, 1884-08-02
r e s s
delivered by Rev. e. V. LOSE on
the Goth July 1884.

1HN zO[n Oh July mas since llZO Oeen q
day Of public worship III the Danish West
Indian Islands, bnt to-day we assemble with
unwonted solemnity, for it is to-day 80
years since this building was conSecrated
by Rev. Dagger for our Divine Services.
To-day g. Years ago there WAS another nu-
merous audience here. Most of them have
gone to their rest. We are n new genera
ton would to God, we were also a better
generation. But just as generations change
NO fast here, traditions and remenlbrances
are quickly lost, wherefore it may be right
to bring them 10 light before they die out
altogether, and 1t is this, I shall now at.
tempt.
When tAe Danish flag was first display
ed on this island, OIL the 9th of September
1874, ST. CrOix vas not u~ninhahited, how
ever often this has been said. The inlabl.
taDts were certainly but few, but there were
anyhow 40 families, that, including their
klayeR, amounted to about 500 persons.
These had all lived without any political or
religious connexions. There were on the is
land children unhaptized, 10 years old. AS
soon as the first Danish minister arrived,
he had accordingly to take over the care OF
all these people too, though most OF them
were English, but he lived only a few
months. He was called to st. Thomas to
give the holy communion to the minister
there, Rev. ueldt, who was lingering from
4. 70 protIacted illness. He took along his
wife and child. After having c0mmuned
the Rev. Heidi, he had a few days after TO
bury him. The day after that burial he
himself died, the following day his wife
died, and the day thereafter his child.
The first confirmation was held in St. Tho
mas 1889 on tho 23rd Of June, but in st,
CrOix it must have been introduced some
years later.
1t was long before his successor came out.
Attempts were even made to get a Lu-
theran minister, Res. Knoll, from New
York, but the negotiations had TO he given
MP. At !aSt, after 4 years, n minister, j. j.
6toud, came out from Denmark. He was
here for 8 years, and was a jealous and
bard working man. The communion cup,
now standing on our altar, bears the date
l74l, and haa accordingly come out in his
time. He died from consumption. A
large tombstone containing an inScrip.
zion of about 265 words wa laid ON
his grave, is still in the burial ground, and
wreaths have to-day once more been laid
on his grave, 1t is pitiful to read in the
old records Of the church of the progress of
his sufferings, while he Sunday after Sun.
day feels himself oppressed by his illness,
HOW IdIlcAlCIuS ludN TIC COulu uOU hCtp
Divine Service, now thanking God that he
had been able to come To the church, At
ter writing that he all December had
been ''Sick to DEATH, he kept his last
service on New Year day 1749, but tainted
twice in the church. After this he linger-
ed on for q little more than a quarter Of a
year. The Danish congregation being at
that time the only Lutheran one and being
very small, while at the same time funds
we're very low, no regular church had as
set been built. Services were kept in q
room in the fort next to tho guard-room.
The fort had just been finished in 174O, the
year Rev. Stoud arrived. But at last this
room became too Inconvenience and our first
church was conSecrated on the 9th of May
1853 and dedicated to the Lord of Sabaoth.
1t was late enough anyhow. West End,
that never was laid out till June 1851, was
not quite so long i'll getting it's church. AT
allevents from June1766 thrreSroOd small
wooden church on the same commanding
hill, where afterwards, on the 18th of
January 1892 the present church was con-
secrated, but very little conspicuous it
must have been, since Oldendorff did not
even know of its existence, when he was i'll
st. Croix.
The Church in Bassend, that was conse-
Grated on the oath May 1853, gave us a
shelter for 80 years. But then it was, sad
to say, made military depot and bakery.
The oven WAS put in the affairs place, but
there it does not stand now, nor did it