Time Machine to 1873
Whenever life at Grace gets a little hectic, I like to hide away next to a particular filing cabinet within the secret recesses of 116 West Washington. This is no ordinary filing cabinet. In its drawers are the leather-bound ledgers from the very earliest days of the church.
To be able to physically touch the yellowed paper with ink so delicately scrolled in the shapes of "Proudfit", "Worthington", and "Fairchild" is quite humbling. To read about the deaths, births, and marriages of some of the most formative families of Madison, is both inspiring and a deeply connecting experience between the here-and-now and the vital mission this church has been called to undertake all the way back to when Madison was nothing more than a mosquito-infested collection of ramshackle buildings in a swamp.
Recently, a gentleman out of Chicago came across something called the "Grace Church Record" in his collection of newspapers. He e-mailed to determine if this could belong to our church. One quick scan of "Vilas" and "Chittenden" and we knew it was so. After further correspondence, he kindly sent the newspaper to us.
Printed in January of 1873, this was the third issue in Volume I of the inaugural run of the publication.
"Grace Church Record is now issued for the third time. We have bestowed much time and thought and labor upon it. It is handsomely printed on good paper with clear type. From the press, and from valued friends at home and abroad, we have received the warmest commendations among whom is our beloved Bishop. It is well know that it is a venture of faith, faith in God and in the liberality of our liberal parish."
There is much to learn about the early life of Grace Church from this document.
Music, form the beginning, has been a valued component of worship at Grace. The choirs at the time consisted of the Quartette, the First Sunday School Choir, and the Second Sunday School Choir. "The Sunday School choirs are expected to take part in the service at all funerals and week-day services, and on Sundays, when the Rector may appoint. At Sunday services they sing antiphonally with the quartette choir. The regular time of practice is every Saturday at 4 o'clock, P.M."
"Hours of Divine Service for the fall and winter - 10 1/2 A.M., 7 1/2 P.M., Sunday School 9 A.M. First Sunday in each month - 9 A.M., 10 1/2 A.M. and 7 1/2 P.M. Every Wednesday evening, with Lecture - 7 1/2 o' clock. Note - Strangers, persons visiting the city, and the public generally, invited to attend all these services." Another corner of the paper reminds readers, "Do not forget the Wednesday evening services. True Christianity is always marked by attendance upon the public service of God, whenever there is opportunity."
Under the heading, "Sunday School": "Scholars, about 160. Sunday School meets at 9 A.M. every Sunday. On the first Sunday in the month the school meets in the Church for regular service at 9 o'clock, and are publicly catechised and instructed by the Rector, or, in case of his absence, by the Superintendent."
The paper includes all manner of quirkiness - from poetry to articles about race relations and serpent worship.It took me a moment to get used to the section written by the Rector, as he refers to himself as "we": "We were taken with severe illness, in our pulpit, while preaching, on the evening of the 17th of November, the result of overwork and confinement to our study. We soon got better and feel very grateful for many acts and words of kindness and sympathy from our parishioners and others."
Congregants today would be interested to read how Grace Episcopal actually began life in 1840 "designated as the Apostolic Church." I especially enjoyed the description of Christmas where "The children behaved so well, and the congregations were so large and devout. Several new carols and anthems were sung by the choirs with spirit, taste and effect. The tree was well loaded with its choice fruits, and the beaming eyes and happy countenances showed the intense satisfaction and interest of the little ones."
On Thanksgiving Day, "The music by the Quartette and Sunday School choirs was admirable, and devotional, and the organ, under the touch of our faithful and churchly organist, Dr. Chittendon, fully entered into and sustained the spirit of the services." I had to smile when we moved from this spiritual high of Thanksgiving to the next paragraph which served to reprimand the congregation for so few of its members failing to attend the Advent Ember Services, with only one hundred communicants.
Fortunately all was well again when on the 4th of December, "At 1 o'clock the Bishop, Clergy and lay delegates met at the residence of the Rector, (I wish I could say Rectory) and spent two hours in a most pleasant way. Among the many enjoyable features of that occasion, we have only occasion to mention two, viz., roast turkey and a genuine English plum pudding."
- Jody
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