The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-11-16

future to acquire historic stones. relics
of famous shrines, and memorials from
world famous churches and places for
the Cathedral Of SIS. Peter and Paul, as
he has done in the past, there viii be
nothing even in Europe itself which will
more strongly appeal 10 the love OF the
past within US all than will the cathedral
OF Washington. Canterbury has its
Becket's crown, Cologne its shrine Of
the three Kings OF the orient, Winches-
ter its St. Swithin's well, and so on,
but already Washington cathedral has
its foundation stone from the fields of
Bethlehem. its font from the rocky bed
of the Jordan. its altar stones from Jeru-
salem's most holy places. its "cathedra. g"
or bishops chair, from the walls OF
Glastonbury Abbey together with its
HIlda and Iona stones and other Ike me-
moriais, each one a link in the chain
which binds us in this new land 70 those
lands across the ocean through which
the stream of our Christianity wore its
way hither.
And now the bishop has received the
gift OF a stone with a history Of such pc
culiar and fascinating interest that being
told IL az once possesses the ina ginatiOn
Of American churchmen. For this stone
was none other than a foundation stone
OF the oldest church in this Western
world-a church which had for It's builder
Christopher Columbus himself, when
faith and courage alike were tried 10
the uttermost.
On Christmas Eve..l492 the Santa Maria,
the flag ship OF the great admiral, was
was wrecked on the coast OF Santo
Domingo From the circumstance that
the wreck OF the vessel occurred on
Christmas Eve. Columbus named the fort
he erected there-the first he built-Navi-
dad. or the Nativity. IL was built mainly
out OF the wreckage of the flag ship and
was said. 10 be a tower surrounded with
a ditch. Having now but two vessels.
and not room enough for all Columbus
left some forty men at Navidad, and,
after provisioning and arming the fort,
sailed away 10 Spain.
He never saw his men again. for, al
though he returned the next year, Il
was to find that his fort had been de-
stroyed by Indians and his men massa-
cred. 50 that there was not a single
man left TO tell the story OF the tragedy.
Leaving Inflated Navidod. with its pa
thetic record OF wreck and suffering and
massacre. be sailed along the coast TIL
he came to a small and sheltered har-
Dor. where he disembarked and began
the foundation Of a settlement. which
nc named Isabella, after his royal pa
troness. the Spanish Queen. Here he
built a church. which was dedicated
January 6. 1884. the festival OF the
Epiphany. u is this church which ante
dates all other churches I'm America
Brittcn and Pohick and the rest of them
are all modern and but Of yesterday
compared with q. After its dedication
three generations OF men worshiped
within It's walls and many OF the saints
they laid 10 rest in lis burial ground
Gods acre. in the midst OF which the
old church stood. Then gold was dis
covered In the mountains hard by. and
as II BY magic a new town arose nearer
the sold mines, and the old town was
deserted. and its church became a roof
LEES ruin
To-day the site Of Isabella Is complete
~ OvergrOwu with wild vegetation. |
chiefly different forms o. cacti. there
indigenous. which renders exploration ex-
ceedingly difficult. But from under some
hostile cact ever on guard they finally |
dragged from its hiding place in the soil
OF Haiti. where. four hundred and thir-
teen years before Columbus laid il. when
he build the first house Of the Lord in all
this western world, the stone which the
Bishop OF Washington has just received
from MI William T. Curtis as a gift 10
the cathedral Of Washington.
This new old stone IS yet another OF the |
stones which are making Washington |
cathedral unique among cathedrals. Rap
idly, too. are they making its very site
even IL they have not already made Il. /
holy ground: worth. TOO. a pilgrimage TO |
see. because Of all these priceless gifts
Of sacred story. Among these priceless |
gifts none VIII gather around itself In |
the ages that shah come more reverent !
and interested groups OF pilgrims than |
this stone-this Isabella stone. if we may
venture 10 give il a name-fTom the new
worlds oldest church which Christopher |
Columbus built high unto the place where !
his flag ship was wrecked and so many /
brave men persisted by cruel massacre.
Bishop Satterlee has returned from his !
visitation Of six Southern Maryland par
ishes Beginning with All Saints, In St /
Mays. he confirmed for Rev. Charles /
D. Lafferty,. rector. the large number OF I
twenty-eight In King and Queen parish, |
Rev W J. Wright. fourteen. In All Faith /
Rev II. n. Bovine. twelve. In Trinity |
Charles County. Rev. Joseph Baker. /
twenty-three. In ST. Paul's, with its two /
churches. Rev. F. >. Baer. none; but IN /
the chapel for colored under care of Rev. |
z. II Oxley, ten All things considered, |
a fine record and one which shows the 1
clergy are active and successful in these /
old Southern Maryland parishes-the one /
characteristic always going with the /
other.
Anv one who does not know what an l
archdeacon is, and there are quite a re- I
spectacle number who do not. should /
have been at the fall meeting of the /
archdeaconry Of Washington. held last
Wednesday in st. Stephens Church. /
Mount Pleasant when. after delightful
cd hr- fha lnHioc rhnI