Evening star., 1932-11-05
PARISH TO HONOR
REV. c. {. SMITH
Completion of Fifty Years In
Priesthood to Be Celebrated
November IL.

As a parochial recognition Of the
completion by Rev. DR.. c. Ernest Smith
of the 50th year Of his priesthood and
the 30th year of his rectorship at st.
Thomas Protestant Episcopal Church,
members Of his parish will hold two
fold anniversary celebration on the
night Of November II, at o'clcck, in
the parish hall, Eighteenth and Church
streets
Dr. Smith passed the 5oth milestone
OF his priesthood on October l8 and the
3Oth milestone Of his local rector hip
on November l. Ecclesiastical celsbra-
ticns of these events already have been
held. The social observance now being
planned is in charge of a committee
OF the vestry under Craftsmanship of
Maj. Ennals Waggerman
DR.. Smith, then rector Of st. Mi
chael and All Angels Church, Balti-
more, Md, possibly the largest church
in the South. certainly in the diocese,
became rector Of st. Th-mas' Church
here on November /. 1902 At that
time st. Thomas was Just emerging
from the mission chapel stage. 1t had,
however, built its beautiful church. al
though practically in debt for the same,
there being an Indebtedness ON the
parish of s7250o
Old Members Remain.
Within these 80 years ST. Thomas
has almost become a downtown church.
many Of its parishoners having moved
to the suburbs But for the most part
Its parishioners have retained their
membership. and most Of the mem
bership OF the parish Is drawn from
the outside Out Of the over 700 COM
municants only SO families or parts
OF families. are actually residents in
that which Is economically St. Thomas
Parish The automobile has largely
done this. However, the automobile,
which has taken many away, has also
served to bring in many.
The parish has been the recipient Of
= large number Of memorials, no less
than % having been given in the 80
years past Among the most important
OF these are the new organ, the gift Of
Mrs. E. G. Pendleton. in memory of
her son Edward. killed in the war,
and the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin
Mary. the gift of Mrs. B. F. Hutchison,
IN memory Of her husband, Rear Ad-
miral Benjamin F. Hutchison, U. S. N.
There are % figure windows. painted
by the late Royal AcaCemician, painter
and sculptor, Henry Holiday. OF
these the two most prominent are
the east window. the gift of Miss
Sophie D. Wentworth, and the other,
the gift of Melville Church. Six
teen OF these windows represent the
continuity and progress of the An
glican Church from its first founding
by st. Joseph Of Arimathea. then on
through the centuries. Each of these
windows is filled with the picture Of
single figure. a missionary priest or
bishop and in two cases. queens, all OF
whom are identified with the era in
which they lived and are representative
Of the period in which they lived.
Chancel Lengthened.
The sixteenth window portrays the
first bishop consecrated for America,
Bishop Seabury, consecrated in Aber-
deem, Scotland.
In addition to these windows there
has been erected a beautiful statue OF
Christ which fills one of the quatrefoils
in the lantern tower. At the west end
IS a font. sculptured in Italy after the
great Thorwaldsen Angel Font, the orig
inal Of which is in Copenhagen. Across
the entire west end of the church runs a
screen of quartered oak which has
proved very great comfort beside being
marked improvement to the church.
Near this oak screen new iron gates
nave just been erected in the central
entrance to the church, the gift of
parlshioners in memory of the late
treasurer of the parish. A. P. Chenshaw
There is one improvement cited by
the rector, however. that is not a me-
mortal. In 1922. the chancel of the
church. which had been recognized by
the architect as not in proportion to
the church, was heightened by feet
to bring 1t into harmony with the nave
and tranSepts. This was a costly un-
dertaklng. but the cost has been amply
repaid, it is said, in the greatly
improved appearance of the chancel
to say nothing of the benefits which it
has meant to the large choir. A stately
parish hall was erected at the same
time that the chancel was heightened
and that, too. has proved, in the opinion
OF the parishioners, to be of the ut
most value
On New Hampshire avenue a rectory
has been built which, with its Eliza
bethan appearance and well arranged
interior and its large lawn at the back,
is one Of the best rectories in the city.
The front door of this rectory is unique
in character and much admired its
architecture being especially designed
by the late Clarke Waggaman-th
architect of the rectory.
Record of 80 Years.
During these 80 years there have been
GAL baptisms, 919 combinations. 443
marriages and $50 burials Also, during
the same period the average income per
annum has been just over $4,000. A
part of this sum has gone into an in
dowment fund which the parish now
has. the face value Of its securities be-
ing about SIPS 900.
The wardenS are Melville Church and
Theodore w. Noyes, also vestryman;
the other members of the vestry are
Comdr. Needham L. Jones' Mai. EnnaIls
Waggaman. Ambassador Walter E.
Edge, Chief Justice A. A. Wheat,
Charles M. Potter, Secretary of the
Treasury Ogden L. Mills, c. Leslie Nc
Crea and William L. Beale
Gov. Roosevelt, candidate for the
presidency, was a member of this ves-
try while he was here as Assistant Sec
retary Of the Navy
The rector is an honor graduate of
the University of Durham, England, be-
sides being graduate of st. Boniface
College, Warminster, near Salisbury,
England, and st. Augustine's, Canter-
bury. The Rev. DR.. William S. Bishop
is a D. D. Of the General Theological
Seminary, by examination.
st. Thomas Choir is under the di-
rectorship Of L. B. Aldrich.
q