Evening star., 1927-04-30
CATHEDRAL WORK
NEARS COMPLETION
Bishop Says End of Great
Building Program Is
Now in Sight.

Work of building the National Ca
thedral has progressed to such an eX-
tent that completion of the project is
in sight, Bishop James L. Freeman
told the annual meeting of the Ma
tional Cathedral Association in Whit
by Hall yesterday afternoon. Several
hundred members of the association,
including clergymen and laymen from
AL parts Of the country, were present.
Work on the cathedral is going on
all the time, Bishop Freeman said. He
explained the task Of the field workers
who are constantly raising money for
the construction. and painted a bril-
liant picture of the great edifice and
its outlying buildings, which will stand
as a monument to the Episcopal
Church of the Nation.
Hardest Tasks Over.
While much remains to be done, he
said. the hardest part has been COM
pleted, and there remains only to carry
on the work. The bishop also told of
plans made to entertain the general
convention of the church here in Oc-
tober, 1928. At the convention in New
Orleans a year ago, he said, much en-
thusiasm had been manifested at the
prospect of having the convention in
the Capital. He expressed the hope
that the Cathedral -eould be able to
accommodate the convention.
The National Cathedral is the great
religious shrine Of the United Sta -ss,
former Senator George Wharton Pep
per of Pennsylvania declared IN his
address on THE Cathedral and Its
Relation to the Nation" He traced
the growth of the cathedral idea from
its conception nearly 20 years ago TO
the present, when it is practically q
fact, and expressed confidence in the
completion of the work of building the
edif1ce.
Pepper Cites Benefits.
Senator Pepper was the first person
TO suggest forming the Cathedral AS
aociation, and he has always been a
beading spirit in carrying on its work
He is a trustee of the Cathedral and
chairman of the National Cathedral
Foundation.
Senator Pepper emphasized the ben
ef1ts already derived by the church
and the people from having the Ca
thedral here, pointing out that thou
sands of persons make the pilgrimage
TO Washington every year to worship
there. The Cathedral has probably
done more for the religious life of the
people of the Nation than any other
siagle thing in the history of the
country, he said.
The College of Preachers, which is
Just starting its work, will even.
tually become the great ecclesiastical
center of the country, Bishop Philip
Mercer Rhinelander, canon OF the
Cathedral and acting warden of the
college, told the association. He out
lined the work of the college during
he N1eyT ~x&l FL - ~
broadening its activities in the next
few years. The third annual con-
ference under the auspices Of the
college will be held at Mount ST.
Adams during the week of June I3,
he said, and at that time it is expected
that more churchmen viii be in at
tendance than ever before.
Fund Progressing.
Reports from the cathedral com
rnittees in Washington, New York.
Pittsburgh, Albany. Rhode Island and
the diocese Of central New York all
showed progress in raising funds for
the completion of the buildings and
sustained interest in the project.
Edwin n. Lewis, executive secre.
fary of the association, reported an
income last year of about $50, 900,
more than 5000 persons helping the
association, he said. He also reported
that the Cathedral Age, magazine of
the association, is increasing in cir
culation and gaining in influence
throughout the country.
Canon Edward Slater Dunlap. field
secretary of the association, and
Canon Arthur b. Rudd, field repre-.
sentative, reported on the work they
are doing to commend the Cathedral
undertaking to interested people all
over the country. Mrs. G. G. f. Bra.
tena1l, treasurer of All Hallows Guild
and chairman of the garden commit
tee, outlined the work done toward
beautifying the Cathedral Close.
Rev. Robert Lee Lewis, curator of
the Cathedral, explained the enter
tainment of the thousands of pilgrims
who come to the Cathedral each year
AT the conclusion of the meeting
very Rev. G. c. T.. Bratenahl. dean
of Washington, took the delegation
on tour of the Cathedral Close and
the present construction work. incIud.
ing the two Norman chapels in the
crypts.
Special celebration of the holy com.
munfon for the Cathedral staff and
out-of-town visitors was held at Beth.
1ehem Chapel this morning. Even.
song services were held in the chanel
following the meeting.