Evening star., 1942-09-21
Tribute Paid
First Episcopal
Bishop in U. 5.
Bishop Tucker Calls
On Church to Push
World Cancellation

The Right Rev. Henry st. George
Tucker of Virginia. presiding bishop
OF the Protestant Episcopal Church,
yesterday called on the church to
carry out the purposes of God in
making moral virtues prevail among
all men in order that the Christian
doctrine OF reconciliation may re-
store freedom to the world"
Bishop Tucker assisted by the
Right Rev. James E. Freeman,
Bishop Of Washington; the Right
Rev. Edward T Helfenstein, and the
bishop coadiutor of Maryland, t'1e
Right Rev Noble C. Powell, paid
tribute to the memory of the first
bishop of the Episcopal church con-
secrated on American soil and the
first bishop of Maryland, the Right
Rev. Thomas Claggett, at services
at Washington Cathedral.
"Only through our individual
freedom bestowed by God can we
keep the human race true to Chris
tian principles and free from regi-
mentation which destroys freedom"
Bishop Tucker declared. Our re-
view of the past history of the
church of America today only re-
minds us of our responsibility for
the future. If this war has deeper
consequence 1t is because we must
choose between freedom and regi-
mentation in order to retain our
freedom to work out Gods purpose
for the world through the church.
ct ha -oroyy,nrt iy, oil
things"
1000 Are Present.
More than 1000 persons attended
the service. Assisting in the ami
versary observance were the clergy
of the Dioceses of Washington,
Maryland and Easton, all originally
in the Diocese of Maryland
In an historical review of Bishop
Claggett's conservation the Ca
thedral Office recalled that in the
Colonial era in America the Church
of England existed without the
benefit of resident bishops. Those
who were confirmed and those who
were ordained had to make the
trip to England, where the juris-
diction of the church was in the
hands of the Bishop Of London.
After the American Revolution
the need for bishops was felt
strongly and the first bishop to be
consecrated for the American
church was the Right Rev. Samuel
Seabury of Connecticut, the con-
secration taking place in Scotland.
This was followed by three conse-
| crations in England, DR.. Samuel
Provost as the first Bishop of New
York, Dr.. Samuel White as the
first Bishop of Pennsylvania and
t Dr. James Madison as 1.-THE first
Bishop of Virginia
DIR. Claggett Consecrated.
With four bishops in America, 1t
was possible to have a bishop con-
secrated on this side of the At
lantic. At convention held in
Annapolis on May 81, 1892, the
clergy unanimously nominated the
Rev. Dr. Thomas John Claggett to
be the Bishop of Maryland and the
laity confirmed this election unani-
mously the following day.
Bishop Claggett was born In Prince
Georges County, Md, October 2,
1742. He was graduated from the
College of New Jersey, at Princeton,
in 1852, and received his training
for holy orders from his uncle. The
doctorate was conferred upon him
by Princeton in 1887 and by Wash
ington College in 1892.
Bishop Claggett was ordained to
the diaconate in the chapel of Full
ham Palace by the Bishop of Lon
don in 1767, and to the priesthood
in October. After his election,
Bishop Claggett assumed the rector
ship OF st. Paul's parish in Prince
Georges County. He died in 1916,
and in 1898 the general convention
requested that the remains OF Bishop
Claggett and his wife rest on the
site of the National Cathedral. In
November of that year Bishop
Henry Yates Satterlee, first bishop
OF Washington, conducted the Office
OF reinterment and in 1916 the bodies
were removed from the Cathedral
grounds to the crypt of Bethlehem
Chapel.