ANGLICAN CHURCH.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXII, Issue LXXII, 12 October 1916, Page 8

ANGLICAN CHURCH.

ST. MARY'S SUNDAY SCHOOL

/ U: On Wednesday afternoon the service h and ceremony of laying the foundation g stone of the new brick school which is | being erected was held. On account of p th.© inclement weather the service took j place mainly in the church, t?he formal c dedication and the Benediction only be- t ing pronounced at the site of the < school. ■:,■■•: Yen Archdeacon Reeve, of Wanga- t nui and Waitotara, was assisted in th.c j ] Bervice by Rev. N. Barnett (Patea) ?rid j] Bey. G. W. Dent (Eltham). Tnere were ; -also present, besides the^icar (Rev. C. . H. Grant Cowen), Revs. A, T. B. Page ' <Manaia), -F.G. Hands (Wavedey),- and : O. M. Stent (Opunake). The exterior of the building is or : pressed red brick, with white _ struck joints, designed in keeping with the present church. The ground area has a depth of 90 feet, with a frontage to Collins street of 58 feet. Entering from Collins street there will be a vestibule 16ft x 15ft, with class rooms and.lavatories on either side, 20ft x 9ft each. .The hall will be 60ft x 35ft, and will | _aye a platform at the end, 35ft x 12ft.. | On either side of the main hall there ' will'be twelve class room 6, about 14ft x 10ft, which will be connected by folding doors, one with the other, so that . either side may be formed into one , large room. A kitchen will be provided J with all appurtenances. A well lighted and ventilated, and lofty ceiling will i be in the main hall, while the fire exits will be amply provided for. The inside of the building will be finished in oiled heart of rimu. The architect is Mr J. A. Duffill, A.N.Z.1.A., *-id the contractor, Mr J. W. Alderton. of Wanganui. The inscription on the stone reads as follows:—"To the glory- of God, this stone was laid by the Rev. H. Reeve, MA., Archdeacon of Waitotara, on October 11th, 1916."-C.H. Grant Cowen, vicar'; W. Graham and E. B. , Bates, churchwardens. . j An interesting address was given by Archdeacon Reeve. He said that this gathering had assembled to ask God s blessing at the ceremony of the laying of the foundation "tone of Hhe new fechool. He considered it a inivilege.to take part in the service, which typified an undertaking tnat would be a blessing to God's little ones in the world and especially in this town of Hawera. In connection with the actual ceremony ot stone laying, he gave some interesting historical facts on the subject, showing that.', centuries ago two were generally laid/ while in the case of Salisbury Cathedral, commenced m 1220, there were stones laid for several church dig- . nitaries. The custom in yogue now was more in accord with Christ's teaching of one corner stone, laid m the faith of Jesus Christ and in the name ot the blessed Trinity. The laying of this stone, he said, .was of great and farreaching importance, to- Hawera. It made people think of the noble band ot ■teachers who give up Sunday afternoons to teach the young, and- also of the ' splendid work of these devoted men and women. It is possible, said the preacher, that' this school may be used as a church school because Synod had , resolved to see if something could be done in starting these schools.. What is there, he added, so important as training children in religion, which should be a normal part of a child's education ' instead of an extra? The religious ' training in the faith pf Christ goes to the formation of character and to. making our little ones "sweet and ta-ue and pure-minded." This question was never of greater importance than at the present time. Parents nrist be most careful in this resp.ect. It is felt that the nation is on trial, and therefore it is increasingly important that children's training should be founded on true religion,' 'in order that the nation may • become sound and Godfearing. The war is dreadful, God knows, but it has given an unparalleled opportunity for national service and has. brought out all that is best in men and women. All •, must pray that the r people may see the necessity of turning to the true religion. The far-reaching effect of the new school in enabling the teachers to keep hold of the children cannot be rightly estimated. The .erection of the school shows that the people have at heart the deepest interests of th e children. Everyone must! be prepared to ' make a sacrifice for this great cause, and must pray always and earnestly, leading to solid progress and to the attaining of great results. May the building, he said in conclusion, be a blessing to the people and tbe district,' and ir ake the children full of earnestness and personal devotion to Christ, the Master. During the service appropriate hymns were sung— ', 'Christ is Our Corner Stone," and "The Church's One Foundation," and "The Call to Arms is Sounding"—and at the conclusion of the ceremony all joined in the National Anthem. Later,on, in the present 11 schoolroom; Archdeacon . Reevei >wid the visiting clergy were welcomed at a small social gathering. ReWeshments were provided by the, ladies. Afterwards the vicar of . St;. Mary's expressed the pleasure all felt at having the opportunity of meeting the Archdeacon and:Mrs-Reeve. B_. read apologies from the Bishop of Wellington, -Archdeacon:' Fancourt, Revs. W..F. Stent and J. C. Davies, former curates, and from several other neigh- .. boring^clergy: ftHe^thanked the ladies for their kindness in arranging the refreshments. He then made special reference , to. his; Worship the. Mayor,: who with Mrs Dixon, was (present, and to the generous assistance given' by him in enabling the church to secure the freehold of the school site. He eulogised the .work of the builder (Mr J. W. Alderton) and the architect (Mr J. A. Duffill), who were both unsparing in their efforts to make the new school a work of which any £6wn might be proud. Mr Dixon briefly : replied, congratu- / iating the church people ,'om their faith and their enterprise, and expressing the hope that the vicar wouM have the .assistance of an ever-increasing number of young men and young women in this great and self-denying work of teaching the young, the truths, of scripture >' and SO; helping to mould, and strengthen the character of the coming generations.;. Archdeacon Reeve happily expressed the pleasure felt by himself and the other clergy at the cordial welcome -accorded them and the privilege they "valued of being permitted to take part in the ceremony. He thanked the builder and the architect for, th© handeome little silver trowel which they had presented to him, and assured them itwould ever be highly treasured. / THE CASSELL MEMORIAL REREDOS. In the-evening the beautiful altar and, reredos erected by friends as a memorial to the late Archdeacon Cas-! sell, Archdeacon of Waitotara and for fseven years vicar of the parish, were formally dedicated by Archdeacon Reeve. Thei*e. was a good congregation, considering the adverse wea+her conditions, a full choir, cud visiting clergy, as at the afternoon ceremony. The choir, lay readers, and clergy inarched in procession fro^n the vestry singing a processional. Part of evensong "vas taken by Rev. A. T. B. Page, the re-

poases being choral. The lessons were cad by Revs. F. G. Hands and 0. M. Stent. The service was fully choral. ?he canticles were sung to the setting >y Bunnett, and the.anthem "Wna. ire- these?" was sung by the choir, Vlrs King being at the organ. The ivmns were "Thy hand, 0 God, has guided," "Thou, who at Thy first Eucharist," and "Peace, perfect peace." Archdeacon Reeve then solemnly dedicated the altar and reredos "In the faith of Jesus Christ, to the glory of God, and in memory of His servant, James Robert "Cassell, M.A., of St. John's, Cambridge, in the natiie of the Father, and of the Son, and ,of the Holy Ghost." He afterwards preached a striking sermon on the words of Exodus, v.. 24: "As Enoch walked with God." This simple expression, he said, typified the life of a saint living so many centuries ago, and showed how a holy man realised the close presence of God day by day, and actually passed his days in the companionship of God: He might, said the preacher, lose his friends, but witi, God companionship is unbroken right along and in the life that is to be. It typifies the Christian life as shown in the case also of Abraham,. Hezekiah, and Micah, and in the New Testament is expressed so' often by most of the inspired writers. The Christian must be pure in heart. Some serve more by what they are than by what they do. , They get no earthly reward, but they ' leave a sweet memory to their friends, iso that many realise only when they ! have gone what they have lost: Everyone should try so 'to live as to leave ! this good impression behind. All are caalled to be saints, to walk with God —saints not by ' perfection, but rather by consecration, and all are able to do this. The thoughts turn to the saints1 at rest in the effort to realise the mighty host-^-apostles, prophets, martyrs. At this time perchance many are thinking, of sons or brothers who have fallen in the great war. All should pray to be able to so live as to be numbered with the saints. It is a great inspiration. They, are so many —high and low, rich and poor, little children and old men past the allotted !-span. Nearly two years ago one who labored here was called away in the ' prime of ' life and passed to his rest, , to the paradise of the Saints of God. ' He was one who walked with God as he carried out his duties as minister. He had a deep, duty-loving nature. Many will rise and call' him blessed. Many a sick person there will be who remembers his kindness, and sympathy. He went in sure and certain hope of eternal rest. His friends cherish, the memory of a sweet and fragrant life. What more fitting, what more suitable memorial to the life of Archdeacon Cassell could there be than this beautiful yet simple memorial placed in the church, where so many are by faith ■ enabled to realise God and to draw near to him 'to be refreshed and 1 strengthened for the battle of life. ; This reredos and altar are a perpetual ' reminder of one of God's good men, a I devoted priest, a faithful and wise ' friend. "May God grant," he said in '' conclusion, ''that heavenly faith will * be always yours and make you certain [ of salvation, and may you always walk 'in this life so that you may finally L come into the Kingdom of God-" _ter the pronouncing of the Benei diction, the National Anthem was sung 3 by the congregation.