Ashley, of Milwaukie; and the candidates presented by the President, the Rev. Dr. Cole, and Professors Adams and Kemper. The Rev. Mr. Tschifelly I have appointed as my Deacon, and as a general Missionary, under my immediate direction; and the Rev. Mr. Rowe, as before mentioned, is appointed the Missionary at New Harmony and Mount Ver non. On the 27th inst., I attended, in my place as a Trustee of Racine College, the annual meeting of the Board of Trustees of that Institution. This is, in part, the training school for the Seminary at Nashotah, the preparatory department of which was, on the re-organization of the College, in the autumn of 1859, transferred to this College. The College consists of a College proper and a Grammar School. Having spent several days at the College, I had an opportunity of seeing the practical working of its course of study and discipline, and I am free to say, and take pleasure in saying, that it is the best conducted Institution. of the kind I have ever known; and I do most cordially commend it to the patronage of parents and guardians having sons or wards to educate, whether in view of the sacred ministry, for which it is invaluable, or for any other of the avocations of life. The instruction is ample and thorough; the discipline exact, but mild. It has com mended itself, after careful examination and observation, to my entire confidence. I regard it as eminently adapted to intellectual, and, above all, to moral and religious culture. It is, in truth, a happy Christian home for youth, and in that respect entitled to extensive patronage, while its comparative inexpensiveness brings its advantages within general reach. June 2-1st Sunday after Trinity-I preached twice, administered the Lord's Supper, and confirmed three persons, in the Church of the Holy Communion, Valparaiso. On this second visit, as on the first, of which I have already given an account, I found an encouraging state of things, affording good promise for the future growth of the Church. This service completed the work of the Conventional year, of which the following is the summary, to-wit : Confirmed-172 persons. Baptized-Infants, 30; adults, 9; total, 39. Marriages Celebrated-Two. Ordained, Priests-One. 66 Deacons-Two. The following named Clergymen have been transferred, at their request, to other Dioceses, viz: The Rev. Robert W. Trimble, to the jurisdiction of the Missionary Bishop of the Southwest; the Rev. William Armstrong, to the Diocese of Wisconsin; and the Rev. Eugene C. Pattison, to the Diocese of New York. The following named Clergymen have been added to the Diocese, viz The Rev. Humphrey Hollis, from the Diocese of Ohio; the Rev. N. P. Charlot, from the Diocese of Texas; the Rev. Louis P. Tschifelly, and the Rev. Wm. S. Rowe, Deacons, by ordination. The candidates for Holy Orders are David Francis, Samuel Edson, and Samuel F. Wetmore. Thomas Bellam, of this Diocese, a member of the Junior Class in Racine College, is pursuing a collegiate course, preparatory to entering Nashotah House as a candidate for Holy Orders. It becomes me to announce the decease of two of the Bishops of the Church during the past year: The Right Rev. Nicholas Hanmer Cobbs, D. D., late Bishop of Alabama; and The Right Rev. Benjamin Treadwell Onderdonk, D. D., late Bishop of New York. This is not the time nor place for an extended notice of either. They rest from their labors, and have gone to their eternal reward, after many years of devoted and efficient service to the Church; and in the case of the latter, of severe affliction, which he bore, as all who knew him testify, with exemplary patience and submission. Fitting and ample justice has been done to both, in obituary memorials in our several religious journals; and to all that has been written and published of both, I cordially subscribe. The Church in this Diocese is advancing slowly, but surely. In several of the Parishes there has been a decided growth, and no falling off in any. I have visited every Parish and Missionary station once; and many, nay, most of them, twice during the past year, and have been much encouraged by what I have observed. There are several interesting incidents which have occurred, affording more than ordinary promise and hope for the future, but to which I do not think it advisable to give publicity at pres ent. At some future time, it may be proper to mention them. Our Missionary work, strictly so called, in which I have, to some extent, participated, has been attended by gratifying results, particularly in the Northern and Southern portions of the Diocese. In the prosecution of the Missionary work, a serious hindrance is met with, in the difficulty of obtaining suitable Missionaries, and in the inadequacy of the means of supporting them. The first might be remedied, to a considerable extent, if the Rectors of the several Parishes would occasionally visit the villages and hamlets in their several vicinities, seek out the scattered members of our communion, and celebrate our services. This might be done with little inconvenience, considering the facilities afforded by our numerous railroads; and I would earnestly commend the measure to their attention, and solicit their co-operation in this way, in the special work committed to us in this Diocese, which is truly Missionary ground, and requiring eminently that mode of cultivation. The other impediment might be more effectually met than it is, by adopting a different and more efficient plan for raising money for Missionary purposes. Instead of confining the effort simply to giving notice of the required Canonical collections, and, perhaps, preaching a sermon having a bearing on the subject, I would respectfully sug gest the putting forth of more direct personal efforts. The week, or perhaps the fortnight, preceding each quarterly collection, I would recommend to be devoted to parochial visiting, embracing the opportunity to remind each family and person of the Parish of the approaching collection and its importance, endeavoring to inspire a missionary spirit in each individual addressed, answering objections, and explaining misapprehensions that might exist; and enlarging in general on the necessity of this sort of effort for advancing the cause of the Church, and the responsibility resting on each one to contribute of his or her ability to sustain the Missionaries in their labors, and aid them in building up and extending the visible spiritual kingdom of Christ our Lord. I verily believe this method of appeal would double, if not quadruple, our Missionary funds. Let me affectionately request you, my brethren of the Clergy, those of you, particularly, who are in charge of our larger Parishes, to try the experiment, and pursue this plan systematically. Our principal support for Missionaries, is derived from the Domestic Committee of the General Missionary Society of the Church, to which we owe a large debt of gratitude for the liberal aid extended to the Diocese for a long series of years, and still continued. Much more should be done, than is done and might be done, in re-payment of that debt, by contributions to the funds of that Association from our several Parishes. This obligation, I regret to say, has been seriously neglected for a few years past; and, as a Diocese, our reputation has justly suffered, and is likely to suffer more, by this indefensible negligence. Very few of the Parishes have contributed at all, and those only an inconsiderable sum. One collection in the year is all that is asked, and is usually fixed at the season of Advent. Let me earnestly recommend greater and more general response to this annual appeal. There is no Parish but could contribute to some extent, and the aggregate would amount to a considerable sum-a sum sufficient at least to remove the reproach of insensibility and indifference to the obliga tion of requiting the kind assistance so long and liberally bestowed. While we do this-and we can do both if we will-let us increase our efforts to augment our own Diocesan Missionary Fund, a collection each quarter for which is canonically required. The present state of our Diocesan Missionary enterprise, and the itinerancy, which has, as far as practicable, been initiated, and with gratifying results, and which it is my desire to enlarge, feeling, as I do, its necessity, from my annual survey of the field, requires this augmentation. I trust the Clergy, and Laity also-for their co-operation is earnestly solicited-will both put forth renewed and more efficient efforts to meet this growing demand, so that we may be enabled to send at least four itinerants into the field, instead of two, as at present. The Church of our baptism, or of our adoption, demands the constant and devoted attention of her members, Clerical and Lay; and a weighty responsibility rests upon them all, as opportunity is offered, to promote its high interests and advance its holy cause. This responsibility, I trust, will be felt more and more, and faithfully acted upon, so that, while in the enjoyment of its precious privileges, we are taught and edified, we may aid in extending these privileges to such as are deprived of them, and are wandering as sheep without a shepherd, destitute of the means of grace, the worship and sacraments, and the life-giving Word of God, which we so freely and abundantly possess. INDIANAPOLIS, June 5th, 1861. GEORGE UPFOLD. NOTE. Since the adjournment of the Convention, the Rev. Joseph Adderly has presented a Letter Dimissory, from the Bishop of Wisconsin, and is the Rector of St. Paul's Church, Mishawaka, and Missionary to South Bend. |