Evening star., 1928-03-18
CHURCH WILL MAKE
HISTORY IN SESSION
Episcopal Clergy Foresee 0c-
tober Convention as "Most
Outstanding" on Record.

washington for the second time In its
history will be the host of the general
convention Of the Protestant Episcopal
Church when that body convenes on
the morning OF october 10 at Mount
St Alban.
It will be historic occasion for,
for the first time in the history of the
church, the triennial will meet under
the roof of It's National Cathedral in
the Capital of the Nation which was
| founded by George Washington. first
President and an Episcopalian. Clergy
men insist that the coming general
convention will be The most outstand-
ing convention" in the church's career.
as well as being 'the longest period of
any convention held on the American
Continent" for 1t will be in session until
October 81.
1t has been 33 years since the division
OF the Diocese Of Washington from the
old Diocese Of Maryland took place.
Washingtonians can recall that the
Diocese OF Washington entertained the
general convention In 1893, shortly
after It became an independent unit in
the church's affairs Right Rev. William
Paret. the sixth Bishop of Maryland.
was largely responsible for the division.
he Is described as having been zone Of
the most outstanding bishops in the
history OF the American cpiscopate--an
able scholar. forceful preacher and a
wise administrator.
The Right Rev. Henry Yates Sattcr-
Ice became the first bishop OF the new
diocese. Through him the idea of the
National Cathedral was conceived and
clereymen point to The fact that "he
must have been farseeing when he Sc
lected the present site for the new
cathedral"
Site Then in Country.
I'm his day. Mount st. Alban was
out In the country and he believed the
city would be built up in that direc-
tion," they say.
At Bishop SatterleeS death. Right
Rev. Alfred Harding became bishop. To
him the task of erecting the super
structure on the foundation laid by
Bishop Satterlee was given. This was
oifficult task and he had the task OF
converting his diocese and the people
at large to the idea conceived by Bishop
Satterlee. To him much credit must
be given. In the opinion of clergymen.
for at the time Of his death the whole
church was ready to continue the pro-
gram he outlined for forward under
taking OF the whole enterprise.
The work OF the present Bishop OF
washington. Right Rev James z. Free
man. Is we'll known. for he took up the
task where II had been laid down a,
Bishop Hardings death Progress is
daily observed in the erection of the
superStructure OF the Cathedral and in
like manner, a steady growth has been
observed In the affairs OF the dioceses.
both Of Washington and Maryland.
AT the time OF the proposed division
OF the Diocese of Maryland. to set
apart Washington as the see citv OF
the new diocese. 1t registered in strength
l62 clergymen. l40 fully organized
parishes and missions and 29,9l8 COM
municants: the present strength OF the
diocese OF Maryland Is 1877 clergymen,
l49 parishes and missions and 30. $50
communicates.
Growth In Communicates.
1t is to be observed that the divided
diocese OF Maryland has more COM
municants In 1927 than 1t had prior
TO the division.
The new diocese comprises Washing
ton and the following counties In
Maryland had grown too large for the
Charles and st. Mary's. and registered
In strength In 1927 1o4 clergymen. 81
parishes and missions and 24,5ll COM
municants.
The new diocese records 5.40T fewer
COMMITMENTS In comparison with the
strength OF the undivided diocese.
Describing the circumstances leading
up to the division Of the dioceses and
events attending 1t, Bishop Paret de-
clared:
The time came when the Diocese OF
Maryland had grown TO large for the
labors OF one bishop. and asked for
division which would make the I'M
portant city OF Washington bishops
see. But / made 1t a condition that
each OF the two dioceses should raise
S50.000 as an endowment to avoid
burdening the parishes with taxation.
Washington promptly did its part, but
Baltimore did not.
The committee appointed, at first
very sanguine OF success, at last re-
ported to me that they could raise only
$50, 1000: and as the only hope, they
asked that at certain business Office
would meet 20 or 80 OF the leading
churchmen and try TO urge them. ]
named Thursday at = pm. tMarch.
l805). On Tuesday | sat in my Office,
somewhat respondent and feeling that
was going TO defeat. when. most un-
expectedly. heard that by the death
Of EvcrSfield F. Keerl. which had oc-
cured that day. the sum Of 500 900.
held in trust by firm Of New York
bankers. would fall Internationally to
the Diocese OF Maryland.
Delay In Confirmation.
"The burial was to be on Thursday
al 2 o'clock, the hour l had named for
meeting the laymcn. But not waiting
for that. / telegraphed for information
to the New York bankers. saying that
an answer WAS imperatlvely needed be-
fore noon of Thursday. Az noon on
Thursday, no answer as yet. At |. no
answer. Al 80. no answer. AT >
o'clock message We hold In trust
for the Diocese OF Maryland at par
values. $97,500' Taking that and the
extract from the will ! had secured. I
had Just time 10 meet my appointment
with the laymen: a coincidence of time
ID the minute Asking them 10 speak
flrst one OF the bankers told me of
the panic. which made people slow 10
give money, Another talked about their
dlsapproval OF endowments. Then /
said something like this:
We'll gentlemen. this is the only
instance In which there seems To be-
disagreement between the iaymen and
myself IL shall not make any trou.
bic. n YOU will not yield, To me, will
Chcerfully yield 10 you, But last week
there were only two parties to this
unesttOn Now third one has coma In