The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-10-30
ST, MARKS FESTIVAL
First Protestant Episcopal
Church in This City
Consecrated.
EMINENT DIvINES TO SPEAK
Remarkable Progress Made by the
Church in the Face of Great
Difficulties.

All Saints Eve, tomorrow, will begin
the week of services to signalize the ded-
ication of ST. Marks P. e. Church, on
Jersey avenue. 1t may be stated here
t1at st. Marks appears to be the first
OF the nine Protestant Episcopal churches
in Jersey City which has fulfilled the
requirements of the canon, which pro-
vides that mo church or chapel shall be
consecrated until the Bishop h have
been sufficiently certified that the build
ing and ground nave been fully paid for
and are free from lien or circumference"
On this occasion, therefore, so memoir
able in the history of any church, a
series of solemn festivals been ar
ranged at which these eminent divines
will speak:-The Rev. Morgan Dix, DID,
rector of Trinity Church, New York;
the Rt. Rev. Thomas Starkey. Protestant
Episcopal Bishop of Newark diocese;
the Ri. Rev. Leighton Coleman, DID,
Missionary Bishop; the Rev. G. M. Chris
tian, DID, of Newark: the Rev. G. II.
S. Walpole, DID,; the Rev. A. g.. Nor
timer, DID,; the Rev. P. c. Pyle, the
Rev. G. S. Bennitt of Grace Church,
this city; the Rev. E. L. Jenner, rector
of st. Johns, Bayonne, and the Rev.
n. H. Throop of st. Matthew's Church.
Bishop Starkey will preach tomorrow
at evensong, when there will be a pro-
cession and a special musical programme
throughout the festival. An orchestra
has been engaged to accompany the
choir, and the communion service by
Elkin will be made "a feature. Among
the anthems to be sung are: Hal
z1,s. Oh or,,o ,, go ZfOn RIoGf CitV - nv
Hiles, and King Halls "Te Deum." AT
the evensong the "Magnihcat" and
.Nunc Dimittis,'' by Bell, will be first
PROGRESS OF THE CHURCH.
Through the courtesy of the ttev.
Frederic E. Mortimer, rector OF the
church., a few facts of interest are set
forth here concerning the history of
The parish of st. Marks was first
organized under the title of Trinity
Church, on September II, 1854. A small
building was opened on York street,
near Grove, by Bishop Doane, on June
10, 1855, and this was placed in charge
of the Rev. Stephen Douglas. In Marcn,
1857, the Rev. c. H.. Garfield succeeded
Mr.. Douglas.
In June, 1859, the Rev. Robert Travis
became rector, and remained so until
his death in 1866, During the rectorship
of Mr.. Travis the congregation moved
in May, 1868, into the building on the
corner of Grove and Montgomery streets.
The Rev. Thos. K. Coleman was the
next rector. In 1868 the parish was or
ganized under the name of st. Marks,
and the Rev. D. H. Macurdy was called
to the church. After him came the Rev.
H. B. Stuart Martin. AT the end of his
rectorship the property was sold to enable
the corporation to discharge its indebt-
Mr.. MORTIMER TAKES HOLD.
In 1881 the present esteemed rector,
A. ~. L. than q
priest at Christ Church, Claremont, was
invited to assume charge, n his rec
torship has been an unbroken era OF
success. When he entered on his duties
he met with man. difficulties, all OF
which he overcame. The vicissitudes OF
the parish seemed reflected in the fabric
of the little church building, with its
weather stained walls ana broken pas
decay, and, worse still, not their own
building. But the young rector's zeal,
added to the willing assistance of his
congregation, ~surmounted all obstacles;
the walls were fixed, the windows re-
paired, and as soon as possible a fund
w~assraised for a new building. Within
two years of Mr.. Mortimer's rectorship
nearly ten thousand dollars had been
contributed, the church building had been
rescued by repurchase and entirely paid
for. Not only that, but a sum almost
equal to its price had been expended
on restorations and improvements, which
changed its character completely.
A NEW CHURCH.
In the spring of 1888 three lots were
purchased on Jersey avenue. near Van
Worst Square, n a new church COM
menced and finished in six months. In
September of the same year a parish
building was erected, and altogether
about $4,000 have been spent on the
two structures, one-third of which sum
was the munifcent gift of n parish
ioner. Thus, by the energetic action of
the rector, ably seconded by two lay
men, John G. Crawford and w. L.
Marsh, St. Marks, the moribund parish.
revived and stands in the front rank of
Protestant churches in the State for
active work. Nothing but the b
of Rector Mortimer and the co-opera-
ton of Jealous parishioners could have
affected such a change. No wonder that
there is great rejoicing today that their
efforts have resulted in the consecra-
ton of the building.
This is III last day of registration.
See that your name and address are