Canon Stanley Hind

Born in 1929 in Hightown,Cleckheaton,West Yorkshire. At St Barnabas church Stanley Hind began Serving at 8 years old. Educated at Heckmondwicke Grammar School, and National Service with the Royal Signals Regiment, he studied for the Church at Kings College London and St Boniface,Warminster graduating A.K.C.with Honours;the first awarded for five years. He served his Title at St James the Great, Haydock in Liverpool Diocese,Ordained in the Cathedral, as Deacon in 1954 and Priest in `55. He also married in `54, at Christ the Saviour, Ealing Broadway to Ann Brough. Their son Martin ( Tim ) was born in `55.

In 1957 Stanley Hind returned to Wakefield Diocese for his second curacy at Elland;in charge of All Saints.Here, daughter Rebecca was born in 1957. His first Living, in Mirfield at St Paul`s, East-thorpe in the middle town carried an unusual brief; to persuade many of his parishioners to worship elsewhere !. Old properties in town and the canal - side were being demolished to replace with flats the people being evicted. The idea to build allegiance to Churches in places people found themselves allocated was sound; but they didn`t want to go.Their vicar guided them through considerable distress and wrestled with his P.C.C about loss of congregation and income. Tempers often flared and grumbling became an almost Olympic sport ! A churchwarden complained to me "You can`t row with our vicar " I said I should hope not." He`s not here to row with people " " Ah !" he said " ..but `ave you noticed he allus gets his own way ! "

A calm,ever-smiling,Theological sholar; sociable ,welcoming and hospitable who loved a party ,be it with Clergy and their wives; Servers Guild and supporters; P.C.C`s;parishioners of all sorts,kinds and sizes;parents of Children in Care ...or the Children themselves; Church Lads Brigade Officers and C.L.B. Boys and Girls, camping in the Vicarage Garden or the Church field, ( lads and lasses of his parish challenging them at games) and barbecues .. he would play his mouth-organ to the amazement of all ! Father Hind ? Never ! he was far too formal for a mouthorgan at a campfire; they must have imagined it.!

From Mirfield in 1967 challenged to build up a single-figure congregation, of which every member was the P.C.C.and took turns to ensure a congregation ( often one person} at Evensong. The Diocese determined to close it; but Bp John Ramsbottom said he knew someone who would take it on ! To Stanley he said " I have something to ask that I think God is calling you to do ". Inducting him in February 1967 to St Michael`s, Carleton;a village grown almost to a suburb of Pontefract;uniting it in 1972 with rural St Stephen`s, East Hardwick,to hold in Plurality. "In Tandem " Stanley said " Like riding a bicycle built for two " !

Stanley launched his campaign via the dirty, near-derelict Parish Hall....locally called The `Ut!. Leaving the door open he hammered loudly,nailing down dodgy floorboards and the ilk. As he expected,the noise and clouds of dust drew attention. Old chaps came in and went home for their tool-bags. He brought home lovely quotes. "Nay Billy. Tha dunna hammer screws ! Tha hammers nails and tha screws screws " In the Hall kitchen I cleared cups left half-empty so long -ago that fungi grew in them. Wives of the joinery team came, neighbours too with sleeves rolled - up. They brought jugs of tea and buckets of hot soapy water. In the evenings,able - bodied sons, parents talking about " something youngsters can do."came. From dust and cameraderie grew a congregation, growing slow and steady,month by month. What a Christmas at St Michael`s ! The Tree; the Setting of holly, ivy and flower-arrangements. At the Heart of Everything, where it belongs; the Stable and the Holy Family.Our first Christmas at Carleton ,exactly forty years ago !

Amongst it all, Stanley Hind began 19yrs of attending International Ecumenical Conferences in Germany and Brittany;debating,lecturing and preaching in German and less often,in French. With Jews he discussed interpretations of Biblical passages and joined Christians mediating between Middle-Eastern Moslems and Jews; becoming a member of the ouncil of Christians and Jews early in the 1980`s.

Stanley Hind refused parishes elsewhere , until he learned that Morley Parish Church was losing heart. In 1978 he was Inducted to St Peter`s and All Saints Churwell. Numbers of everything were on a large scale;but as a parish accustomed to being central in Town and Civic Life,it lost all that interest and dignity when Morley lost Independence and became part of Leeds. Churchyard weeds grew high and buildings shabby in a sea of vandalism. The Faithful were exactly that ! Faithful. To St Peter`s and to the Faith; but comers- in on the new estates felt no encouragement if their past contact with the Church was slim; and St Peter`s had little charm visible from the bus .A new problem,a new challenge and under such circumstances it " almost worked" for eight years.Things got a lot better until Stanley believed the parish needed push;a young man with vigour and new insight. He considered telling his Bishop,Dr David Hope,when an extraordinary thing happened. His private joke when other parishes were offered, to only the family he`d say " Now If they would offer me Womersley I`d go in a flash !" A High Churchman`s ideal; a pretty village with a Sister Parish of Kirk Smeaton,two Medieval churches; two good Communities. His friends Canon Dick Phillips and Father Robert Garrod had both been Incumbents; had loved the Parish and were loved by it. He opened the morning post, grinned and passed me a letter . Dr Hope and Lord Rosse took pleasure in offering him St Martin`s Womersley and St Peter`s Kirk Smeaton ! and there he served with new energy and Joy ...through a near-condemned Spire, entailing mountainous Money - Raising ; English Heritage ; builders and scaffold; negotiatingand cleaning and wonderful co-operative Congregation. Then a crisis.Near- failure of ( by now Canon, Hind )`s health; with which he battled, determined to complete his time before Retirement.

Restricted in participation in Conferences on the Continent he built a wide correspondence with monks and academics overseas; and began to learn Yiddish ! He`d never heard of an easier life ! ....a smoother ride ! Nuns, monks and others visited our home annually,and in Retirement we returned to Carleton ( after an absence of 18 yrs ) to a cottage bought in 1970 for elderly relative. Canon Hind did Sickness locum for his great friend Fr Stewart Ramsden; then Interregna of almost year each at Hemsworth, Altofts, Ackworth and shorter ones elsewhere in Barnsley Deanery. Resting now-and-then when forced to.. He did years of holiday locums at Dorchester -on-Thames Abbey where daughter Rebecca lives and son Tim and their families live nearby.

It has been a marvellous, Joyful and Fulfilling Life as Stanley Hinds`wife for 53 years; having taken the advice my father proffered " I like that one " he said sternly."He knows where he`s going and he`ll make his own way..and if you`ve any sense you`ll go with him "! .I thank God I was asked ! It has been a great Privilege. Thankyou to your editor who asked me to write an Obituary. Specialists and Surgeons gave us many years more than we would have had without their skills,even genius. Now his family Grieve. Two huge congregations at Requiem Mass and the Funeral in Womersley, say as much as I have about what he built from his Calling and the Influence he has had. May he Rest In Peace and Rise In Glory . Catharine Ann Hind.