The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-04-05
G R OF RlTUALISM.
OWE NEW YORK oHURoH THAT
ADTANCED PRA CT1CES.
s.--,... AZ IN. Ascension Memorial Church
in Contrast with Those nt the Church OF
st Mary the virEip-spres I'D OF Rituni-
,.m-No stgntncanee In BOY Chotrs.

~. Mary the VirEin-spree OF fsitun'-
ism-No s'Gn'hosneo IN ""S N "
There are two churches In New YORK. ooth
In parishes of the Protestant Episcopal Church'
which are not very far from each other In
point Of distance but represent the two ex'
tremes OF ritual practice that prevail In the
ommunion TO Which they belong. one OF
these is the Church Of st. Mary the virgin
in Forty.sIxth street, just east OF Seventh ave
nue., and tho other Ia the Ascension Memorial
Church. In West Forty third street, o little
east Of Seventh avenue. The first OF these
churches represents the extremely ritualistio
branch Of tho Episcopal Church, while the
other Is proud that 1t remains one of the rev
Episcopal churches In New York which re-
tain tho service practically as II was In the
days before ritualism had gained 80 wide
spread an influence in tho Episcopal Church
and the practices advocated by DR.. Pussy and
the Tractarinns bad been introduced.
Ascension Memorial Church, or which the
Rev. John +. Steen is the rector. observes Few
of the ritualistio practices which are to be mo-
ticed In most Episcopal churches to-day. even
when they make no profession Of being "ad-
vanced,' as the term is. The choir, for In
stance, never sings tho psalter. but the verses
are read by the congregation. Tho litany is
mover intoned, but is read. Tho other prayers
of the church are also read, and the "ARnus
Del" at the conclusion Of the communion ser
vice, il not sung. as IL is now In almost all
Episcopal churches, by the choir, but Is re-
cited by the congregation. Sling what Is to
be sung and say what Is to be said' Is tho
motto which the rector quotes as the rule OBJ
served by the congregation. and he says that
by doing this his parishioners keep well with
in and In fact obey strictly the rubrical In
functions Of the prayer book. The GLORIA
WN-.-s. l. III - .,a- -1Nu tn
as the priest turns toward the altar and the
congregation bow their heads. The old
fashioned low church service omits this GER
emony. and only once is there any inclination
Of the head. That happens during the Apos-
ties Greed at the word Jesus. In the ritual
istio churches the congregation NOT only bow
at the 'Gloria Patri." but at every mention
Of the word Jesus. claiming that that Is the
Interpretation of the Biblical injunction.
These are details in the ceremony OF the AS
cension Memorial common to other low church
parishes In New York. but there arc features In
the building and service more striking to the
eye. In tho chancel there Is a dark wooden
communion table, but no altar. At st. Mary's,
in West Forty-sixth street, at ST. Ignatius's,
in West Fortieth street. and at four or five
other Episcopal churches in New York there
are white marble affairs surmounted by cruel
fixes, decorated with candles, and supplied
with tabernacles for the reservation of the
blessed sacrament and thrones for the exposi-
ton Of II. The communion table in this typi-
cal low church In West Forty third STREET does
not even hold an altar cross. At Easter and
Christmas q cross of flowers is placed there.
but at other times only the %offertorv bowl Is to
be seen, Tho priest who oflciates wears Mt
every season a white linen Gotta and black
~, -, 49,, -. 81,
When the more advanced churches nave tnelr
priests wearing white at Christmas and Eas-
tor nurn,a In Ient and Advent red at Whitsun.
e,'puip'o ~ r.n .tn -
tice allows only the black stole. Such vestments
n. co,orsd ,ilk and satin garments embroidered
IN oo,ors and gold are Of course never seen.
.h-roha. IN Now york that does nor s,,nport n
boy choir. st. Bartholomew's 81. James,
the Church OF the incarnation, and a number
OF other Episcopal churches ina. are no more
ritualistio than this have begun 10 employ BOY
choirs. There wal a time when ritualism was
boy choir was supposed to be the first indica-
ton of a tendency toward high church prac-
80. put now vested choir Of bows no
tees. but now nvesueu ohotf ooys Il"
churches of New York have choirs with women
-. Low, blocL ooxns and black nor,ar
boards. so the time is past when a vested choir
means a leaning toward ritualistic practice.
az. ...o, N-.o.Io, Chr,,,, h.. not
But inc Atcehslon riN. a w
even any innovation OF this KIND. 1t has q
choir of men and women at the conventional
.N - - a,.u 4, 10 70 .,na
west end OF the chur"n whose uu,S i. 10 10 sing
what the prayer book says they shall sing, and
under M circumstances to sing anything else,
uhue ~ 80 - - =, 80.
ono marx OF the 10" cmurch 'erVoe u 'he
celebration on Mandy Thursday evening of
the holy communion. This takes place in the
Ascension Memorial Church. every year. On
tho first and third Sundays OF the month. com
munion is celebrated here, and this is n more
frequent celebration than was customary In
the days before the influence Of ritualism was
felt In the Episcopal Church. One, OF these
celebrations Is held at 8 O'Clock In the morn
ing, and Is similar in respect OF time to the
service of ritualistic churches, in which commu-
MON is held early in the morning in order that
Il may be partaken of fasting. The frequency
with which communion IS celebrated is. per
haps, the real evidence of whether or not q
church is ritualistic. Next to this Is the use Of
the two mass candles during the celebration,
two churches in question there are a number
OF grades. 1t is at 81. Mary's Church that the
yestments. the music. the candles, and the
decorations make the services seem most ritual
istic, but St. I~gnatius, which is somewhat