The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-06-21
Commemorative Service i'm
GuilfOrd Tomorrow
at 3p. m.
BISHOP HALL TO
PREACH SERMON

GOOD Number Planning to Go from
Brattleboro = Everybody is Invited
Historical Data Concerning Mother
of st. Michael's Episcopal Church.
Although brief time has elapsed
since the actual Tooth anniversary of
the erection of Christ Episcopal church
building in Guilford, the organization
of the parish or the conservation of the
church, a commemorative centenary
service is to be held in the old church
tomorrow afternoon at O'Clock, when
Rt. Rev. Arthur C, Hall, D. d., of Bur
lingtOn, bishop of the diocese of Yer
mont, will preach. 1t is the hope of the
rector of st. Michael's Episcopal church
of Brattleboro, Rev. Walter c. Bernard,
to officiate at a baptism at that time.
good number of Brattleboro persons
are planning to attend the service, and
it is hoped that the descendants of
the old families whose names are hand
ed down with the history of the church
will endeavor to be present Everybody
is cordially invited
st. Michael's 5 church is the daughter
of Christ church parish There was
| time when the old mother parish was
strong, fourishing church and the
daughter but a weak, struggling mis-
sion. Conditions are now reversed and
the daughter is a fourishing parish and
| the mother but feeble mission. The
old church, with depleted membership.
| stands out in rugged grandeur as a mon
| ument of past days, occasional serv-
ices being held there as arranged by
| the rector of St Michaelis. who has
charge OF the parish. The building.
which stands Just south of Broad
| brok. was begun in 1917 and completed
| in 1918; the parish was organized Nov
IS, 1918; the church was eonsecrated
! Feb. IS. 1919.
In 1908 the Mountain Echo, published
for the Episcopal diocese of Vermont.
contained an article entitled Christ
church, Guilford, with picture, prepared
| by the editor, Rev. William J. Harris,
d. D. That article is one of the sources
from which the following historical
material is taken.
| Various denominations had held serv-
ices from time to time in the town of
Guilford, the Congregationalists, who
were most numerous, having meeting
house (as they insisted on calling it in
those days. at Guilford Center, with
members in all parts of the town But
they became inactive, and for a time
held no services
The population had increased in the
eastern section of the town and as there
1 .F a. II
| the people there resolved to build one.
On March 81, 1917, a society was or
| ganized for this purpose under the name
of Guilford East Parish. They took
for their model the Episcopal church of
Greenfield, Mass. not because they were
all disposed to be Episcopalians (there
were only two Prayer Books in the
whole town., but because. they admired
the building itself. On Feb 26, 1918.
of the IS pews or ''slips.'' as they were
called, fl were sold. There was no de
cision as to the doctrine or form of wor-
ship which should find home there. Va
rious ministers officiated there for a
n time. On a Sunday in August, 1918,
! Rev. Daniel Barber, rector of Union
church of West Claremont, n. H., held
the first Episcopal service, having
trained some persons the day before in
the use of the PRAYER Book A strong
impression was made, and ii being sug-
gested that Bishop Alexander Viets
, Grisword, the first bishop of the eastern
diocese, very soon would visit Green
field it was proposed that he be invited
to come to Guilford. This he did Oct
1, 1918, with remarkable results, as al
meeting of East Parish the next day
, it was Hvoted to have preaching the
coming year.
The bishop was asked to send tho
people minister, which he did by send
ing them a lay reader. Alfred l.. Baury
a candidate for Holy Orders in Rhode
! Island, who arrived on the scene Nov
{ j, 1918, and served as lay reader unit
he was ordained in September, 1920, anC
Z thereafter as rector until Nav, 1922.
! From the foregoing it will be seer
: that the Episcopal church in Guilforc
sprang into existence in a somewhat TO
mantle way. The instance is said {,
be unique in New England ecclesiasti
cal history.
On Nov. 2s, 1918. only about foul
weeks after Mr.. Baury's arrival, Gull
ford East Parish by formal vote be
came FThe Protestant Episcopa
Church and Society in Guilford,' 2!
Q names of residents of the east village
and eight~of Guilford Center being con
tanned in the act of incorporation, ant
r provision being made for an equal di
:. vision of the services between the tw,
t villages. Altogether some 60 familie
joined in the movement. Later, for con
venience a distinct Church Society wa
G organized at the Center