The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-03-07
FEARED SCANDAL.
Father Pyle Says Hearing
Confessions In Church
Gave Rise to Stories.
GIRLS NOW co TO HIS HOUSE
This, Grace Church's Rector
Thinks, Is the Solution of
the Difficulty.

The members of the Vestry of Grace
Protestant Episcopal Church, Ocean and
Pearsall avenues, say that the regular
| meeting held last night was devoid OF any
exciting incidents. According to the
pastor, the Rev. Percival C. Pyle abso-
lutely nothing but routine church busi-
ness, which consisted principally of
auditing and paying debts, was transact
ed. Owing to the recent action of the
vestry forbidding Mr. Pyle to receive
confessions in the church and his more
| recent determination to receive confessors
at the rectory, it was thought that the
vestry would take action to eliminate that
high church feature of service. AS far as
can be learned however, the vestry re-
Trained from discussing the matter
When questioned about the confessional,
Mr.. Pyle said:-'tSince I assumed charge
of this church it has been my custom to
receive confessors at the church every
Saturday which is to. my mind a most
proper proceeding, and is sanctioned by
the church. 1t must be understood that
all confessions are voluntary.
"At the last meeting of the vestry / was
notified that the receiving of girls con-
fessions at the church was the cause of
scandalous stories being freely circulated
was panied to learn that my efforts to
perform my duties should be the cause of
scandal and agreed with the members of
the vestry that in the future it would
be best to discontinue the confessional at
the church. In the future will re-
Saturday evening"
When asked if he thought the vestry
would object to that couse, he replied, 81
don't think so.''
Mr.. Pyle was asked if he were aware
that the confessional had been generally
objected to by majority of members of
the congregation. He answered.
''Of course I have been informed that
there are a number of people in my con-
gregation who are not friendly to the con-
fessional, but it is matter of belief, and
they are not bound to confess. AS a
matter of fact, there are very few Epis-
copal churches which exclude the confess
sional as a part of the regular service.
AS it is not compulsory, I see no reason
for adverse criticism
Referring to the story about his tender
ing his resignation TO Bishop Starkey, Mr..
Pyle said that the Bishop was in possess
sion of his verbal resignation from the
time he assumed charge of the church.
At that time he had requested Bishop
Starkey to remove him to some other
parish if his services proved in the Slight
est degree unsatisfactory The members
of the vestry refused to discuss the mat
ter last night.
A former prominent member of Grace
Church said that the confessional was
responsible for a considerable loss of
membership in the last three years. The
member said:-"The Episcopal church-go-
ing people of this section are conserva-
tive and they have a natural horror of
church services bordering on those prac-
tised in the Roman Catholic Church We
are old-fashioned people here, and do not
feel that we need any changes in our
service. Any attempt to conduct the SER
vices on High Church principles will GER
tainly antagonize a majority of the mem
bers, the natural result of which will be
the disruption of the church,
1t is thought that the vestry will at
some future time take action regarding
confessions at the rectory.