The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-10-28

The Rt. Rev. James Wise, Protestant
Episcopal bishop coadjutor of Kan
saS, whose election was recently
confirmed by the national cOnven-
ton, and who was conSecrated today
at the Church of the Holy Commune
ion, st. Louis, Mo.
At a ceremony in the Church of
Holy Communion, presided over by the
venerable Bishop Tuttle,a were present
hundreds of all faiths.
James Wise was born in Dundee,
Scotland, in 1875. His father was
publisher who had financial reverses
and came to this country to recoup
his fortunes; and settled in Omaha,
Neb. The son had been graduated
from grammar school in Scotland at
the age of fifteen years He started
right in to make a living. His first
job was office boy with the Chicago.
Burlington & Quincy Railroad com
pany, in Omaha at salary Of SIS per
month. Then for eight years he was
a clerk, first in the auditing and then
in the passenger department. His
touch with practical life convinced him
of the need of religion for the bus
mess man; and he decided to enter the
ministry. He resigned his clerkship
and worked on religious weekly. At
nights he prepared for the University
in special studies. He then entered
the General Theological Seminary IN
New York City, where he supported
himself during his course.
Started in Omaha.
On his graduation in 1901, he began
his ministry at South Omaha among
the packing houses where he 1abored
among a polyglot foreign population
He had small parish house and also
preached at three missions. The par
ish grew and his influence permeated
the entire city. He was we'll estab-
lished in Omaha when the call came
to him from the Church of Holy Com
munion in st. Louis.
The district in which the Church of
the Holy Communion is situated had
gone thru one of those radical changes
SO common to American cities. There
had been a shift of the old-time resi-
dents to the west. Mansions had be-
come tenements and once stately
buildings were dropping into shabbi-
ness and decay.
Founded Religious School
One of the finest things Mr.. Wise
did in st. Louis was to found the
Church School of Religious Instruc-
ton, devoted to training church
leaders.
who could so interest children, that
boy of the Church of the Holy Com
munion who had broken his leg went,
not because of the splintered mem
Der, out because he could not go to his
Sunday school class.
Another distinctive feature intro
duced by the Rev. Mr. Wise was the
pilgrimage for children. He assembled
the children in the parish house and
they went in procession as to a cru
SADIE, to the church. led by a crucifer.
He took the children to all parts of
the place of worship, showed them the
altar and the baptismal font, and ex-
planned the meaning of every object
He placed one of the boys in his pull
pit and in the presence of the others
suggested to that boy that he become
minister of the church. He put into
the hands of another the chalice and
told them the story of the Last Supper
Before them he put on his vestments
telling his young auditors the signifi-
canoe of these garments.
He was so impressed by the mis-
sionary spectacle called EVERY
where" at the general convention of
1913. that he conceived the idea of the
great pageant of the church which has
just been given to the Coliseum in ST
Louis.
In the parish house of the Church Of
the Holy Communion there is a we'll
equipped stage where mystery PLAYS
are given. After rehearsals for plays
the young persons are permitted to
dance.