Evening star., 1928-10-10

ties here. Not few are veterans Of
the World War who received their calls
to the service of the church amid the
horrors of the battlefield when the In
finite seemed very close at hand.
Mornings Devoted to Study.
Mornings are devoted to lectures and
evenings to study. There is rigorous
academic program The afternoons are
left free for amusements. Naturally
theological students are serious minded
fellows with no inclination to slight as
sIgnments. And the whole atmosphere
of the place is particularly conducive
to study. Amid those lofty oaks one
could easily become completely i'm
mersed in books and contemplation.
The Episcopal Church demands three
years of theological study after gradua-
tion from college before ordaining as
ministers. Students of the Virginia
graduation and assigned to parishes.
From a purely worldly point of view
they have fair prospects, but advance
ment depends entirely upon the capahil-
ity of the individual The Episcopal
Church, says Rev. DR.. Bergman Green,
dean of the seminary is conservative
in dealing with it's clergymen. There
are always vacant pulpits 1t is impos-
sible to keep enough young men in
terested in the ministry to afford Q
sufficient supply. Yet the call OF Q
clergyman must come from the local
vestry and the bishop merely gives his
consent to the assignment. Some pas
torates last from 80 to 40 years. 1t Is
also occontioI cavc Dr Groo1 that
clergyman shall have attained maturity
in his mental processes in order to at
tract the attention of a congregation.
Parish Work as Experience.
Yet few graduate from the Virginia
Theological Seminary without practi-
cal experience in parish work There
is a continual demand for students
from the churches of Washington,
particularly such parishes as Epiphany
with numerous social service activities.
Besides there are 10 chapels in the
countryside surrounding the seminary
where the students act as missionaries.
The keynote of life at the seminary
says Dr. Green, may be expressed as
personal Christianity and missionary
zeal" The missionary field, with its
of spreading Christianity
among peoples who have not previous
ly received the Word. always has
proved especially attractive to the men
despite the necessity of tearing them
selves away from their native land for
years and living in insanitary and
underdeveloped countries.
The physical plant of the seminary
consists of nine buildings, the most
notable of which is Aspinwall Hall,
which contains the reading room, lee
ture rooms and students dormitory. 1t
was erected in 1858 by William H. and
John L. Aspinwan of New York. This
old structure still bears traces OF It's
use as a hospital during the Civil War
Its croSS-crowned cupolo is visible
for miles around and the red brick
building on the hill gives touch 81
ecclesiastical color to the whole lana.
scape. From the front of the buildirf
one can see in a blue haze far beleE
the City of Alexandria, the dome Ol
the Capitol at Washington and tie
sluggish waters of the Potomac winding
like blue ribbon through cities and
marshes.
st. Georges Hall Built In 1855.
st. Georges Hall, where Phillips
Brooks lived while he was a student
and which still is used as dormitory,
was erected in 1856 by a member OF
st. Georges Church, New York, and
some years ago was enlarged by a gift
Of $4,000 from Mrs. Powers OF Phila-
delphia Another dormitory, which
also contains the matrons apartments
is Bohlen Hall, erected In 1859 by John
Bohlen of Philadelphia. The fourth
dormitory. Meade Hail. was erected In
1860 by the alumni as a memorial to
Bishop Meade.
Perhaps the most colorful building
on the campus Is the chapel, which was
erected in 1880 and enlarged by a new
choir and chancel in 1906 through
gift of the late Henry G. Potter OF
New York. This chapel looks much
older than it really is, The bricks
have a tinge of antiquity. They are
overgrown with ivy. Among the me-
mortal tablets is one to Francis Scout
Key, author of THE Star-Spangled
Banner" who was one Of the founders
of the seminary.
The building in which students and
faculty take greatest pride Is the re
fectory, used for many years as q
library before it was changed into
dining hall. This was erected in 1s45,
and is known as Wilmer Hall, In
memory of Rev. William H. Wilmer,
one of the founders. This building is
exceptional in having brick roof COW
cred with slate. Its walls are hung
with oil paintings of various church
dignitaries of by-gone years.
Library Of Colonial Type.
The new library, erected q few years
ago, is in the best Virginia Colonial
type and has about 10000 volumes.
1t is large enough to house $4,000
volumes 1t is known as the Packard
Laird Memorial Library, part of the
funds for its construction having been
given by w. Widner Laird of Whining
ton in memory of his grandfather, Rev.
Joseph Packard, and his brother, Rev.
william H. Laird. DR.. Packard was q
professor at the seminary for more
than 65 years. In this library are
housed many Of the historical treasures
of the seminary.
Among the treasured books is the
Bible and prayer book of Pohick
Chapel. This was sUUiesi OF the altar
oy some soldier during the CIVir War.
Years later he became conscience
stricken and sent it to the seminary.
out in a very dilapidated condition. 1t
was in use before the Revolution and
S Of particular interest because of the
TACT that all those passages In the
Book Of Common Prayer in which
Divine aid is asked for the King are
carefully stricken out with pen. The
library also has first editions Of the
King James and Douay Bibles.
OF particular interest to students OF
he Old Testament are three Assyrian
stone tables covered with cuneiform let
,ers which date back 800 years before
Christ. In addition there are nu-
nerous articles of chronological interest
sent back by missionaries from all over
he R0Pld These Y0u are class