The Henson Journals

[97]

Tuesday, January 23rd, 1923.

I wrote letters all the morning. After lunch I went into Durham, and had an interview with an unusual kind of ordination candidate from the mining parish of Silksworth. He has working in the mine there since he was a boy of 13; and now, at the age of 37 he was still working. He had a pit–lads club of 60 members, was superintendent of a Sunday School, and now regularly carried on a children's service. He had long cherished the ambition to be Ordained. I accepted him provisionally, on condition that he read under K.'s direction for a year. Then, if he made good progress, & K. reported favourably, he should be ordained.

Next I attended a meeting of the Committee of this precious "Retreat House" which that pious fool Lomax has got together. I told them bluntly that I didn't approve the appeal, & couldn't trust the scheme. It would bring the mischief of "Anglo–Catholicism" into the diocese: & make trouble in the future. There was a lively discussion: & it became clear that there was a deep cleavage between the members of the Committee – some having in view an Anglo–Catholic venture, some aiming at little more than a Diocesan Retreat–House … with no resident warden. I said that if they made proposals for the latter, I would consider them. Then I retired from the meeting and returned to Auckland.

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