St Peter’s Church – Jubilee Patronal Festival, 1935

Posted by John Humphries on 15/12/35 • Categorised as 1930s, Bohemia Life

St Peter’s Jubilee Patronal Festival 1935

PARISH CHURCH OF S. PETER, S. LEONARDS-ON-SEA

JUBILEE PATRONAL FESTIVAL

June 28^th to July 5th, 1935.

Sanctus Petus a.m.

Feed my lambs.

Feed my sheep.

I will give unto thee the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven.

1885-1935

“Glory be to the father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.”

No words can better express the motive that governed the gift of the beautiful and dignified church of S. Peter, S. Leonards, by Miss Blanche E. Elliot than the words written above. This is emphasized by the facts that the name of the foundress was not known at the time, but only leaked out in a way that was inevitable in the course of years ; and that her generosity is simply commemorated by a plate bearing these words : “To the Honour and Glory of God, this Church is offered in humble thankfulness by one of His children. S. Peter’s Day 1885.” When the Church was consecrated on S. Peter’s Day, 1885, the Bishop of Chichester (Dr. Richard Durnford) stressed this in his sermon based on Haggai, I, v. 8 : “Build the house, and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the Lord.”

This keynote having been struck has never been departed from ; and the ministry of Frederick G. Hughes, William Champion Streatfeild, Charles Ambrose Sturges-Jones and Walter Andrews, whose work covers more than forty-seven of the fifty years since our Church was built, will long be gratefully remembered in consequence.

It is not proposed to give even a summarized history of this fifty years here, as it is hoped to bring up to date and re-issue the late Mr. Alfred Morris’s excellent “Historical Account of S. Peter’s, S. Leonards-on Sea” very shortly after the Festival. It seems more to the point that, while continuing to thank and praise God for all that He has given us as well as for His continued blessing, so making the best commemoration of the past, we should all make a determined resolve that by His grace we shall go forward in happy and hearty co-operation for the spread of His Kingdom ; and thus express in our lives that which is often on our lips – “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.”

F.L.S. (Frederick Leonard Staples, Vicar)

Of your charity pray for the repose of the souls of :-

William Champion Streatfeild, Bishop (Vicar 1902-11).

Walter Andrews, Bishop (Vicar 1920-32).

Frederick G. Hughes (Vicar 1885-1902).

S. E. Hales (Assistant-Priest 1891-2).

Bridgeman Herbert Lethbridge (Assistant Priest 1892-7).

E. P. Hood (Assistant-Priest 1897-9).

G. P. Acworth (Assistant-Priest 1911-12).

Pray also for God’s blessing on the Ministry of:

Percy Robert Ferris (Assistant Priest, 1908-10), in Australia.

Arthur Lionel Wordsworth (Assistant Priest, 1911), in South Africa.

Spencer Churchill Jarrett (Lay-Reader, 1920-1922), in Canada.

Greetings.

From the Archdeacon of Hastings.

I do hope you will have a very happy and inspiring Festival. You will look to the past with thanksgiving to God, and to the future with hope and earnest resolve. The Church exists for a two-fold purpose – to enable men to worship and to equip for witness ; and never was that Witness more needed, for we are living in a day of growing materialism and of blatant anti-Christian philosophy, while in the regions beyond there is the challenge of the great non-Christian religions. May your Festival inspire you all to a renewed dedication to our Living Lord, and a more aggressive evangelism at home and abroad. Arthur F. Alston.

From the Rural Dean of Hastings.

On behalf of the clergy of the Deanery I am writing to offer our congratulations to you and your congregation on the occasion of the approaching Jubilee of your Church. You have a building of which you can indeed be proud. The list of incumbents who have served the parish since its inauguration is one which contains honoured names, and the record of parochial work during these fifty years is one which has brought much spiritual blessing to the whole neighbourhood. I sincerely hope that S. Peter’s will go on from strength to strength and continue to bear in the coming years even bolder witness for the cause of Christ in St. Leonards. James Morgan.

From the Rector of our Mother Church of S. Paul.

We of S. Paul’s share your pride in the history and development of S. Peter’s during a succession of outstanding incumbents. I rejoice to feel that you and I are anxious to maintain the traditional friendship that has always existed between our two parishes. When you of S. Peter’s think of us at S. Paul’s I am sure you will have in mind that quotation from the Greek poets Aratus and Cleanthes which S. Paul used at Athens : “For we are also his offspring.” We are proud of your success and of our small share in it. With every good wish, and praying that united under the twin banners of our two great Patron Saints we may long work together as they did for the well-being of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, to which we are all devoted as were they. Marchant Pearson.

From the Rev. G. F. Helm, Vicar of Berkley, Gloucester ; and Rural Dean of Hursley. (Assitant Priest 1912-14).

It gives my wife and me much pleasure to be allowed to associate ourselves with the auspicious occasion of your Golden Jubilee. Although twenty-one years have passed since we lived amongst you, we still remember our many kind friends at St. Leonards, and look back on our time at S. Peter’s with very happy recollections. We send you all our very best wishes for the future. G. F. Helm.

From the Rev. E. H. Hackett, Vicar of Ramsbury, (Assistant-Priest 1915-17)

I look back to the three years I spent at S. Peter’s as among the very happiest of my years in Orders. There were years of war, but the dove with the olive leaf always seemed to find a natural resting place within the Church, and the spirit of Unity and Peace pervaded the parish. I add my prayers to yours that our Father may continue so to use S. Peter’s and its ministrations. George H. Hackett.

From the Rev. A. T. S. Talbot, Vicar of Rushall, Walsall (Assitant-Priest 1903-8).

Greetings and congratulations to the people of S. Peter’s. The memory of the kindness, friendship and affection I received from the people of the Parish has not faded in the thirty years since I was with you. May God bless you all. A. T. S. Talbot.

From the Rev. H. H. Tarrant, Rector of Southwick, Sussex (Assistant-Priest 1928-32).

Congratulations and greetings to all at S. Peter’s on the great occasion of your Jubilee Festival. My thoughts and prayers will be with you. I hope you will have fine weather for your Jubilee and that everything will go splendidly. H. H. Tarrant.

From Miss Ellen Turner (present at the Consecration, and long an ardent worker) for whose recovery of health we pray.

My constant prayer is : May God accept and bless your work and worship now and always. – Ellen Turner.

The Reredos.

The figure of our LORD over the Alter does not depict the crucifixion but portrays our LORD as the CROWNED KING in the act of blessing. Good Friday with its crucifixion scene is not enough for us ; we must go beyond to the Easter scene and the Ascension through Good Friday and acknowledge Him as our King crowned and blessing. Before the figure over the pulpit we say : “This THOU hast done for me” ; but before the one over the Alter we bow down and say : “My LORD, my GOD, my KING.”

BISHOP ANDREWS.

The Festival Arrangements

Preparation

June 19^th to 28^th. NOVENA OF PRAYER

Friday, June 28^th QUIET AFTERNOON, conducted by the Rev. R. E. Young, Vicar of S. Thomas, Shepherds Bush, 3-6 p.m.

Services and Preachers

Friday, June 28^th Solemn Evensong, Sermon and Procession, 8.p.m.

Preacher: THE LORD BISHOP OF CHICHESTER

Saturday, June 29^th. Holy Communion, 6, 7 and 8 a.m. Procession and Sung Eucharist, 11 a.m. Preacher: The Rev. C. A. WEEKS, Vicar of Portfield, Sussex (Assistant Priest, 1914-21). Solemn Evensong, 8 p.m.

Sunday, June 30^th. Holy Communion 6, 7 and 8 a.m. Procession and sung Eucharist, 11 a.m. Preacher : The Rev. W. H. FLUELLIN, Holy Trinity, Broadstairs (Lay-reader 1921-27). Childrens Procession and Address, 3 p.m. Solemn Evensong, Sermon and Procession, 6.30 p.m. Preacher: The Rev. C. A. STURGES-JONES, Rector of Garboldisham (Vicar 1911-20).

Monday, July 1^st. Service for Servers of Hastings and District, 8.30 p.m. Preacher : The Rev H. G. ELLAM, Vicar of St. Andrew’s, Eastbourne.

Tuesday, July 2^nd. Service for Children of S. Paul’s and S. Peter’s Day School, 9.15 a.m.

Friday, July 5^th. Holy Eucharist (sung), 7 a.m. and (said), 8 a.m. Solemn Evensong, Sermon, Procession and Te Deum, 8 p.m. Preacher : THE LORD BISHOP OF LEWES.

The Social Side.

Tuesday, July 2^nd. CHILDREN’S SPORTS at Summerfields Grounds.

Wednesday, July 3^rd. SOCIAL GATHERING in the Garden and Hall, 7.30-10.30 p.m. A souvenir photograph of all workers will be taken about 8.15 p.m.

[Text on reverse of photo] “POST CARD published by the Photographer F N Broderick, Ryde, I.W. In remembrance July 27 1909. In the hand of God. R.A.E.” Photo kindly supplied by Don Ray.