ministry of a Bishop in Thy Church, Thy servant, to whom the
charge of this Diocese was first committed; and that Thou didst so
replenish him with the truth of Thy doctrine and endue him with
innocency of life, that he was enabled, both by word and deed,
faithfully to serve Thee in this office, to the glory of Thy name,
and the edifying and well-governing of Thy Church. For this so
great mercy, and for ail the blessings which, in Thy good
Providence, it brought to this portion of the flock of Christ, we
offer unto Thee our unfeigned thanks, through Jesus Christ our
Lord, to Whom, with Thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and
glory, world without end. _Amen_.

On Tuesday in Easter-Week, March 27th (the day of the week on
which the Festival of the Annunciation fell in 1783), a
commemorative service was held in St. Paul's Church, Woodbury, at
11 o'clock A.M. The Bishop began the Communion-service, the Rev.
S. O. Seymour of Litchfield reading the Epistle, and the Rev. E.
E. Beardsley, D.D., LL.D., of New Haven reading the Gospel. After
the Nicene Creed, a part of the 99th hymn in the old Prayer-Book
collection was sung; and the Bishop then made an address based on
the closing words of the Epistle: "I work a work in your days, a
work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it
unto you."

The Bishop spoke of the faith and the courage which inspired the
clergymen who met a hundred years ago in that quiet village to
elect the first bishop of Connecticut. They felt that they owed a
sacred duty to God; and, not stopping to speculate upon the needs
of some imaginary Church of the future, they did what was
specially needed for the welfare of the Church in their own day.