An Ambassador of Christ (Volume 4); Being a Biography of the Very Reverend Montgomery Schuler

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text, images, or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1901. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XV ADVANCING YEARS. DECLINE OF CHRIST CHURCH PARISH HP HE period in which these efforts were made to reduce the -* debt was the time of the greatest prosperity of Christ Church parish--prosperity both material and spiritual. The size of the congregations steadily increased, and the list of communicants grew till it lacked only three of being 500. Of the Easter service, 1873, Dr. Schuyler says in his Diary: This has been a glorious day. The sun was bright and the air bland. There never has been so large a congregation assembled for morning service in the church. The music was grand. The mission work of the parish was also extended, for, besides St. James, Elleardsville, and St. Peter's Sunday School, Advent mission was planted in 1874 by some enthusiastic laymen of Christ Church, and also, with the encouragement and under the supervision of the rector, grew up later into a new independent parish. And the result of Dr. Schuyler's constant exhortations to liberal giving seemed to be shown in the fact that not only in the matter of donations for parish objects, but also for those of the diocese, the country, and in foreign lands, the parish was far ahead of any other in the diocese.* January 9, 1874, was Dr. Schuyler's sixtieth birthday. The man who had come to St. Louis in 1854 as the young clergyman from Buffalo had greatly changed. His dark hair and beard were now a silvery white. His step had lost much of its elasticity, and though his walk was still rapid and energetic, yet he leaned somewhat on his cane, and his large figure, grown much heavier, had a slight stoop, which increased with years. But his eye was as bright as ever, his smile if possible even more kindly, his hand-clasp even more hearty, and his voice more tender and symp...