Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-21
ALL DEBTS ARE PAID
Elaborate Conservation Rites
Held at st. Thomas Church.
NOTED CLERGYMEN ASSIST
Bishop Courtney Of New York
breaches Special Sermon.
CONGREGATION 81 YEARS OLD
Has Grown Rapidly and Is Recog-
nized as One of Strongest Parishes
in Diocese of Washington.
NOTED CLERGYMEN ASSIST
CONGREGATION 81 YEARS OLD

Elaborate and impressive ceremonies
I marked the conservation of st. Thomas
| Church today. practically all the Episco-
| pal clergy of Washington participating in
! the services The conservation sermon
was preached by Rt. Rev. DR.. Frederick
Courtney, rector of ST. James Church
| New York, and formerly Lord Bishop of
Nova Scotia, the sentence of cOnsecra-
| ton being read by Rev. c. Ernest Smith.
rector of ST. Thomas Rev. c. Herbert
| Reese curate of st. Thomas parish, act
| ed as master of ceremonies, being assist
| ed by Julian Wall. Following the Office
| of conservation. according to the form
| of the Book of Common Prayer the instru-
! ment of donation was read by Brig. Gen.
George A. Woodward. L. S. A, senior
| warden of st. Thomas parish.
The order of procession was as follows:
Crossbearer. choir, deacons, priests in the
order of their priesthood, junior first,
visiting priests taking part in the service.
curateS Of st. Thomas parish, rector of
st. Thomas parish. and Rev. DIR. ]. A.
Aspinwall, former rector; Rt. Rev. DR..
Courtney, priest attending DR.. Courtney,
Canon Talbot. the Bishop of Washington;
chaplain of the Bishop of Washington
Canon Nelms
PROCESSION TO CQuTCQ.
The procession left the parish house
promptly at 1890 O'Clock, and proceeded
directly to the church.. where the digni-
fed ceremonies of conservation establish
ed by the ritual of the Episcopal Church
began at the main entrance.
At the close of the conservation service
Rev. DR.. Randolph III. McKim, rector of
the Church of the Epiphany, read the
morning prayer service to the creed, the
service being conducted by Rev. Dr.
Charles Fiske. rector of ST. Michael and
All Angels Church of Baltimore. who
began with the nicene creed. The first
lesson was read by Rev. w. J. Cox, while
Rev. Carl S. Smith read the second les
son. The choir sang the Gloria at the
end of each psalm.
The holy communion service began with
the introit. hymn No. 4S4, I'VE Love the
Place. o Lord" by the choir, followed by
Elveyis "Kyrie in A. and the Gloria
Ttbi." and hymn No. 4S3, Christ is
Made the Sure Foundation
Bishop Courtney's Sermon.
Bishop Courtney's sermon. which was
brief. was based on the tenth and sue
ceeding verses of the twenty first chapter
of the Revelation to ST. John, descriptive
OF the city shown to the apostle in a
vision. Prefacing the sermon with a ref
erence to the Christian spirit that has
made possible the raising of nearly
S5, 600 in ten years and the erection of
st. Thomas Church, which is now free
from debt, the bishop said, referring to
the often-asked query as to the right
eausness of building magnificent churches,
that God has always dealt with men
through materiality-that is, through the
senses. A more ready appreciation Of
the greatness of God is to be had within
the walls Of buildings such as the one
consecrated today, ne said
The tabernacle of the ancient Jews was
the first of Gods temples. as it was the
center of the family life and the symbol
Of the living God. To the Jews God was
the Christian dispensation God becomes
the great Father.
Manifests Fatherhood.
This house." said the bishop. and all
other such houses under the Christian dis
pensation are built to manifest to man
kind this glorious fatherhood of God. AS
often as you use this consecrated house,
l say to you, pray, oh. Lord, open mine
eyes, that l may see and know the great
ness and glory of the Father
Nothing in all this world is so good
and so great as the recognition of the
human soul of the presence of God with
in it-of the gradual growth within the
human heart and understanding Of this
sense Of the presence of God
Bishop Courtney urged the congrega-
ton, as individuals, to prepare themselves
for citizenship in the New Jerusalem by
the frequent use of this consecrated
house, and to listen to the Word of God
with hearing ears and attentive hearts.
praying that God may grant to us so to
use His temple to grow in grace and
understanding and knowledge"
Communion Service.
| In the communion service Canon Tai
bot read the epistle, while the gospel
was read by Rev. DIR. Aspinwall The
server was Rev. Mr.. Reese, his as
sistants in the administration of the
elements being Revs. Cox, Carl S. Smith
| and M'Kee.
The anthem for the offertorium was
| music for the service being Stainer's
"Sanctus," hymn No. %. Bread of the
World" Gloria in Excelsis," old chant;
occasional hymn No. 43, Rejoice, Re-
toice."
The beginning Of St Thomas Church
| and parish was a meeting held April %.
| 1891 to discuss the proposal to found a
parish and build an Episcopal Church
near Dupont Circle At this meeting more
than $1,000 was pledged for the purchase
of land as soon as the new parish should
be authorized by the diocesan convention,
which authorization was given May 81.
1891, the new parish, with Its own meteS
and bounds, being formed in the district