The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1906-06-01
BISHOPS REPLY
TO PETITION
REASONS GIVEN WHY REV. FITZ
WAS ASKED TO LEAVE BY
BISHOP RESTARICK.

Following is the reply OF Bishop Res
tarick to the petition Of the Hawaiian
congregation of St Andrews Cathedral
asking that Rev. Frank Fitz be allow
ed to sever his connection from all 9TH
er school and Cathedral work and de-
vote himself exclusively to the work
of the Hawaiian congregation.
To the Petitioners on Behalf of the
Hawaiian Congregation of st. An
drew's Cathedral.
My Dear Friends Your petition in
relation to the Rev Frank Fitz has
been received and carefully considered.
1t is useless to go into details with ref
erence to my request for the resigna-
| ton of Mir. Fitz. Suffice it to say that
the reasons are sufficient to justify my
action to my judgment and my con-
science. l had also the opinion of my
Council of Advice on the matter
| / was informed that Mr.. Fitz has
said several times within the last few
months that his work here was nearly
| finished and he intended to leave the
! Islands. | understood from words
spoken on several occasions by him to
me that this was his intention Being
unable to carry out my plans for the
! Hawaiiantwork by reason of the fact
that Mr.. Fitz could not get along with
any of the six persons whom | engaged
to help him, l made up my mind that
a change must be made if the work was
to develop as 1 desired.
Mr.. Fitz had told me several times
of the necessity of an operation, ex-
| l.;
workers by reciting his physical trou-
BILE. Considering all this, 1 offered him
on behalf of friends, six hundred ($6OO)
dollars to go to England for the opera
ton, telling him that 1 would write
to the Bishop of London to get him
free bed in a hospital. l told him at
the same time that the Rev. r. +.
Simpson would come here and that in
a few months Mr.. Simpson could learn
to read the services in Hawaiian. Find
ing a day or so later that Mr.. Fitz did
not fully understand me- l wrote him
a letter stating that l did not expect
him to take work again in Honolulu
and telling him that l would write
gladly letters commencing him to
Bishops under whom I thought he
could work to greater advantage than
under me.
The trouble that has ensued. it APP
pears to me- is because Mr.. Fitz does
not look at his ordination vows as l
look at them. A priest promises when
ordained that he will by Gods help:
"Reverently obey his Bishop and fol-
low with a glad mind and will his
godly admonitions and submitting him
to h c - I GhO11H
take this to imply a quiet withdrawal
from work when his Bishop, with the
interests of the whole work at heart.
considered such withdrawal necessary.
The trouble and publicity which have
arisen can not be put upon the Bishop
who acted in accordance with law and
tried to be kind and generous in all his
dealings with Mr.. Fitz.
You have, in the petition declared
your intention to submit to my father
ly direction. My prayerful and earnest
desire has been and is to be a friend to
the Hawaiian people. 1 have tried to
advance the work but have been him
dered 1t is my deliberate judgment
after prayerful consideration that the
work can best advance with a priest
in charge who shall bring the Hawai-
ian congregation into touch with the
rest of the work on the island. For
this l selected the best man whom l
could find, as l informed Mr. Fitz at
the first. l believe there is no reason
why the Hawaiian work should not
grow as the other church interests have
grown
In the sight of God, l am doing what
1 believe to be the best for you and
the work and l have large plans for
the future. My conscience and judg-
ment make it impossible for me to fol-
low my inclinatiOns and sympathy and
to grant your petition. l am obliged in
view of the whole situation to state
that after the course which Mr.. Fitz
has taken since 1 asked for his resigna-
ton l am sure that he could not work
at the Cathedral with any satisfaction
to himself or to me.
Faithfully yours
HENRY B. RESTARICK,
Bishop of Honolulu.