HAMILTON ANGLICANS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20234, 19 April 1929, Page 12

HAMILTON ANGLICANS.

THE CATHEDRAL PARISH

REVIEW OF YEAR'S WORK

[JIY 'J EJ.EGKAI'H. OWN COIUIKSI'ONDENT. ] HAMILTON. Thursday. In I,is review of 1 lie activities of St. Peter's Cathedral parish during the past year given at Ihe annual meeting of parishioners last evening, Dean 0. R. Harnett said the llev. H. G. Sell joined the staff in May, 1927, and left in November, 1928, while the Rev. J. Rich left in December, 1928. No one had been appointed in the place of these clergy, and this fact was seriously handicapping the pastoral work in the parish. Five lay readers had given generous assistance to help keep the services going.

Considering the disturbed state of the parish and diocese, said the dean, the fact that the financial position was not satisfactory was not surprising. Although the collection did not show a very great falling off the subscriptions did. The duplex envelope system had been launched, and so far as it had developed it had proved a decided success.

The number of communions had shown a falling off, partly due to the fact that there were fewer celebrations. The figures were 5758, as against 6501 last year. The congregations had improved. The dean emphasised the need for repairs to the cathedral, the interior of which, he said, presented a sorry spectacle in wet weather. The parish's great need was moie buildings at Hamilton East, Matangi and Gordonlon. Considerable sums of money were in hand, and in the near future churches and halls should be erected. There was nearly enough money in hand to build a church in Gordonton, while £IOO had been added to the Matangi church fund. 'Small building funds were in band at Newstead and I'iako Road.