New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-14
DIFFER FROM DIR. POTTER.
Drs. GrosUenor and Stires DO Not
Think Chapels Foster Caste.

Apparently few Episcopal clergymen in his do
cese are disposed to share in their entirety the
views expressed by Bishop Potter in his letter to
the Rev. Dr. j. Lewis Parks relative to the MAIN
tenance by parish churches of separate East Side
chapels DIR. Parks, who is rector of Calvary Epis-
copal Church Fourth-ave. and Twenty-frst st. had
decided to close permanently Calvary Chapel. in
East Twenty -third-st., where for many years work
had been carried among the East Side poor
The need of retrenchment and the shrinkage of
the chapeTs actual parishioners by the general
movement uptown were among the as
signed for the decision of the vestry of the parish
to close the chapel Before making arrangements
for the closing, however Dr. Parks wrote to Bishop
Potter for advice
in his reply. after ndorsng heartily the proposed
action. Bishop Potter said:
My convictions as TO the relative value of chapels
and work apart from a parish church have not
eration Of Grace chapel in Easf
about 1874. ] refer TO 1t because I believe that
really initiated the policy of chapels which has so
But it was a Vicious policy. and had in 1T the
essential fallacy of the spirit of caste. Our RO-
we. They have services for different classes
of people at different hours but they are all in
the same church.
Such opinions expressed yesterday were
largely in favor of the continuance of chapes.
Although it conceded that in certain cases
financial reasons or the stranding high and dry
of chapes in the general march uptown might
justify II declared
ChapelS of incalcuable service and that prop
erly conducted there was danger whatso-
ever of fostering any false spirit of caste.
Far from reading in DR.. Parkss action and the
form of Bishop Potters approval the beginning of
the end of mission chapels. the Rev. Dr. William
NJ. Grosvenor. OF the Church of the Incarna-
ton, was heartily in favor of the system. our
own chapel at Thirty-hrst-st. and Second-ave.
DR.. Grosvenor told Tribune reporter. has been in
existence since 1855 and to-day it has larger con-
lion hpfn No
forward to chapel, built at a cost of S2000c0
by Edward SEVERN Clark Bishop Potters stepson).
Bishop Potter is to consecrate this on December -
DR.. Grosvenor admitted, however that every case
must be decided on its individual merits 1t is
useless to attempt to generalze matters of this
kind. he said "Of course. L can understand that
action. Then. again in the course Of years a con-
gregation may have changed and a chapel estab-
of warehouses no longer usefuly to subserve its
DO you believe" asked the reporter that the
policy of these chapels tends to foster an unde-
INDEED. don't think So was pr pr Grosyenors
reply Il believe the woTshiPpers fully unqerstand
that there is no such intention Those who have
attended our chapel in Second-ave. for instance,
have no wish or desire to travel to Madison-ave to
y think this idea Of chapss must have been
Graee Church ceming second If you VIII visit
that is being done Personally. other things being
equal am heartily i'll favor of the continuance OF
equally emphatic. our chapel in East Fffty-ninth-
st, between First and Second aves., he said, was
established about thirty years ago and is increas-
ing in strength and usefulness at enormous rate
every year. Every week we have thousand
municants and a Sunday school OF fifteen hundred
Our staff includes two clergymen three deaconesses
two trained nurses, a physician and an athletic in
structor, who are kept busy day and night
Asked whether he thought the chapel tended to
foster nvidious caste distinctions DR.. Stires said:
1T need not do so. Il all depends on the spirit
IN which II Is conducted. Above all, there be
no spirit of patronage. but of thorough SYM
pathy- One-half of teachers once pupils.
our vested choir is composed of our own people.
There is no fear Of caste spirit when much is
done by the people themselves"