Evening star., 1948-04-05

AT Epiphany Church,
Dies Of Heart Attack
The Rev. Charles w. sheerin. 50
rector OF the Church Of the Epiph.
any since February. 1s42, died las
night at his home, 2312 Tracy place
NV, Of o heart attack.
DR.. Sheerin became i'll Saturda,
night and was not able to preach
at the Sunday morning service
He telephoned the church three ant
a half hours before the II am
service to report his Illness. ant
said he felt better than he hac
during the night and expected to bs
all right.
During his service as rector Of the
Epiphany Church, where Mrs. Tru-
man and her daughter Margaret fire..
quently worship. DR.. Sheerin worked
to transform the church into q
downtown city church rather thar
a residential neighborhood one
He heightened the hours the church
doors were kept open each day tc
from z am. until 8 pm. so persons
could come In and pray at al
hours. He informally referred to the
edif1ce as the Church of the Open
Door,
Doubled. Sunday School.
DR.. Sheerin doubled the enroll
ment in the Sunday School by
changing its hour from $50 to II
am, so children could attend Sum
day school while the adult members
Of the family attended church.
During World War II DR.. Sheerin
offered his church as the Wartime
Prayer Center sponsored by the
Washington Federation of Churches.
Thousands Of persons attended the
center.
Another of DIR. Sheerin's projects
was co-ordinating the work of the
women,s group in the church under
the United Women Of Epiphany
group. He also raised the age limit
in the Young Adults Forum, q for
mer teen-age organization.
DR.. Sheerin was born in Pitts
burgh and attended st. Andrews
School at Concord, Mass, and Ken
yon (Ohio) College. He received his
A. B. degree at Columbia University;
his B. D. degree from Virginia The
illogical Seminary, Alexandra, Va,
In 1924, and an honorary doctor of
divinity degree from the University
of the South in 1886.
Served in Virginia.
He was assistant minister Of st.
Thomas Church, New York, in 1924
and was rector of Trinity Church
Fredericksburg, Va, from 1925 to
1928; st. Pauls Church, Waco, Tex,
for year in 1928; Grace and Holy
Trinity Church, Richmond, Va.
1929 to 1885: st. Paul's Church,
Chattanooga, Tenn, 1885 to 1888
and exchange preacher to the
Church of England in the summer
of 1888. He was vice president of
the National Council of the Prot
estant Episcopal Church in, New
York before he came to the Church
Of the Epiphany in 1912, shortly
after the church's Tooth anniver-
sary. .....
At one time he was director Of
the Southern Churchman Co. and
editor of the magazine published by
the company, and was former regent
Of the University of the South, st.
Paul Polytechnic Institute and Bish-
op Payne Divinity School, the theo-
logical seminary for colored clergy.
At the time of his death he was
trustee Of the Virginia Theological
Seminary, president of the Episco-
pal Service for Youth, member Of
the Board of National Conference
of Christians and Jews, Washington
Mental Hygiene Institute, Speakers
Bureau Of the Washington Chest
Federation, Board of Directors OF
the Washington Federation of
Churches; social service department
Of the Federal Council Of Churches
of Christ in America, and president
of the National Council of Church
Mission Of Help. He was deputy to
the General Convention of Protes-
tant Episcopal Churches from 1887
to 1916.
Funeral Wednesday.
Survivors are his widow, Mrs.
Maria Williams Sheerin; a son,
Charles, jr.. student at the Uni
versity of Virginia; two daughters,
Misses Maria w. Sheerin, student
at Stephens College, and Elizabeth
Lewis Sheerin, l3, and two sisters,
Mrs. Benfield Pressy, Hanover, N.
H.. and Mrs. Theodore Lay, Long
Island, N. Y.
Funeral services will be held At
noon Wednesday at the Epiphany
Church. The Right Rev. Angus
Dun, Bishop Of Washington, will
ofaciate. The vestry will act as
pallbearers. The place Of burial
has not been announced. Mem
bers Of the family have requested
persons to donate to the Virginia
Theological Seminary campaign
building fund instead of sending
flowers.
al