The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-09-16
GREETED AT FIJI
Address of Welcome to
Bishop Willis.
His Lor dshp Expresses Deep and Las irg
Interest In the Anglican Church
of r III.

On Thursday afternoon. the 18th
| inst. a deputaJiOn from the commit
| tee of Holy Trinity Church, compris-
| ing the undersigned gentlemen, wait
ed upon his Lordship, the Bishop OF
Honolulu, at the residence of Mr.. G.. w.
d. Vaughan, 10 present an address OF
welcome. The Bishop and the Rev. w.
Floyd received the deputation in the
library. and the formalities of intro
duction having been gone through, the
Hon Dr. Corney read the subjOined
address, and then presented it to the
Right Reverend gentleman:
To the Right Reverend, Alfred Willis,
ID, Bishop of Honolulu.
May it Please Your Lordship: On
behalf of the congregation of the Holy
Trinity Church, Suva, the committee
have great pleasure in welcoming you
on the occasion of this, your first, visit
TO our colony.
We have, as Your LordShip is aware.
been, for about a year, without the
pastoral aid of a resident clergyman:
and we feel this loss more especially
now, since were there one here TO pre-
pare for your coming and to meet you,
it would, we believe, have added to the
pleasure and satisfaction we trust
Your Lordship and Mrs. Willis may
experience in a Journey SO far from
home.
AS the Church of England in this
group Of islands has not had the adj
vantage of an Episcopal visitation for
a period extending over several years,
we feel all the more thankful that you
should have taken the present Oppor-
tunity in response to our urgent needs
to visit this colony.
1t remains for us to express the hope
that God will long continue to abund-
antly bless your labOrs in furthering
the welfare of the Church of Christ on
earth.
We are. Your Lordships most ODE
dent servants.
B. GLANVILL CORNEY,
Chairman of Committee
G. l.. GRIFFITHS,
Hon. Treasurer.
G. H. MAY, =
Hon. Secretary.
Suva, Fiji August II, 1899.
His Lordship replied:
Gentlemen: In acknowledging the
very kind address you have presented
on behalf of the congregation OF the
Holy Trinity Church, Suva, let me eX-
press to you, and at the same time ask
you to convey to the congregation how
highly | appreciate the cordial welcome
extended to myself and Mrs. Willis on
the occasion of this, my first, visit TO
the colony Of Fiji.
Although the commission that | hold
from the Bishop of London authorizes
me to perform Episcopal functions
anywhere in the Pacific outside the
limits of the Melanesian mission, it
has always seemed to me more fitting
that one of the Bishops in Australia
or New Zealand should exercise super
vision in Fiji, than a Bishop whose
diocese lies outside the British En-
pire.
But being DESTROYS this year of re-
visiting the few members of our
church in Apia, and receiving from
the Rev. Mr.. Floyd an earnest invita-
ton to visit Fiji, many years having
elapsed without a visit from any BiSh-
Op, and there being many young per-
sons waiting for the Apostolic rite of
confirmation, it seemed to me posi-
tive duty to pay you this visit as soon
as | was able.
Brief as my visit has necessarily
been. it has enabled me to see that
Notwithstanding all that other relig-
ious bodies have done in the colony, a
wide field of labor remains open to
the Church of England; and that fully
to provide the means of grace to all
who look to her as their spiritual
mr.
more than two clergymen.
That, in addition to the absence of
Episcopal aid and encouragement, you
have been left for many months with
out a resident clergyman at the seat OF
Government has been a serious draw
back to the advance and growth of the
church in Fiji. But the manner in
which, with the aid of the energetic
incumbent of Levuka, the services OF
the church have been carried on with
out intermission, and the POlynesian
mission maintained in efficiency by
devoted members of the congregation
furnishes abundant proof of the stead
faStneSS and earneStneSS that exists
amOEgt you.
| trust that the arrival of the cler-
gyman who is now on his way to fill
the vacant incumbency will give new
life and strength to the church in Suva.
Let me conclude by assuring you
that | shall carry away with me not
only the pleasantest recollections OF
my visit to the colony, but deep and
lasting interest in the welfare and adj
vancement OF the Anglican Church in
Fiji. 1t will be my earnest endeayOr
to do all that may lie in my power 10
strengthen its position and TO develop
its work That Gods blessing may
rest upon you, and that by His grace
the Anglican Church in rhe colony
may be an instrument for His glory
and the salvation OF His people will
be the prayer Of
Your faithful friend and Servant in
Christ, ALFRED WILLIS,
BiSbOn of Honolulu.