Consecration of New Church at Merita Bay

Northland Age, Volume 15, Issue 31, 9 May 1946, Page 1

Consecration of New Church at Merita Bay

■ [From Our Correspondent at Whatuwhiwhi] ™

kotuku rerenga tahi,” a kotuku (or New Zealand stork) whose flight is seen but once. This is used in the old Maori proverb to refer to' a very great stranger. The kotuku, in the shape of the Primate of New Zealand, Archbishop West-Watson, was at Merita Bay last Thursday with a goodly company including the Right Rev. Bishop of Aotearoa, the Right Rev. Bishop of Auckland, the Chancellor of the DioCese, Archdeacon Prebble of Whangarei, and other clergy; Mrs. Simkin (wife of Bishop Simkin), Miss Baker (Sunday School organiser), Colonel Tau Henare, Mr. Graeme Latimer, Rev. P. Tipene, Rev. G. O. Adams, Rev. Kapa, Canon Keretene, Rev. Poata, Rev. Brown. The occasion for this august gathering was the opening of the new church at Merita Bay. This fine building is the result of 35 years’ striving on the part of the local people, and is a very great credit to them as the church is entirely free of debt and was actually built by a local man Mr. Ruki Stevens. In recognition of their splendid effort the Primate decided to consecrate the Church, rather than to dedicate it as is usual with wooden buildings. The consecration of the Church of All Saints was a very impressive ceremony, with all the priests in full regalia. The altar, the font, the chancel and the sanctuary, the holy vessels, the altar book and the service book, were all blessed by the Archbishop. Then the Bishop of Auckland celebrated Holy Communion, assisted by Rev. P. Tipene. The Archbishop preached the first sermon, which was interpreted by Bishop Bennett. The Maoxd Bishop then preached a second sermon in his beautiful mother tongue ; it is not often we hear Maori spoken so well. The procession then left the church in proper order. It was most unfortunate that the bad weather made the roads and marae a quagmire, and the exceptionally high tides prevented the visitors from seeing more of this beautiful peninsula. On Wednesday it was. impossible to get along the beach except at dead-low tide, and the ceremony was postponed till Thursday. Even so the Bishops and their party were obliged to leave Mangonui at 3 a.m. and were transported along the beach at 4 a.m. by Simon Urlich Jnr. in his truck followed by a few of the clergy who risked bringing their own cars. The people had prepared an appropriate welcome, but most of the speeches, etc., had to be omitted.

Nevertheless, the steaming hot breakfast the women had prepared was much appreciated by the visitors. After the ceremony everyone returned to the big marquees where long tables had been set up and tastefully decorated, and where every possible gastronomic delicacy was displayed. While the tasty hangi-cook-ed food was being served for the large crowd the visitors and elders retired to the other marquee where Colonel Tau Henare addressed the Bishops on behalf of the people. He said that the Church was the symbol of the faith of the people, and he felt that the Maori Church is at present at the cross-roads. to assist the Maori people he urged that the Bishop of Aotearoa, Bishop Bennett, should be given the full authority of a Bishop and further facilities for visiting Maori groups. This is impossible under present conditions as the Bishop is more or less confined to the Waiapu. This is his first visit tc Northland for six years, and the Maori people want to see more of their Bishop as only the Maori can really understand the Maori mind. Colonel Henare was also concerned that there are now only eight Maori clergy in this diocese, whereas there used to be 17. He urged that every boy who s really keen on the Ministry as his vocation should l’eceive greater consideration and encouragement. He also asked that all Maori lay-readers should have their licenses renewed owing to the lack of ministers, especially in this parish. After dinner, the Archbishop made his reply to Colonel Henare and the people. He first thanked the people for their welcome and for their great hospitality. He spoke of periods of expansion and contraction in the history of Christian faith saying that he believed we are about to see another great period of expansion. He gave as his opinion that the Maori Chui'ch needs no “nursing” and that the Church must show more initiative; as the Maori Battalion was outstanding in the New Zealand Division, so can the Maori Church be in civil life. Bishop Simkin also spoke. The gathering should like to have

heard more of the visitors’ opinions, tut it was necessary to get back along the beach at low tide. The rain was still falling heavily ; the trucks with chains on were able to get over the roads, but the cars were stuck several times and they had to be lifted by clergy and laity manpower over the worst places. It was an exciting if somewhat unusual trip for the visiting clergy..