CSSS

The McGarvey Secession

In the year 1906 the group began to be conscious of clouds on the horizon. In that year Webb was elected Bishop Coadjutor of Milwaukee and soon drew away from the McGarvey influence. He was succeeded at Nashotah by Joseph G. H. Barry. Barry emerged from the Connecticut churchmanship of Berkeley Divinity School with a fully developed high churchmanship of a rather extreme sort. He had come to Nashotah from the deanship of Fond du Lac Cathedral. But along with his extreme beliefs and practices-clerical celibacy, routine confession, non communicating attendance, and the like-he managed to retain a deep and genuine loyalty to the Episcopal Church. Like Grafton, he was bitterly anti-Roman. Friction soon developed between him and the Companions who had hoped to dominate Nashotah. This friction, one is forced to conclude, was basically due to the fact that Barry sensed the fundamental disloyalty of his associates and was, therefore, suspicious of their doings. The situation was complicated by the fact that Liberal Catholicism stemming from Gore and Tyrell was being taken up by a group of the Nashotah faculty (a group which included the best scholars in residence). Against any such tendency a Percivalite was bound to rebel.

More and more dissatisfied with their position in the Anglican Church, the Companions began to look longingly toward Rome. By the autumn of 1906 their leader, McGarvey, had substantially accepted a strange position. It was all exploited at the Convention of 1907.

McGarvey and his associates had ceased to have any real loyalty to the Episcopal Church as they saw it about them; they were more than doubtful of her Catholicity. They were already casting longing glances at Rome. McGarvey is reported to have said, "We are only waiting until Peter beckons. When he does, we will go." To them the open pulpit canon was merely the occasion for a dramatic exit.

In February 1908 Edward Hawks and James Bourne, priests and teachers in the preparatory department at Nashotah, resigned and sought peace within the Roman fold. Fay of Nashotah, suspected by President Barry, was given indefinite leave of absence. He too made his submission to the Pope. These leaders were followed by five students of the seminary. In May 1908 all but one of the priests working at St. Elisabeth's-McGarvey, Cowl, Hayward, and McClellan-departed in a body. In all, some 20 priests took part in the exodus.

These were serious losses, but still worse were the suspicions engendered by this drastic climax. Rumors flew about of a gigantic conspiracy to lead the whole high church party into the arms of Rome. More than 20 years after the event, Barry, in his autobiography, still asserted that such a conspiracy had existed and that McGarvey had planned to take with him 500 priests. The impatience of a few who had gone over too soon, however, gave away the scheme.

The blow was felt most by men like Webb, Grafton, Mortiner. The great majority of churchmen were more inclined to shrug their shoulders and exclaim, "Good riddance!" But what about the small remnant of Companions who remained. Little or nothing has been said or mentioned about them. This handful of faithful, valiant priests carried on in face of all kinds of ridicule and insults. Today they are the true heroes of the Congregation. They weathered the storm of painful desertion. Father Frederick Ward remained at St. Elisabeth's until his death. Father Lobdell died an Anglican. Father Clapp of St. Mary's, Baltimore remained faithful to the Episcopal Church. A few preferred to go into seclusion. They persevered in keeping the rule and remained steadfast in their faith in the Church. They were truly the unsung heroes of this tragic epoch in the history of the Companions.

To be continued in the next issue of The Canterbury Cross.