the vicar (Rev. A. Wingfield) presided over a good attendance.

Upon the motion of Mr H. W. S. Hellyer, seconded by the chairman, the following report was unanimously adopted: —The churchwardens and vestry have to congratulate the parishioners on the financial progress that has been made since the inception of the parish. They are pleased to be able to state that the church and all property connected therewith is free of debt, and we have assets valued at a low estimate at £2,800. The total receipts from all sources were slightly over £9OO, being about £IOO less than the previous year, while our expenditure, more especially in regard to diocesan dues, was heavier. We have a credit balance in the bank of £l2O, but this is earmarked for the, building and organ funds. Following the precedent of previous years, several successful social gatherings were held, which not only were the means of bringing tho parishioners together, but from the receipts thereof we were able to place to the credit of the organ fund over £lO. It now remains for the parishioners to decide what steps should be taken for the improvement and progress of the parish, and we hope, the matter will be fully discussed at the annual meeting. All special appeals during last year have been liberally responded to by the parishioners, and the churchwardens take this opportunity of thanking them. We regret that Mr Frank Kettle has resigned tho position of hon. organist after over nine years’ faithful service. The matter of appointing his successor lias not yet been decided. The stipend fund is one of our principal sources of revenue, and we hope that any parishioners whose names are not on any collector’s list will kindly communicate with cither of the churchwardens or any member of the vestry, who will lie pleased to make arrangements to have them called on. We regret to have to record the deaths of a number of the older parishioners and early workers, and in this connection we cannot pass over the name of Mrs Sims. Thanks, as usual, are due to our many workers in all branches of the church’s activities. The vicar, in his annual letter accompanying the report stated; “The bishop of the diocese visited us for confirmation on the occasion of our dedication festival, and confirmed twenty-nine candidates at Holy Cross. Another candidate was confirmed in a distant parish, making in all thirty candidates. There were forty-eight baptisms. six marriages, and twenty-seven burials during the year. There were ninety-six celebrations of the holy communion and 3,091 communicated in the parish church. Besides the above there ■was a largo number of private communions.”

The following officials were elected for the ensuing year:—Vicar’s churchwarden, Mr D. Harris Hastings; peoples’ warden, Mr H. W. S. Hellyer; vestry—Major R. V. G. Parker, Messrs H. Clark, M. Scott, W. Dunning, M. Priest, R. J. Priest, R. Salter, C. Oaten, C. Halliday, W. Pallar; hon. auditor, Mr E. V. Broad. The vicar and Mr Hellyer spoke of the good work that had been done by one and all since St. Kilda had been a separate district, and referred especially to the church workers; and votes of thanks were accorded to the lay readers, the choirmaster and choir, Sunday school teachers, members of the guilds, the stipend fund collectors, and others who rendered valuable services during the past year. On the motion of Mr Jacobsen, _ the Organ Committee, consisting of, the vicar, the churchwardens, the choirmaster (Mr W. Fracr), and the mover, was set up again.