THE following most seasonable remarks occur in the Annual Pastoral Letter
recently issued by the Rev. Dr. Hessey to his parishioners of St.
Barnabas, Kensington:—
“Since I last addressed you in this form our Bishop has delivered his
primary charge, the very watchword of which is the PAROCHIAL SYSTEM.
Convinced as I am of the value of that system to our country, I
rejoice in having my own views on the subject confirmed by so high an
authority. It is in virtue of that system, still by law established
among us, that I have written to you, from year to year, not merely
as the minister of a particular place of worship to which a certain
number of Christians habitually resort, but as one to whom the care
of a certain number of souls spread over a certain area is actually
committed; as one who is expected to care for rich and poor alike,
and to form as it were a link between them; as one who is responsible
ecclesiastically to the Bishop of the Diocese, but in a far higher
sense to the Divine Head and Pastor of the Church.
“Some distinguished men have thought that the parochial system has
had its day, and ought now to be forgotten. Every day’s experience,
however, tends to prove that such is not the case; for never has that
system shown more vitality and efficiency than during the last thirty
years. To take a single instance which is familiar to us all: I know
not how, without the parochial system, provision could have been made
for the pastoral care of what is technically called the suburban
village of Kensington. It now contains upwards of 121,000 souls; and
yet rapidly as its population has been increased, fresh churches have
been built for the use of that population, to which parochial rights
and duties have been successively attached; and each new parish has
again been subdivided, as soon as the necessity has occurred. Such
repeated subdivision is still going forward; and, as you are aware, a
Temporary Church, within the Parish of S. Barnabas, has already a
conventional district attached to it, and waits only to be replaced
by a permanent building in order to have its district legally
assigned. When Mr. Booker commenced the temporary building, the site
selected was part of an open field. It now is surrounded by houses,
which appear to find tenants as fast as they are built.
“But for the facilities of Subdivision furnished by the Parochial
System which still exists among us, I should find myself at this day
perhaps weighed down with the care of a population of more than
14,000 souls. Whereas now our population is such that every
inhabitant may know his Pastor if he will, and the Pastor may know at
least each family, if not each member of his flock.”