Twenty-second annual report of the county and city of Worcester Pauper Lunatic Asylum.

  • Worcester Pauper Lunatic Asylum
Date:
1875
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Twenty-second annual report of the county and city of Worcester Pauper Lunatic Asylum. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    15/90 (page 15)
    [SCHEDULE No. 5.] CHAPLAIN’S REPORT. To the Committee of Visitors of the Worcester County and City Lunatic Asylum. My Lord and Gentlemen, In glancing over my journal for a basis of my third Annual Report I find little out of the usual routine ; but for the information of those of the public who may take an interest in the religious welfare of this Establishment, and who have not like you an opportunity of seeing my journal monthly, it may be well to repeat what the Chaplain’s work is usually. On five days in the week we have, in the Recreation Room, at 8 a.m., Family Prayers, consisting of a varying selection from the Book of Common Prayer. rJ he second lesson appointed in the Lectionary of the Church of England, and a hymn or two, make our morning gatherings more edifying and cheerful. I may here remark that the number attending maintains a very satisfactory average, and that with rare exceptions great decorum is observed, considering the large proportion who may not be really able at the time to appreciate the beauty of Divine worship, but who never¬ theless thus share in the blessings to be obtained by the Church's intercessions on behalf of- those afflicted in mind, body, or estate. The same remarks apply to our Wednesday and Sunday services. On Wednesdays we have Morning Prayer with the Litany at 11 a.m. Throughout the year there has been no other variation from this custom than once or twice when I was absent, and then substituted Friday. Also Ascension-day was observed instead of Wednesday of that week, and on that day, and all Saints’-days falling on Wednesday, I read the proper Communion Service instead of the Litany. At our Sabbath services I adhere to the rule I adopted with your tacit consent, combining with Morning Prayer the Litany and Communion Service alternately, and I have reason to believe it more generally approved of than the Litany invariably. The Sunday is further observed by Evening Prayer at 3 p.m.