The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-04-01
THE SEMI.CENTENN NAL
OF THE SECOND CONGRE REGATIONAL
 CHURCH, F4IR HAVEN.

I
 tors-Other Features of the Occasion. The celebration of the semi-centen nial of the Second Congregations
 church, so auspiciously planned, wal
 brought to a most gratifying close las evening. The people of this parish art to be congratulated upon the success O.
 every detail of the celebration and tht
 pastor, Rev. Alexander F. Irvine, anC
 the efficient committee have certainly performed splendid work in bringing
 about So delightful a culmination o
 their painstaking labors. MT. Irvine
 under whose leadership the celebration
 has been worked out, should be prouc
 of his church, which is entering upor | its second half century under such ia vorable auspices. During his term of
 service of about three and one-half l years about 200 new members have been added and the departments of church work are all on a strong basis. There were two services yesterday at and 8 p, m,-and both services were very largely attended. The after- noon programme included a roll call and reception of members and address by Rev H. c. Hovey of NeWburyport, Rev, Erastus Blakeslee of Boston and Rev. Alexander r. Irvine. The pres ent pastor and the two ex-pastors present asked those to rise who had joined the church during the ministry of each and number, as they stood, spoke a word of encouragement, or re- peated a verse of Scripture. The ad- dress of Rev. Mr Hovey is given in full in this issue. Rev Mir. Blakeslee spoke in part as follows:
 My parish I call the great multitude of people scattered the whole world over. l have a message to give you to- day from your former pastor, Rev. D. M. James. He wished me to extend congratulations and to express his re- gret of his inability to be preser {. He is now getting ready for the meeting of the general association of Massa chusetts which meets soon at his home in Plymouth, Mass. He is getting ready to go to England in a few weeks to attend Q Congregational assembly and he is also busy in his parish work. MT. James is recognized as power, as pastor of one of the churches in Mas sachusetts. He was a member of an important committee at a recent Con gregational assembly at Andover and chairman of the nominating committee at the Portland meeting.
 T have been making some compari- sons between the church as it was when I was here and the church to- day. I have been surprised to see so many that I did not know and to see so few of those whom I did know. But the church and its organization is going right on. The tide from the sea flows into this river here twice a day and yet the river and the bay are the same as they were years ago. This beauti- ful stretch of water on the river above us, and the hills so beautiful beyond are just as beautiful to-day as fifty years ago. Men may change, genera tions may change but the church goes on forever. The great truth I want to impress is that while ministers may come and ministers go, deacons and Sunday school superintendents may come and go, young people may grow up. are married and their children go out into the world and are then brought in here and buried-the church goes on as an institution. It remains.
 From what I have heard, I should say that the church here and its insti- tutions were never so strong before. The present membership of the church is doing its work The waves are dash ed up on the shore but the great deep seas, representing the eternities, re- main. So God and His world, will re- main.
 ",The history of this church, ss briefly to us this afternoon, Is very spectacle All the begin nings were brief and as the history comes down, the details are given more fully: and yet we cannot gather here this afternoon without having our hearts softened as we remember those so active fifteen or eighteen years ago, who have gone. And yet we would not wish them back. Not withstanding the great undertone which has taken some put of this particular fellowship, yet new ones come in to make the fellow ship good. The work of the Lord is here still. l wish you all iodspeed in the future
 NIT. bldktSiee IbItIItu lO lHt lOuilu- ng of the Y P S. c. E. during to his oastorate and to other features of his work. MT. Irvine followed in a short | address and the afternoon session was | concluded.
 For nearly an hour there was a 1 season of pleasant greetings and then | tt o'clock came the dinner served by | he Ladies' guild Mrs George c. | Black is president of the guild and the | managers who were in charge of the l Timer were as follows: Mrs. c. F. | Bray Mrs. George M Baldwin, Mrs. | w. A. Hemingway, Mrs. John Parker | Irs. Edward B. Rowe, Mrs, Ida Buck, Irs. R. G. Davis, Mrs George c. Brad ey, Mrs. Frank Mallory, Mrs. L. D. | Iallory Mrs. John Thompson, Mrs. J. ). Clogston, Mrs William Grannss, Irs w. A. Kellogg, Mrs. Fred Foote, irs. Frank Page, Mrs. Reuben Futile, Irs Elmore s. Wade, Mrs. Henry Rus ell The ladies served a fine spread n the chapel, the tables presenting a cry inviting appearance.
 The ladies of the Park avenue church, Hartford, where the late Rev. pr. Bur- on was pastor, sent a beautiful wreath 0 be placed above Dr. Burton's pie ure, in the chapel; and Rev. w. w.