Evening star., 1928-10-10

washington is coming lHIO It's IedI
spiritual heritage. The ecclesiastical
projects will involve in the next few
years the expenditure of millions.
The churches for the most part have
taken cognizance of the fact that the
eyes of the religious world are upon
them in Washington, and that the local
CONGREGATIONS, composed largely of de-
vout people with limited means. are
unable to undertake projects of sufficient
magnitude and dignity to truly repre-
sent their denominations without out
side aid,
They also have recognized that
Washington has large floating popu-
lation of church members, including
many of the most prominent men and
women of the various denominations,
who use the local churches for pur-
poses of worship while here, but do not
remain in the city long enough to meet
their proportionate share of the bur-
dens inevitable to large establishments.
Episcopal Cathedral Conspicuous.
Growing all these national projects
is the Episcopal Cathedral of st. Peter
and st. Paul, which is described fully
elsewhere For years it remained a
magnificent fragment, but now is being
pushed rapidly to completion, and is
the shrine of thousands of Washington
visitors every year.
Within a few months the corner
stone will be laid for the National
Church of the Disciples of Christ at
Thomas Circle, in one of the most
commanding positions in the city. The
entire project, which was decided upon
at the Christian convention in Okla
homa City in 1925, will cost $1,700,000.
The greater part of this money is at
hand. This new church will absorb
the Vermont Avenue Christian Church.
The Congregational Church also is
to be represented by church edif1ce
to cost approximately Sl,000,000, which
will be in a downtown location and
will replace the old First Congrega-
| tional Church at Tenth and G streets.
This action was also decided upon in
| 1925 at the national convention in
Washington. and Rev. Jason Noble
Pierce. the Presidents pastor, has been
actively in charge of carrying on the
work
DR.. Pierce reported last week that
nearly all the money has been raised,
approximately 100000 coming in since
| the first of the year. The only step
! which now remains before entering
upon the project is the disposal of the
old church.
Universalists Plan Building.
First steps will be taken this Winter
in the construction of the National Me-
mortal Universalist Church at Sixteenth
and streets, directly across from the
Scottish Rite Temple, according to Rev.
DR., Frederick G. Perkins, the pastor
This will cost about 100000. 1t was
decided upon at the National Univer-
salist Convention in 1925. The new
church will be national in the sense
that 1t will be erected through dona-
tions from the Universalist body
than by the local congregation.
1t will not be an administrative head
quarters, but is designed rather as a
worthy place of worship for all Uni
verSalists coming to Washington. This
church is expected to prove a worthy
addition to the splendid line of
churches which now are found along
Sixteenth street. This great thorough
fare may some day be the Street of
Churches rather than the Street of En-
baSsies.
Roman Catholic Center.
The most widespread national re-
ligious center in the National Capital
is that of the Roman Catholic Church
at Brookland, grouped about the Cath
olic University, with its imposing build
ings and the very beautiful houses of
studies of various religious orders.
Under construction and destined to
be one of the most beautiful ecclesias-
tical structures in the world is the
Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
on the university campus. This is be-
ing built by donations from Catholics
all over the United States, and in this
sense will be a national edifice.
Allotted to Education.
Brookland is not considered a ma
tional administrative center of the
Catholic Church in the United States,
Each diocese Is an administrative en-
tity under the Vatican. Catholic Uni
verS1ty, however, is the annual meet
ing place of the American hierarchy.
composed of all the bishops, archbish-
obs and cardinals of the United States.
sued during each year are discussed and
AT these meetings policies to be pur-
decided upon
The university itself. however, is the
national Catholic educational center,
devoted to the higher education of both
clergymen and laymen. It is far from
complete The present group of i'm
posing buildings is intended only to
serve as a nucleus to the beautiful
cream fabric of the men who first
viSloned the university, which is get
ting further and further toward reali-
zation each year.
The various religious houses here are
not generally administrative headquar-
ters of orders, but rather dwelling places
for priests and brothers while they are
studying at the university. Each year
there are additions to the group of
these buildings, which are widely scat
tered about Brookland. and many of
which are models of ecclesiastical archi-
lecture
The Franciscan Monastery. with its
remarkable reproductions of the Roman
catacombs, long has been the object
of pilgrimages of Catholics from all over
the United States, and 1t is the center
of some of the administrative work of
the Franciscan order in the United
States.
Trinity College is a national Catholic
college for women, and fits in admi-
rably with the university group, although
1t is not an organic part of the uni
Versity.
Earliest National Churches.
The earliest of the imposing array
of national churches along Sixteenth
street is the Swedenborgian Church of
the New Jerusalem, at Corcoran street.
The corner stone of this beautiful struc-
ture was laid in 1894, and first services
were held there in 1896.
This Is truly national church, Rev.
Paul Sperry, the present pastor, ex-
planned. 1t was built by funds raised
by the national Swedenborgian body,
and IS the administrative headquarters
Of the Sect'S mission work. Tha local