The Irish standard., 1890-08-02
CONVERTS TO CATHOLICISM
Prominent VermoDters Who Abjured
Professionalism Some Fifty
Years Ago
REV. WIN. HoYT AND OTHERS

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my Friend, Be Sure You Are Right
Then Go Ahead, and God
Bless You
a writer in our able and esteemed
contemporary the Boston Republic,
gives the following interesting account
OF notable conversions to Catholicitv in
the Green Mountain state about half a
century ago: y
The recent celebration at Burlington,
VT, of the fftieth anniversary of the
priestly ordination of Bishop De Goes.
brand of that city served to recall the
series of notable conversions which took
place. nearly half q century ago now. in
the Green Mountain state. where HE
influence OF those events still makes
itself felt at times. Mine years before
the venerable bishop was ordered from
northern Ohio, where his sacerdotal
duties were principally performed, to
Burlington, as the first prelate Of Yer
mont, Rev. William Hoyt, the leading
Episcopal minister at St. Albans, influ-
enced by the Tractarian movement in
England, announced to his congrega-
ton one day that he could no longer oc-
cupy the pulpit he had SO long and so
acceptably, to his parishioners, filled,
for the reason that he entertained seri-
ous doubts concerning the truth of the
Anglican creed. As might be supposed,
this announcement. which Was rightly
interpreted by those who heard it to
mean that Mr.. Hoyt contemplated en-
bracing Catholicity, caused no little ex-
citement, and a number Of bis parish:
toner's straightWay undertook to con-
vince the minister of the mistake which
they believed he was about to commit:
The day following the announcement
already REFERRED to, y eDnseq quently,
several Of his Episcopalian friends
called on Mr.. Hoyt, and enueavored to
dissuade him from the step he was con-
templating. In a journal which she
kept at the time, Miss Laura 7. Smalley,
who subsequently became Catholic
herself. thus describes the interview be
tween Mr.. Hoyt and
HIS OLD DPARIsHIoNERs:
"Mr. Hoyt came in, calm and pale, with
sooks expressive of the anguish he was
suffering for conscience sake. We felt
that be was sacrificing his dearest in
terests and those Of his people for an
imaginary scruple. and all but my
brother said 80 in no measured terms.
The mon were particularly emphatic in
denouncing the course he was taking.
quoting the words of Talleyrand: 1T
was worse than crime, it was folly;
and declaring that he was jeopardizing
his own interests and those OF his
family. as we'll as of his people, for time
and eternity in the pursuit, not required
of him by God, of q phantom, Of triies
which could not, by the light of com
! mon sense, be regarded as otherwise
than non.essential. This thought ab-
sorbed every other; but as we left,
some of us resolved to examine further
and judge for ourselves, while others
angrilv declared they would never care
for religion again. since an interest in
it led to such absurd results. But my
brother said. as he left, placing bis hand
on Mr.. Hoyt's shoulder. while his other
hand was clasped in that Of his trusted
friend, who had remained pale and
silent under all our attacks: My friend,
be sure sou are right, then go ahead,
and God bless you
MI. Hoyt and his family went to
Montreal in 1916. and were received into
the Catholic Church In July Of that year
in the Canadian city. The Following
winter they passed in New York, and
the subsequent career of the converts is
sufficiently we'll known. AT the time
that Mr.. Hoyt resigned his pulpit. st.
Albans had no Catholic church, but the
following year. 1s47. Bishop Fitzpatrick
of this city. whose Jurisdiction
- !. ts
THEN EMBRACED VERMONT,
sent the late Rev. George A. Hamilton,
who subsequently, became the beloved
pastor os ST MarY's, in the Charle lestown
district, ito st. Albans and instructed
him to build church there, If such an
undertaking were feasible. a site for
such an edlfice was presented to Father
Hamilton BY Mr. and Mrs. H0yt. and
the corner stone of the church was laid
7 in 1s49 by the bishop of A ibany, DR..
McCloskey, who after wards became
Americas tirst cart rdinal. 81 Before that
date, however, the influence of Mr.. Me
s.sHoYt's conversion had sserted Itself
more than one manner The firstof his
Episcop ALLAN friends TO follow II his
footsteps were Mr. and ATs. tucker of
sBurling gton, who, stt1e oFts. went
B to Montrea tos sIna So their ofession q