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

  • Worcester Pauper Lunatic Asylum.
Date:
1880
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

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

    14/98 (page 14)
    CHAPLAIN’S REPORT. To the Committee of Visitors of the Worcester County and City Lunatic Asylum. My Lord and Gentlemen, In this, my Annual Report, the eighth it has been my privilege to write, I have nothing unusual to communicate. Though an Asylum Chaplaincy is a speciality and quite a distinct phase of the general care which the Legislature has provided for the patients and for those officials whose duties all but sever them from other religious influences, yet the work, steered as it must be in relation to the Rules of the House, and with due regard to the mental condition of patients, otters but few opportunities of enkindling a periodical fervour such as may advantageously be stirred up in a parochial cure, and may form the basis not only of comment, but also of a greater and more comforting hope of good accomplished. It seems to me that Asylum Chaplains have more need than other clergymen of the virtue of patience in sowing the Seed of Truth and waiting to see whether at the Great Harvest Day they are likely to bring any “sheaves with them.” Neverthe¬ less, I still think that the Rules framed for my guidance are sufficient to secure all the good that can reasonably be expected at the best, and possess enough elasticity for the exercise of discretion in suiting my ministrations to the varying aspect of time and circumstance, in promoting peace and harmony, and in so demeaning myself as to render my services as acceptable as possible when they may be most needed, either by the more intelligent patients or the officials of the establishment. Descending to details, I can report that our two Chapel Services on Sundays are always attended by as many as can be accommodated, and as many as can be spared from work are allowed to attend Chapel on Wednesdays ; also there is a satisfactory attendance at