New Cathedral Consecrated By Bishop

In Polynesia

SUVA, April 27.

THE most impressive gathering in Fiji’s history of Church of Eng land dignitaries took place in Suva at the end of the April, to mark the consecration of the new 3Holy Trinity Cathedral, centre of ;:he widely-spread Diocese of Poly nesia.

The completed portion of the cathedral —the east end and Lady Chapel—is a comparatively small sart of the great structure of the future; but there is enough to show chat this will be a building of superb dignity—the first cathedral n the South Pacific Islands to llustrate the stately simplicity of modern English church architecture.

In the cool of early morning, on April 26, the building was con secrated by the Bishop in Polynesia fThe Rt. Rev. L. S. Kempthorne). rhere was an overflowing congrega :ion, headed by the Governor of Fiji (Sir Ronald Garvey) and Lady 3arvey, and the Mayor and Mayoress of Suva (Mr. and Mrs.

D. M. N. McFarlane).

Visiting Church dignitaries in duded the Archbishop of New Zea and (the Most Rev. Reginald Dwen), the Archbishop of Sydney !the Most Rev. Howard Mowll) and he Bishop of New Guinea (the Rt. lev. Philip Strong). The Arch leacon of Newcastle, NSW, repre sented the Diocese of Newcastle, md the Rev. E. S. Bucknill, the society for the Propagation of the Jospel.

It is significant that the essenti illy Anglican occasion of the con lecration of the cathedral has ireated much interest among people mtside the Anglican communion, md has evoked expressions of joodwill from other denominations, tome non-Anglican Churches were officially represented at the con ecration service.

The dignity and beauty of Church if England ritual were the domi nant notes of the ceremony. The

Bishop, with Archbishop Owen, moved in procession round the out side of the cathedral while the Litany was being said within. The Bishop knocked at the south, east and north doors, at each of which the mark of the consecration (a cross in the circle of eternity) was placed on a jamb of the door. At the west door the appeal was answered: the door was opened and the Cathedral Chapter handed the key of the building to the Bishop.

The procession entered for the service of dedication and the sub sequent Eucharist, at which the sermon was preached by Archbishop Mowll.

The Deed of Consecration was signed by the chosen witnesses, who included the Governor, the two Archbishops, the Rector of Suva (the Rev. H. W. Figgess), the Chief

Justice of Fiji (Mr. Ragnar Hyne) and the Mayor of Suva.

One of the highlights of the celebrations in the following week was a public meeting at the Suva Town Hall under the auspices of the World Council of Churches.

The Governor was chairman and the three speakers were the Arch bishop of New Zealand, the Arch bishop of Sydney, and a young Fijian Methodist layman, Anare Raiwalui.

This probably unique association of speakers caught the popular imagination, as an indication of the fellowship which is growing up among denominations which were once widely separated. Anare Raiwalui, conductor of the Jubilee Church Fijian Choir, was the Fijian delegate to last year’s world Christian youth conference at Travancore, India.

A son was born to Mr. and Mrs.

Peter Graham, on April 14, at the European Hospital, Namanula, Rabaul, NG.