The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-10-15

nastor of St Stephens Roman Catholic
church: Can a person receive the full
benefit Of the presence In the body OF
tho Divine presencs at q MACS through
a fclephune2 Oh, no, II Is necessary for
n nersopal attendance at church and for
The eve 10 see as we'll as the ear 10 hear
the nriest when he celebrates mass. II n
ueron Is to receive the full benefit In
cases where the church WAS too crowded
TO admit persons desiring 10 attend mass
and when they stood on the steps and In
the street it has been held that they Sc
cured the full benefit for ,hey were phy-
sica!ly unable TO hear, but did their best
keeping their eyes open the Iersons near
est the officiating priest"
How about invalids?'
''WelL YOU see, they are not OBLIGATED 10
attend mass and OF course IL they go to
the trouble Of having a telephone COM
municltion with church. their action
is merltorious and I have no doubt II
would not 90 unrewarded before God.
They would receive the benefit OF hearing
the sermon and the mass, but l hardly
think they would receive the full benefit
Of the Divine presence; yet / am not
prerared 70 say positively they would
not | certainly can see no reason why
telephones should not be used with good
The Rev Father Arthur Richie. rec
tor Of the Protestant Episcopal church OF
st. Ignatius. said: by all means I
should recommend the use OF telephones
I'm our churches to be connected with the
houses Of Pensioners who were sick or
otherwise absolutely prevented from al
tending the services OF the church. Just
as l believe In the church taking advan-
tage Of all the advances OF science I'm
preaching the gospel. OF course under
no circumstances do / think the posses
sion OF q telephone connected with a
church and its use, would relieve anyone
Of the Obligation 10 attend divine worship
1 believe. too that the full benefit OF the
Divine presence at mass could he received
through a telephone, OF course where a
personal attendance, which is required.
was absolutely impossible. Others will
probably hold different view upon this
point for you know even in the church
we do not always agree, although some
dav hope and believe we will all dwell
I'm unity. but upon the point, that per-
son unable to attend the public worship
of God can obtain benefit from hearing
the beautiful ritual Of our masses and the
word of God as expounded by the ofiicia-
ting priest. It seems to me there can be
but one opinion"
Rev. Charles II. Parkhurst OF the Mad
ison Square Presbyterian Church - I'M
posslble The most important element in
the service Of the church is that OF per-
sonal service. Then the individuality OF
the preacher forms a very important part
of the service and that could not be trans
ferred over a wire, a least not telephone
wire. Why can you imagine Christs SER
mon on the Mount Of Olives being trans
mitted over the telephone?
There is no doubt" continued DR..
Parkhurst. that our church services
could practically be transferred by tele-
phone, for / remember there was a lawyer
named Beach who resided on Fourth av-
enue that used to hate the late Rev. Hen
ry Ward Beecher's sermons transmitted
by telephone or some other manner to
his house every Sunday. The Rev. DR..
John Hall has or had a system OF tubes
in his church on Fifth avenue by which
his sermons were transmitted to pews
owned by deaf Pensioners. In that case
however the worshippers both heard and
saw the preacher and therefore received
the full benefit therefrom, but the tele-
phone case is different"
Rev. Palmer S. Hubert OF the Marble
Collegiate church, Fifth avenue and 18th
street.-the sir / do not believe in the
worship OF God by telephone nor do |
believe II will evr come into general prac-
tice. You cannot transmit the emphasis
Of the preacher, his gestures nor the
look in his eye during the delivery OF his
sermon. Not even the full benefit of a