The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1886-10-31
ST. MATTHEW'S JUBILEE.
THE APPROACHING FEsTTTIL or IN
OLD EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

A History Of tke Church --How Ii Started
and Whit Its Present Condition 1.-THE
Onfgrowth of the Rev. DIR. Barry's
Mission of Half Is Years Ago. His
Thirty-,even Ycars' Passionate.
Commencing Sunday, at 7.45 p. M, the
congregation of st. Matthews Protestant
Episcopal Chu;ch, will celebrate the s'gold-
en- Wedding" or hitieth anniversary of their
church. The service win be continued for
wees.
In 1909, when jersey City was wilder
ness, With a dozen or 20 residents, Rev
DR.. Barry, a jelly Irish clergy man, at that
time teacher of boys school in New
York, CROSSED the river, b ut on saving the
souls of the benighted residents of the land
of the mosquito. He Jared poorly at first,
because he was not known and because he
held his services away from the 'densely"
populated part of the settlement, and in
cons sequence the people were compelled to
walk 100 far. He kept ut it for twelve
years, however, and then gave ii up. going
to Baltimore, where he remained until 1890.
In that year he returned. bound 10 win
over the inhabitants of the land or die in
the attempt. He found, instead Of dozen
people, twenty families living here, and
he hired a room in the Town Hall and
preached three times a week. In a short
time he had gathered quite a congregation
aud called il st. Mathew. In 1925 the
Town Hall would not hold the people wh)
came to hear him preach, and in 1896 he
moved the church 10 the Academy in Srs.
sex street. The rent was too much for -,
congregation TO pay alone Is IT,, hired
it with the Pres57fe1ia, and for six
yesys the two Congregations alternated
the csc o. the building, In
1881, the New jersey association decided
the congregation the land on which their
present edi6ce stands, and it vas ..oposed
to erect a church. The undertaking was a
big one and for q long time it was COR
sidered an impossibili.y for them to sue
coed, but finally the ladies got together
and under the leadership of Mrs Gantin,
some of whose descendants are sill COM
muBicated Ia the church, and Miss An
gelisn Schuyler, the money was raised and
y little church was erected. In 1912, g
parish was formed and given the name of
st. Matthews. In 1886, just fifty years
ago, the church was accepted and every
dollar of debt paid, and on November 6 it
was conseerated. Ten years later, SO well
had the parrish prospered, reciory was
bullion tho plot of ground adjoining the
church. In 1864 the seating capacity of
the church was SO small and the congrega-
ton so large that it was necessary to build
an addition and transept and Sunday
school room were built. The same year,
DR.. Barry, tie rector, after thlrty-seven
years of hard labor, in the service died.
DIR. Boden, the assistant rector, W IS
then selected rector and for eleven years
the church prospered under his direction
He was follow.d by Briton Smith. In
1870 DR.. Natron took charge and the SAM
Y ar the church was destroyed by fire. Il
WAS a Lard blow TO the congregation but
they held up courageously under
it and proceeded to rebuild on
the same site. In a yen
the present edi6ee with seating capacity
of over a thousand WAS completed 1t was
endowed with memorial gifts, of windows,
choir and sanctuary, alter and organ
Shortly after it had been completed the
late DIR. Abercrombie was appointed rector
and for seven years the church grew with
tremendous rapidity. After he died and
until the present rector, William A. Hol-
DrOoK, TOOK enAfBe, there were olSSenslOns
among the congregation, and the parish
W n, down. Since Mr.. Holbrook to-,
charge it has grown stronger, and is at
resent ons of the most solid in the State.
0 sunday jubilee service will be held III
honor of All Saints Day, and special me-
mortal service will be held in the evening
in memory of those who have departed
this earth. The sermon will be preached
by Rev. Mr.. Kmber, one of the Trinity
Church clergy. Music will be furnished
by special large choir OF thirty volses.
On Wednesday the Bishop of the Gio-
cese, together with clergy and friends of
the late rector, will take part in the ser
vice of blessing the new memorial pulpit.
At this service the Trinity Church choir,
under the direction of Prof Victor Balm,
will render an elaborate musical programme
prepared especially for the occasion. After
the service reception will be given the
present rector in the rectory.
On Sunday, Nov. Z, special service in
celebration o. The half-century anniversary,
the Golden Wedding" as it is called, will
be held. Presents made of gold wi be
presented TO the church and rector. Rev
Il. l.. Stoddard, of ST Johns Church, will
preach the sermon and special choir
will furnish the music.
NJ r..