The Henson Journals

[77]

1st Sunday after Trinity, June 3rd, 1923.

There were two celebrations of Holy Communion in the Chapel. Duncan of Willington celebrated at 7 a.m. and I at 7.30 a.m. About 160 lads, & nearly all the officers attended the first: only some 50 lads, the last. This displeased me, as it destroyed the special suggestion of diocesan unity under the Bishop's Lordship, which the occasion ought to have made. I was assured, indeed, that the lads had been admonished to attend the later celebration, but I observed that almost all the officers attended the earlier, & in this matter as in most others, example is more potent than precept. Probably most of the officers are "Anglo–Catholics" and have a semi–conscious repugnance to receiving the Holy Communion from the hands of the Bishop of Durham. They will have been studying the "Church Times", which happens to contain a characteristic attack on that prelate. Perhaps the worst result of the present condition of inner dissidence in the Church of England is the great margin of inevitable and probable, but sometimes groundless suspicion which surrounds everything.

[78]

The parade was held in front of the Castle. About 500 lads were present, & a considerable number of their relatives, admitted by ticket. Colonel Stobart inspected them afterward. Except for the fainting of two boys, there were no untoward incidents. I preached from a rather precarious perch, constructed of boxes. There was a party of 14 at lunch, including 8 officers.

Later I motored to Whitburn, and had tea with Canon Hopkinson, who had asked to see me with reference to his intended resignation. He proposed September 30th as the date, and I agreed, advising him to execute his deed of resignation without delay.

Then I went to the Church of the Venerable Bede, Monkwearmouth, and preached in connexion with the Patronal Festival. Aglionby, the Vicar, had the reputation of being an "Anglo–Catholic", and, perhaps, he disclosed the fact by inviting the congregation to ask the Venerable Bede to pray for them! This proceeding appeared to me to be a marked departure from the law and practice of the Church of England to be passed over in silence. Accordingly in the vestry, after service, I spoke to him about the matter, and ordered him not to repeat the invocation. He said nothing, and, I think, acquiesced, but you can never be sure! Then he took me to the Parish Hall, where the "Church scouts" had been paraded for my benefit. I spoke to them briefly, and congratulated their scout master, and then returned to Auckland, arriving about 9.30 p.m.

The weather remained fine until about 3 p.m., and then changed to rain which fell steadily for some hours.

---