The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-06-24
FIVE YEARS OF
CHURCH WORK
Bishop Restarick Tells of Some
of the Work Accom-
pIished.

ReStarick s address to the fifth annua
convocation of the church under hi
Bishopric. 1t treats of the growth o.
the work of the church.
Five years ago on April l, 1902, ths
Bishop of California, acting for the
Presiding Bishop, took over the Angl
can Church in Hawaii and these islands
became by virtue of the action of the
General Convention in October, 1901
missionary district of the American
church. Here [ would say that I con
slider the term Missionary District an
unfortunate one. / believe it should
be Missionary Diocese and [ would
suggest that this Convocation petition
the General Convention to make the
change. Formerly the term Missionary
Jurisdiction was used, but I believe
for many reasons the term Missionary
Diocese is the best. These islands for
forty years constituted the Diocese of
| Honolulu and it is awkward to have
to call it a Missionary District which
words do not convey the real condi-
ton.
The task of the Bishop of California
was not an easy one, but his proce-
dure certainly made affairs much easier
for the new Bishop.
On April Is was elected Bishop of
Honolulu, on July was consecrated
and ON August landed in Honolulu.
On arrival I found a people willing
to follow leadership and to work and
give for the p-building of the King
dom of God in Hawaii. From the first
day of my coming the clergy and laity
have IN every undertaking given me
their ready sympathy and the aid of
their labor and their money. l feel
that no Bishop has ever had clergy and
laity who have been more friendly or
more generous
From the first / endeavored to fami-
liarize myself with the conditions of
these islands with their interesting his
tory and the work of those who labor |
ed for Christ past or present, of what
ever name, and of the peculiar social |
and economic problems which face men
here. All this that I might be the |
better able to do the work which the |
church sent me to do. How far I have |
succeeded | leave others to Judge. I'll
have tried to do my best.
From the first I believed that a
strong center should be built up around
the cathedral, that from this center a
strong, helpful influence should go out
to all parts of the islands. One of
the first things to do was to put the
cathedral itself in good order by the
putting iii of electric lights and by
placing pews instead of benches of a
half dozen kinds.
| found that Bishop Nichols had
gathered what was left of Iolani
school and had placed it awaiting nv
under one in Deacon's orders.
The Vestry of st. Andrews had pur- +.
chased the old desks and had given the
chool temporary shelter in the Sunday
chool rooms. There was also in this
building the Chinese school taught by
he priest in charge of st. Peter IS.
Adjoining this there was st. Andrew s
'riory, the school for girls which the
sisters in charge were anxious to give
p into my care.
L need not trace the steps by which
hese schools have attained their pres
MT conditions. Iolani with its site
nd added buildings repairs and furni-
ure costing more than $4,000. Then
here was the release of the Priest who
aught the Chinese school that he
night give his whole time to clerical
FORK and the bringing of the school
D its present state. Again, there was ]
he task of taking over and arranging
or the girls school and caring for 1
IS progress and development and now
he plans for new buildings for which
here is promised $1,000.
In November, 1902, I first spoke of
ne need for continuing the building !
the Cathedral. First the debt of
100 to Bishop Willis due for money
dvaneed to pay for the cathedral =
uilding had to be paid This was
lrgely accomplished by the Easter of
ering of 1908. There were many prob
ms TO be overcome, not the least of
'hich was the finding of suitable stone.
he money for this extension $4,000 l
as given by the people of the islands
early all of it in three Easter offer
lgs.
In 1905 there came the purchase of
ne Robertson property which is tenn ;
orarily used as a residence for the
'ishop- This was a most valuable
urehase as it gives an opening of ]
ther property to Emma Square Later y
anne word from the Society of +ba