New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-05-20
Quit General Seminary of the
Protestant Episcopal Church
to Enter Roman Catholic
School at DunWOodie.
SAY OTHERS MAY FOLLOW
Official Does Not Believe, How
ever, This Will Happen
Ritualism Not Involved in
the Case, Say Church
Authorities.


Three students of the General rheo-
logical Seminary have left that strong
hold of the Protestant Episcopal Church
to prepare for the Roman Catholic
priesthood and talk of two warning
factions anent the entrance of "Ro-
man influence" into the institution mas
been rife during the last few days. Not
only did these students, Charles Danford
and Raymond Lawrence, second year
men, and Graham Reynolds, first year
man, leave the seminary with tho
avowed intention Of entering st. Josephs
Seminary, at Dunwoodie, but there We're
rumors af1oat that they had left behind
them in Chelsea Square other men Sc
cretly pledged 10 the faith they had
adopted. Further reports had it that a
spirit Of Romanism in the institution had
Influenced these students to leave the
Protestant Episcopal ministry.
At the seminary express denial was
made that the teaching there could have
influenced these students TO such course.
II was said, not alone by the authori-
ties but by the students. that no Ro-
manism exists here" and that the three
students had had Roman Catholic ideas
and tendencies when they entered the
institution. Contradiction was made of
the report that their leave-taking was
spectacular or that it was hindered. IL
was considered at the institution that
they had acted according to their con-
victions, and nothing was done to in
teriere with them.
One Yale, Two Columbia Men.
Reynolds is from Southern California,
and was graduated from Yale in 1910.
Danford is a New Yorker, and, like
Lawrence, who is from Skaneateles, has
a B. A degree from Columbia Univer-
sity All made their intentions known
last week to Professor Herbert NJ Dens-
low, of the chair of pastoral theology,
who is acting dean in the absence in
England of Dean Wilford l.. Robbins,
the head of the seminary. Two called
personally on DR.. Denslow: the other
sent a letter. When they left the semi
nary they gave away their books, say
ing they had no further use for them.
There are 40 students in the semi
nary, but this is the first instance Of
student leaving it TO enter the Roman
Catholic priesthood, except one young
man, who declared cuCh an intention
last year and then returned to the insti-
tuition. 1t was said last night it was
possible one Of the three who left the
seminary last week probably would re
turn. He went with regret, saying he
was impelled only by the strongest sort
Of convictions.
NOBODY at the seminary last night
seemed able 10 fell Just who or what
had influenced the students.
There is no special trend here said
one in authority. I'VE do not influence
men toward ritualsm or toward Low
Church teachings Every man follows
his own inclinations. There are students
here from fifty dioceses, Low Churchmen
end High Churchmen. Some change
from one to the other view Of the ritual
while they are students here. Perhaps
these students had been thrashing this
out for long time, possibly even be
fore they entered here
Brought These Ideas with Them.
This was the idea of a student who
had been in Columbia with Danford and
Lawrence and said they brought Roman
Catholic ideas with them when they
went 10 the seminary, and that one was
inlbued with the same spirit when af-
terward connected with a parish. This
student was firm in his declaration that
there was no Romanism' in the General
Theological Seminary.
Somebody said that perhaps the stu
dents had been influenced by hearing
Mgr. Robert Hugh Benson, son of the
Archbishop Of Canterbury, or perhaps
Father Vaughn, but this was secuted.
The idea of any one being secretly
pledged 10 Catholicism was laughed at,
and il was said il was not probable there
would be any further detection from the
Protestant Episcopal faith; nor had there
been any proselyting attempted.
"One of the students was trained in the
Episcopal Church. The others were not.
IT is usually those reared outside he
Church who leave u.s. said one of the
faculty. Il don't know why they with
drew unless they were attracted by the
authority Of the Roman Church. One
said the change from our Church to the
other seemed no more TO him than n
change from low to a high church par
ish"
1t was rumored that Cardinal Farley
had advised the young men not TO enter
Dunwoode but Seton Hall. Both the
Cardinal and Bishop Greer, Of course,
are residents of New York. 1t was said
at the seminary that there had been no
conference with Bishop Greer, but he
was probably aware that the young men
had gone.
But it's not a sensation" said one
seminary professor its only a ripple.
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