Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-12-08
EPTCCOPALRECTOR
CAUSES DISPUTE BY
CHANGING SERVICES
Rev. DR.. Yerkes, of Church
of the TRANSPORTATION,
Criticised by Some Publi-
cations, raised by Others.

Changes made in the form OF serv-
ices Of the Episcopal Church OF .he
TRANSPORTATION. 3fth street and Wood
land avenue. by the rector. the Rev. DR..
Royden Keith Yeries, an instructor in
Hebrew in the University of Pennsylva-
MIA, and an instructor in Old Testament
Literature and Language in the Episcopal
Divinity School, have caused wide dis
eussion in Episcopal circles in this city
and throughout the country and in the
publications OF the denomination.
The Church of the TRANSPORTATION, be-
fore Doctor Yerkes became rector, was
recognized as one OF the high Episcopal
Churches in Philadelphia.
Because he did not believe that the
customs as he found there were in the
best interests OF the parish and because
he did not personally approve of several
Of them, Doctor Yerkes, soon after he
became rector. began to make changes,
and there was some opposition. But the
new rector, firm in his conviction that
the future OF his church depended on ad-
herence to his decision demanded that
his course be followed
The change was put into effect sradu-
ally in the last year. And In October
Doctor Yerkes published an article in the
parish publication in which he mentioned
certain Catholic customs which would
be prohibited" and declared that "the
members OF the parish should consider 1t
a privilege and opportunity TO attend all
the services OF the church."
CRITICISED BY PUBLICATION.
rhe American Catholic, leading
organ of Episcopallans advocating high
church customs, published in Los An
geles, upon receipt Of copy of the issue
containing this article, Immediately dis
agreed with Doctor Yerkes. and in its
December issue published as the leading
editorial an article entitled Erroneous
Teaching" In which 1t criticlses the
changes and plans OF the new rector of
the Church of the Trapsfsuration
The reasons given for this criticism are
stated in this Introductory paragraph:
with not a little surprise and Sor-
row we learn from his own writings,
printed in his parochial paper that
the Rev. DR.. Yerkes. rector OF the
Church Of the Transhguration Phila-
delphia, has marked his advent into
that parish by prohibiting certain
Catholic customs which he found in
existence there. and by an explicit
denial OF the obligation 10 attend
Mass on Sunday. The customs re-
ferred to are singing the Introit.
Gradual and "Benedictus qui Venit
IN the Mass, and making genuAec-
tion in the Greed (at the Incarnatus)
and (after the Prayer of Consecra-
tion) as an act of alteration to Christ
In the Eucharist.
The Chronicle, an Independent religious
journal published at Poughkeepsie, N
Y, in the interests OF the Protestant
Church, praises Doctor Yerkes
and recommends that other churches
COPY his article in their parish papers.
CoNGRATULATEs DIR. YERKEs
This paper publishes the article in
full under the heading DISCRIMINATING |
and Positive" and introduces it with the
words:
We congratulate the Rev II. X.
Yerkes. S. T. p, upon the manner in
which he has introduced certain
changes in a parish where we think
changes could well be made to bring