The Henson Journals

[31]

Monday, January 26th, 1931.

A most beautiful day, brilliant and calm. I wrote to the Rev. A.W. Bell, now assistant curate of Heworth, offering him appointment to Dimsdale with Sockburn. He is a poor creature but I can find none else.

I worked on the Temple sermon all the morning. After lunch I motored to Durham, & presided at a meeting of the Church Building Board. There can be no doubt that the two "Eyes" of the Bishop are not looking in the same direction! I fear that the dissidence at the centre will be a leaven of disunity in the diocese.

Canon Macdonald arrived about 5 p.m. He insisted on accompanying me to Sunderland, where I instituted Philip Strong to the vicarage of S. Ignatius. There was a large muster of the local clergy, and several strangers presumably from Leeds. There was a large congregation in which, however, young women & girls were formidably present. I repeated, with substantial additions, the address which I delivered at Pittington on Saturday. On the whole the service seemed to me very comforting: and I was particularly pleased by the assurances of the churchwardens that they would do their utmost to make the new vicariate successful.

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