The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-12-24
ST. ANDREWS MEMORIAL CATHEDRAL.

Memorial Cathedral for Divine worship
on the great Christian festival, Christ
mas Day, deserves more than passing
notice. The movement to establish an
Anglican Episcopal Church at Honolulu
was begun in 1874, but it was not until
1859 that it took practical shape under
the lead and patronage Of Kamehameha
". Communication was had through
the Foreign Office at London with the
English hierarchy, but it was mainly
through the influence of Bishop Kip, of
California, who visited London in 1860,
that the request of the King and his
popular consort, the late Queen Emma,
was complied with. A mission was
consequently constituted with "a Bishop
at its head, the Rev T. n. Staley, d. D.,
being consecrated Bishop of Honolulu in
the Chapel of Lambeth Palace, Decem-
Bishop arrived in his diocese October
Is, 1862, accom- panied by two priests,
Revs. G. Mason and f. Ibbotson.
Bishop Staley resigned his see in 1870
and was succeeded by the present do
cesar, Right Rev. DR.. Willis.
Meanwhile King Kamehameha ".
had busted himself with translation of
the Book of Common Prayer into Ha-
waiian, and OF the arrival of the first
Bishop and his clergy the translation of
the Evening and Morning Prayer and
the Litany was placed in the hands of
the printers. The entire work was com
pleted before his death in his Both year,
on st. Andrews Day, November 80,
1868. The King also wrote an explana-
tory preface, which was printed with
the Prayer Book This is the book now
in use in all Hawaiian Protestant Epis-
copal churches
1t was determined to perpetuate the
fourth Kamehameha's name in connec-
ton with the Anglican Episcopal Mis-
sion, and accordingly the foundation
stone of memorial church was laid by
his successor, Kamehameha ", who
also took a lively interest in the affairs
of the Church. A large sum was sub
scribed in Honolulu by British residents,
and upon the occasion of the visit of the
late Queen Emma to London in 1865 the
members of the English Church sub
scribed literally towards the Hawaiian
Mission, and 10000 of this fund were
invested in stones for the. Memorial
Cathedral.
These stones arrived in due course,
but lay idle for fifteen years on the
Cathedral site granted by Kamehameha
". At length it was determined that a
beginning should be made, and the
chancel built according to the original
design. This has been successfully
done, and the opening service on Christ
mas Day will be held in the chancel,
which has been temporarily fitted up for
public worship. 1t will not, however,
accommodate the entire members of the
Anglican Church at one time, and there
fore two services-one in Hawaiian and
one in English-will be held as has been
the case latterly in the pro-Cathedral.
The chancel is a noble structure,
and gives promise of what st.
[lIdiCh -fICiAlO11sll N'SllllCtAlf tl VIII NC
when finished. 1t is sixty feet
from floor to apex, and the arch is
beautifully proportional. Leaving out
of the question the grand edifice at Salt
Lake City reared by the Mormons, there
is no ecclesiastical or sacred building in
the States or Territories west of the
Missouri river ut all comparable with it.
In addition to the $4,000 subscribed
in England for the building fund of st.
Andrews Memorial Cathedral, there
has been contributed in various ways by
the members OF the Anglican commu-
Mon here $51 AS Is. There are cut
stones on the ground sufficient to com
plete two bays, but from $15 900 to $20,-
vide internal fittings. The ohertories
on Christmas Day will be applied to that
purpose, and it is not too much to hope
that liberal response to this appeal
will be m l1e by our fellow citizens upon
that occasion The day itself APP
peals especially to the generous
impulses of men. 1t celebrates the
dawn of that new era in the
life of humanity which has brought with
it accumulated blessings, and is des-
tined, in fuIlness of time, to accomplish
the glorious promise: &" Peace on earth :;
good will toward men,"
The occasion, we have already shown,
is one having special claims upon all
residents of the Kingdom, whether of
native or foreign birth. 1t is a memo
rial church to the most popular monarch
of his line, the completion of which was
dear to the heart of his equally popular
and esteemed widow, Queen Emma. 1t
is furthermore a church of which it may
be truly said that Kings have been its
nursing fathers, and Queens its nursing
mothers, the reigning sovereign in COM
mon with his immediate predecessors
having been active in the church work
of the Anglican Mission. And it is q
building furthermore which will be an
ornament and credit to the city upon its
completion.
CHRISTMAS TRADE.