- Dec. 6. Founded by Craig Smith, Emmanuel Music offered its first Bach cantata, Süßer Trost, mein Jesus kömmt (BWV 151) with Jane Bryden, soprano; Mary Seo, mezzo-sopran; Mark Baker, baritone; Robert Stallman, flute; Steven Goble, oboe d’amore, and Craig Smith, conducting.
- Pauli Murray attended a conference of Episcopal women at Graymoor Monastery, Garrison NY, which led to the founding of the Episcopal Women’s Caucus. She was then appointed to the Commission on Ordained and Licensed Ministries, which determined that, according to the Church’s Constitution and Canons, the General Convention could confirm women’s eligibility for ordination. Despite the Commission’s recommendation, the Convention that year voted to only allow women’s ordination to the diaconate. See pp. 418-19 of her Autobiography (cited on Timeline 1989) and please see our page and other Timeline entries: 1951, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1985, 1987, 2012 & 2015.
Tag Archives: The Episcopal Church
1959
The Business & Professional Women’s Guild (formerly Club) had 98 members. Its officers were Miss Lydia LeBaron Walker, President; Miss Caroline G. Whitney, Vice-President and Recording Secretary; Miss Margaret A. Cooke, Corresponding Secretary; Maude D. Gowen; Treasurer. Our archives has its membership directory for that church year. The Guild was active for another decade.
Oct. 18-20. A series of five Healing Services were held with the Rev. Canon Alfred W. Price presiding, assisted by Rector Harold Sedgwick, the Rev. Dr. Rollin J. Fairbanks, and other clergy. Their hands were laid upon more than 3600 heads. After a nationwide outbreak of polio in 1955, the Salk vaccine had been widely administered. People in the Commonwealth became alarmed by a recurrence of paralytic poliomyelitis, which peaked here in September. Since about half of the patients had been properly vaccinated, the vaccine’s effectiveness was called into question. When the Sabin attenuated vaccine was distributed in oral form in 1961, the nation heaved a sigh of relief.
Dr. Fairbanks (1908-1983) was the Robert Treat Paine Professor of Pastoral Theology at Episcopal Divinity School. Canon Price (1899–1992), who had been awarded a Purple Heart for his service in WWII, was for many years an international warden of the Episcopal Church’s Order of St. Luke the Physician. His works include: Healing: The Gift of God (1955), Religion & Health (1962), and a God’s Health: Handbook for the Practice of the Church’s Ministry of Healing (1976).
Left to right: Rector Sedgwick, Dr. Fairbanks, the Rev. Don Hargrove Gross, the Rev. Canon Alfred W. Price & ?
1952
The General Convention of The Episcopal Church was held in Boston. Thanks to Roger Lovejoy at our diocesan headquarters for this image of some of the attending bishops in our parish hall.
Front row, left to right: Wallace Conkling, 7th Bishop of Chicago; Benjamin Ivins, VII of Milwaukee; Charles Boynton, III of Puerto Rico; Spence Burton, SSJE, IX of Nassau, Bahamas; James DeWolfe, IV of Long Island; Donald Campbell, Suffragan of Los Angeles; and Reginald Mallett, III of Northern Indiana.
Back row Henry Daniels, V of Montana; Donald Hallock, VIII of Milwaukee; Jonathan Sherman, V of Long Island; Edward Demby, Suffragan Bishop of Arkansas.
Bishops of The Episcopal Church gathered in our Parish Hall. Photo credit: Diocese of MA
1910
- In an ongoing summertime effort, semi-weekly harbor excursions to Bass Point, Nahant, were arranged for about 800 parishioners and their friends.
20 Nov. Anna Pauline Murray was born in Baltimore MD. Pauli (as she became known) was to become a famous civil-rights lawyer, a member of our vestry, our postulant for Holy Orders, and a saint of The Episcopal Church. For details of her many accomplishments, please see our guide to resources about her.
1890
Feb. 8. Under the direction of the Rev. Walter E. Smith, Chapel of the Ascension moved to its new home at 1906 Washington St.. At that time its Sunday School had 15 teachers and 200 registered students, and there were 175 congregants. The church was consecrated by Bishop H. Paddock as Church of the Ascension. Our founding rector F.D. Huntington, by then Bishop of Central New York, returned to preach the inaugural sermon. He praised Emmanuel for funding the building and developing the programs of this mission : “A true parish is one which is always working for others. The missionary spirit may be called the first distinguishing mark of this congregation.” —Emmanuel Church: The First 100 Years, p. 21.
1862
- April 24. Emmanuel Church was consecrated. It was the first building constructed on Newbury Street.
- Pew deeds were issued.
- Publisher Edward Payson Dutton became Clerk of the Vestry. His sister Harriet’s daughter Vida Dutton Scudder became a saint of The Episcopal Church and is memorialized on our sanctuary’s pulpit in 2026.
