SEVENTEEN YEARS A BISHOP

Taranaki Daily News, 24 July 1929, Page 6

SEVENTEEN YEARS A BISHOP

BISHOP SADLIER’S ANNIVERSARY

Nelson, July 22.

Yesterday inspiring services were held at the cathedral in commemoration of Bishop Sadlier’s seventeenth anniversary of consecration. A large congregation assembled at the 8 o’clock celebration of Holy Communion, and there was a full church at the 11 o’clock choral communion.

The preacher in the morning was the Rev. J. G. S. Bartlett, . who in the course of his sermon eaid: “We are celebrating to-day our bishop’s anniversary of consecration, and we are doing so not because we want to praise our bishop, but because we desire to help and support him in his labours. The office of ft bishop is always and everywhere one of incessant' labour and constant anxiety, and especially does this ■ apply to our New Zealand bishops. Take a map of New Zealand and trace but the diocesan boundaries and you will then realise something of the work it involves, and our Nelson diocese is one of the hardest if not the hardest owing to the nature and extent of its territory,the scattered and thin population, and its comparative poverty. Over this difficult portion of God’s vineyard our bishop has presided for 17 years years of hard work and constant anxiety, and when we begin to examine we soon discover how little we really know about this and how much we have to be thankful for.” The preacher in the evening, when there was again a large congregation, was Professor T. H. Easterfield, Director of the Cawthron Institute, who spoke of the wonderful growth of the church in this diocese, beginning with Bishop Selwyn’s tent on Church Hill,, the first cathedral, the present beautiful old , building, and now the new cathedral m course of erection, and the dedication and consecration of the 63 churches throughout the diocese. Again, much could be said with regard to the various activities—the great missionary efforts, the home mission fund, the stipend ana clergy pension funds, and the wonderful increase ir the diocesan trust funds which had increased in value - n this period of 17 years from £70,000 to £lBO,OOO. The congregation was reminded of the thank-offering m aid of the parishes which suffered through earthquake and flood, and their great duty to them and to their bishop in this time of need. The thank-offering amounted to over £74.