St. Hilda's Rome.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume XII, Issue 10, 1 April 1922, Page 261

St. Hilda's Rome.

Although this diocesan institution is Avell known to most Churchmen .m Hawke's Bay, its reputation has possibly not yet reached the o # ther parts of the Diocese. St. Hilda's Home is our first Orphanage. It was opened Dec, 1917, m Waipawa m a house temporarily leased for the purpose Avhilst negotiations ■ were being conducted for a suitable property m Otane. Miss S. Lee was the first matron. Miss Waller, the present matron, began her duties. on June Ist,. 1918. The ; Hom c. -was very soon overcrowdedj and a house and land were bought at Otane and the house enlarged and fitted up suitably for its purpose. The Home was removed there on Nov. 25th, 1918.. The excellent management of the Honie . m Waipawa attracted the sympathy of hosts of friends, and . much disappointment was felt when the children were removed to Otane. Messrs W. H. and H. M. Rathbone thereupon offered the diocese one of the finest sites m WaipaAva, consisting of six acres of land, on condition that a Home :be, built upon it. Later a gift

was made from their mother's estate of £7000. for theWilding of a Home to be called/ Tftelbbotsf ord .Home. ' ' Of this, more m another article; St. Hilda's has been- as successful m Otane m gaining friends as it -was at Waipawa.. It has already received (or is to receive) various grants and legacies amounting .to about -£2000, and these have been r given solely because the testators and executors of the estates referred to- have . been so. strongly impressed', with the excelr lenee of the Avork and the widespread results it has achieved. The object of this article is riot so much to solicit help for this Home, as to impress Churchmen with the fact that when the Church undertakes and does properly this kind of Avork (which is certainly one of her obvious duties) public sympathy is immediately gained and success is assured. St. Hilda's could, of course, profit greatly by any endowment , or- gifts ', ■ . that may be given, but hqjries are also, urgently needed, m other parts of the diocese.'

The policy of the Chapter 7is to plant institutions of this kind m various districts where they will be?, come centres of charity which will appeal io all Avho see them. No specific appeal has been made for the support of St. Hilda's though it is partly supported .by the General Diocesan Fund. People have only to see it : and its Avork and their own sympathy impels them to offer something for its assistance. St. Hilda's is supposed -to provide for 25 homeless children. It usually has one or two more. Most of the children have one parent living who pays something toAvards the support of the child. Those of the children who attend school have an excellent record for conduct and diligence, m -fact- they are distinguished by their ''happy family'- character. We are exceedingly* proud of St. Hilda 's. Needless to say the unique character of St. Hilda 's is due' almost entirely to its splendid matron, but we dare riot say more about that. . .

The Chapter has very lriany applications for admission, some of them are very distressing cases but all have to be declined— * The Home. is full." The Abbotsford Home cannot be opened for. a year or two; yet. Could not: our friends m the riorthern parts of the 7 diocese make a move toAvardS establishing . siriiilar Homes? The call for them is: most I urgent, and- we' can assure them . that, so far from becoming a drain on the -firiarices of the Church, they appeal more than anything else to the sympathy of the kind-hearted, who are much more ready to help the Church m the other branches of her work when they see that she^is really, dpirig' her 'duty to

t^e fatherless and /motherless. , One pf .the saddest. ..things ..the .• Diocesan

Chapter has to >do. is to -refuse applications for the admission of babieft. St. Hilda's even if it had room, can-' not ; receive 7 babies. . ne«l' two ; or three;; more # homes at ' once if we should attempt to deal- with the deserving .and distressing cases on behalf of which frequent applications are made, above all we need,. and need urgently, a ..home* for 'children under three years of age,- ■■_ ,>/; 7 , „,.. >»