CLERGY SUSTENTATION FUND.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVII, Issue 14, 6 April 1899, Page 6

CLERGY SUSTENTATION FUND.

The question of establishing a sustentation fund for aged and infirm priests, for the whole of New Zealand, was discussed at the late Provincial Council held in Wellington. A committee, consisting of the Yen. Archdeacon Devoy, V.G (Wellington), Very Rev. Dean Reilly (Thames), "Very Rev. Lean Burke (Invercargill), and the Very Rev. Dean O'Donnell (Ashburton), was appointed by the priests present to inquire into and report on the matter. This committee passed the following resolutions, askiug the Bi»hop 0 :—: — 1. To provide for the establishment of such a fund, the contributories to be — (<z) All the secular priests of the provinces of New Zealand , (//) All the regulars engaged in parochial work ; and (r) such other regulars as may desire to become contributories, and Bhall obtain the consent of their Superiors. 2. To appoint a committee to ascertain the ideas on this subject of the clergy of each diocese ; to communicate these ideas to each other ; and finally to draw up a scheme, to be submitted to the clergy at the next Diocesan Synod in each diocese. The Bishops approved of this and confirmed the appointment of the committee. A circular has been issued by the committee to all the priests in the Colony asking for an opinion on the proposed fund. It is intended to establish the fund on a thoroughly equitable and business-like footing, and with this end in view it is intended to procure the rules of similar existing funds in old countries. The committee also intend to avail themselves of such information as may be obtainable from the Registrar of Friendly Societies. Such a fund already exists in the Diocese of Dunedin,