Evening star., 1935-02-26
.C|TY!S CHURCHES
UNITE IN CAMPAIGN
Stimulation of Religious Life
in Capital Is Objective
of Drive.

Protestant, Catholic and Jewish
leaders joined forces yesterday in
new movement to stimulate religious
life in the National Capital.
At the first, meeting of its kind In
the history of this city, held at the
Chamber of Commerce of the United
States, new organization, headed by
the Committee on Religious Life in
the Nations Capital launched
program to stress the Importance Of
a democracy of religion and church
attendance
Right Rev James E. Freeman,
Bishop of Washington, is chairman of
the committee; vice chairmen are
Msgr. Edward L. Buckley, Rev. Albert
Joseph Mccartney and Rabbi Abram
Simon; the treasurer is Dr. Russell j.
Clinchy and secretary DR.. Arson
Phelps Stokes.
President Roosevelt sent state
ment wishing the movement every
success. His statement. read by
Rev. Robert w. Brooks, pastor of Lin
coin Congregational Temple. said:
1T seems to me highly significant
that the ministers of religion in Wash
ington-Protestant. Catholic and Jew
ish-have with such unanimity agreed
to cooperate in promoting a move
ment whose purpose is to encourage
religion and church attendance, with
out any compromising of their own
convictions or interfering with their
own methods of work and worship.
In a Nation like ours where church
and state are and must remain inde-
pendent, it is highly important that
our churches-using the word in the
broadest sense should feel their re-
sponsibility for strengthening those
spiritual ideals of worship and service
so essential to our highest welfare as
a Nation"
Praised BY Freeman.
Bishop Freeman. who presided, said
he had never attended meeting,
which in his opinion, was more i'm
portant or significant"
THE moral and spiritual well-being
of our citizens is the greatest issue OF
the day." said Bishop Freeman. I'VE
all know of the laxity and moral sag
in the life of the Nation. Catholic,
Protestant and Hebrew-we have a
common responsibility in this mo-
mentous hour in bringing our citizens
to the feet of God"
The purpose of the cooperative
movement, as officially announced, Is
that of relating such of the people
of washington as are not now taking
their religious obligations seriously and
ioyously, to some local church OF their
own choosing"
"The movement will include in its
scope all races, creeds, parties and
groups, but inasmuch as over one-haf
of the 100000 people in the District
of Columbia are mainly dependent
upon Government employment for
family support and one-flfth are IN
the Government service (Federal ana
DISTRICT it will give special attention
to the needs of Government en-
ployes."
One Hundred Leaders Present.
A memorandum pamphlet Of the
committee, consisting of 20 pages, was
distributed to all religious leaders 10
outline the program. 1t was signed py
more than IS religious leaders OF the
various denominations.
The meeting yesterday was AZ
tended by more than 100 church
leaders was opened with prayer py
the chaplain of the House OF Hep-
resentatives, DR.. James Shera Mont
eomery, and closed with prayer by
the chaplain in chief of the United
States Army, Rev. Alvah j. Breasted.
DIR. John Cartwright, pastor OF the
Church of the Immaculate Concep-
ton. told of the interest OF Arch
bishop Michael j. Curley OF Balt1-
more. and on his own behalf declared:
1.-THE Catholic Church will stand
shoulder to shoulder with you IN this
movement. The great differences IN
our creeds cannot be minimized, but
we nevertheless have very speclf1c
common grounds.
There is a very great spiritual
want among our citizenry which mas
been weaned away from the church
gradually. We have a duty in bring
ing them back. Let us perform that
duty"
DR.. Abram Simon, Rabbi Of WASH
ington Hebrew Congregation, de-
clared all were proud to call Wash
ington the "city beautiful" but he
hoped it would also be known as the
"city ethical and the city religious"
He was convinced that in the long
run only as people recognized their
obligations to God could they show
the highest conception OF relation
ship to their fellowmen.
Rasmussen Heard.
DR.. Carl C. Rasmussen, pastor OF
Luther Place Memorial Church, as
president of Washington Federation
of Churches, spoke of the privilege Of
cooperating with representatives OF
different religious groups. He placed
special emphasis on the importance
of visiting strangers and newcomers
to Washington and declared by pas
toral visitations churches could be
built up.
DR.. Anson Phelps Stokes, canon Of
Washington Cathedral, as secretary Of
the new committee, presented state
ment as to the history and plans Of
the new organization. He said no
ordained minister Of any communion
who had been asked to sign the
memorandum of the committee had
declined and that additional sigma