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By William K. GrosThe Rev. Hugh Edsall who has recently resigned as rector of Trinity Church, Logansport, is reopening old St. Mary’s Church .Delphi, as a mission parish of the Diocese of Northern Indiana. Fr. Edsall will be vicar of St. Mary’s and also in charge of the new St. Alban’s Church, Monticello.The history of St. Mary’s Parish dates back to the early 1800’s withrecords of Episcopalian familiesamong the early settlers. On September 4, 1843 a meeting was heldin the Presbyterian Church for the purpose of selecting wardens and vestry of a permanent Episcopal Church. The following were elected: John Richardson, Senior Warden and Christopher Stuzaker, Junior Warden. The vestrymen were James Spears, James Dugan, Newton N. Gist, Robert C. Green and John Burr. Quite a large frame church was constructed on the comer of Main and Illinois streets and was consecrated on the 21st of August,1845 by the Rt. Rev. Jackson Kemper, Missionary Bishop of Missouri and Indiana. In the early days of the church, bishops were in charge of vast territories which were covered mainly by horseback.The first priest-in-charge was Rev. Samuel Johnson of Lafayette, and Rev. Anson Clark of Logansport also was helping at St. Mary’s parish. Fourteen people had been previously Baptised and were Confirmed by Bishop Kemper on his first Visitation in 1845. The first resident rector was Rev. Byron B.Killikelly of Vincennes who was called by St. Mary’s parish and moved to Delphi in 1846. Of particular interest in the present church building is the bell. It was cast in Troy, New York and was a gift of famous Trinity Church, New York City. . . a church still seen every year by millions of sightseers to the Wall Street area. The bell was shipped to Toledo, Ohio onJuly 2nd, 1845 and then down the Wabash and Erie canal to Delphi. The bell now hangs in the present church which was consecrated April 25th,’ 1904, by the Rt. Rev. John Hagen White, then Bishop of the much reduced in size Diocese of Michigan City (Northern Indiana). The still Teautiful windows in this church were memorials with brass markers under each one indicatingthe donor family.That life was perilous in earlier Delphi is quite apparent in the old parish register which dates back to 1844. In the section listing all burials in St. Mary’s parish can be found such causes of death as lung fever, acute pneumonia, many casesof consumption, scarlet fever, dip-theria, congestion and inflammation of the brain, cholera and winter cholera. One poor soul even succumbed to the croup. Of course today we realize that many of these causes of death have been eliminated or at least are moreclearly understood.Among the prominent names of families appearing in the early history of the church are Burr, Gresham, Griffith, Higginbotham, Holt, Lyon, McClure, Schermerhom, Pollard, Stewart, Wason and Walker. Mrs. Catherine Schermerhom Brac-kenridge is one of the last living descendants of these early famil- , ies. Mrs. Brackenridge deserves I much credit for keeping the historic church and its properties intactduring these many years of inactivity.Fr. Edsall with the full support of Bishop Mallett, the incumbent Bishop of Northern Indiana, has great hopes for the development of St. Mary’s parish as an active part of the religious Kfe of the community. He and his family will reside in Monticello in conjunction with the new St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, Monticello, and will devote as much time as possible to St. Mary’s Church, Delphi.EPISCOPAL CHURCH HAS LONG HISTORY
Newspaper Details
Delphi Citizen
Delphi, Indiana, US
Thu, Sep 21, 1961
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Ruth H.
WI, USA 23 Aug 2021
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