OPENING OF NEW EPISCOPAL CHURCH AT WAITARA.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 3243, 3 October 1879, Page 2

OPENING OF NEW EPISCOPAL CHURCH AT WAITARA.

The interesting ceremony of opening the newly-crcctcd Episcopal Church at Wailara took place yesterday afternoon at 4 o'clock. We have already given a description of the edifice, and we may now add that the large congregation which assembled in the church yesterday expressed unqualified admiration of the building, both for its comeliness and suitability for the sacred purposes for which it has been set apart. A large number of persons proceeded from town by tho train for the purpose of witnessing and engaging in the opening service. At four o'clock about 140 persons had assembled within the building. The procession, consisting of the churchwardens, tho Yen. Archdeacon Govctt and tho Revs. P. Walsh and H. H. Brown, entered the church at 4 o'clock, tho congregation rising to receive them. The opening hymn was 280, and was imprcsively sung by the congregation, after which Archdeacon Govctt offered up a dedicatory prayer. The Rev. P. Walsh then announced the Psalms set apart for the service— B l, 122, 232.

Tho Rev. Mr. Brown read the first lesson, and the Rev. P. Walsh the second lesson. Hymn 219 was sung, after which the Rev. P. Walsh read a short lesson from the Gth chapter of the 2nd Corinthians.

Tho Yen. Archdeacon Goyett then addressed the congregation from the fourth verse of the twenty-seventh Psalm— « One thing have I desired of tho Lord that I will seek after : that I may dwell in the House of tho Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire into his temple." The preacher referred lo the magnificent temple built by Solomon at Jerusalem, and the veneration and pride which the Jews cherished towards Mount Zion and the temple built thereon. He thought that Christians would do well to follow the pious example set before them by tho Jews, and should take every care to have the buildings which they dedicated to the service of their God as stately and as good as they could afford . 110 considered the Word of God plainly pointed out the duty of the Christians in this respect. He referred to the rebuke givon to tho Jews by Jehovah concerning the temple after their return from Babylon, Services had been held at Waitara before tho church was built, and services could be held anywhere ; they did not require to be held in a church before God would bestow his blessing ; yet he thought it was clearly a Christian duty to erect an edifice to be sot apart for the worship of God alone. Ho did not think it was desirable, if it could bo avoided, to hold divine service in a schoolroom or other building used for a secular purpose— for political meetings, and such like —where men often give vent to their angry passions. 110 concluded an earnest and forcible discourse by dedicating the church to St. John the Baptist.

The Rev. Mr. Walsh intimated that the services would be held in the church next Sunday, and that in future the hour appointed for commencing the service in the evening was 7 o'clock. A collection was then made, the congregation responding most liberally, and the sum of £20 1 Is. i)d. was raised. The hymn (No. 250) commencing, " Glorious words of thee arc spoken," was then sung, after which the service was concluded with tho apostolic benediction.