ANNUAL FESTIVAL—ST. PETER'S, AKAROA.

Globe, Volume I, Issue 41, 17 July 1874, Page 2

ANNUAL FESTIVAL—ST. PETER'S, AKAROA.

The second annual festival of this parish was held on St. Peter’s Day. It was originally intended that the church gathering should have taken place on Tuesday, the 30th June; but the Town Hall, in which the meeting was to have been held, having been pre-engaged for an entertainment, it was found necessary to postpone the tea and church meeting for a week. The festival services were held, as announced, on St. Peter’s Day, and consisted of matins at 10 30 a.m., and choral evensong at 7. The church was decorated for the latter service, two illuminated texts, “ Alclulia,” being placed on each side of the altar. A most beautiful lectern fall, lately received from England, was used for the first time. The design is an Agnus Dei and book, with seven seals worked in colors upon a ground of crimson velvet ; two handsome white banners, with ecclesiastical devices in scarlet, were hung on each side of the chancel arch ; the font was filled with mosses, inlaid with a cross of the bright blossoms of the gorse, and edged with ferns ; this was very effective. The prayers were said to Barnhy’s monotone service in F, with harmonised organ accompaniments to the responses; the Psalms and Canticles chanted to Gregorian tones. The entire service was taken by the rev incumbent, Mr Wiggins presiding at the organ. On Tuesday last the annual tea and public meeting was held in the Town Hall, which was hung with banners and a collection of tracings from old stained windows and rubbings from ancient brasses. The tables were supplied by the following ladies : Mesdamcs Aylmer, Cooper, S. Watkins, Funnell, Wagstaff, Roberts, Garwood, R. Noonan, Newton, and Kearney, and in the memory of the oldest inhabitant there had never before, in Akaroa, been tables so tastefully laid out and plentifully provided, not only with necessaries, but with delicacies that would have tempted the most fastidious appetite. When the tea was finished and the tables cleared, the chair was taken by the Rev W. H. Cooper, incumbent, who apologised for the absence of the Revs W. E. Paige and F, Pember, who were prevented from being present in consequence of the postponement of the meeting. Mr E. S. Bell having played the “ March of the Silver Trumpets,” The Rev Mr Cooper then addressed the meeting. He said—That in looking back over the first year he had spent amongst them he felt there was a great deal to feel thankful to the great head of the church for. Almost all the organizations which had been set on foot in the parish had been fairly successful; he would not say that things were at all what he would wish, or what he hoped they would be, still there was much to encourage those who took an interest in the work of the church in the district. He would briefly refer to the general parochial work of the past year ; first, he would speak of the services in St Peter’s Church, and throughout the district. On Sundays there are regularly held in the mother church two services, and on alternate Sundays in addition an early celebration at 8.30 a.m., so that the parishioners have the privilege of weekly communion. The congregations during the year have averaged 120, and he believed this to be a much larger number, in proportion to the population, than attend any other church in the diocese, but he could not but regret that the congregation was larger at evensong than in the morning. After referring to the arrangements made for the morning service, he congratulated them on the manner in which the special seasons of the church’s year has been observed. The valuable help given by Mr Wiggins’ as lay reader, enabled him to give services every Sunday in Robinson’s Bay, and by the appointment of another lay reader he hoped soon to have weekly services at the Head of the Bay instead of fortnightly as at present. In the latter place much interest was now being taken in church work and a subscription was being entered into, to add a chancel, furnish and provide seats, for St Mary’s church. The Sunday schools, of which there were three in connection with church, were in a very satisfactory condition, there were on the rolls : St Peter’s school, 110 children ; Robinson’s Bay, 32 ; and Head of the Bay, 51 ; making a total of 183 on the books'; these children were taught by 16 teachers. In addition to the Sunday school teaching, he had up to the last few weeks given the children of those parents who desired it, religious instruction on Thursdays in the church ; the local school committee had lately rescinded the permission given him twelve months ago, he believed this was done through a misapprehension, under the impression that some parents objected to have the time for secular instruction entrenched on. The parochial fund continued to act most satisfactorily ; he hoped the time would come when it would not bo necessary to send round any reminders at the cud of each quarter, but when the people would all recognise the true principle of giving, and without any application adopt the usage of the Primitive church. After referring at some length to the habit some people had of withdrawing their offerings if they were displeased with any act of the incumbent, and announcing his intention of acting in the way he believed to be right, he concluded his address by saying that at the close of his first year’s ministry, although there were a few persons who systematically opposed him, he was thankful to say that he had the confidence and good wishes of every person in the parish whoso esteem was worth having. During the next year he hoped that greater zeal would be shown by all in the welfare of the church; that as far as possible petty differences would be forgotten, so that they might all, with one heart and one mind, seek to glorify God. [Applause.] The anthem, “ The Lord is my shepherd was then sung. The Rev D. O. Hampton read a paper on the “ Religious Instruction of the Young.” The anthem “The Lord is great” was very well sung. Mrs Townsend sang “Consider the lilies of .the field,” and the first part of the programme was concluded by the Rev Mr

Cooper calling for a warm vote of thanks to the ladies who had so handsomely furnished the tables, and to the ladies and gentlemen who had assisted in the vocal and instrumental pieces during the evening. After a short interval several pieces of secular music were admirably rendered : the quartette, “ Sweet and low,” a solo, “ Whoa the thorn is white with blossom,” a song by Mr Boileau, “ The sexton,” which was loudly encored ; a duct by the Misses Dicken and and A. Roberts, and a very brilliantly-played solo by MrsK. S. Bell. The attendance was very large, and much satisfaction was expressed at the pleasant evening spent. Mr Wiggins acted as conductor, and the accompaniments were played by Mrs Bell. At the conclusion of the second part God save the Queen was sung.