Bishop Hatfield

Obituary from the national church

In Tribute: A Slice of Leonard Fraser Hatfield

By Doug Hergett

The year was 1967. I was amazed at the request that came in a letter from Dr. Hatfield, rector of Christ Church, Dartmouth. He wanted me to be the priest assistant in that parish. Making the change from a rural to a city parish was a big change. I had lots of qualms and was very uncertain about leaving Maitland-Upper Kennetcook. Dr. Hatfield patiently heard all my objections and doubts about making this move and during the actual move. He answered each of my letters and telephone calls, gave encouragement and warm support. It was obvious he was a patient, sensitive man or he would never have put up with my dithering.

Getting to know and work with this man was a treasured experience. He was supportive and trusting. He had a lot of work to be done in visiting and I made hundreds and hundreds of visits during the five years we worked together. He really believed in parish visiting and I certainly did a lot of it. It was fortunate for me that I also valued visiting or I would have been in a bad way. Leonard was very determined about such matters.

He believed in young people and encouraged me to develop work with an amazing group of young people from the families associated with Christ Church and others who were their friends. He was extremely flexible and happy to know that a lot of ministry went on among young people related to the challenges of growth. Yet he did not want to know too many details. When this led to Folk Services in the Church he was open and gave me a relatively free hand.

Leonard played an active role with the Vanier Institute of the Family. He was interested in ministry with families and the pastoral needs of families and he encouraged me to do a lot of pastoral counseling and to take training in that field. His social views were progressive. For example, he could see that marriages occasionally needed to be ended. He was an ecumenical person. He supported and encouraged my work with the Halifax-Dartmouth Council of Churches and the Metro School of Marriage, an ecumenical program of preparation for marriage. He co-operated in services with the other church congregations in that part of Dartmouth.

To have breakfast with Dr. Hatfield was an experience; we breakfasted together each week after the 7:30 am weekday Eucharist. His breakfasts were substantial, and he was often on a diet. One diet would consist of several grapefruit and then a huge breakfast. Breakfast was always followed by a work planning session and Dr. Hatfield was always organized. Breakfast was one of the numerous times I came into close contact with Leonard Hatfield’s housekeepers. The three I knew or heard about were Miss Trivett "Trivy", Mrs. Tonks, (Dorothy Elliott’s mother. Dorothy was the deceased first wife of Canon C. R. Elliott) and Mrs. Sheward, widow of Rev. Arthur Sheward. These women were strong individuals and had to be so because Leonard was so strong willed himself and at times they had to stand up to him. The basic requirement for his housekeepers was that they be able to play bridge, which was one of the great passions of his life.

Dr Hatfield was a tireless worker. His desk was often a card table set up wherever it was convenient. He would call me about matters he was working on and it could be 10:00 pm at night or 7:30 am. I learned quickly to say I had just been thinking of the issue he wanted to discuss and often I indeed had been thinking of it and was able to launch into a discussion with him. Dr. Hatfield worked in a pattern of blocks of weeks or months. At the end of a couple of months of intense work there would be a trip to Church House in Toronto or a meeting in some part of Canada that was scheduled and took him away. Sometimes his trips would be to other parts of the world for the Anglican Consultative Council or the World Council of Churches. He always came back to tell me what theologians and church leaders in various parts of Canada or the world were thinking or what the Primate, Archbishop Ted Scott had said about an issue. He was a great fan of Ted Scott as he called him. Leonard loved meetings and believed a great deal of the necessary work of the church was accomplished in often-dull meetings. He thrived on them.

He was a diplomat. He had a desk sign, which read, "Diplomacy is the art of getting other people to think your thoughts for you". He knew what the politicians were up to and he kept in touch with the politics and issues in the church. He seemed to have great respect for and friendship with the Vaniers, Mme Vanier in particular. Leonard was a great admirer of Charlotte Whitten, social worker, politician, former director of the Canadian Welfare Council and later the mayor of Ottawa who, in her time, was a very public figure. He would regale me with stories about the doings or comments of this extraordinary woman.

Dr. Hatfield was always going to social events and receptions where he felt a great deal of business could be conducted. This art he had learned in his time as General Secretary of the Council for Social Service, the Anglican Church of Canada. He had come from that position to Christ Church. His time at Church House had given him a vast experience, which he shared generously and I never tired of listening to his insights.

Family was important to Leonard. I came to know his sisters, Mary and Cedric Trefry; Jessie and Harold Crosby and Ada, other family members, and heard of Constance and Jack Vitali. Leonard often talked about his deceased mother for whom he had a deep affection and respect.

After his years at Christ Church Dr. Hatfield moved on to become Rector of Truro and later Bishop of the Diocese. In retirement I visited him at "Albert’s Cottage" in Port Greville and came to know members of the family in a new way. Leonard continued to share his dulse and peppermints, which he so enjoyed. He bore with optimism and courage a long battle with a slow growing brain tumor, retained his independence, and continued to be a gracious and generous host as long as was possible.

Bishop Hatfield appeared to be a man with a very tough shell. He was, in fact, a very focused, intense man of faith who was a lot of fun. He was a teacher. He could be a stern man. A shell he did have but what a complex, warm, sensitive human being one found under that exterior.