The herald., 1896-06-01

rooms Of the Mechanics institute, Sum
day evening. July 10, 1875, Rev. DIR.
Smith, at that time president of Prince
ton college. New Jersey, preaching the
sermon. This account further states
that "a church, under the name of st.
Luke's church was organized August
%, 1857, and DR.. T. ]. White, Dr. Mathew
Carter and William H. Shore We're
elected trustees Services We're held in
a rented building on Main street.
This Church or mission seems not
to have been in union with the conven-
tion of the diocese of California, for no
action concerning it and no mention of
it appears in the journals.
The earliest record of any church or
ganization in communion with the Prot
estant Episcopal church in Southern
California is the following, found among
the papers of the Rev. Elias Birdsall
after his death, written on leaf some-
what damaged by fire, evidently torn
from the first parish register, which,
tradition says. was accidentally burned:
History of st. Athanasius parish, Los
Angeles.
ELIAS Birdsall, B. D., came to this
place on the 8th of December, 1864 Held
the first service in the Odd Fellows
hall on Christmas day. Established
Sunday school on the 18th day of Janu-
ary. 1865. A meeting for organization
was held in Wells Fargo's express office
on Thursday, January 10th, 1865. There
were present besides the minister in
charge, Messrs. Griffith, Lampson, Hen
field. Diblee, Conway, Hays, Hazard,
Clark, Barrows, Hall and Briggs. The
following officers were elected: Senior
warden, G. j. Clark; junior warden, II.
+. Diblee; Vestrymen, J. M. Griffith, S.
r. Briggs. ]. Henfield, C. r. Conway, II.
Wollwebber and r. S. Hayes"
On the 4th of May, 1865, at the fifteenth
annual convention of the diocese of Cali
fOrnta the standing romniffaa in tho
absence of the bishop, reports that on
the Sd of May. Consent was
given to the organization of ST.
Athanasius church, Los Ange-
les. and the same recorded as parish of
the Protestant Episcopal church in this
diocese, and that on the first day of May
the Rev. Elias Birdsall was received
on letters dismissory from the dio-
cese of Indiana and his name recorded
as a presbyter of this diocese. At the
same convention Mr.. Birdsall was ap-
pointed by the missionary committee
missionary to Los Angeles and parts ad-
jacent, and 5000 was appropriated to-
ward his support.
An appeal was issued to the diocese
from which it would appear that the eff
forts of the Methodists and Presbyte-
rians to maintain clergymen had for the
time failed, for the appeal speaks of
the utter destitution of the commun-
ity of any preaching or spiritual min
istrations by clergymen of the reformed
faith. The Americans here are
left to life of simple heathenism, and
those who have families growing up
especially feel that it Is not the state
of things in which they would choose
to see their sons and daughters reared.
IT is pitiable to think that If a Protes-
tant dies here he must be. buried like
dog; that an infant can never be bap-
tized, and a Justice of the peace is the
only authority to whom a couple can
go to be married."
Mr. Birdsall. in a letter to the mis-
sionary committee, dated January 8,
1865, gives an interesting account of the
hrst services which were held in Will.
mlngton. EXTRACTS from a letter writ
ten by Mr. Samuel e. Briggs of Los An
geles, one Of the most earnest support
ers or the mission, were also read and
proved of much interest.
In March. 1885, Mr. Birdsall reports