"Father Stafff
Remembering
"Father
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"Father
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Books,
Preface
This book is in no sense a biography. It is rather a
souvenir, a reminder of a remarkable man, perhaps the
outstanding
I first heard of "
at
"
Citation
The
This in the barest outline is the career of this dynamic priest.
His rural ministry in
Throughout his ministry he has been concerned for education
and for the development of opportunities for young people to
realise their potential. From his rural parish students came to
King's by means he devised to make their education financially
possible. While he has been at
year, from this parish than from any other in our two Dioceses.
His concern for his alma mater has been constant and he has
served energetically on the
VI
Contents
Early days and King's
Port Hill
Vocations
St.
The Diocesan Church Society
Camp Kingston
Retirement
Sermons & Addresses......................................27
A
A Good Soldier of
The Visitation of the Sick
Encaenia
The
The Duties of a Churchman
Induction of a
Installation of a Regional
What Anglicanism Means to Me
A Sermon for Queen and Country
A Few Tales...............................................65
1.
2. Toilet Troubles
3. Teething Troubles
4.
5. "I'm Waking Them up!"
6. A "
7. Thank
8. Smoking Them Out
9. "Big Boom" Is Told Off
10.
11. "How Did I Do?
On
REMINISCENCES
When Father Tanton retired in
I suppose my first thoughts would be my experience with Archdeacon
White, who was our rector in
I was at Academy one year, and then I went to
The University of King's
I never seemed to get through King's
One weekend 1 went to
I remember
we were in
I was ordained priest on
*See "
One time that winter my horse kicked the dashboard off the sleigh.
Well wrapped in fur, Father Tanton sets out from rectory with horse and sleigh on wintertime pastoral visits.
to put my horse up at his place in as I was going up to
Father Tanton with two companions in front of
I went into the Air Force from for two years in
People were very kind to me in
In
Father Tanton with his children,
Father Tanton (left) at the altar of
I said I would go there for five years and we stayed for 14. The Bishop asked me 11 times if I would like to go somewhere else. I asked him, "Do you want me to go?" He said, "Not particularly." "Well," I said, "you shouldn't ask me, then."
In my ministry 1 have always felt that I should go where the Bishop wanted
me to go, without any consideration of other factors. Then you arebeing sent.
If you believe in the
VOCATIONS
Since the start of my ministry there have been 11 or 12 people whom I have had the privilege of exposing or encouraging or guiding towards the ministry.
I think every boy should ask himself if he should be a priest - but I don't think every boy should be a priest. I know of no way better to do this than the
Father Tanton (left) with the Right
servers' guild. It offers a great opportunity for boys to become interested in
and to learn about the Church, and to come to love our
I think this is important in growing up. People are living in a vacuum and
they have got to fill it with something. The true way is not to fill it with some
false religion, but to fill it with our
My wife always had an open door in our home. The young men could come
in. Sometimes at our house we would have ten people to dinner on a
When King's
The parish priest is the last of the "going" professions - although I don't
like the word "profession" in speaking of priests. I think of "vocation." It was
a psychologist who said that the parish priest is the last of the "going"
professions, going to the people. Now you go to the doctor, the doctor doesn't
(or very seldom) go to you. The parish priest is the last one who goes into the
home. I remember hearing a story from of how the schoolmaster
taught in the homes there before there ever was a school. Now people are
carted away from their homes to go to school. The teacher doesn't see the
home, knows nothing about the home, knows nothing about the environment
from which the child comes, whereas the parish priest has the door open. There
is no other man in the community, with the exception of the doctor, who has
the accessibility to the home that the parish priest has. If he loves his people
he is always welcome and there is always a place for him. He shares in the
most intimate details of their lives. He has a great opportunity to be a counsellor,
and to be used by
I think many of the young men who go into the priesthood with the idea of
being do-gooders haven't got their commitment to the
place, and the willingness to be humble. I think it was
Father Tanton at the lectern of
In
11
Father Tanton at his desk in
When we were at
We started with services held in
12
end of Halifax
In
13
THE
A meeting of the
I feel that the
14
As Archdeacon of Father Tanton dealt with everything from
television producers (
Island. Far too often, I found on the Island, that the parish priest and
people were far too parochial-minded. Many of the priests were
chaplains to their own people rather than being
There is also great need for the Island to extend the missionary
concept beyond the Island. I'm one of the old-fashioned missionaries
who believes that social service is the result of the Gospel, and that
unless the Gospel of
So I see the
It was a tremendous experience in
j?*3, . ■+* mi.. v
: t
Father Tanton with
own parishioners from
The Queen very kindly said in her letter of thanks that the service marked
and set the tenor and tone of her visit to the Island for the Centenary of the
Island's entry into Confederation. I have a very beautiful portrait of the Queen
and
One of Father
I would like to say something about
"8
and
Father Tanton and
I would also like to say something about the "head-start" work at
19
The
The third thing I would like to speak of is the work of our
Photo by Bishop
During Archdeacon Tanton's regime Island Anglicans came together for worship,
service and fellowship as seldom before. The
21
In
Church music camps were held at
RETIREMENT
I am going to retire to
23
in bird-watching, and we will have lots of birds, some with feathers and some without. So we thought this would be a good name for it. We hope all the birds the ones with feathers, and the ones without feathers as well, will come to see us.
Father
Resurrection window,
SERMONS & ADDRESSES
Bishop
SERMONS & ADDRESSES
Most of Father Tanton's surviving sermon notes are just that - notes.
They are jotted down on cards, or on the backs of bulletin covers
distributed from Church House in
A
In
Text: "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good
tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth
salvation; that saith unto Zion. Thy
The prophet of old saw a vision of the exiles returning from their captivity.
He saw that great crowd of people as they were drawing nigh to the beloved
city. The old men with their long white beards who had come so often to the
temple to worship
27
Today the great crowd are returning from a self-inflicted exile. In times
of prosperity and pleasure they wandered away from
There is a feeling that the peace for which the world is seeking is to be
found outside the Church. People would direct our attention to the progress
that science has made. They claim that science has brought the good tidings
and peace, because it has shown us a more healthy way to live. They claim a
great deal for knowledge, the bringing of truth. This is quite right in so far that
science and knowledge may bring to man the truth of his age, yet there is
something in man that calls for more than physical happiness and intellectual
satisfaction. Man is made up of body, mind and spirit, and it is the spiritual
side of man that longs for good tidings and the assurance of salvation, that
longs to be told that
Today, perhaps more than any time since the Great War, people are looking
to the Church for peace; not a mere satisfaction but a lasting peace and happiness
within. Let me illustrate: a man about middle age came to the rectory one dark
rainy
The hearts that are longing for peace, the souls that are athirst for salvation,
and the minds that would see
How beauteous are their feet
Who stand on Zion's hill,
Who bring salvation on their tongues.
And words of peace reveal. Hymn 487
(The sermon has many good thoughts. The introduction is too long and there is no proper conclusion, no direct appeal, no personal touch. Indeed, this is more an essay than a sermon. Ask yourself- what result did I seek in those who hear this?)
A Good Soldier of
An early, pre-Second World War, sermon.
Let us consider these characteristics of a good soldier.
The first quality which is necessary in a good soldier is Vision. When the men enlisted and went to France they had a vision in their minds of their loved ones at home suffering under a cruel rule. They had a vision of their friends as slaves. And with this vision before them they were ready to give their lives for others. It was a vision that drove them to pay that great sacrifice.
The other day I asked a returned man, "Would you go to war if war was declared?" "Yes," he said, "if I thought that my staying home would cause my loved ones to suffer."
As we have that vision of the sufferings and cruelty caused by
war, so do we have the vision of suffering and sadness caused by the
greatest of all wars, the war of sin. Sins of all natures. The war that
not only leaves the mortal effect but which also kills the soul, the very
29
brings so much sorrow and suffering on innocent little children who haven't the choice. This is the vision of suffering that is caused by the war of sin.
Let us turn the picture over and see the vision that the Church gives us,
Immediately some people say that it is an impossible realisation, the vision
is but a mirage. What does the Church teach us? She teaches us, with the vision
of the sacrificed
To carry out this vision we must have Courage. We find that courage was
another of the qualities of a good soldier. (We need courage) to live the vision
of
Loyalty is the third asset of a good soldier, and of a
The fourth is really two characteristics, those of Self-sacrifice and Obedience.
We must be ready to obey
Not only does the priest publish peace but also salvation, men who are
priests of the
Today the multitudes are repeating with the Psalmist, "My soul is athirst
for
This brings us to the third part of the prophet's exclamation, "That saith
unto Zion thy
31
A splendid example of this was shown by the stewardess of the
(To be) a good soldier of
The Visitation of the Sick
These notes, although undated, would seem to predate the
Pain and Suffering
Introduction.
1. Call your
2.
(The use of the Reserved Sacrament.)
3. The question of
4. Making your will: remember the Church.
Not merely a figment of the mind. Pain in the animal world. Pain as a danger signal.
If
(a) Result of misdeeds.
(b) "Its forces are able to expand and expend themselves in a positive direction, elevating, refining, dignifying the character to an infinite degree. The men of sorrows are the men of influence in every walk of life." Illingworth.
(c) Every human being has need of suffering in one or other of its various aspects, penal, corrective or preventive.
2. In the field of Religion.
(a) Belief in a future life.
Craving of human heart for justice, man's own verdict on his sin.
(b) Sacrifice acceptable to
The root of sacrifice is self-sacrifice.
Giving the best.
Suffering has a mysterious value.
3. A modern attitude: ignore pain.
(a) The avoidance of the Crucifix. A gilded Cross.
(b) The idea of a
(c) Pain, sorrow - hope, joy, love.
1 .Christianity once and for all has put the value before the painfulness in
our thoughts - the Author and Finisher of our
2. Face our problem of suffering. Gethsemane faced.
3. endured.
Offer our affliction to
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Guest Preacher
In the course of his ministry Father Tanton was very much in demand as a
guest preacher and missioner. His widespread reputation throughout
Encaenia Sermon, King's
As one of King's longest living graduates - that is, 1 probably spent more time living at King's before I became a graduate than many -1 must thank the members of the graduating class who have done me the honour of asking me to preach this sermon.
It is a temptation to make this an occasion for nostalgic memories, and to
become sentimental, to recall great Kingsmen like
This morning we have come to think on this occasion of graduation in a special way - though not detached from these things just mentioned - and to pause for a moment of dedication, before leaving King's to go out into the world or to go on to further study, to think what our vocation in life is.
In
34
Again, several weeks ago I was challenged by the statement of the
He went on to tell us about his experiences in Africa and India, where in India a man would follow a cow that he might pick up the dung, to dry it to cook a meal of a mealy porridge, the only meal he would eat in two days. No wonder these people are listless! And then the startling observation - we have the know-how, we have the technical ability, we have the resources to feed the world. But we don't have the will power or the moral drive.
But the Church's function will be to conserve values, to (guide) a society which lacks purpose and direction, in which success is gauged by a man's intelligent self-interest, and to (show) concern for the full unity of the human family.
35
there are two great commandments - to love
The (
"
The dynamic we need is personal commitment to
In our generation the most spectacular expression was given in the life
and death of
We must take hold of that faith which
This is your mission!
We must find our dynamic for change in the person of
Go forth in this faith, with the knowledge that
My prayer for you is "
The Blessed
University of King's
36
Despite the fact of Mariolatry at the time of the Reformation the
In the Church Calendar she has no less than six days. If you have a Prayer
Book near turn to page ix, the Church Calendar. Note
While you have your Prayer Book in your hands turn to page xlvi, Lessons
proper for
In Everyman's Book of
St.
St.
In Acts
As noted above, the Prayer Book calls
37
It is well to note this because people sometimes speak as though the Incarnation
took place on
The Collect for the Day says, "...As we have known the Incarnation of thy
Nor did the Incarnation end on
The event referred to in the words, "Conceived by the
But the Incarnation continues with "suffered under Pontius Pilate, was
crucified, dead and buried - rose again - ascended into heaven." In this sense
the Incarnation did not end with the
The
Thus was fulfilled the good news foretold in Genesis in the very beginning
of
If you believe that the Blood of the everlasting covenant can save you,
you must believe that
"Thou shalt call his name
It is worth noting that they who deny the
It is generally agreed among scholars that
Notice as you read the
Conclusion.
"Behold the handmaid of the
39
I would like to leave you with this question:
With all your shortcomings, your trials, your pains, your heartaches -just as you are - will you bow your head and say with the blessed Mother, "Be it unto me according to thy word"? If so, your life will take on a new purpose and a new quality, for "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is set on Thee."
Jesu 's tender Mother
Make thy supplication Unto Him who chose thee At His Incarnation.
That,
Passing meek and lowly.
Thy dear
Blameless, chaste and holy.
So, as now we journey
Aid our weak endeavour.
Till we gaze on
And rejoice forever.
40
The Duties of a Churchman
Living the
"I don't go to Church, and I am just as good as those who go." Or this statement from an article in a recent edition of MacLeans:
"
Behind these two statements lies a misconception of what the Church is, and what her task or work is.
Some years ago the House of Laity (of the Church Assembly) of the
The sort of thing they had in mind was this: "Suppose a young man, bought
up in an irreligious home, becomes converted, or at least begins to make
enquiries about Christianity and the
We know that there are people who tell us that if we have the right spirit
we don't need rules. That sounds very well but in actual fact, because of our
very nature, we need rules, and if we are going to "live the
Perhaps the report to the Church Assembly on "The Spiritual Discipline
of the Laity" caused the revisers of the
41
"Every
It is possible that even this guide is a bit too vague for the average Layman.
I think what the Layman wants the Church to say (is), "Here is a simple rule;
start here and build on this your way of living the
This simple rule consists of six parts or precepts...
1. Attendance at Public Worship and regular Communion.
Why does the Church exist?
The first and chief reason why the Church exists is the worship of
It is true that good practising Christians are a leaven in society, but that
is not their "reason for being." The essence of the Christians' religion is that
they have become the Body of
The little child at Baptism is grafted into the Body of
One of the great blessings of the Reformation was the Bible and Prayer
Book in our own language. A study of our liturgy makes it very clear that the
Bishop
42
can is a breach of our duty towards
Not only is it our duty to go to Church on
2. Regular Communion.
A second rule or precept is to Communicate regularly, and at least at
The rubric in the
Why the
Both for his own sake and for that of the Church it is the duty of every
(a)
(b) It is the means by which Church and individual may be offered along with Him to the Father.
(c) It is a means of renewing and deepening the union with Him.
(d) It is a means of forgiveness and reconciliation.
(e) It is a means of reconsecration to His service.
From the very first days, every
43
people regularly to take part in this service. How often we should communicate is another question.
The Rule does say we should be regular. That is, there should be a rule. It is not just a matter of going when we please, or feel like it.
Many Churchmen see it their duty to communicate every
The rubric in the revised Prayer Book of
Before the Reformation, by the decrees of the
We can see from this that at each of these great feasts there should be the
same large number of communicants as at
Bishop
The offering of the Eucharist has properly to be consummated by the
people offering themselves in Communion, and in the act of receiving back
into themselves the
We should come regularly to the
3. Fasting
(a) The fact of fasting in the experience of man:
Cruden's Concordance tells us that "Fasting has, in all ages, and among all nations, been an exercise much in use in times of mourning, sorrow and affliction. The sense of it is in some sort inspired by nature.
44
All great religions teach fasting. Therefore (it is to be seen as)
(
(ii) Something necessary to the spiritual life. Did not
(b) What does the Bible teach about fasting?
There are many examples of fasting in the
Our
All these were not regular or usual fasts.
Our
In the
(c) Does our Prayer Book teach fasting?
See the Revised Prayer Book page 72 and page xiii.
(d) Why do we fast?
We should first note that fasting is only a token, generally a token of our sorrow for sin.
In the Bible persons fasted before special Communion with
In the experience of the Church fasting is a symbol of love, and it helps to
identify ourselves with our
45
earthly joys abstain, fasting with unceasing prayer, strong with thee to suffer pain?"
Fasting is a discipline. We deny ourselves legitimate things that we may be able to say No to unlawful things.
Fasting is a witness to our faith. We abstain from meat on Fridays. There
is a value in all Christians marking
The Lenten fast from harmless pleasures gives us an opportunity to have more time for prayer and Bible reading. It gives us an opportunity to make a special self-denial offering.
(e) Why fast at a particular time?
Because we are a family in the Church, and there is less opportunity and tendency for show or ostentation. We are better able to follow the spirit of fasting as set forth in the Sermon on the Mount.
Fasting, then is:
A token of our penitence and love;
It will take the form of curtailment of pleasures;
It will strengthen self-discipline;
It will recall us, in the face of the distraction of ordinary life, to the
seriousness of our
It will provide more time for prayer and worship.
4.
Our duty is "to contribute fairly to the expenses of the Church and to give generously to the need of others" - or, as the new Prayer Book says, "the offering of money according to his means for the support of the Church and home and overseas."
Archbishop Joost de Blank of Capetown once said, "There are two main groupings of Christians: those who use the Church in any way it can serve them,
46
and those who serve the Church in any way it can use them." Some Christians are militant and some are passengers. Some are Getters and some are Givers.
In nothing is this more evident than in the financial support of the Church.
Our talk
What are
To contribute fairly to the expenses of the Church.
There would be no Church if
We receive the sacraments at the hands of a Bishop or
The motive of our giving is a matter of justice. Yet it is, all the same, a
direct giving to
What are Aims'?
In addition to the duty to maintain the Church there is the duty of Almsgiving.
Almsgiving is not a matter of justice but of love.
(It has been said) "The motive of Almsgiving is derived from the duty of imitating the divine compassion."
Almsgiving is to obey the command to love thy neighbour as thyself.
It is giving to those who can make no return.
47
How should 1 give?
Contribute fairly... according to....means.
"Now concerning the collection for the saints. ...Upon the
The spirit of sacrifice is asked for each of the duties to which Church members are called, and in no instance is this more evident than in their giving of money.
Why should I give?
Because justice demands it.
Because love demands it.
Because of recognition of
us.
(It is) the response of a loving heart: "We love Him because He first loved
Induction of a
The following sermon was preached initially a
*See "
48
Introduction
1. A personal note: A faithful, loyal, intelligent altar boy with a family background of devotion and loyalty to the Church.
2. The Purpose of the Service: To emphasize the relation between the
3. The
(
(ii) There is great confusion in the popular mind respecting this order in
the Church, confusion in using the terms "minister" and "priest." This confusion
is intensified when we use the terms interchangeably - for a priest is always
a minister, but a minister is not always a priest.
Does mankind need a priest?
We are told that the Hebrews gave the world our religion, and right at the
beginning of their recorded experience is the realisation of man's rebellion
against
(a) The biblical idea of sin, which permeates our self-understanding when it
is truly
(b) Classic
(c) The powerful and sacrificial thing, the Cross and the Resurrection, both
seen together as one act of
(a) for
49
(b) Hear the words of the Epistle to the Hebrews, chapter 3: 1, a most powerful
expression of the unique priesthood of
(c) Again in Chapter
(d) He is made priest by
(e)
(f) His priesthood is absolutely new, and comes from
(g) There is only one priest,
(a) Christianity differs from other world religions in that its Founder left behind Him nothing save a group of men. But they were not merely teachers and examples but extensions of Himself and His divine mission.
(b)
St.
They were ordained and sent to do even as
To teach
To administer
To declare
The aim of the service tonight:
It might be called in our modern jargon a "job description" of the ministry of priesthood and the ministry of reconciliation. This ministry can be summarised under what has been called the Three P's - Presence, Proclamation, and Persuasion.
(
Note the words of the regional dean on the service form: "It will be necessary for the rector to visit among his people, to know them, and to share their life, so that he may be trusted by them."
(2) Proclamation. Proclaiming the Good News of the mighty acts of
(3) Persuasion. The priest must "so present
He will persuade if first he himself is absorbed and awed by being a priest
of
51
Conclusion.
I want to leave you with one picture. It is found at Exodus 17. It is the story
of
With the help of each other they were able to lead the Israelites to victory.
And so the priest and people are needed
Tonight I challenge the people of Saint
Installation of a Regional
On
of
Introduction:
(a) Section 5(a) of Canon 9 says, "The Bishop shall appoint a priest resident
within each region, to be known as the Regional
to the procedure set forth in Section 6 of this Canon."
(b) Regional
(c) Appointed by the Bishop on nomination by the Clergy and
(d) His duties - see Canon 9, Section 5, b,c,d,e,g,
(e) The need for organisation and order in carrying out the Church's work. In
the New Testament: appointment of 7 deacons; ordained elders in every church
(Acts
(f) But we must ever be on guard to distinguish between the work of the Church and the workings of the Church. We can have the best organisation in the world but without the dynamic of the Spirit it is useless. A valuable watch set in diamonds which does not tell the time is useless.
What is the Work of the Church?
First, let us think of the world into which we are sent.
(a) It is not dissimilar to that of the early Christians, especially if we compare
conditions of
(b) Christianity in our own land is no longer the standard for belief and practice.
Today many leaders if not actually anti-
(c) As population increases in the world we find the actual number of Christians each succeeding year is a smaller percentage of the total world population. Only in Africa can we find membership outstripping population growth.
(d)
How do we react?
(a) Are we shaped by fashion and fad rather than by our faith? Do we adapt
to secular culture? Are we conformed to this world, or are we transformed by
the Gospel of
(b) When we see the indifference and hostility do we panic - throw up our hands, discouraged - think the Church has failed and is outmoded?
(c)
(d) The rise of cults and strange sects and a growing pluralistic society. People
inadequately grounded in the
The
Go - teach - "Who do men say that I am? Thou art the
53
(b) the
(c)
The story of
(a) The heart of the Gospel is as Christians believe that "in the birth, life, death,
resurrection and ascension of
(b) Bishop Ramsey says, "
(c) Our mission is to proclaim the Gospel of dying and living, sorrowful and
rejoicing. That is the
Conclusion: This is the Church's Work, the Church's
(a)
(b)
(c) We will look about and see that here in our Region the fields are white unto the harvest.
(d) We will study our Bibles and our Prayer Books that we may "be ready
always to give an answer to every man that asketh a reason of the hope that
is in you with meekness and fear." 1
(e) We will love and hold fast to our Mother the Church:
"Church of the living
What Anglicanism Means To Me
On
Thanks for the kind invitation to speak.
Have brought some notes & books, The little boy who said of the preacher reading his notes, "If he can't remember what he is going to say how does he expect us to."
"WHAT ANGLICANISM MEANS TO ME" or 'WHY I AM AN
The man at the political meeting, My father was a Liberal, my grandfather was a Liberal, so I am a Liberal. The excited drunk replied, My father was a bachelor, my grandfather was a bachelor, so I am a bachelor.
"WHY I AM AN
I am an
THE ROUTE BY WHICH I HAVE
Influence of home. Father an
Mother - a combination of Presbyterian - Methodist background. She learned Catechism with her children in Church (after 20 years).
Influence of
The literature of the Anglo-
Recall that this was the time of the Depression and the fear of Communism
- which by the way carried over a long time after (Feast of the Purification
incident*). Anglo-Catholics were the leaders -
LITURGY - the expression of that mission. The appeal to the senses. The
eye-gate - the beauty of holiness. Fr.
- Pastor of Souls. Teachers at King's, and the
THESE ARE SOME OF THE FACTORS THAT MADE ME AN
"WHAT DOES ANGLICANISM MEAN TO ME?"
Often others can "verbalise" your feelings and convictions better than you can do yourself.
Archbishop Fisher, after his world tour, said, "Wc have no
essential dogmas of historic Christianity her voice is unanimous, but she
imposes no excessive burdens upon the intellectual or personal liberty of her
members. She maintains the essential constitution of an ecclesiastical hierarchy
(Bishops, Priests and Deacons) and, in conformity with the
In other words, she holds dear the four principles of The Lambeth-Chicago
Quadrilateral (
WHAT ANGLICANISM MEANS TO ME: - THE PRAYER BOOK AND THE MASS.
In this age of sensitivity training and navel-gazing we need the corrective the Prayer Book provides in its balance of "subjectivity" and "objectivity" in the practice of religion.
* On
57
A Sermon for Queen and Country
On
One hundred years ago
Today, at the pivotal point in our Centennial celebrations, we gather with
our Queen and Her
Our
Let us look at three aspects of the
(1) Our Father -
(2) Give us
(3) Forgive us our trespasses - man's responsibility.
58
The Most
Our Father -
As prayer is a universal human activity, so too is belief in
Natural theology comes readily to a man as understanding of his world,
and his place in it - "The heavens declare the glory of
Philosophically, man has often found himself in an agnostic state, like the
Athenians of
Judaeo-
Our faith in
"Give us
A second thought from the Our Father is that man is not self-sufficient. Perhaps the greatest delusion we suffer from in this scientific and technological age is that we conceive of man's need as being only material, intellectual or aesthetic. We think, "When we know enough we will be free, we will be able to answer man's needs."
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The first temptation came to
and lose his own SOUl?"
The people in the time of Deuteronomy had to be reminded, for there
would come a time when they would have eaten and been full, with herds and
flocks and gold multiplied, and they would say in their heart, "My power and
the might of mine hand has gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember
the
Man's need is for bread but for more than bread.
We may be the best fed, the best clothed, the best housed, the best entertained, have the biggest gross national product, and yet be morally, ethically and spiritually starved. The great fallacy of political Utopias is that they leave out man's real need as a spiritual being, reformation. Reformation, Renewal, Repentance. This need, brought home to us from time to time by some national or personal scandal, reminds us of the frailty of man. It is not what man has but what he is that decides the fate of peoples and nations. Man shall not live by bread alone.
The late Archbishop of Canterbury,
"Forgive us our trespasses..." - man's responsibility.
This suggests that we are living under judgment. Man is not a free agent.
The fact of his accountability is what makes him human. No other of
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Our history and our years in Confederation have not all been glorious.
There have been times of religious intolerance, as well as great
The need for a sense of responsibility was well set forth by the Queen in
one of her
"It is not the new inventions which are the difficulty. The trouble is caused by unthinking people who carelessly throw away ageless ideals as if they were old and outworn machinery. They would have religion thrown aside, morality in personal and public life made meaningless, honesty counted as foolishness, and self-interest set up in place of self- restraint. "
As we enter upon our second century in Confederation we must cherish,
and in many cases, restore the eternal values. Our religion on the one hand
must reach out and up to touch the face of
As we enter upon our second century, let the cry of every heart be,
"
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A FEW TALES
The Hon.
A Few Tales
Stavert Tanton enjoyed being an
1.
One of
65
arrived, and they heard his loud exclamation when he opened the letter. Then,
to their dismay, he took the letter to
All went well until
However, when the Archbishop did arrive and a meeting was called, the
Archbishop surprised everybody by complementing
(Contributed by Canon
2. Toilet Troubles.
Our story reverts to
Now, a day later, when
The lad said, "Taint funny, Magee - the Bishop's in the bathroom!"
Panic!
"Yes?" came from the Bishop inside in his loud voice (he was famous for shouting in the pulpit).
"My
(Contributed by Canon
3. Teething Troubles
One time, when
Such a mishap would be unfortunate at any time. But that evening his girl
friend,
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Well, talk about a wasted afternoon! With all good intentions the whole
gang scoured the sandy bottom for hours in the hope of finding
But the story has a not altogether unhappy ending, for on the way home
to
Another story in which
In a flash the best man whipped out his handkerchief, bent over, and with one motion got the teeth back in the groom's mouth just in time for him to say, "I will."
(Also contributed by Canon
4.
One
Near the end of
(Contributed by Canon
5. "I'm waking them up!"
If any action occurred to demean or belittle the life, stature or welfare of
another innocent person.
The
Next,
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Many, many people, older and younger, also grew spiritually as is indicated
by the number of young men and women from the parish who felt called by
On many occasions while driving from one end of the parish to the other,
Father Tanton would toot loudly on the car horn as we passed the homes of
parishioners. When I finally mustered the courage to inquire as to why he
sounded a loud horn so often at 7 to
Finally,
70
former nurse, who worked closely also with Father Tanton, was the hospital
administrator for many of those years. The highway from
During his fourteen years in the lively, faithful
71
There are many jolly stories about the life and work of
From the time Father Tanton arrived in the
(Contribution by the
6. A "
Since all but one of the families that constituted the fishing village of
on
times the hour was spent in Church at a "Family Eucharist", or Father Tanton himself would come into either schoolroom and take over the alloted hour of religious instruction.
One one particular occasion, unknown to anyone, Father Tanton entered the "big room" wearing for the first time a new biretta. The scholars, thinking this strange hat was the priest's idea of a joke, burst into gales of laughter. Father Tanton looked dismayed; but, after a moment, and with all the aplomb he could muster, he took off the biretta, held it at arm's length, studied it up and down, and declared, "Yes, it is a funny thing, isn't it?"
In time this head covering was accepted as suited to him - although 1 never heard of it being laughed at anywhere else but .
(Contributed by
7. Thank
The people of were very much aware of the need to have a
minister of the
The bootlegger (who was a devoted churchgoer) laughed when I told her
that the wine was needed for a private Communion. She gave me the bottle for
nothing, saying "Wish old Tanton a Happy
(Contributed by
8. Smoking Them Out.
Unknown to anyone, including the
him a thurible made out of rabbit wire and a cleaned out soup tin with holes
punched in it to facilitate the circulation of air. It contained small bits of carbon
that the visitor set alight shortly before the commencement of the service. At
the Consecration and Elevation of the Elements the visitor stepped out of his
pew, sprinkling some incense on the burning carbon as he did so. Before long
the perfumed smoke filled the air in the small
Presently the service concluded, and in the discussion that followed the
people in the pews were assured that while the use of the incense might be
acceptable to
(Contributed by
9. "Big Boom" is told off.
When I was accepted by the Bishop of
(Contributed by the
10.
I was second generation in
First of all, I recall the
Father Tanton was instrumental in getting me started at organ lessons and
arranging for me to practice at
75
I was to hear those words again some years later. While visiting him in
At
The servers occasionally hosted, and were delegated to police, fund-raising
dances in the parish hall at
That growl! It was always, "
There was one time when I was 'larking' as the procession formed up
before the main
The time came for me to be made deacon. Father Tanton was anchoring
the pew immediately behind the two candidates (the other was
76
He preached at my induction when I was made rector of Antigonish. The great voice was slightly garbled by Parkinson's, or a stroke, by that time, and he expressed his fear that he could no longer get the message across. I told him, from the heart, that he could tell them that the moon was made of green cheese, and they'd still love it, and him. Indeed, what he believed and what he was spoke louder than any words.
He was no intellectual, and certainly no empath. His faith was a simple
trust. 1 remember in a moment of despair telling him that I was tired of "being
half a
In my teenage "peacenik" stage, in the Vietnam era, I remember challenging
him about his own, and his son's, participation in the armed forces. His reply
again offered no intellectual argument, no attempt to deal with feelings or
angst. He said, "If your mother was being murdered in the street, you'd try to
defend her, wouldn't you?" He would have been the despair of
Another time, the Queen Mother was being driven down the street past
Finally, I recall the requiem mass for Father
The cloak is now old and worn. Its purplish black dye ran over my
previously off-white cassock alb when
I can't throw that cloak out - and, thanks to him, I can't do indoor committals!
(Contributed by the
11. "How did I do?"
It was my happy lot to be rural dean during much of Father Tanton's regime
as Archdeacon of
On one occasion we were getting ready to welcome Archbishop
"Why the apron,
78
But there were times when he was himself quite forthright in speaking his
mind. There was never anything personal or nasty in how he did it. While he
was at
Many years earlier, when I was a young priest newly come to my first sole
charge as
One time, fairly early on in his time as Archdeacon of
It was about his insistence that he be consulted on appointments of clergy
to Island parishes. This the Bishop did not want to do. It was very convenient
for the Bishop to have a place to which to move clergy who, for various reasons,
needed to be moved, but whose reputations were such that they were difficult
to place. For the Bishop to have two civil provinces within his diocese meant
that he could give such individuals a fresh start with less likelihood of them
being handicapped in the new place by having their reputation precede them.
Archdeacon Tanton's purposes, on the other hand, were quite different. He
wanted to build a team of priests in
I don't know what exactly came of this threat to resign. But I suspect he got his way, for there was no resignation.
79
More serious was the decision of a
So he decided to fight the decision. He rounded up the entire body of
Fie was quite fearless. Perhaps the best example of this that I saw was
his performance in the
So the meeting took place. Father Tanton, dressed in black, was the
dominating figure on the stage. In the
(
Father Tanton relaxed in retirement.
81
184925
Sources & Acknowledgments. The idea for this book first came to me after Father
Tanton's death in
82
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