Evening star., 1895-10-09
THE. new DIOCESE
A Convention to Be Held Here
Next Month.
ACTION OF TIE GENERAL CONVENTION
Bishop Paret Has Not as Yet An
nounced His Decision.
TIE FUTURE IMPORTANCE

Since 1t has been definitely and finally de-
cided to divide the Episcopal diocese of
Maryland and to make a separate diocese
| Of the District of Columbia and some ad-
jacent Maryland counties, the next step
will be the calling of a convention of the
new diocese. This convention will be called
by Bishop Paret, and will be held In this
city some time in November, probably the
latter part of the month.
1t now develops upon Bishop Paret to
| make his choice of his future bishopric.
He must decide whether he will remain the
spiritual head Of the old diocese of Mary
land or assume that position for the new
diocese. At this time no one knows what
his choice will be, and it is the opinion
of those among the clergy who are best
Informed that the bishop himself has not
settled the matter in his own mind.
He is at present at the Minneapolis con-
vention. and is very busy man, and it is
considered doubtful whether he will an
nounce his decision until after that con-
vention, and when he can weigh the matter
with care and deliberation. There are i'm
portant considerations attaching to each
diocese to influence his decision, and the
scale Is pretty evenly balanced.
The November Convention.
Whatever his decision may be in this
matter, Bishop Paret will calf the No
vember convention for the new diocese and
preside over its deliberations. The dele
gates who were elected to the last con-
vention in Maryland will be the delegates
to the November convention. OF course
this meeting will be only one-half as large
as the gathering of last May, for the rea-
son that the diocese has been split in half
and only the delegates of the Washington
diocese will be present. In the event that
Bishop Paret should decide to remain in
Baltimore the most important business be-
fore tie convention will be the election of
the bishop of Washington. If the con-
ventioEA is called upon to take this action,
1t is thought the proceedings will be very
interesting.
The other business before the conven-
ton will be the appointment of the regular
standing committees and the committee
for the preparation of canons and con-
sutution to be proposed for adoption at
the next regular convention of the diocese
1t is Thought that the constitution and
canons of the old diocese of Maryland will
be adopted as ground work for the new
diocese and in fact may be decided upon
almost in entirety, with possibly few
minor changes. 1t is probable that an
amendment may be proposed that the reg
uiar annual convention of the diocese shall
be held in the fall instead of in the spring.
The city clergy are in favor of this change
principally for the reason that 1t will give
impetus to the winters work. There will
be no extraordinary changes in either the
Cx1iioHS VI the constitution, however.
Diocese of Warrington.
The new diocese of Washington is not a
weak one numerically or otherwise AS
matter of fact. 1t will take rank with some
OF the important ones. AS organized it will
consist of the District of Columbia and four
counties in Maryland. These localities will
furnish an important array of clergy, par
ishes and churches. In the District there
are twenty-one parishes and congrega tions
and twenty-eight churches. st. Mary's
county furnishes six parishes and thirteen
churches; Prince Georges county, ten par
ishes and twenty churches; Montgomery
county, six parishes and ten churches, and
Charles county, four parishes and eight
churches.
The new diocese will assume some pres
tiSe from the fact that it includes the ma
tlenal capital, and the bishop will share this
prestige. The action of the Minneapolis
convention in deciding to make no change
in the house of bishops puts an end, for
the present, at least. to the discussion of
the probability of establishing the see of
Washington and the office of primate In
the natural order of things, however, the
diocese of Washington will gather added
Importance as time goes on, and if the
church at any future time should decide to
make change in its present organization
and establish a new head, the diocese of
Washington will naturally be first in con-
cid