USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Boston > The parish of the Advent in the city of Boston, a history of one hundred years, 1844-1944 > Part 6
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THE YEARS 1869-1888
It goes without saying that such a change in relations could not have been brought about without misunderstand- ings and much feeling, and this feeling seemed for a time to be almost incurable; but in a few years scarcely any trace of it remained. To-day it is a thing of the past, neither thought of nor regarded by those who were concerned in it. 29
This urgent necessity for the immediate use of the church under such unforeseen circumstances embarrassed the build- ing committee seriously, and the placing of a mortgage seemed to be the only possible solution of the difficulty. The present scheme of construction had to be enlarged somewhat to provide accommodations for all the parish work. Not only did the church building require to be fin- ished, but it was necessary to have a proper place for the Sunday-school, the choir, and the various guilds. Thus the parish had incurred necessary expenses which were not con- templated when the contracts for the church building were made. However, with the generous gifts of certain wor- shippers and with the help of a comparatively small mort- gage, the parish was so placed that its engagements with
in the hands of the S.S.J.E. Others felt that loyalty to the duly con- stituted Rector was not only a duty in itself, but an opportunity to regain parochial independence. The corporation was divided, and comparatively a small band came over the hill with the rector to the new church. Devotion to his work, patience, the assistance of an earnest body of lay people, Mr. S. B. Whitney's magnificent work as Choirmaster, the beauty of the sanctuary and its services, overcame all drawbacks, and when the rector resigned in 1888, he left a parish more prosperous and united than ever before." (From an article in The Boston Sunday Herald, Dec. 2, 1894; probably written by Mr. Erving Winslow.) ]
29 [In 1894, upon Fr. Hall's election and consecration as Bishop of Vermont, "many of those who had remained in Bowdoin Street re- fused to remain under the authority of the Evangelist Fathers sent from Philadelphia, and started St. Stephen's in Florence Street," taking over the church which had been made vacant by the removal of the parish of The Messiah to its new church in St. Stephen Street. Cf. The Boston Herald of Dec. 2, 1894, op. cit.]
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THE PARISH OF THE ADVENT
the contractors were met; and on December 1, 1883, the construction account of the building was closed, and before the beginning of the new year the final report was received from the building committee, and it and the furnishing committee were discharged.30
In April, 1888, the rector placed his resignation in the hands of the corporation, asking that it be accepted as soon as his successor should be ready to enter upon his duties. His rectorship had been the longest in the history of the parish, sixteen years; and the corporation were glad to acknowledge, in parting with him, his valuable aid in building the new church, his liberal contributions therefor, and the great good which had been the result of his rector- ship. 31
A great change had been wrought from the quiet service in the Congregational meeting-house in Bowdoin Street, which the Society of St. John the Evangelist found when its members first came to Boston in 1870, to the ornate serv- ice in the beautiful church on Brimmer Street. But this was merely the outward and visible sign of the inward change that had gone on, and had made all this possible. The form was a small matter. The substance was the thing of real importance. The Catholic teaching had been implanted, and the sacraments of the Church were understood as never
30 [The final report of the building committee was received and accepted December 22, 1883.]
31 [In compliance with the subsequent request of the rector his resignation became effective October 1, 1888. At a meeting held October 4th it was voted "That this corporation upon the termination of their relations with Fr. Grafton, after a rectorship of sixteen years -the longest in the history of the Parish-desire to record their appre- ciation of his long and faithful services as Rector; his aid and as- sistance in the erection of the new church on Brimmer Street, and his liberal contributions therefor; his ability and readiness in the ministrations in the pulpit-his energy and interest in the charitable work of the Parish and in the Sunday School, and the successful and acceptable conduct of the services. That the members of the Corpora- tion wish him health, happiness and success in his future career."]
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THE YEARS 1869-1888
before; and their influence had spread, not only through this congregation, but also through that other body which had succeeded to the tenure of the Bowdoin Street property. The planting of the seed from which two large congrega- tions had grown, where only one had existed,-certainly, this was something to be thankful for. Moreover, from that second congregation had sprung a mission," the first of its kind in this part of the country, which was to carry the teachings of the Church to the colored people of the city in a manner especially acceptable to them, and was also to min- ister in some degree to their temporal advancement as well. This was also made possible only by the organization of the work during Father Grafton's connection with the parish.
If it seemed advisable to go into detail, much might be said of the help which the parish has had from various priests who have assisted from time to time in its work, and of the many missions held, both by its own clergy and by those who, weary with their routine in England, sought rest in doing good in America. But this is of too recent date to need special mention now. These men have all left their mark, and the parish will always be the better for their min- istrations.
With a few final paragraphs, which in substance will be quoted in subsequent pages of this volume, the Sketch of the History of the Parish of the Advent published in 1894, comes to a close.
32 [St. Augustine and St. Martin's, Lenox Street, Boston.]
1888-1902
M AY 25, 1888, the Rev. George M. Christian of New- ark, N. J., who later became Rector of the Church of St. Mary the Virgin in New York City, was elected Rec- tor of the Church of the Advent. Despite strong urging on the part of the committee of the corporation appointed to confer with him, he declined the election.
In October, 1888, the Rev. William Barroll Frisby of Trinity Chapel, New York, was unanimously chosen Rec- tor of the Parish of the Advent. He entered upon the duties of his office on Advent Sunday, December 2, in the same year.
During the first six years of Fr. Frisby's rectorship the congregation became thoroughly united, after having been somewhat disorganized during the interval between Fr. Grafton's resignation and Fr. Frisby's accession to the rec- torate. The congregation increased in numbers; the church building was entirely finished, save for the opportunity for further enrichment by carving and other ornamentation, and for the installation of a few memorial windows; a con- venient rectory, easily accessible to the church, was pro- vided; the comparatively small mortgage remaining upon the church was discharged; and by its example, the parish "was aiding and encouraging those who, in a less advanta- geous position," were "striving to maintain Catholic truth." To quote further Mr. Coale's concluding paragraph in the Sketch the inner life of the parish could "no more be ap- preciated by the ordinary observer than that of any other parish, but its influence for good in this community cannot be questioned. Not only has it introduced a more reverent worship in our churches, but it stands today a bulwark for the faith once delivered to the saints against the insidious
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THE YEARS 1888-1902
encroachments of heresy and unbelief. Indeed, the time may be near at hand when every faithful Churchman in this dio- cese, whatever his views as to methods of worship, will fer- vently thank God for the foundations laid by that little band of devout men a half-century ago."
At the Easter meeting of the corporation, held March 26, 1894, the rector announced that the mortgage on the church had been cancelled, and plans were made for the consecra- tion of the church on Saturday, December 1, 1894, just fifty years after that Advent Sunday on which the first service had been held in the "upper room" on Merrimac Street.
The service of consecration, in which the articles of do- nation were presented to the Bishop of the Diocese by Mr. Robert Codman, Senior Warden, was followed by Matins, the lessons being read by the Reverend Charles L. Hutchins, D.D., rector of Trinity Church, Concord, and Archdeacon Converse; and by a solemn celebration of the Holy Eucharist, with Bishop Lawrence as Celebrant, Bishop Neely as Gospeller, and Bishop Grafton as Epis- toler.1 The sermon was preached by Bishop Grafton, who, after dwelling upon the solemn significance of the conse- cration of a church said in part "The Church becomes the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, a living organization, through which Jesus Christ continues ever to discharge His per- petual abiding function of Prophet, Priest, and King, as ever going about through the world, as ever doing good. He comes here by His representative to gather this build- ing from the natural into the supernatural, and to vouch- safe here the place of His presence and the blessing of His peace. Life means especially embodiments, organization, and so Jesus Christ who came to bring us not only truth,
1'William Lawrence, seventh Bishop of Massachusetts, had been consecrated in October, 1893; Henry Adams Neely, third Bishop of Maine, in 1867 ; and Charles C. Grafton, second Bishop of Fond du Lac, in April, 1889.
T
GLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO
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THE YEARS 1888-1902
but life, gave His religion to the world, not simply by teach- ing an idea, but by teaching the gospel of the Kingdom, for the Christian religion has come in the way of an institution.
"The Church is today outwardly divided into the Eastern Church, the Roman Church, and the Anglican Church. But however rent, it is one, because it is of God. All Churches that are Catholic and Apostolic have the means of grace and are Churches through whose veins the Blood of Christ flows. The Church is one, though divided. Not the least unworthy of the three is the Anglican Church. She has been afflicted and distressed; she has met with errors and failures; yet she flourishes today, and with a new enthu- siasm for humanity goes forth to labor. ... As we look back to the blunders and errors, to the misunderstandings and struggles of the past, let us see the duty of the future. Yes, the Church has come into New England, and has gone on because the movement was of God. The movement has brought a special message to New England, and the move- ment and the work have come in to New England to stay.
. Let us look back these fifty years and thank God for . . all the way He has led us. Let us look forward as well as upward."
At High Mass on the following day, Advent Sunday, the Feast of the Dedication of the parish and ecclesiastically the fiftieth anniversary of its founding, an historical ser- mon was preached by the Rev. Morgan Dix, D.D., Rector of Trinity Parish, New York.
In the course of his sermon Dr. Dix pointed out that the Parish of the Advent, from its organization to that hour, had stood for a mission. "Its life," he said, "has fallen within one of the most remarkable periods of the history of the Anglo-Catholic Church. One hardly recognizes in the Church of today the impoverished Church which existed when Keble started the Tractarian movement in England.
"The aims of the men who entered into the Oxonian move-
-
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THE PARISH OF THE ADVENT
ment may be expressed in four principles : the recognition of a divine authority in the world and among men; the exhibition of a divine grace; the announcement of sacrifice as the great motive of right conduct ; the setting up of a sys- tem designed to express these principles in a solemn and im- pressive manner. What they all saw was a visible Church. For her they lived, and in her service they departed. .. .
"Men can get no more light as long as they trust to them- selves. Here is the need of a teaching Church. It was with the revival of the apostolic, historical, and catholic Church that the Oxford movement began, proceeded, and lives to- day. . . .
"Faith and the ritual belong to each other. Men cannot appreciate the ritual if they have not faith. Nothing pro- vokes more than ritual without doctrinal meaning. Those who would try to restore rituals must go to the old fount to learn what the Church would have presented. . ..
"Sacrifice is the test for sincerity. Sacrifice leads the way to sorrow purified by faith. Sacrifice voluntarily and gladly made of the whole self leads to sanctified life."
The fourteen years of Fr. Frisby's rectorship were fruit- ful in good works both within and without the parish. His election to the Standing Committee of the Diocese testified to the esteem and confidence in which he was held by clergy and laity alike, even those whose school of thought regard- ing the Church was different from his own. Staunch in his devotion to the whole Catholic faith, his influence, while quietly and perhaps unconsciously exerted, was strong throughout the diocese.2
Among the many organizations whose work enlisted Fr.
2 In 1901, when the question of dividing the diocese came before the Diocesan Convention, the committee which had been appointed reported almost unanimously in favor of another method of affording the necessary relief to the bishop in his administrative burdens. A minority report was presented by Fr. Frisby and the Rev. Dr. Pea- body, strongly urging action in favor of the division. Fr. Frisby's
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THE YEARS 1888-1902
Frisby's sympathetic interest and active assistance was the Actors' Church Alliance, of which he was Chaplain; his ex- pressed desire was to make the Church of the Advent "a place where members of the dramatic calling coming at any time to Boston would feel at home."
But it was the parish itself that was Fr. Frisby's chief solicitude. During his tenure of office the material fabric and the appurtenances of worship were brought well toward completion. The ritual of the services was established with emphasis upon its sincerity and devotional character, upon the dignity and solemnity of its performance, rather than upon an elaboration of ceremonial which would have been inconsistent with the character of the man. With the gen- tleness, meekness, and courtesy which he personified he ministered to all who came under his care or sought his aid; but his devotion to the interests of the parish and his zeal for the advancement of the Catholic faith were ever strong and unfailing. In the words of Bishop Lawrence, Fr. Frisby "was what he humbly tried to be, a devout, devoted, loyal and chivalrous Priest of the Church. Every hour of the day, and in every duty and pleasure, he walked with God. He gained the love of his people and built up the strength of the Parish. He won the confidence and appreci- ation of his Bishop, to whom he was ever loyal." (From a letter written after Fr. Frisby's death.)
During Fr. Frisby's rectorship the completion of the church edifice was substantially achieved, through memorial gifts. Prominent among these were the construction of All Saints Chapel, upon the initiative of Fr. Frisby himself, with its altar originally in the church in Green Street, and
earnest advocacy of his resolution, from the floor, resulted in the decision by a large majority of both clerical and lay delegates to create the new diocese of Western Massachusetts; the question of its geo- graphical boundaries alone remaining to be determined, as was soon done.
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THE PARISH OF THE ADVENT
the new reredos enshrining the gilt cross of historic impor- tance in the parish; the erection of the belfry and spire, and thereby the provision of the baptistery, with its font and
FATHER FRISBY
font cover which had been given to the parish in 1850; the reredos, credence, and the metal rood screen ; the west porch and gallery ; the pulpit, and the stone lectern; the chime of tower bells; the altar and reredos of the Lady Chapel; the Hemenway Chapel, for the Sunday School; and almost all the memorial windows, which now fill nearly every avail-
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THE YEARS 1888-1902
able window space; not to mention the great number of me- morial gifts of altar crosses, candlesticks, and other appur- tenances such as sacred vessels and vestments; and stone carvings.
Fr. Frisby was never of robust physique, and the faithful- ness with which he carried on the duties of his office took toll of his strength. Returning from the summer vacation in 1898 with his health still impaired, he was granted a year's leave of absence, and in November sailed for the Mediterranean. Returning the following autumn, he took up his work with renewed vigor, but it was not to be for long, for on Friday, June 6, 1902, after a comparatively short illness, he was called to his eternal rest.
On Monday afternoon the body of the beloved priest lay in state in the chancel of the church, where the Office of the Dead was recited in the evening. The following morning the choral Requiem Mass was celebrated by the Rev. Joseph W. Hill-the Advent choir-boy who had later served as an assistant priest under Fr. Frisby. The Burial Service was conducted by Bishop Lawrence, assisted by Bishop Cod- man. 3
Fr. Frisby's body was interred in Cedar Grove Cemetery, and later, by action of the corporation, his grave was marked by a cross.
No more fitting testimonial to Fr. Frisby could be written than the resolution unanimously voted by the corporation in June, 1902 :
"Our late Rector had won for himself high consideration in the Diocese and in the community. In the councils of the Church, in organizations of philanthropy and in social life he was respected and beloved, but it was in the Parish where
3 In 1894, during Fr. Frisby's rectorship, Robert Codman, Jr., a parishioner of the Advent and son of the Senior Warden, was pre- sented from the Advent for the diaconate, and was advanced to the priesthood in the same year. He was consecrated fourth Bishop of Maine February 24, 1900.
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THE PARISH OF THE ADVENT
his priestly office was exercised, and to which he devoted the treasures of his heart and soul, that he was best known and appreciated. Temperate and moderate in regard to non- essentials he never failed in steadfastness and unflinching courage, while declaring the whole counsel of God as em- bodied in the Catholic faith. Fr. Frisby's gentle courtesy, his respect for the convictions and even the prejudices of the humblest members of the congregation inspired them with sincere affection and loyalty, and his administration of the Parish has been one of entire harmony and uninterrupted prosperity. His rectorship will always be remembered in the long and interesting history of the Parish of the Advent for the numerous enrichments of its fabric, for the develop- ment of a beautiful and dignified ritual, and for an abundant spiritual harvest, as evidenced in the greatly increased num- ber of communicants at its altars.
"May his soul rest in peace until he is called by the great Shepherd to give good account of his ministry in the por- tion of the flock committed to his charge."
1902-1929
I N July, 1902, the corporation appointed a committee of their number "to wait upon the Rev. James O. S. Hunt- ington, of the Order of the Holy Cross, and to invite him to become Rector of the Advent, providing they are assured that there is nothing in the constitution or rules of the Order inconsistent with the fulfillment of the office." At a subsequent meeting held in September the committee re- ported that the relation of Fr. Huntington to his Order prevented further consideration of him as rector.
On November 5 another committee which had been ap- pointed for the purpose presented its recommendation, as ' 'a result of which it was unanimously voted to call to the rectorship the Reverend William Harman van Allen, Rec- tor of Grace Church, Elmira, New York.1
On Advent Sunday, November 30, 1902, Fr. van Allen entered upon his duties; he was instituted as sixth Rector of the Parish by the Bishop of the Diocese on January 25, 1903, Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. The new rector found the parish in far better condition than that encoun- tered by his predecessor fourteen years earlier. The mort- gage then existing upon the church had been discharged, and the church building consecrated. During Fr. Frisby's rectorship the number of communicants had increased, and, as has been noted, the congregation had been welded into a harmonious body, loyal to their rector and firm in their support of the parish. The several parochial organizations
1 Fr. van Allen, a graduate of Syracuse University (Ph.B. 1890 and Ph.M. 1897) and of Hobart College (M.A. 1899), subsequently received honorary degrees of Doctor of Sacred Theology (Syracuse, 1904) ; Doctor of Humanities (St. Stephen's College, 1910) ; Doctor of Canon Law (University of Bishop's College, Quebec, 1911) ; and Doctor of Laws (Alfred University, 1912).
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THE PARISH OF THE ADVENT
had been strengthened, their number had increased, and they were working efficiently and with enthusiasm. The well-ordered ritual, beloved by the parishioners and im- pressive to strangers by reason of its dignity and sincerity, was well established; and the parish enjoyed a more sym- pathetic relation with the other parishes of the diocese than had sometimes been the case in former times.
Fr. van Allen's personality presented a striking contrast to that of his predecessor. While no less ardent in his zeal for the upholding and advancement of the whole Catholic faith, he was a vigorous crusader for causes both in and outside of the Church which he believed to be of vital importance. As is so often the case with men of strong character, he sometimes expressed, and forcefully, in the pulpit and elsewhere, opinions on matters of political import in which many of his parishioners could not concur ; but they remained loyal to the rector whom they had called to lead them, recognizing the sincerity of his convictions.
Dr. van Allen-as he soon became known-was an om- nivorous reader, and a prolific correspondent. He contrib- uted frequently to the secular press, and for some time supplied a weekly column to the Living Church, writing over the pen name "Presbyter Ignotus." His summers were usually spent abroad, where he made many friends with whom he kept in touch through his correspondence. He always maintained a deep attachment to England-to her Church and to the country. Each year the Feast of King Charles the Martyr (January 30) was commemorated at the Advent; upon the death of King Edward VII a Solemn Mass of Requiem was offered; and the coronation of George V was publicly commemorated in the Solemn High Mass of the preceding Sunday.
Always a strong and often brilliant preacher, Dr. van Allen was profoundly stirred by the outbreak of the Euro- pean war in 1914; and during the period of the war he
DOCTOR VAN ALLEN
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THE PARISH OF THE ADVENT
delivered what were perhaps the finest and most forceful of all his sermons. From the first he lost no opportunity to denounce the iniquity of the Teutonic aggression. In the pulpit, in his weekly Message to the congregation, by letters in the press, he maintained his championship of the cause of the Allies, even in the face of threats of personal violence, which happily did not materialize.
After the sinking of the Titanic in March, 1912, when a Solemn Mass of Requiem was celebrated at the Advent for the repose of the souls of those lost in that terrible tragedy, the sinking of the Lusitania at enemy hands in May, 1915 was again the occasion of a Solemn Requiem. The sermon on that occasion, preached by the rector, was one of such great power that later it was translated into French and printed in Paris, for circulation in France. Again, in 1917, there was a service of intercession for martyred Belgium; and in 1920, a special service in memory of President Theo- dore Roosevelt.
During these years of war the parish responded well to the leadership of its rector. A Red Cross Chapter labored unceasingly to help provide surgical dressings and other needed articles; and by Easter, 1916, no less than fifty "war orphans" in France were regularly being accorded material and moral support by members of the congrega- tion. After the entrance of our own country into the war, on Good Friday, 1917, the parish not only continued with renewed effort the work already organized, but sent one hundred and twenty-nine men from the parish into the armed services. Of this number two lost their lives: Wil- liam J. Evans and Thomas D. McMath. On the Sunday after Armistice day (November 17, 1918) a Solemn Mass of Thanksgiving for Victory was celebrated. Finally in January, 1919, the rector himself was granted the six months leave of absence he requested, that he, too, might serve abroad with the American Expeditionary Force under
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