USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Bridgeport > History of Trinity Church, Bridgeport, Conn., 1863-1915 > Part 1
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TRINITY CHURCH 1863 - 1915
History of
Trinity Church
Bridgeport, Conn.
1863-1915
by
Jeannette Thope Talard
Trinity Church 1863 = 1915
HEN seated comfortably in a Church pew amid surroundings perfectly harmonious with one's preconceived ideas of religious fitness, one's thoughts are not often oc- cupied with a consideration of the cir- cumstances which have preceded present conditions, and which, after many struggles perhaps have resulted in the privileges and blessings now so easily accepted, and taken as a matter of course. Those alone who are acquainted with the history and inner workings of a parish can fully appreciate the significance of all the details which go to make up the fullness of Church life.
The life history of Trinity Parish, Bridgeport, should make interesting reading. It will have a special value for those whose membership is a matter of compara- tively recent years; who, though full of love and en- thusiasm for their new-found Church home, may be in danger, through this very lack of perspective, of accepting too easily and without much thought the privileges and blessings which the Church affords so lavishly. As for the older members, one can scarcely measure the interest to be found in such a history for them. Though their number grows smaller each year, there are still with us some who have lived the life of their Church from its beginning and have seen it grow rich in grace and beauty through the decades that have passed ; and there are many more, the greater part of whose lives have been spent in its service, whose love and loyalty to its Faith and precepts are well known. It is hoped that this history will enable all to look forward with trust and confidence that their Church will fulfill its mission in the future with all the truth and steadfastness that have marked its progress in the past.
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It is hard to realize that the comparatively brief period of fifty-two years covers the history of Trinity Parish from its foundation to the present day. Yet it was as recently as June 1863, that its first services were held. The Parish, an off-shoot from St. John's, had been organized in the previous April and owed its origin largely to political causes. Its early members were chiefly sympathizers with the Southern Cause in the Civil War which was then raging. In fact for some years Trinity was unofficially known as the "Copperhead" Church.
At a meeting held in the Sterling House on April 20th, 1863, a Committee was appointed to obtain sig- natures to a petition to be sent to the Bishop of the Diocese asking his consent for the founding of a new parish. The petition read as follows : "We, the under- signed, in our own desire and representing also the wish and duty of many others, residents and heads of families in Bridgeport, fully believing that there ought to be a new Protestant Episcopal Church in this city, do hereby respectfully make request for your canonical consent and approval to organize."
This petition was signed by sixty-two men, of whom none are living at the present day. Some difficulty was encountered before the request for a new parish was granted by the Bishop, who felt it necessary to ascer- tain whether the need was a real one. In the meantime a second Committee, comprising Jarratt Morford, Samuel Wilmot, C. M. Hatch, E. T. Simpson, and D. W. Thompson, was appointed to bring the matter be- fore the Bishop again at Middletown, on May 27th, at the regular meeting of the Standing Committee. At this meeting, the motion for the founding of the new parish was voted upon and carried by the Standing Committee and Bishop Williams then the Assistant Bishop of Connecticut gave his consent.
It will be well at this point to consider briefly the Bishop's attitude in regard to the forming of the new parish. His unwillingness to consent to its formation was not without reason. There were already two well established Episcopal Churches in Bridgeport, St. John's and Christ Church, and a third, St. Paul's, had
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been organized but was as yet without a Church building. It seemed to the Bishop a far more practical plan for the new congregation to unite with the last named Parish, than to found a fourth one; and it was not until the members of St. Paul's refused to unite with Trinity that the Bishop reconsidered his former decision and consented-though reluctantly-to the request of the Committee. An extract from the Bishop's letter of consent reveals the true state of his feelings. "I owe it to myself to say, that I do this, not because I think the formation of a new Parish in Bridgeport in itself a desirable thing, but simply because as matters stand, it seems to me the less of two evils; and I also do it under solemn protest that I do not herein or hereby recognize or accede to the principle that disin- tegrating processes are to be allowed to go on at will in parishes of the Church. I regret and deprecate the entire thing from beginning to end, and while I do that which I trust may work the least harm, I pray God to forgive me if I have erred in judgment, and to bring good out of what seems to be a most unhappy divis- ion." The manner in which the Bishop's prayer has been answered will be shown in the history following.
At the first legal meeting of the organization, on June 1st, 1863, at the residence of Mr. Charles Ball, the following members were elected as Wardens and Vestrymen. Jarratt Morford as Senior and Ira Greg- ory as Junior Wardens. John T. Shelton was elected Parish Clerk. The Vestry consisted of the following : Samuel Wilmot, D. W. Thompson, E. T. Simpson, C. M. Hatch, E. B. Goodsell, William Way, Eli Thomp- son, Philo C. Calhoun, Henry Sanford, Henry Cowd, W. W. Holcomb, John T. Fitch, James Daskem, and S. S. May.
The Rev. Sylvester Clarke, first Rector of the Parish, was a native of Newtown, Conn. He was ordained to the Ministry in 1858 and became Rector of the Church in Oxford, Conn., coming from that Parish to Bridgeport in 1861. Previous to his call to Trinity, he had been for two years Assistant at St. John's. His Pastorate of Trinity extended over a period of twenty-four years-a period characterized by sincere
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devotion on the part of the Rector and a strong sense of unity and concord among his parishioners. It needed only a very few years to prove to the Bishop the wisdom of his final decision, which at the time had caused him so much uncertainty and perturbation of spirit.
The first service of the Parish was held on Trinity- Sunday, June 14th, 1863, in a room over the new Railroad Station which had been rented and prepared for that purpose. Almost immediately the Vestry voted to purchase the lot on the corner of Fairfield Avenue and Broad Street, which they did for the sum of three thousand five hundred dollars ($3,500). The cornerstone of the present Church-a Gothic structure of the Early English Period, built of brown stone-was laid on the 2nd of November of the same year. The Church was completed in the early sum- mer of 1864 and the first service held in it on Sunday, July 3rd, less than fifteen months from the organiza- tion of the Parish. It was consecrated by the Bishop of the Diocese on November 2nd, just one year from the laying of the cornerstone.
During the first winter the Clergy and Vested Choir of the Church of the Nativity at North Bridgeport rendered a full Choral Evensong at Trinity Church once a month. This was the earliest Vested Choir in Connecticut, and the service, though unusual in those days, was duly appreciated, as evidenced by the size of the congregations.
In 1874 Trinity Parish was instrumental in securing for the Mission then known as the Coit Memorial Chapel a comparative independence and freedom from debt. This Mission had originated chiefly as a Sunday School in which a number of workers from Trinity had labored. Prominent among this group was our present Senior Warden, Hon. Robert E. DeForest, and he was appointed agent for transacting the busi- ness connected with it. The Diocesan Mission of St. Luke's is the outcome of this small school.
In 1876, Trinity Parish experienced its first great loss in the death of John Thatcher Shelton, one of its Charter Members and for the first ten years its Parish
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Clerk. At a meeting of the Wardens and Vestry held shortly after Mr. Shelton's death, the following resolu- tion was adopted :
"Whereas, John Thatcher Shelton, our friend and fellow member, a lineal descendant of the first or- dained minister of the Church in America, has been removed by death, it is therefore :
"Resolved that a page of the Records of this Parish be set apart to his memory in recognition of his fidelity to the faith of his ancestors, his spotless integrity, his unfailing generosity, his numberless other good quali- ties, and his faithful services as a member of this Vestry, since the organization of the Parish."
Many quaint and interesting bits might be culled from the Parish Records of those early days. Such as, for instance, "In 1878, the services of an organist were engaged at a salary not exceeding one hundred dollars a year." Also a list of the duties of the sexton, among them, "the washing of the Church Linen, and dusting the Church once a month." The auctioneering of the pews, of which notice is given, appears to us a strange proceeding. One reads with pleasure of the harmony existing between Trinity and its Mother Church, St. John's, attested by the fact that during the month of June 1875, while Trinity Church was being repaired, its congregation worshipped in the old St. John's Church, the free use of which had been tendered to them. This building, which at that time was known as St. John's Hall, stood on Broad Street, on the site of the present Post Office.
We also read in the Parish Records with a feeling of thankfulness for modern improvements in sanitary conditions, of a collection being taken in 1878 for the sufferers from yellow fever, that dread scourge which, in the past, was a real terror to so many parts of our country.
In 1883 occurred the death of Mrs. Frances E. Pom- eroy, a devoted and faithful member of Trinity Church. Though in ill-health for some time before her death, and a great sufferer, she was unfailing in her interest and generosity to the Parish; a generosity further emphasized by the liberal bequest which she left to the Church she loved.
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This year, 1883, is also marked by the death of Ira Gregory, Junior Warden since the organization of the Parish. Mr. Gregory's death was a genuine sorrow to the congregation, and at the Vestry meeting im- mediately following a high tribute was paid to his character. "He was a man of sincerity and faith, con- scientious in the discharge of duty, seeking first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness. A man moreover of unquestioned integrity and charity- firm in adherence to principle, he was nevertheless of a singularly generous nature, and, though for his many virtues worthy of high honor, he was rather content to lead a simple unostentatious life, preferring the real possession of worthiness to its display."
Mr. E. B. Goodsell succeeded Mr. Gregory as Junior Warden. His death occurred in the following year and evidence of the esteem in which he was held is re- corded in the Annals of the Parish. The Hon. D. N. Morgan, who since 1873 had been Parish Clerk, was elected to succeed Mr. Goodsell.
In 1886 the shadow of a change fell over Trinity Parish. The Rev. Sylvester Clarke, up to this time its only Rector, being very much out of health, asked for assistance in his work. The services of the Rev. Louis Norman Booth were secured, and during a somewhat lengthy absence of the Rector, necessitated by his physical condition, the entire Parish work de- volved upon him. A year later, owing to continued ill-health, Dr. Clarke felt obliged to resign the Rector- ship of Trinity. His resignation was accepted June 28th, with profound regret and a grateful remembrance of his long and faithful ministry. He was prevailed upon to accept the title of Rector Emeritus, and his late Assistant was called as Rector of the Parish, ministering for the first time in that capacity on July 3rd, 1887. Dr. Clarke's death occurred September 4th, 1904.
With the advent of Father Booth, Trinity Church en- tered upon an entirely distinct phase in its life history. At this time what is known as the Catholic Revival in the Church was becoming more and more widespread. It was the outcome of that older period of Church
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History known as Tractarian, when the Anglican Church awoke to a sense of its Catholic heritage, and began to feel the desire for a newer, fuller life in place of the old, and often dull existence which for so long had marked its course. In this country its influence was felt to such an extent that a new spirit seemed to pervade the Church. On all sides came a deepening of spiritual life, accompanied by an added dignity and beauty in Church worship; a ritual and ceremony con- taining all the elements of reverence; and a system of teaching and instruction which proclaimed before the whole world the Church's true Catholicity and inner union with Historic Christendom.
Trinity Church up to this time had not been in ignorance of the Catholic Revival. In the early days of its history, as we saw, the Clergy and Vested Choir of the Church of the Nativity rendered Choral Even- song at regular intervals within its walls. The Parish of the Nativity in North Bridgeport was founded some years earlier than Trinity by the Rev. Ethan Ferris Bishop and well established along Catholic lines Therefore one feels that the way had already been partially opened for the radical changes which now took place in Trinity Parish. Father Booth, an ardent adherent of the Catholic cause, found for the most part a ready response to the new and fuller message which he had to deliver.
From this time unfaltering loyalty to Catholic teaching and practice has characterized Trinity Parish ; accompanied naturally by a corresponding develop- ment in ritual. The Holy Communion, up to this time administered but once or twice a month, was now celebrated each Sunday at an early hour, making pos- sible the practice of fasting Communion. Altar lights and vestments were introduced, and a vested choir, under the leadership of Mr. James Baker, followed in due order. Very soon a Choral Eucharist, cele- brated at least twice a month, opened the way for making this the chief service of the day.
It is pleasing to note the attitude of the Vestry while these changes were in progress, as manifested by the following extract from the Parish Record :
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"That we the members of this Vestry, hereby extend to our worthy Rector our heartfelt sympathies in the work he has so arduously and faithfully performed ; and he shall have our support in his ministrations as a priest and minister to our people."
The beginning of Father Booth's ministry was clouded by the death of the Senior Warden of the Parish, the Hon. Jarratt Morford, who had held office since its founding in 1863. For almost a quarter of a century he had performed the duties of Senior Warden with unwavering faithfulness and zeal. Though words seem almost inadequate to express his sterling worth of character, an extract from the Parish Record, sub- scribed to unanimously, will denote something of the high esteem in which he was held.
Resolved :
"That we place upon record our sense of his great personal worth, his fidelity to every duty, his inflexible integrity and unfailing charity, his support of every good word and work, his sympathy with all efforts to make the world better, wiser and happier, his uniform courtesy, his unaffected simplicity and friendliness, and more than all the reality of his Christian faith which was ever the strength of his life in prosperity and adversity, and the basis of his character.
"That sincerely mourning the loss we strive to emulate the virtues of one who has been unceasing in his efforts for the peace and prosperity of Trinity Par- ish. It is impressed upon our hearts that he must have lived with this text ever before him, 'Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life.'" Surely a fitting tribute to the memory of this loyal and staunch son of the Church.
The vacancy left by Mr. Morford's death was filled by the Hon. Robert E. DeForest, who held office for one year. In 1888 the Hon. D. N. Morgan, who had previously served in the capacities of Parish Clerk and of Junior Warden, was elected to the office of Senior Warden, which office he held until 1893.
It was early in Father Booth's ministry that steps were taken toward the erection of a Parish House in the rear of the Church. This edifice, the value of
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which cannot be measured, was the result of united efforts on the part of the Vestry and parishioners. Many who remember Mrs. Dotten will recall that it was through her efforts, hampered as she was by in- validism, that the first money for its erection was raised. While to the zeal of Mr. George H. N. Johnson is owed the initial step taken by the Vestry in this matter.
The large room on the ground floor, since converted into an excellent Chapel, was long used for Sunday School purposes. On the second floor a large Parish Hall, with its accompanying Guild Room and kitchen, has served the Parish for entertainments and meetings of every kind. The building was finished for use in October, 1888, and was consecrated.
Lack of space forbids a recital of the many events of Father Booth's long and fruitful ministry. But the names of those who labored side by side with such unity of purpose and unremitting zeal will always stand out in the history of the Parish. There was the little band of faithful women such as is, fortunately, to be found in most parish Churches, who worked about the Altar, making it a more fitting Sanctuary for the Holy Mysteries; there were always the ones who stretched out a helping hand to those in trouble and need; while one and all seemed to strive to make the stranger welcome within its walls.
Losses to the Parish were sustained by the death in 1891, of Mr. George T. Benham, for some years a vestryman and a faithful member of the Parish; and in 1894 by that of Mr. Samuel Wilmot, the last survivor but one of the Founders of the Parish. The tribute paid to him in the Parish Record expresses only a small part of the esteem in which he was held. "In the sud- den death of Samuel Wilmot Esq., we have sustained a loss of one to whom from his long connection with the Parish, his faithful services as a vestryman, and his devotion to its best interests, was due, under God, a large measure of its growth and prosperity. Ever kind and courteous to all, genial in manner, strong and sincere in his Christian character, his companionship will ever be a very pleasant memory."
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In 1892 arose the question of a new Church build- ing. A lot was purchased on the corner of Fairfield and West Avenues, and plans were made for selling the present property. Permission to do so was granted by the Bishop; but owing to the fact that there were already two Episcopal Churches, St. John's and Christ Church, in close proximity to the newly purchased lot, he expressed the wish that another site be selected for the new Church building. Eventually the scheme of selling and rebuilding fell through entirely; and the recently purchased lot became the property of Mr. George C. Edwards, Junior Warden of the Church, who generously assumed all the Parish burden in re- gard to it.
In 1901 occurred the death of Mr. Walter Goddard, for more than thirty years a faithful and devoted member of Trinity Parish, and for more than ten a member of the Vestry.
This year, 1901, also marks another important event. Through the efforts of Miss Elizabeth F. Bishop a fund for the permanent endowment of the Parish was started. The importance of such a fund cannot be too strongly emphasized. Each year sees greater changes in the neighborhood of Trinity Church; its people come from all directions and many from con- siderable distances. As time goes on those who have contributed so generously to its support will pass away, and unless some permanent means of income be assured its future prosperity might be seriously hampered. There is no sadder sight in large cities than the results of this change in residence sections, and it is peculiarly adverse in its effect upon Churches. Many a once flourishing and prosperous Church has been forced to close its doors, or combine with another parish because of the lack of permanent endowment. To avoid such a fate the Endowment Fund for Trinity was started and has been kept well in the foreground ever since.
The Endowment Fund will always be associated with the name of Father Booth. In 1907, six years after its founding, the Parish passed through its deep- est sorrow in the death of its beloved Rector, who for
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twenty years had guided its destinies with firm but gentle hand, had ministered to his people with fidelity and unceasing care, and had stood like a rock for all the principles of the Catholic Faith.
The importance of Father Booth's work cannot be estimated. The fair superstructure which has since been reared owes its permanence to the foundation which he laid, for without his work the subsequent de- velopment would not have been possible. Little by little his teaching and exposition of the Faith won the minds and hearts of his people, removing prejudice and preparing the way for those who were to continue his work. So that, at the close of his ministry it is safe to say that not one of the many who mourned his loss, even those who had once silently opposed the innovations which marked its beginning, would have voluntarily gone back to the old order of things.
The sorrow caused by Father Booth's death was not confined to his Parish, for the scope of his influence extended far and wide. His name was familiar in many localities, and numbers in other congregations than his own sincerely mourned in him the loss of a true friend. To quote from the Parish Record: "In the death of our late beloved Rector, the Rev. Louis Norman Booth, this Parish, the entire Diocese, and the Church and community at large have suffered a loss which we feel no words can adequately express. The affection and respect which his life, his devoted and self sacrificing labor, and his noble work among us have won, will find an imperishable memorial in the minds and hearts of all who knew him."
To many it seemed as though for a while the fate of Trinity hung in the balance. Should a successor be chosen who would not carry out Father Booth's principle to their logical conclusion a disruption might ensue. But on Sept. 9th, 1907, the members of the Vestry, bound together in their customary staunch unity, passed the following resolution :
"That we pledge ourselves to carry out, as far as in us lies, the principles for which Father Booth con- tended and the reforms that he inaugurated."
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The comparatively sudden death of the late Rector caused an unavoidable delay in the matter of choosing his successor. A call was finally extended to the Rev. William Brewster Stoskopf, then Curate at the Church of the Advent, Boston. The call was accepted but it was some months before Father Stoskopf could enter upon his new duties, and the Parish was fortunate in securing the services of the Rev. E. Morton Murray for the interim.
Father Murray's brief charge did much toward hold- ing the Parish together at this critical time of its history, and made the advent of a new Rector less distressing to the many who still felt keenly the void left by the death of him who for so many years was their Pastor and friend. It was with mutual regret that Father Murray's connection with the Parish was severed and full appreciation of his work is noted in the Record.
The Rev. William Brewster Stoskopf, was formally instituted Rector of Trinity on March 1st, 1908. Though his Pastorate was a comparatively brief one, something less than two years, it was rich in result. For the first time in its history daily services, Matins, Holy Communion and Evensong, were held through- out the year. The Holy Eucharist was made the chief service of each Sunday, celebrated with fitting music and ritual. A corresponding deepening of the de- votional life of the Parish took place with these changes, and many new names were added to the roll of communicants.
Two noteworthy events will always mark Father Stoskopf's ministry, one at its beginning, the other at its close. When meeting with his Vestry for the first time it was voted at his suggestion that hence- forth the Endowment Fund be known as the Louis N. Booth Memorial Fund, thus making it a tribute to the memory of the late beloved Rector. The other event, at the close of his ministry, was the placing before the Altar of a Sanctuary Lamp the gift of Mrs. George T. Benham and Miss Clarissa Strong, signifying upon the Altar the presence of the Blessed Sacrament hence- forth to be perpetually reserved. This, one of the
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greatest blessings which the Church has to bestow, we may regard as Father Stoskopf's parting gift to the Parish.
One other event of moment which we must dwell upon in passing was the death in 1908, of Mr. George W. Northrop, for many years a vestryman and always an interested and faithful member of the Parish. "For more than an entire generation he had given his un- wavering and generous support to this Church as a regular attendant, a devoted communicant, a willing contributor, and a wise councillor and assistant in all that pertains to its welfare. As a member of the Ves- try his constant presence, his sound advice, and his thorough loyalty to the interests of the Parish will be ever gratefully remembered by all his associates."
In September 1909, Father Stoskopf, to the sincere regret of all the Parish, accepted a call to the Church of the Ascension, Chicago. Acting upon his advice the Parish extended a call to the Rev. Charles Lewis Gomph. Father Gomph was well known in the Church, having completed five years of most successful work at St. John's Chapel, Varick Street, New York, where he had built up a flourishing Parish life. Trinity was most fortunate in securing his services, and the Church entered upon a season of wonderful growth and de- velopment.
The early part of his Ministry was saddened by the death in March 1910, of Dr. Sydney Bishop, that true friend and faithful member of the Parish. Dr. Bishop was the son of the Rev. Ethan Ferris Bishop, who many years earlier had founded the Church of the Nativity at North Bridgeport. For many years a Communicant of Trinity, he had labored always for its welfare and prosperity in his quiet, unostentatious way, and the sorrow caused by his untimely death was deeply felt by all. The following extracts from the Parish Record echo the sentiment of all who knew him. "By his kindly and charitable disposition he had endeared him- self to all his associates in every department of life, and especially to those of this society, who knew him in the closer and more tender relation of religious fellow- ship."
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"Conscientious, fearless and unswerving in his at- tachment to the doctrines once delivered to the Saints, and the principles of Divine Worship by them trans- mitted to us, constant in the performance of every duty, wise in council, generous in his contributions, blameless in walk and conversation, he was an orna- ment to the Christian Profession and a veritable de- fender of the Faith.
"We realize that in his removal from these scenes of his usefulness and wholesome aid and influence, we have suffered a loss that words cannot adequately ex- press."
It is inevitable that Trinity Church, situated as it is in the heart of the city, should become more and more a center for charitable work. This fact was fully realized by Father Gomph who saw at once the necessity for parochial assistance. Consequently, through his instrumentality, Sister Dorothy became a member of the Parish staff, entering upon her duties at Easter 1910. Since then the scope of Parish influence has been extended, while Guilds and Church work of all kinds have flourished under her direction.
Another event marking the early part of Father Gomph's ministry was the erection of the new Altar. Some twenty years earlier a fund for this purpose had been started by the Sunday School. This fund, added to year by year and well invested, was now sufficient to be used for its long cherished purpose. The new Altar constructed of Italian limestone was designed by Father Gomph. Its lines are simple, and its only or- nament is a Jerusalem Cross in the center of the middle panel. But its severe style lends itself readily to the added decorations which mark our High Festivals, and is also well in keeping with the solemnity of the Penitential Seasons.
The Altar was consecrated by the Bishop of the Diocese on the Feast of the Purification, 1911, when a Solemn Eucharist was celebrated for the first time with all its proper accompaniments. Incense, which has since become a regular institution in Festal Seasons, was used for the first time in Trinity Church on that day; and the many gifts and memorials presented to the Parish form a long and noteworthy list.
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At this time the Sunday School room, in the rear of the Church, was converted into a very attractive and useful Chapel, in which the former Church Altar was placed. This Chapel has since been used almost con- stantly for the week day services, while the Sunday School has been transferred to the floor above.
In view of the enlarged Parish work the Vestry felt justified in engaging a second Priest as Curate. The services of the Rev. Clinton W. Areson were secured for one year from June 1911. This year also marks a radical change in the financial system of the Parish. Since its foundation Trinity Church had been sup- ported by the pew rent system; but now it was de- cided to do away with this method and make all sit- tings free, each member pledging to give as much as he or she felt able for the support of the Church. In an incredibly short time a far larger amount of money had been pledged voluntarily than was ever realized by the old system. Indeed this method has proved such a success that entertainments of various sorts for rais- ing money have been almost discontinued.
On Sunday June 2nd, 1913, the semi-centennial of Trinity Parish was observed with much enthusiasm and rejoicing. At the Solemn Eucharist, which was the chief service of the day, the Church was filled to the utmost of its seating capacity. An added pleasure was granted by the presence of Father Stoskopf, Father Gomph's immediate predecessor, who preached the sermon. On Monday evening, June 3rd, a reception was held in the Parish Hall with an entertaining programme of music and speeches.
In November 1913, Father Gomph received a call to Grace Church, Newark, N. J., which, after carefully considering from all sides, he felt obliged to accept. The severance of the tie between him and his people was painful, and his departure was accompanied by the love and heartfelt prayers of every member of the Parish.
Before his departure, however, he had made careful provision for the people whom he was about to leave, and it was a source of deep satisfaction to him that the choice of a new Rector fell upon the Rev. Clinton W.
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Areson, who for two and a half years had ministered as Curate. Father Areson's rectorship began on the day of Father Gomph's departure, consequently there was no break in the continuity of Parish life.
In the early part of Father Areson's ministry the Parish was privileged in having the services of the Rev. Charles Mercer Hall, the two months of whose presence in the Parish will always be held in grateful remembrance. It was during his stay that a very un- usual and interesting event transpired: namely, the celebration by the Orthodox Greek Congregation of their Holy Week and Easter in the Chapel of Trinity Church. The quaint old world ceremonies, so unlike and yet strangely like our own, the unique ritual and music, the Good Friday street procession and wonder- ful Easter service at daybreak will long be remembered by those who witnessed them.
Father Hall was succeeded by the Rev. Gilbert R. Underhill, who came to the Parish in May of 1914. During this year occurred the death of Mrs. Julia Ann Holcomb, the oldest member of the Parish. Mrs. Holcomb, who was the widow of Mr. W. W. Holcomb, one of the first vestrymen, was in her 94th year, and until within a very short time of her death was a faithful attendant at the services of Trinity Church. Another death of recent occurrence was that of Miss Helen A. Bassett. Miss Bassett's life was one of singular devotion to the Parish and Church at large; and many will gratefully recall her years of faithful work about the Altar, in the early days of Father Booth's ministry. Early in the present year the death of Mr. David W. Thompson, at the age of 84, removed the last member of the original vestry of Trinity Parish.
This brief sketch of the history of Trinity Parish, portraying some of the causes and persons that have made it what it is today, ought also to make evident its distinctive character as a Parish and its contribu- tion to the religious life of the city. It is a record of loyalty and faithfulness notable for single-minded unity in the common life of the Parish.
Upon the firm basis of this past we look to see builded, under God, a worthy and progressive future.
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