CONSECRATION OF THE PUTIKI MEMORIAL CHURCH.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume 28, Issue 12, 1 February 1938, Page 5

CONSECRATION OF THE PUTIKI MEMORIAL CHURCH.

Sunday, December sth, was a day that will long be remembered by the great congregation of Maori and Pakeha worshippers which assembled for the consecration of the Memorial Church at Putiki by the Bishop of Wellington and the Bishop of Aotearoa. A special service was prepared and printed, after the pattern of several recent consecration services m England; and the whole service was twice rehearsed under the direction of Bishop Holland, so thai the whole two hours' devotions were rendered on the Sunday morning, as a spontaneous act of worship, uninterrupted by even the announcing of a hymn. The service began with a procession of the Bishops with their chaplains, the Registrar of the Diocese, Mr S. T. C. Sprott, the Contractor for the Church, Mr A. J. Cutler, and two representatives of the local Maori congregation, Mr Hore

Takarangi and Mrs Scottj to the outside door of the churchy The Rev. P. H. Leonard, assistant superintendent of the Maori mission m the Wellington , Diocese, acted as Chaplain to the Bishop of Wellington, and the Bishop of Aotearoa was attended by the Rev. B. M. Taylor, a grandson of the Rev. Richard Taylor, the Apostle of Christianity m the Wanganui district. The party was awaited within the porch by the Superintendent Canon W. G. Williams, the Rev. P. Kokiri, Vicar of the Pastorate, the Rev. Paul Te Muera, Vicar of the Rangiatea Pastorate, the Rev. H. Keremeneta, Vicar of the Wainui-a-rua Pastorate, the Archdeacon of Waitotara, the Veh J. R. Young, and the Rev. Nigel Williams, son of the Bishop of Waiapu. After the admission of the Bishops' procession and the presentation of the request for the consecration of the Church, the Bishops, Clergy and lay representatives moved m procession to the East end of the Church to the, chanting of the eighty-fourth psalm. The placing of the key on the altar by the Bishop of Wellington was followed by silent prayer, the singing of the Veni Creator, and the offering of special prayers; and then the Bishop of Aotearoa, attended by his Chaplain, the Superintendent, and the Vicar of the pastorate proceeded to consecrate m order the special memorial furnishings, the Entrance Porch, Font and Carved Baptistry, Pulpit, Prayer Desk, Lectern, Choir Stalls and Organ Screen, and lastly the Altar. Without any announcement being made, the choir and congregation then sang, "The Churches One Foundation," and the Bishop of Wellington performed the Consecration of the Church. Perhaps the most impressive ceremony of the whole service, was the carving of the Cross of Consecration. Immediately after the pronouncing of the sentence of Consecration, and the singing of the Doxology, one of the Maori Carvers, Mr Hoani Metekingi, of Putiki, came forward from the back of the church, the Bishop's Chaplain drew back the fair linen cloth from the end of the altar, where a cross had been drawn, the Bishop traced the cross with his finger, a few taps of the carver's mallet on the chisel resounded through the building, the organ began

to play, and the whole congregation: joined m the singing of the hymn, "When I survey the wondrous cross" m Maori and English. The singing drowned the noise of the carver's tools, but as each verse ended the tapping of the mallet was again heard, and, like every other part of the impressive service, was conveyed to the large congregation m the church yard by means of a loud speaker. It was a mosjt moving reminder to all of the one foundation of our Christian Faith, and the one power which has united Maori and Pakeha m one Christian Community and so made possible the great service of commemoration and thanksgiving m which all were uniting that morn-^ ing. In the Communion service, with which the consecration of the church was completed, the Epistle was read by the Rev. P. H. Leonard, and the Gospel by the Rev. B. M. Taylor. The Bishop of Wellington preached an inspiring sermon, taking as his text Rev. 21, 26:. "They shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it." The Bishop briefly sketched the part which each Maori and Pakeha worker m the past, whose names were being perpetuated m the various memorial furnishings, had played m the building up of the Christian Church at Putiki and m the Wanganui district; and spoke of the striking object lesson of the truth of the words of his text, provided by the building which was being consecrated that day with its unique Maori decorations and many carved memorials. It was a symbol of the way m which the Christian Gospel had met the deepest spiritual aspirations of the Maori race, and of every race which had been brought within its influence, and also of the way m which the Christian Churches throughout the ages had been enriched by the contribution which each evangelised race had made to the fuller appreciation of that Gospel. He pointed out that the climax of the whole decorative scheme of the building was reached m the plaited wall panels above the altar, where the ancient Maori Poutama pattern was surmounted by the Cross of Christ. The Poutama design represented the Maori ideal of life as a constant upward climb, and it was through the

divine life sacrificed upon the cross that Maoris and the people of every race were able to realise that ideal. At the conclusion of the service, 150 Maori and Pakeha communicants knelt side by side at the altar rails to receive the sacrament, those from outside passing m by the main door and out through the vestry. The service ended with the Nunc Dimittis while the Bishops and clergy returned to the^ vestry. Amongst 'tiiose who were specially invited to a seat m the church were: Sir Apirama and Lady Ngata; Lady Pomare; Mrs. W. G. Williams; Mr. and Mrs. H. D. Bennett; Mr H. R. S. Taylor, grandson of the Rev. Richard Taylor, and Mrs. Taylor, Dr. Maurice Taylor, great-grandson of Richard Taylor, and Mrs. Maurice; Mrs. Webster, a granddaughter of Richard Taylor; Mrs. E. A. Barton, another granddaughter, and Mr. Barton; Mr. J. A. Aylmer, widower of another granddaughter; Mrs. Scott and her sister, Mrs. Katene; Mr. Hore Takarangi; Mr. and Mrs. H. Marumaru; Mrs. Bates and her four daughters; Mrs. Ross; Mrs. Davis and Mr. Davis; Mrs. Orton and Mr. Orton; Mrs. Maurice Barton; Mrs. Ernest Barns; Mrs. Ulric Williams; Mr. and Mrs. Garth Williams; Miss Lydia Williams; Mrs. Athol Williams and Miss Olive Williams; Mr. and Mrs. Cutler. After the service, the invited guests were all entertained to lunch m the Aotea Hall at the Pa by Mr. Hore Takarangi and the other Putiki residents. On Tuesday, December 21st, His Excellency the Governor-General paid a visit to the church, and took great interest m the explanation of the various memorials and Maori decorations.