New Britain herald., 1923-09-29
SAYS CHURCHES ARE
too Centralized.
Herald Reader Wants Protestant
Church North OIL Railroad

ht4tAnE ANAt HA4t AA1A%4-@#4s +t7@4@--~
&c are too much centralized and there
is no way OF taking care Of people Of
the Protestant faith north Of the
railroad tracks except for them 10
come away down town 10 religious
services. q reader OF the HERALD ads
Vaeates the placing Of an iatef-denem.
national church or meeting house for
Protestants somewhere in the north
end, The letter. il as follows
Editor Herald
Though New RFllaiH has not q
large area II 10 quite remarkable that
some OF its best advantages have been
kept 90 centralized, Take It's Pro.
testant ehurehesl Half of the pepula.
ton OF the city. approximately. IL
north OF the railroad. Including many
OF the Protestant faith. but there IL
not a single Protestant church In That
whole region and has not been since
the old North church was removed.
Mr.. Burritt started missions In that
section. but no church has grown out
OF them. while our Catholic churches
have been placed conveniently for all.
In Il because the Protestants have
worshipped 'bigness'' 20 much. or has
II been because they did not have the
organization and the enterprise which
have always characterized their
Catholic brethren7
THE result necessarily Ia that
large number OF people have been
practically without church privileges,
and this has contributed somewhat to
the much deplored non-chnrch going
habits OF the times. To deprive any
OF the comfort and the inspirations
OF religious worship and the power
Of its teaching at a time. when. as
never before, the whole world needs
to know the Fatherhood of God and
the Brotherhood of man is truly not
good spiritual economy. We ought to
carry the gospel inb the whole world
beginning at Jerusalem
Through the vision OF two ladies,
with the warm support of the pas
tors OF the Center and South church.
es. and at a memorial OF one OF our |
noblest sons who was killed In the |
Civil war, the Stanley Memorial |
church was planted on East street,
a good example of what ought to be
done in all Of the outlying sections
of the city. One should be located In
Stanley Quarter. one on the Burritt
lot on Broad street, given and wait
ing for such occupancy. one In the
extreme western part, and one in the
part Of the city.
Could not this be arranged on an
basis, temporarily,
1t least, as sort OF a community
plan using the City Mission as
inion organization? Very likely the
men In Everyman's Bible class would
Ike to help In such a work as this.
The city has wealth now such as the
athers who planted the first churches .
lever dreamed of and at compare
lively small cost chapels could be
'uilt which later might be replaced
With substantial churches when the
,rowth OF the community warranted
!. Is not the church of the neigh
'orhood the church that would make
ur Christianity the most democratic
nd the most far reaching In its in
uence? Not only have the Protest
mt churches been too much central
,ed, but there is as 1t seems to the
ritter, the. gravest danger that we are
laking another of our most potent
dvantages for good too restricted by
s location to be most widely used.
refer to the free public library of
lie New Britain institute. 1t is a
lost princely benefaction to this city.
oused in q building that Is easily
lie finest architectural structure we
ave, and served by a corps. of librar- II
ms that for enthusiasm in their pro-
sssion, eagerness to serve and gen. III
raj efficiency, leave nothing to be de-
red. Here is the opportunity for
lose who can appreciate 1t to carry II
/ the education which has been so III
ell started in our schools The pub
ce library is the graduate school Of
lie people, or in the words of Carlyle
.aven on the wall that greets the
,e as one enters the Institute: "The
diversity of these days is a collec-
on Of books"
1t Is good to have such a superla-
We advantage SO located near the
inter- of the city but it is too good
be monopolized by the people who
We near it. 1t ought to reach every
" and girl and older citizen who in
~ way can be induced to take on
e library habit. The appropriation
ade yearly by the city towards Its
pport warrants such an assumption
lie splendid public spirit OF the men
no have given most largely to it,
:. Woodruff, G. B, Erwin, ]. B. Tai
tt and w. II. Hart, also warrants
to believe, that their intention was