University of Nebraska at Omaha DigitalCommons@UNO Student Work 1-1-1965 A history of the Episcopal Church in Omaha from 1856 to 1964 James M. Robbins Jr University of Nebraska at Omaha Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/studentwork Recommended Citation Robbins, James M. Jr, "A history of the Episcopal Church in Omaha from 1856 to 1964" (1965). Student Work. 580. https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/studentwork/580 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UNO. It has been accepted for inclusion in Student Work by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UNO. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A HISTORY OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN OMAHA FROM 1856 TO 1964 A Thesis Presented to the Department of History and the Faculty of the College of Graduate Studies University of Omaha In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts fey James M. Robbins, Jr. January, 1965 UMI Number: EP73218 Alt rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI Dissertation Publishing UMI EP73218 Published by ProQuest LLC (2015). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code uest ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 - 1346 Accepted for the faculty of the College of Graduate Studies of the University of Omaha, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts. Chairman Department^ Graduate Committe Department This thesis, or any excerpts from this thesis may not be printed or published or used in any form in books, periodicals, or journals prior to the time the thesis is accepted by the Graduate Faculty of the College of Graduate Studies and the degree awarded by the University of Omaha* Material, in whole or in part, quoted or paraphrased from this thesis and published after this thesis has been ac­ cepted by the Graduate Faculty, must be appropriately docu­ mented in the published material giving credit to the depart­ ment, the College of Graduate Studies, and the University of Omaha. ii TABLE OP CONTENTS Page PREFACE iii INTRODUCTION 1 Chapter I. ESTABLISHMENT OP TRINITY CHURCH, I856-I868 Bishop Kemper organizes Trinity Church--The Reverend George Watson the first rector— Joseph C. Talbot becomes Bishop, i860— The incorporation of Trinity Church in 1862-- Robert H. Clarkson succeeds Bishop Talbot— Growing pains force Trinity to build a new church— Fire destroys the new church in 1869 3 II. ST* MARK’S AND ST. BARNABAS* St. Mark’s begun as a Sunday School in South Omaha— Difficulties in operating St. Mark’s --The closing of St. Mark’s in 1885--Pounding of St. Barnabas* as an Anglo-Catholic Church --Ritual controversy with the rector, the Reverend George C. Betts--The Reverend John Williams inherits the ritual problem and financial difficulty 27 III. THINITY BECOMES A CATHEDRAL, 1868-1883 The church becomes a Pro-Cathedral in 1868— Plans for a cathedral drawn after fire in l869--Construction of a new building not begun until 1880--Consecration of the new cathedral takes place in 1883— Rectors of Trinity from 1868-1883--Death of Bishop Clarkson ................................... IV. PARISH CHURCHES, 1885-1920 George W. Worthington becomes Bishop, l885--TPinity Cathedral grows under v Page succeeding Deans--Arthur L. Williams, Co-adjutor Bishop in I899— St. Barnabas' expands to new building--The first St. John's struggles as a church, 1885-1912 --All Saints' is founded and grows--St. Matthias' organized as part of Brownell Hall, 1887— Church of the Good Shepherd is founded by the Dean--St. Philip the Deacon organized for the Negroes of Omaha. 85 V. THE ASSOCIATE MISSION OP OMAHA, 1887-1920 Bishop Worthington*s idea for a mission of priests--The first Associate Mission operates two years--Group of seminarians form the Second Associate Mission— Small missions under control of the priest-- Associate Mission closed— St. John's, 1892-1912— St. Paul's Mission to 1920-- Mission churches which flourish, St. Mark's, St, Martin's, St, Andrews, to 1920 132 VI. TBINITY CATHEDRAL, 1920-1960 The Reverend Stephen E. McGinley, Dean 1921--Dodge Street property becomes a problem--Financial burden of the 1920's and 1930's— Dean Powell, the Nativity Chapel built— Dean Barnhart, the new parish house erected--Robert G. Hewitt becomes the Dean . 168 VII. PARISH-CHURCH EXPANSION FROM 1920-196^ St. Barnabas' expands and attempts to build a new church— All Saints' form one new parish, 195^-1964— St. Martin's struggles as an organized church— St. Andrew's builds a new church in West Omaha--St. Philip's is forced to erect a new place of worship--Second St. John's is organized and becomes a parish-church-- Closing of the Church of the Good Shepherd and St. Paul's--Problems of Bishop Shayler's episcopate--The new St. Mark's, I96A 187 VII. BROWNELL HALL, 1863-1963 The school organized by Bishop Talbot, 1863--School incorporates and moves to Omaha, 1868--lJew Quarters built in the vi Page ISSO’s— The panic of 1892 forces the school to close, 1897-1393--Facilities expanded, 1915-1924— The school over­ comes the financial problems of 1930's --Builds new facilities, 19^5-1957— Centennial of I8 6 3........................... 238 IX, BISHOPS OP THE DIOCESE OF NEBRASKA FROM WILLIAMS TO RAUSCHER, 1903-1964 Third Bishop of Nebraska, the Right Reverend Arthur L, Williams, 1908-1919 --The fourth Bishop of Nebraska, the Right Reverend Ernest V. Shayler, 1919-1938— The fifth Bishop of Nebraska, the Right Reverend Howard R. Brinker, 1940-1962--The sixth Bishop of Nebraska, the Right Reverend Russell T. Rauscher, Co-adjutor Bishop, 1961-1962, Bishop, 1962— New missions begun by the Bishops of Nebraska, The Holy Family and The Holy Spirit................................... 289 X. CONCLUSION...................................... 291 XI. APPENDICES...................................... 303 XII. BIBLIOGRAPHY.................................... 307 vii PREFACE There are three reasons for writing a history of the Episcopal Church in Omaha with an emphasis on the founda­ tion years. This period covers the years 1356 to I960. First, there is a desire for a complete understanding of the history of Omaha and the various institutions that helped to make the city. Second, there is a request to have a greater understanding of the development and growth of the State of Nebraska. And thirdly, there never has been a history of the activities of the Episcopal Church in Omaha. In researching this topic, several problems were en­ countered. The main difficulty was the lack of records at some of the churches or poorly kept records. There are gaps in the history of many of these churches, and nobody seems to know what has happened to these records which cover the gaps. Many records were destroyed by fires that have occur­ red at several churches in Omaha. Many communicants thought records were not important; and therefore, they were not kept. Then, there was a loss of records when churches moved to new locations. When a new priest was about to take charge of a church, the members of the church held what the priests of the Episcopal Church call "Holy Fires." This is nothing more than a house cleaning. Many old records were thrown iii into the incinerator and destroyed. At St. Mark’s (both old and new), the present St. John’s, The Church of the Good Shepherd, St. Matthias*, St. Paul’s, and the Associate Mission of Omaha, no records were found. St. Andrew’s and St. Martin’s did preserve some minutes of their Vestry meetings. The most complete records were found at Trinity Cathedral, St. Barnabas’, the First St. John’s, and All Saints. To provide additional information other than the minutes of the various vestries, the following Diocesan magazines and newspapers were useful: The Church Guardian, The Diocese of Nebraska, The Crozier, and Nebraska Church­ man. Further valuable information came from the minutes of the annual council meetings of the Diocese recorded in the Journal of Proceedings of the Diocese of Nebraska. The author wishes to acknowledge the following people whose help has been invaluable: Dr. Hoy M. Robbins and Dr. Frederick W. Adrian, Professors of History at the University of Omaha, thesis advisors; The Right Reverend Howard R. Brinker, retired Bishop of Nebraska; The Right Reverend Russell T. Rauscher, the present Bishop of Nebraska; the clergy of the Episcopal Church in Omaha, for the personal interviews that were granted; Mr. John H. Bruce, Headmaster of Brownell Hall; and all who so kindly allowed the author to utilize the records of their institutions. INTRODUCTION The Episcopal Church in the United States did not em­ bark upon any expansion in the missionary field until 1835* The country was united in 1783 > but the former members of the Church of England were disunited. During the colonial period the Anglican Church was separated in the New World. Each colony operated its own Anglican churches separate from the rest of the English Colonies. The church members were under the episcopal jurisdiction of the Bishop of London who lived in the United Kingdom. No central agency or headquarters were set up to help in the missionary work in the New World. The Episcopal Church felt the effects of this separation in that there was no bishop in the colonies or any centralized governing agency.