EASTER OFFERINGS

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume XVII, Issue 11, 2 May 1927, Page 5

EASTER OFFERINGS

We are grateful to those vicars who have sent us copies of their parish magazine. One vicar, we notice, is handing over his Easter offerings to the parish fund, which is m arrears. We wholly admire the spirit which prompts this generous action, yet we feel that it is mistaken. There is a principle involved. While a vicar may give otherwise as he chooses of his private purse, he should not hand over to the parish what has been consecrated as an individual and anonymous gift to himself. We know of many a person who would be, deeply hurt if a personal gift which had cost a good deal of selfdenial, were appropriated to parish funds, m. supporting which, others were not doing their proper share. We know of cases outside the Diocese where this has been done, but we hope that this will not form v precedent m the Diocese of Waiapu. Sensitive priests m. poor.parishes, may be moved to similar sacrifices which they can ill afford. In England wealthy vicars have been known to ask for a special effort on Easter Day, it being well .known, that .such offerings werohanded over to some charitable in-

stitution quite unconnected will the financial responsibilities of the parish. We call to mind the story of a vicar who on the Sunday before Easter announced from the pulpit that, according to ancient custom, the offerings on Easter Day would be the gift of the parishioners to the vicar. "Isfow," he exhorted, "I have served you faithfully during the past year, and I have a right to expect that your offerings will be liberal." As it was well known that the offerings received by him on Easter Day were distributed amongst the inmates : of the local almshouses, no offence could be taken from this, his yearly homily. On the Sunday after Easter, following his. usual custom, he announced from the pulpit the amount of the Easter offerings thus: Cheques, so much; notes, so much; gold, so much; silver, so much; copper, so much. On this particular occasion the preponderance of copper was unsually large. Knowing his eccentricities, fche congregation waited breathlessly for his withering comment. 'Itcame — though hardly m the manner expected. "My text is taken from 2 Tim. 4.l4— 'Alexander the coppersmith, did me much evil!' "