Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-30
DR.. satterlee Formally Notifies the
Washington Committee.
ACCEPTS TIE POSITION OF BISHOP ELECT
He Feels That He Has Received a
Divine Summons.
FORMALITIES TO FOLLOW

The standing committee Of the new dio-
cese of Washington held a meeting this
morning at the Church Of the Epiphany
| 1t was the first meeting since it was known
that Dr. Henry Yates Satterlee of New
York, who was elected the first bishop of
the new diocese, would accept the call, and
his formal letter of acceptance was laid
before the committee by the president,
Rev. DR.. John. H. Elliott. 1t was addressed
to the committee, Rev. DR.. Elliott, Rev.
rDr. Mackay-Smi and Ger. John G. Parke,
appointed at the primary convention to
notify DR.. Satterlee. The letter was as
follows:
Calvary Church Rectory,
133 East 21st street, N. Y,
December q, 1S05
IL Gentlemen: 1t is hard for me to express
In words my deep appreciation Of the honor
that has been conferred upon me by the
clergy and laity of the diocese of WASH
ington in electing me as its first bishop.
The consciousness of the grave response
bilities to God and man which belong to
this high position in the Church of Christ
and the realization of the opportunities OF
the new diocese have become deeper and
stronger in my mind after three weeks of
careful and prayerful consideration.
1 have had heretofore an urshaken con-
viction that no human influence or earthly
inducement, nothing less than the plainest
Indication of Gods WILL should sever the
religious ties that bind me to the work, the
people. the ideals of Calvary parish; now
feel that that call of God has come and
that 1t Is imperative.
| 4 Though 1 realize now more vividly and
painfully than ever before my own utter
tinsufficiency for the Office and work of
bishop in the Church Of God, yet day by
day the conviction has grown steadily
stronger that this summons has come to
pne from the great Head of the Church. our
ascended Lord and King, and therefore, in
rhe tfN lto Nrni md in m n h
mission to what believe to be His will,
accept the position of bishop-elect of Wash
ington.
With the unceasng prayer that the bles-
fling of Christ may rest upon the new dio-
tese, and that in all our works, begun,
continued and ended in Him, bishop. clergy
and people may perceive and know what
things we ought to do, and then have grace
and power faithfully to fulfill the same, L
am, gentlemen, with deep respect,
Your servant in Christ,
HENRY Y. SATTERLEE.
To Rntify the Election.
y There are yet good many formalit1es
|to be gone through with before DR.. Satter-
lee can properly be addressed as bishop and
his choice of words referring to his ac-
ceptance Of 1.-The position of bishop-elect'
is regarded as particularly judicious and
In good taste. His election must be sane
toned by a majority of the standing COM
WltteeS OI the QlUeTent ulOCeSeS OIL the
try, and at the meeting this morning DR.. Ell
lott and Rev. Alfred s. Harding, the sec
retary of the standing committee were in
structed to notify these committees of the
choice of the primary convention and of the
desire OF this diocese for their consent, and
to forward to them the proper testimonials.
The consent Of the standing committee,
while 1t is in set form, is by no means mere
matter of form itself. 1t is a firm avowal
that from what they know Of the man the
: tod n
the high office to which he has been called.
4 While in very rare cases this approval
Lfas been withheld, no one imagines for a
soment that a single voice will be raised
Yagainst man of such prominence and popu-
larity as DR.. Satterlee. Even so. it ts.Ses
some time to communicate with all the dio-
CT seS, and to have meetings of the standing
committees held, so that 1t may be a month
or six weeks before a majority of them have
been heard from. AS soon as this is done
the presiding bishop. Rt. Rev. John Will
with. and he will notify the other bishops.
AT the same time, the original papers of
election from the primary convention will
be forwarded to him. When Bishop Will
1ams has received notice of the concurrence
of the other bishops he will arrange with
the blshop-elect for the conservation. In
other words, the entrance to the episcopate
Is surrounded by very many safeguards SO
men from ever entering upon the duties
o. the office.
1t Is not known yet just when or where
Dr. Satterlee will choose to be consecra ted.
This ceremony Is not likely to occur for at
Fast u couple of n onths yet, and the gen
eral feeling here is that he may prefer to
have tine services of conservation take place
In his own Calvary Church with which he
has been associated so closely and for so
long time. 1t may be, however, that he
would rather be consecrated in this city.
the field of his future labors, and in that
event every effort will be made to have
the service an imposing one and worthy
of the occasion.
AT tine meeting this morning diocesan con-
sent was given to the election of Rev. Jo-
seph IL. johnson, D. D., as bishop of the
new diocese of Los Angeles, and consider
able other routine business was transacted