Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-04-16


church was named "Holy Trinity
Church. y
The last OF the Swedish priests, the
Rev. Lawrence Girelus, and the Rev.
IL. Collin, were recalled by the King OF
Sweden in l7s6-7. The vestry of Holy
Trinity Church was Incorporated by an
act of the General Assembly in session
at New Castle October goth, 1853. The
act is signed by William Denney,
acknowledgement, and commander-in-
chief of the counties of New Castle,
Kent and Sussex, upon Delaware and
province OF Pennsylvania. The first
meeting of the vestry, or administrators,
of the church under tho charter was
held November 18th, 1850. The movement
TO build gallery and belfry began
in l773. Tho side arches, were built
in l7i0. The stairs to the gallery we're
originally in the arch. For the recall
of the last Swedish pastor in 1867
there seems to have boen no settled pas
tor until 1893. Under the amended
charter granted about 1859, the vestry
waa compelled to employ the preacher
year at a time, and under this arrange
ment the Rev. Joseph Carkon served
the congregation from 1872 to 1893.
Al meeting of the vestry November
9th, 1893, the Rev. William Price Of
Milford, offered himself as candidate
for the pastorate. He presented Gre
dcntials from the vestry Of the Protes-
tant Episcopal Church at Milford. On
December 10th, 1899, the vestry met at
the parsonage ard the otfor of the Rev.
Mr. Price to serve as pastor of the
church az salary of el75 was accepted.
The record shows that Mr.. Pice was
called to the pastorate of tho church
annually to and including 1909 With
the following year, 1910, the Swedish
record stops--the Swedish Lutheran
Church of the Holy Trinity was hence
forth to be Protestant Episcopal
Church.
This venerable old edifce, as it stands
to-day, 10 beautiful monument and
memorial of the early settlement on the
Delaware. 1t is link connecting
American history with an epoch OF
tremendous interest, an epoch when
civil and religious liberty were the
issues of the great war OF the 18th cen
tury. When the colony of which il
is the remains was conceived, Gus.
tavus Adolphus, one Of the greatest
military heroes, tho defender of the
Protestant faith in Europe, was en-
barking in perilous war in which he
was to lose his life. The plan had been
held in abeyance because of tho exi.
gencies Of the war, but had not beer
| forgotten, On the eve of the battle Of
Lutzen, in November, 1852, as if warned
of his death, tho king called his officers
around him, and reminding them OF
tho uncertainties of battle, told them
not to forget his scheme for the founda-
tion of a now Sweden in America, a
new Sweden in which there should be
no slaves, and in which the laws should
guarantee religious liberty Tho next
day he was killed.
In American history this olu church
marks the site Of the first peacefully
established European colony, the site
of the first military establishment, the
first battle between Europeans, the
sitc of tho first ecclesiastical establish.
mont, and the site of tho first court Of
law in what is now the Middle Atlantic
States. 1t is tho centre from which
have emanated all the forces which
have made the civilization Of these
States grand and glorious-a precious
historic relic which should be guarded
and cared for with tho deepest reverence
and gratitude