The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-08-03

| In Mercer street. near Waverley place. Il Is the
old church OF which the sainted Dr.. Skin
ner was the first pastor. II has the
following recommendations First, 1t is q
beautiful stone church, cheerful inside
pleasant outside, surrounded BY grass plots and
! looking like venerable English village church. 1t
Is in quiet spot, yet within block OF Broadway
Second every seat is Free and visitors are escorted
from the door to the pew by unpaid gentlemen
| ushers. The rich and poor meet together l have
seen the richest man in America sitting there with
poor mechanic in my employ. Some time ago was
| present when very distinguished ex-dlgntary
ana an ex-private soldier entered: the latter was
both; but think the soldier, who i learned
Is ssot now T,,s q rSngshoremah, got the better
large choir Of children and ADULTS and ali the con-
gregati0n have books and unite. Now, is not this
what Observer wanisa why. then, should not
this church be made known to all the people
Some time ago l cut out Of the New York 90
se'Uer the following extract, written by Henry
Day. OF the New York Bar. IN regard to q church
| IN Italy,
The american CHAPEL Of Florence gathering place
sna it & DER
ssn asnsnssonsy Sais ssss sSsr so5ss
9sss S Gss Ssi
Of tine E, Of the Lords Really
Lei eoa saGss me
ssssn snS 81 Ffs & Ssss bow asy
M from oh os wsrs now begin
aS as SSsS
model would split nanarsd denominations
edss %oSsS would Sy nicely BY Fl
philosophical and meapn opinion ienss in few
M soi$ = other what ought the tendency
Sps
were now on the earth and were called 70 make creed
q the wsstml caech ism; nor do believe that
w. Gsfs f.
So S Of Sss t the
forming and keepng together Union Church from a ali
from h all q %o hsa5
and also that Christian courtesy and lboray which
but az Of snee wH
felt ali over Italy.
| Church of the Strangers in New York. My friend,
Mr.. Day has to go abroad to find what | have dis.
VIII visit DR.. Deems church. am not member
| OF the Church OF the Strangers. belong to the
same denomination with Mr.. Day; but when my
| pastor is absent frequent Dr. Deems church, and
! have learned all these facts and more. do not
write this to advertise the Church of the strangers
| IL Is almost always crowded. Last Sunday night
| every pew was filed and camp stools were brought
in, and twenty men stood through the whole service
| am an Old New Yorker and Presbg terian, and
| do not like even the appearance of overlooking a
church which has SO noiselessly done its work and
| so successfully that it does not need advertising.
1t Is not Tor the sake OF the Church OF the Strangers
that write this, but for the sake of Others such as
Mr. Day and the writer in your last Sundays issue.
AS Tor Dr. Deems himself the centre and motive
| power OF this unique organization his extra
have given him so Wide fame and So remarsabs
a popularity that his church is found lar too
narrow for its would-be occupants, and it is only
necessary TO hear him once, IN one OF his best
moods to be irrsstibiy attracted by the fervor OF
his piety, the aptness OF his Illustrations and the
| charm OF his manner-while his outside mnlstra-
| lions are so numerous and indefatgable as TO
| raise constant doubts OF his power to sustain so
| great labor. JUSTICE.
! The Wards Island Church Troubles Once
More.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:-
SO much has been written and said relative to
the Catholic Church building on Wards Island used
by immigrants that brief and correct statement
OF the facts in the case are desirable for clear
comprehension OF the whole controversy In the
first place should be understood that the cost OF
supporting the institutions and their inmates in
charge OF the Commissioners OF Emigration is not
borne by the public, but by the immgl ants
themselves, and there is, consequently, no CON-
| parsOn between them and the institutions
under the contrOl OF the Commissioners OF
Charities and Correction, that are sustained
10y the taxpayers Of the city, OF any other for
similar character. The refuge and hospital on
Wards Island not charitable or correctional
buildings, and should not be dealt with In such
light. In the next place. there have been for nearly
twenty years separate places OF worship Tor Catho
| lies and ProJestants as there are at the present
| time and the difficulty that arises is the re-
| suit OF an attempt to close up the Protestant
| church and force the congregation now attending
| 1t to worship in the Catholic church. In other
words the new Commissioners, or a majority of
them. seek to introduce a practice heretofore un-
known-that is, to have one building used jointly
by all denominatons-the building selected being
the Catholic church, after its solemn dedication,
contrary to the wishes Of the members of that
faith and to undo the action OF the former Board
Years ago the Commissioners gave to the Prot
estant and Catholic chaplains floor each IN an Old
| wooden building, known as the nursery. From the
beginning the Catholic attendants at services on
| Sundays outnumbered the Protcstants, and this
| circumstance IL would appear gave rise to some
| jealousy. Alter n while the Protestant cOngrega
ton moved, and received from the Commissioners a
chapel in brick building which was tastefuy ar
ranged and was every way superior to the apart.
ment allotted to the Catholics, which was located
up SIX flights OF wooden stairs. No objection was
made to this new arrangement, which kept up the
! principle OF having separate places of worship,
which 1t is now the aim OF some OF the Commas
| soners to do away Win. The Catholic congrega-
ton IN the meantime 80 increased that it became
dangerous TO attend services at all IN the old build
danger OF the noor giving way, and many old and
Ieebie persons were greatly distressed in having to
ascend TO such great height TO perform duty
! which they considered one Of the highest import
|
IL was evident to everybody that the top story
nursery was neither sale nor suitable Tor Catholic
chapel, and the congregation had increased to
very large number. The attention Of the Commits
sioners was called TO the matter. They Clearly
saw the necessity of providing another place Of
worship for the Catholics, the same as they had
already for the Proestants and proceeded to erect
! the building about which so much bad blood has
! been exhibited. one of the conditions was that
! the expense OF decorating the Interior should be
daIr 81 of Tho
Board did not at the time create any feeling as it
was looked upon as necessary Tor the spiritual well
fare of majority Of the immigrants on the island.
During the erection OF the edidce the Chaplain,
Father Prachnensky. collected III small sums 81 900
Tor the purpose OF fulfilling the condition imposed
by the commissioners. The Catholic officers and
inmates anxious that their new chapel
should approximate In its interior appearance to
some OF the small churches in New York, and freely
] cnnLrhutel According 10 their means.