Mary Summer House.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume XVI, Issue 3, 1 September 1925, Page 1

Mary Summer House.

DEDICATION SERVICE.

A service of extraordinary interest was conducted m St. John 's Cathedral by His Lordship Bishop Sedgwick, assisted by the Very Rev. Dean Mayne on July 22nd, at 3 o 'clock, the : occasion being the opening of the Mary Sumner House, Westminster, by H.R.H. Princess Mary, and the dedication of house and chapel by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the services overseas all being arranged to synchronise -with the game. As all

the overseas dioceses had been sent copies of the service to be used m advance, the same order was followed as at Home, arid special dedicatory hymns sung. The Bishop,- m his address, gave a short sketch of ! the work of the past nine years and the efforts, to build the Mary Sumner House, and spoke of the wonderful result of the zeal and spirit of the foundress, and said that as St. Paul's Cathedral would always be a monument to Sir Christopher Wren, so the far-reaching power and spread of the Mothers ' Union ' all over the world was a monument to the great work and labor of love of Mary Sumner. He spoke of the wonderful link of v motherhood "which animated all, from the hightest m the land to the poorest woman, and brought them all together m a common effort to uphold thje sanctity of the home. There was a very large attendance of members and others interested. Miss Carter presided at the organ and gave a delightful recital before the beginning of the service. The Sumner House was to cost £54,000. Recent advices ' show that £39,000 had been raised; it was hoped that the rest woujd be obtained either before or at the time of opening. The Waiapu M.U. contributed £18 last year towards the cost of the chapel and cabled 11 guineas to be placed upon the alms' dish at the opening service. During her visit : to England, the late Mrs Warren chose an alms dish to be presented on behalf of the Waiapu Mothers" Union to the authorities to be used at the service. The collection at the service m Napier amounted to 6 guineas and it also has been sent forward. Her Excellency Lady Alice Fergusson (whose mother the Countess, of Glasgow, started the Mothers' Union m New Zealand)- takes a. keen interest m the society and has arranged !f or a meeting of Mothers ' Union presidents to .be held m Wellington at the end of September with a view to uniting the various diocesan branches under a. Provincial Council. Mrs- Sedgwick,. president : of : the Waiaptf branch, will represent this diocese a| the meet- "# '•■ '''.'.'.''■■ «_■ wl u-\u. ..:.i,:L:-: