St Augustine Diamond Jubilee

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume 35, Issue 8, 1 October 1944, Page 8

St Augustine Diamond Jubilee

. ..-■.. On Monday, October 2nd, St.' : Augustine's Parochial District, Napier, celebrates the diamond jubilee of the consecration of its Church. The foundation stone was layed on 7th June, 1884, and Bishop Stuart consecrated the new Church on October 2nd that year; •■ later when the new* brick Cathedral was built, the Chancel and Sanctuary of the first St. John's . Church was added to St. Augustine's and still forms part of the , building. , '. ' ; There was much activity before all this happened/the Rev. C. L. Tuke, assistant curate at St. John's canvassed the southern part of Napier to find out the Church of England families and we are told arranged^ for quite a number of children to be baptised. Before the Church was built services were held m the Lutheran Church which used to stand where. the Hastings Street School is now; Bible Classes and a flourishing Sunday School were organised, and help was given by many well known people from St. John's. Miss Kate and Miss Marianne Williams arid Mr Edwards, the manager vof the .Gas Company were the first Bible Class leaders. It was not until 1899 that the southern part of ftTapi er became a Parochial, District on its own, following a petition to Synod m that year. To celebrate the Jubilee the Parish is holding various social activities with special services on the first two Sundays. ; of October . and is finishing with a Mission at the beginning of November, conducted by. the Rev. Canon W. W. Averill of Auckland. Since those early days Napier South has kept on growing arid before long it is hoped to start building a new Church and Schoolroom on a site nearer to the centre of the growing district. When that happens •there will be some sadness at the passing of a Church which for so many years has played its part m the Church life of Napier and the Diocese, but we can thank Almighty God for .the many blessings that have come through it and pray that the new Church may carry on m the tradition and memory of its predecessor. '" Vicars of St. Augustine's Interesting -references to the Jubilee Festival appear m the latest issue of Si Augustine's Parish Magazine "as follow:-— -. . / From 1884-1899 St. Augustine's was still attached to St. John's Parish, but had a curate m charge of its affairs. In 1899 a petition was presented to Synod by members of the St. Augustine's congregation and the

district was then separated from St. John's Parish. x \ ■ ■; The following is a list of the curcites-in-chafge, vicars arid assistant curates m the district ffbih its foundation :— Priests-in-Charge: : i ■ 1884-1891— The Rev. J. Parkinson. 1892-1893r-The Rev. Canon J. E. Fox, ■ • ■MA-" ■ : .■■;■■• '.. ••"■ , ■:.■..■'■ 1893-1894— The Rev. A. M. Bradbury; - 1894-1898— The Rev. W. /VVelsh. : Vicars of the District: 1898-1900— The Rev. H. E. Taylor. 1900-1916— The Rev. Canon C; L. ■""■. Tuke. ; ■-..--■■■•'■" ' ■■■:•'■■'- "■ \'■ '■ 1916-1924— The Rev. Canon E. D. Rice, MiA.'- V; .■•.■■-•■•■ 1918 r l9l9— The - Rev. John Hobbs , (locum tenens; Vicar Chaplain to the Forces). ■ ■. - , 1924-1927— The Rev. *H. W. Klingender. 1927-1935— The Rev. Canon A. Hodge. 1936-preserit day— The Rev. S. R. Gardiner, M.A. 1942-44— The Rev. Canon W. G. Williams, B.A. (locum tenens, Vicar Chaplain to the Forces). Assistant Curates: 1911-1913— The Rev. C. L. Wilson, L.Th. 1921-1924— The Rev. B. R. Brierley. 1924-1925— The Rev. W. Lea. 1926-1927— The Rev. F. L. Frost. 1926-1929— The Rev. C. E. Hyde. 1929-1932— The Rev. J. C. A. Zimmerman; L.Th. • 1936-1937— The Rev. C. S. Wall. 1937-1939— The Rev. J. G. B. Talbot; L.Th. 1 Looking through the old- Parish Register, the Rev. Win. Colenso seems to have assisted here on many occasions, and on. the death of Mr .Parkinson the Rev. T. J. Wills filled the gap of five months until the appointment of Canon Fox. The earliest lay readers appear to have been Mr R. L. Pasley, Mr C. Saunders, Mr Thomas Taner and Major Wood. Many other clergy, have taken services here, including the present Vicar's father m 189tand 1908. Festival of People. In conection with the jubilee festival the Vicar, the Rev. 5... R. Gardiner, writes:— This great festival season should remind us of the many hundreds of. people who have worshipped m St. Augustine's Church, of those who have been helped m any way by the clergy and those who have so worshipped.' The festival is the festival of the people who for 60 years have lived m this part of Napier. We should remember on this occasion ;all who are still living and those who have passed on, for we are indeed all bound together m one communion and fellowship, as the Collect for All Saints' Day put it. It is a festival for all—let us all join together at the Sunday Services and m the Mission and let us pray that the work m St. Augustine's may .never die but always increase and so

■•■ play its part m the salvation of mankind, f-.' ;:,*.■ >'■', ' \ r .^.-')'-i >v ; -.s ■,■''.'• ':- ■■'■':■',■'■' Founding of St. Augustine's. : m (Contributed^ by Mrs J. Wilkinson^. * ; mother of the present organist). It was about the year 1882-1883 that the Rev. C. L. Tuke, then a Curate of St. John's Parish, canvassed the district south; of St John's 1 for the purpose of forming a branch of the Church of England. He. succeeded m getting a large number of^ people who were Anglicans, but who did not attend any church, while some attended other churches, lie arranged .for quite a' large number qf infants and older children to be bap- r tised at St. John's. When the new Church was built there" were great rejoicings, and the tea meetings and sales of work were always a great success. The writer this ac- , count was present at the laying of the foundation stone on the 7th June, 1884 J. The Mlayor of Napier, Mr G. H. Swan, and 'Jus wife and family were among the first members; pew rents were then m vogue. The Mayor always attended. on special occasions, when, for instance, there was a special collection; then he would drop a £1 note, or it may have been £5, into the plate. The children were very interested m this act and would very quietly whisper their approval! , We had a very fine Sunday- School membership, a morning and an.afternoon school. ■■ - •. -The first Church services were held .. m the Lutheran Church, situated where ' the .Hastings street School is now. The Lutheran people held rather long services on Sunday morning, and we often .had to wait till their service was over before we could go- into Church. Theservices were cbnducted by the Rev. C. L. Tuke. The first organist was Mr Fuller, whose father was an undertaker and a member, of the Church of England. The first secretary and treasurer of the Church was Mr F. Harlord, "grandfather of Mr Percy Wilkinson, the present organist, who is on active service at. the moment. The first Church Committee consisted of Messrs George Faulknor, C. Minett, F. Harford, Smith, Forster and F. Beechey, who was the first bellringer Tor the Church. ; Confirmation The Bishop of Aotearoa, Bishop Bennett, will administer the rite of Confirmation at the evening service on % Sunday, September 17th, at 7 p.m. We would welcome at that service the relatives, godparents and friends of the candidates, besides all others who would like to attend. The first Communion will be on Jubilee Sunday, October Ist. 60 Years with St. Augustine's Mrs Sorrell, - whose Church life has been spent mostly at St. Augustine's, has written, some of her memories of the, early days, When she first became a member there was no Chancel, m the Church, and the Choir, of which she

was a member for over 20 years, used to sit in /the front ■• seats.- The Church was very much smaller than now," and the organ, a small cabinet, was m the porch now used by 4he Chpix ladies on their way to their robing room. Mrs Brownette was the organist m those days. When the new Cathedral was built St. John's presented St. Augustine's with the Chancel of their old church, which is the present chancel; and while this was being added on the church services were being held m the schoolroom. „; .■">.••; The consecration took place on a Wednesday night and the choir sang the anthem "We. were glad when they said we will go unto the House of the. Lord." v Mrs Sorrell says: "We** had a. wonderful Choir of 30 members, and our vicar", Mr Parkinson, was much loved, and his early death was deeply regretted." She goes on to say: "I have spent the happiest years of my life, my family have been baptised, confirmed and married m my dearly loved Church, and. l am also celebrating 60 years' connection with St. Augustine's. lam sad at the thought of so many old friends who have passed on and are unable to join m our diamond jubilee."