23 August 2005

Bishop Peter¹s 40th Anniversary

A special service will be held at Nelson Cathedral next Wednesday to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Bishop Peter Sutton¹s consecration as the eighth Bishop of Nelson, in August 1965.

Bishop Peter (82) trained in Christchurch and was ordained in Wellington in 1947. He worked in Wanganui before spending time in parishes in London and at Hatfield. Returning to New Zealand he was the Vicar of Berhampore, Wellingon, where he married his wife Pamela. From 1958 to Œ64 the Suttons were based at the large parish of Whangarei, before moving to Dunedin where Peter served one year as Dean.

>From 1965 until his retirement in April 1990, Bishop Peter oversaw the Nelson Diocese, which at that time extended to Cheviot and Greymouth.

Bishop Peter looks back on highlights such as the dedication of Nelson Cathedral in 1967, in a service attended by the Governor General Sir Bernard Fergusson, whose father had laid the foundation stone in 1925. Bishop Peter reflects on the position of bishop as a Œpeople job¹.

"It connects you with people all over the diocese," he says. "On one occasion when we were introducing a new concept in thanksgiving and pastoral care I flew to eight centres in one day in midwinter - we just couldn¹t have done it by car.

He was also pleased in his time at the Bishopdale bishop¹s residence, to see the revival, in 1979, of Bishopdale College, founded under Bishop Suter in the 1860s.

The anniversary service is at Nelson Cathedral (10am on Wednesday August 24). Cannon Bill Wilkins and Rev Fred Greig who were active in the diocese in 1965 will be at the service, and Bishop Peter¹s brother, the Reverend Tony Sutton from Auckland, will be the celebrant.

All are welcome at the service.

ENDS

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