The Henson Journals

[94]

Saturday, June 23rd, 1923.

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Visitation of the Rural Deanery of Stanhope:–

I left the Castle at 9.15 a.m., and motored to Eastgate. At 10.30 a.m. I celebrated the Holy Communion in the parish church, and addressed the clergy of the Rural Deanery. About 15 were present from the 17 parishes, of which one (Muggleswick) is yet vacant. The conference on the Marriage Law was held at the Vicarage, where also I lunched. Again I was impressed by the open–mindedness of the clergy. They are ignorant with few exceptions, but they are hardly ever bigoted. At 2 p.m. I addressed the Parochial Church Councillors of the Rural Deanery. They filled the little church, & listened very attentively to my speech. Some useful questions were asked, & answered. I returned to Auckland, arriving about 5 p.m. It is very evident that there is no public demand for Prayer Book Revision: very little understanding of what the process implies: and not a little apprehension as to what it may effect. The Parochial Church Councillors in my diocese are a humble folk, mainly belonging to the lower middle & upper artisan class. They are hardly ever "Anglo–Catholic", indeed they would not understand what the word meant. It is difficult to avoid a sense of practical futility when speaking to them as legally responsible exponents of parochial feeling. They are quite conscious of their own incompetence.

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