The Henson Journals

[75]

Saturday, June 14th, 1924.

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I celebrated the Holy Communion in the Chapel at 8 a.m. At 11 a.m. I gave an address on "Preaching" to the candidates. At 2 p.m. I motored into Durham, & opened a Fête in the S. Mary's College in aid of the U.M.C.A., & made a speech on missions. At 4 p.m. I gave commission to a female worker in the chapel of the Deaconess's House. At 4.30 p.m. I had tea in the Castle. At 6 p.m. I attended in the Chapter House, & witnessed the making declarations [sic] &c by the Ordination candidates. At 7 p.m. I dined in the Castle Hall: and at 8.30 p.m. delivered my Charge to the candidates. After this I returned to Auckland.

I inquired as to the numbers resident in College, and was told that no more than 27 were now on the books. This is less than half the accommodation of the Castle, & represents a very serious situation. The shortage of Ordination Candidates is evidently not going to diminish in the immediate future, for the Durham students are mainly destined for Holy Orders. It would appear that the disappearance of the ex–service men, mostly trained at Knutsford, discloses the disconcerting fact that the clerical career no longer commends itself to young Englishmen. The difficulty of "manning the parishes" which is already inconvenient must in these circumstances become rapidly acute. Nothing short of a miracle can maintain the Church of England on its present scale. And yet the cry is for more bishops!

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