ST. MATTHEW'S CHURCH.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9109, 8 June 1908, Page 5

ST. MATTHEW'S CHURCH.

INSTITUTION OF REV. H. WATSON. IMPRESSIVELYIPERFORMED BY ARCHDEACON FANCOURT. St. Matthew's' Church held a very Marge cjiierregation at Matins, yesterday morning, when the now Vicar, >the Rev. Herbert Watson, M.A., 'was inducted. Thexeremony was performed by the Biehqpia Commissary, 'the Vemrible Archdeacon Fancourt, •'of Wellington, and formed a special "jpart of the ordinary service. The institution ceremony commenc--ed after the third (collect. The Bishop's Commissary took his seat in :>f ront of the communion table, the three parochial nominators, Messrs R. Brown, W. H. Jackson and W. P. -James, and the new Vicar taking up th ir station before the commissary. The nomination form was then read .to the Commissary by Mr James, after which the candidate was duly presente J by Mr Jackson, who read ;the presentation form as follows: "Rev. Father in God, I hereby present to you this godly and learned " person, the Rev. Herbert Watson, Master of Arts, to be instituted to the cur} of the Pariah of St. Matthaw, Masterton." . The prescribed form of question ►and answer from the Commissary to the naw Vicar was then gone through, and after the latter had subscribed the declaration of obedience to church • and Bishop, the Commissary formally handed to him his (titles to the new s office, duly sealed with the seal of the Bishop of Wellington. A very impressive sermon appropriate to the occasion was then delivered by the Archdeacon. Yesterday being Whit Sunday the Commissary's remirks combined references to the Church season with the solemn ceremony then beiqjg performed. Whit Sunday, he said, marked a very important event in the ■i.'life of the Apo3tles in that it wa3 the day which commemorated the •outpouring of the Holy Spirit om the Apostles as promised by the Saviour. IHe expressed the fervent hope that in either success or failure th« new Vicar would enjoy the blessings of that Holy Spirit, and to the contgregntion that the same blessing woul 1 accompany the ministration to • thpm of the new Vicar. Holy communion was then celebrated, the choir remaining to yk,celebrant being the new Vicar, aoout 60 communicants partaking of the sacrament. The service throughout was of an -impressively and devotional character, and concluded at a much later 'hour than the usual morning service.