WELCOME TO BISHOP RICHARDS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XLIV, Issue 14006, 10 March 1920, Page 1

WELCOME TO BISHOP RICHARDS.

. Last evening Right Rev. Richards -Anglican Bishop of the diocese, wa: welcomed ,at St. Luke's by a recorc gathering of parishioners "from Oaiii aru, Nev.'borough, Totara, and evei ' further afield', while the Oamaru Min isters' Association was . representee upon the .-platform: by - Revs: Walt&i Mclean and S. F. 'Hunter. Yen. Archdeacon Russell presided, and there were also upon the platform, besides the- Bishop, Rev. D. Janiieson, ' the J3urais of the' parish, diid Messrs Puttlfck and Haines <churchwardens). : « Yen. Archdeaeo"n:::Russell said they were thankful to have His Lordship with thein,- and grateful for his helpful words yesterday and to-day. He welcomed the Mavor*and Revs. Hunter and McLean,' apologising for theabsence of Rev. J:. .A. Jjoehore. ; The National Anthem • -and devotional' exercises concluded;: lie called on the Mayor. . The Mayor said that; as they were aware, he was not a jjavlshioiier of St. Luke's, but, nevertheless, as Mayor, and at the kind invitation oft he Arch* deacon, it gave him. great pleasure to be present to join with theni in extending a hearty welcome to Efiis Lordship on this his firfet official visit to a portion of his diodase. Bishop Richards was widely known as a man of ripe scholarship and wide and kindly sympathies, qualities which were most essential to an ecclesiastic, whether i parson or prelate. would such qualities meet witn irfore appreciation than in North Otago, and it went without- saying that His Lordship wouid not only' receive warm welcome from the members of his own, but from the community, generally, in conclusion, he expressed' ihe hope'thatthe Bishop might lie spared for many useful, and happy years to fulfil anil adorn the exalted position to' which he had been called. Rev. S. F. Hunter said he came as a proud Presbyterian, not as a. humble, one.. He congratulated the Bishop on ins appointment, and felt ' that his work would be happy and prosperous. • Scots and Englishmen had long ceased the personal quarrels of history, and. .as _ they had together succeeded in building up the, British Empire, : he trusted they would together succeed in uniting and building up the Empire of Jesus Christ. The Archdeacon introduced Rev. Walter McLean to the gathering as one who as chaplain to_the Otago boys had already gained the esteem of many parents and relatives. • Rev. McLean said he was glad* to ~ share in welcoming the Bishop, whom he congratulated' upon the, possession of a wealth of Christian spirit and sympathy ; he was formerly bound up- in: the welfare of his parish, and now that he was responsible for the welfare of many parishes; it must be a'" heavy -responsibility to one who took his Christian duty so "closely to heart. He had 100 ked up Oamaru's history-'-and believed that the first service was heldjn a woolshed. The first communion oPthe Pres•byterian Church was held here in, 1862, . and for that service the Sacramental vessels were supplied by the Anglican Church. When Bishop Sehvyn. came.Dr Burns was able to extend to him Christian sympathy and help. Thus is seemed that all churches here had always worked together in amity. On behalf of Columlja he took great pleasure in welcoming Bishop Richards. Organic church union was probably a" long way off, but for four years he hacl been where denominational label® were worth very little to soldiers, and though among chaplains he had seen incidents that must have made the devil shriek with glee, vet many barriers of traditional training had been broken down. He had been delighted to< assist a fine Roman Catholic chaplain, -who later naid the supreme sacrifice at the front. The fact that the Archbishop of. Canterbury had addressed the Presbyterian •Assembly of Scotland' was in itself a. sign of the changes of the times. But they must remember that it was not by the things in which the different church organisations resembled each other that thev would be brought closer/but by the things in which they materially differed. It was by the gradual rational weighing and acceptance or rejection of these differences that churches "would be .brought together. _

Rev. T). Jamieson. in a breezv speech, welcomed tho Bishop. InUreferring to church unity, he said that churches were like gardens to him ; they' were all under the one bine sky and all benefited bv the same gracious rains. Ha know his Lordship, in bis relations towards his large diocese, would combine the dualities of the glow of the sunshineand the warm sweet rain/ (Applause.) Mr' L. F. Haines welcomed the Bishop heartily, and hoped that be would soon again visit the parish: He had known the Bishop as long as anyone in the ,room. He was a man who would gain a warm corner in all hearts. Mr Puttick said that he bad visited many homes in Oamavu and the more he saw of the people t\e better he liked them; they were stainich friends in need, a fact that the Bishop would soon learn to appreciate. He wished his Lordship a long, happy and prosperous career.

Yen. Archdeacon Russell, introducing the Bishop, said that with his experience oj> a. city parish at Auckland, a country cure, and as vicar of Invercargill; he had o wide experience of life, and had a wider experience of the sor--' rows which engendered live sympathy. His Lordship, who was greeted with cheers, said that as regarded church union he had the very kindest feelings 'towards his Presbyterian brethren, and while each was clear and definite as regarded, his own connections, he felt .that 'in Gods good time differences would be removed. At present they could go on their way working differently, but in perfect h'amony. He hoped in his tour of the diocese to come in touch-with the people as well as with their parsons, and so better understand the need's of the diocese. The personal touch was invaluable in establishing spiritual relationship. United in sympathy in prayer, the ends, of God would-be accomplished. He had greatly enjoyed every moment of his visit, but behind all social matters lay the spiritual background. There might, be a shortage of clergy, but he rejoiced in the.fact that'there was in the diocese., a solid body of devout laymen. . Trie war had come about through the cult of materialism,-not through • the. Tailure of Christianitv. Only by belief-Jn Christian love and righteousness would the world bo reconstructed.

During the evening a musical programme of vocal items was-contribut-ed to by: Mr F. Williams, "Mate o' Mine" ; Miss Burns. "Sometime in Summer": Mr H. Williamson, "Par gan " : Miss Doris Williams, "Down Here": Messrs Waiters and Burry, "If T Could Only Come to You" (encore) : Mr Waiters. "Kate of Appledene." Mr F. C. ■ was accompanist. After the Doxology supper was supplied by the Indies of St. Luke's Guild, and the Bishop's closed a very warm-welcome.