Old St. Luke’s Church, Burial Ground and Garden

330 Old Washington Pike Scott Township, Pennsylvania 15106 APRIL 2014—Vol. XXXIII - NO. 1

Old St. Luke’s Church, c/o 300 Madison Ave., #309, Pittsburgh Pa 15243 www.oldsaintlukes.org

The 2014 Membership

Appeal begins

In 1902, the message board outside the Church’s front door listed “Sunday service, School and Di-vine Service, the Rev. W. E. Allen, Rector” and a notice: “SEATS FREE—ALL WELCOME.” Before 1900, (Old) St. Luke’s Church was sup-ported by renting pews to mem-bers of the congregation. The pews were numbered on the pew ends. Today, some 100 years later, “seats” are still free and all are welcome, but programs, resto-ration and maintenance are not without cost. We ask all who are Friends of Old St. Luke’s to make an Annual Membership donation of $15, or more, to help us by a donation, by joyful participa-tion in Christian worship, programs, and by prizing our amazing history. Since we do not have a con-gregation, your Annual Membership is one way we can learn your name and of your support.

New Web Master is Named .. We are pleased to announce that Eric O’Brien has been named our next web master of www.oldsaintlukes.org. Eric is the web master for Christ Episcopal Church, North Hills, and is recognized by the Communications Department of the Diocese of Pittsburgh. In 1995 Carnegie Library assisted us to begin a web site. Dorothy Kelly was our first web master. In 1998 Richard Gideon offered to design a full web site, and he has been our volunteer master ever since. He retired on March 31, and we extend to him our boundless ap-preciation for his generosity and skill.

Easter Sunrise Service Sunday, April 20 at 6:30 a.m.

The Rev. Richard Pollard The Rev. Scott Quinn Lawrence Weiss, violinist Stephen Weiss, violinist

Jeff Gray Organist

Saturday Evening Worship

The Celebration of Holy Communion will begin on April 26 at 6 p.m. and

continue each week to May 25

Later This Year

The Saturday Celebration of Holy Communion will resume September 6, until November 22.

The Thanksgiving Vesper Service, with In Memoriam Prayers, will be offered

on Sunday, November 23

The Christmas Evensong will be offered on Sunday, December 14

We invite your participation

Each summer, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, we hold Open House Sun-day afternoons from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Last year we welcomed a larger number of guests than in prior years. Dorothy Kelly, a member of our Board, coordi-nates the schedule of docents who take a turn one Sunday a summer, with a Board member, to show this historic church and Burial Ground and Garden. We invite your participation. Call Doro-thy Kelly at 412-489-3803 for details.

1823 Pipe Organ Has a Cipher

Our 1823 Joseph Harvey pipe organ has had several repairs over its 191 years. The Rev. Victor Zuck re-placed the hand pumped bellows with a German made electric motor. A few years ago, the sound board split and was replaced by Walt Atkins, our organ specialist. When our organist Fred Schell on March 24 prepared for our first wedding service, he found a ci-pher (an air leak). We found one organ dealer with an available electronic organ, which we have rented on a monthly basis until our pipe organ is repaired.

Question about Stephen C. Foster

Stephen Collins Foster died on January 13, 1864, 150 years ago, and his funeral was held in Trinity Episcopal Church, Sixth Avenue. He was born in Pittsburgh on July 4, 1826 and on April 2, 1827 he was baptized in Trinity Church. He attended Jefferson College, (today, W. and J. College) but he was a poor student. His real interest was music, and while his favorite instrument was the flute, he also played the violin, piano, guitar and other instruments. This raises a question, perhaps never to be answered. Did Foster ever play our 1823 pipe organ at Trinity Church? Foster as an adult lived in Pittsburgh only for a decade, from age 24 to 34. He worked in Cincinnati before age 24, and from age 34 he lived in New York City until his death. He died with 36 cents in his pocket. He is buried in Allegheny Cemetery, Pittsburgh

Religion and Federal Buildings

“...not neglecting to meet together…” Hebrews 10:25

On December 4, 1800 Congress approved the use of the newly completed Capitol building for religious ser-vices. One reason was that there were no churches in Washington at that time. This courtesy lasted until after the Civil War and into Reconstruction. Even after many churches were established in Washington, religious ser-vices still continued at the Capitol. A year before Thomas Jefferson recommended in 1802 that there should be a “wall of separation between church and state,” he attended Protestant church ser-vices in the House of Representatives. While he was President (1801-1809) Jefferson permitted church ser-vices in executive branch buildings, because he saw them to be nondiscriminatory and voluntary. Jefferson's concern for “separation” focused on opposing an official state church, rather than excluding religion from govern-ment. Catholic priests began officiating in 1826. Many of Jefferson’s succeeding Presidents, up to Abra-ham Lincoln, also attended church at the Capitol, Mem-bers of Congress also attended those services. From 1807 to 1857, services were held in what is now called Statuary Hall. These services were interdenominational and were overseen by the chaplains appointed by the House and Senate. Gradually, in addition to one service being held in the Hall of the House of Representatives, up to four congre-gations met in the Capitol each week for worship. In 1867, the First Congregational Church in Washington utilized worship space for nearly 2,000 every Sunday in the Hall of Representatives while they raised funds to build their own sanctuary. At that time, that congregation became the largest church in the city. Church services were also held at times in the Supreme Court Chamber as well as in the Senate Chamber. References:

“American Patriot Bible,” Dr. Richard G. Lee, page 1390 “Religion and Federal Buildings,” Library of Congress

The Rev. Jacob Duche (1737-1798) pastor of Christ Church, Philadelphia, officiated at the wedding of William Lea and Dorathy Nelson, our benefactors, February 2, 1774. Duche became the first chaplain of the Continental Congress and delivered their first prayer on September 7, 1774. On July 9, 1776 he also was named the first chaplain of the U. S. Con-gress. In 1777 the church asked him to stop praying for the King of England. He obliged. British forces arrested him briefly for this treason. Pennsylvania confiscated his property for asking Washington to lay down arms and negotiate with the British. He fled to England. He returned to Philadelphia in 1792.

stadt, or City of Peace, north of Wampum Village, by today’s Rt. 18 at the corner of Penndale Road. The church was transferred beside the Tuscarawas River in Ohio in 1773. n In 1761, Neolin, a Native American, was known as the Delaware Prophet, who appreciated Christianity and perhaps even The Great Awakening movement. No doubt he was touched by the Moravian missionaries. He began to preach prophetically that the “Master of Life” told him that the way to Heaven was to reject Euro-pean practices and return to traditional native ways. He said that diseases and food shortages were the signs of the Master’s displeasure, so repent and turn from alco-hol and resume monogamous marriage and sexual mo-rality. One of Neolin’s disciples was Pontiac, the Ottawa chief, who accepted Neolin’s message. Pontiac could seek salvation except that it had to include warfare to drive the British Army out of their tribal lands. n Pontiac repeated Neolin’s teachings to the Indian confederacy, and in May 1763, they initiated almost si-multaneous attacks on British forts. They began with Ft. Detroit, and then locally against Forts Presque Isle, Le Boeuf, and Venango, which were destroyed. Fort Pitt was hit in June, 1763 and placed under siege into July. Forts Ligonier and Bedford were hit but not destroyed. Gen. Amherst ordered that captured Indians be put to death, even by sending blankets infected with small pox to infect the tribes. Col Henry Bouquet came from Lan-caster with reinforcements., They met at the Battle of Bushy Run on August 5, where Bouquet defeated the Indians. This ended the siege of Fort Pitt. It was not until July,1766 that Pontiac and the British agreed to end the Pontiac’s War. n The ministry of the Moravians was not without some controversy by whites and Indians who felt it improper that Moravians sought to convert native Indians to Christianity. Some were converted and they became known as Moravian Indians. But as the victims of preju-dice, the Moravians were told to move westward or be resettled at Fort Pitt. Most of them did move and they began three villages, one being Gnadenhutten, Ohio. n A local tragedy occurred in 1782 when a party of Delaware Indians attacked the home of Robert Wallace in Florence, Pa. Robert’s wife Mary and three children were abducted and she was murdered at Hookstown, Beaver County. Obadiah Holmes, Jr. and 90 local mili-tiamen, led by Capt. David Williamson from Washington County, went to the Moravian village of Gnadenhutten, Ohio intent to kill all they suspected were guilty of mur-der. When Holmes and 16 militiamen saw the Moravian Indian villagers, their compassion would not allow them to kill anyone. They returned to Fort Pitt, but 96 Mora-vian Indians were massacred by the other militiamen. Obadiah and his wife Jane are buried in unmarked graves at Old St. Luke’s Church and Burial Ground.

References: “The Crucible of War”. Fred Anderson, Old St. Luke’s archive, and various Internet web sites.

n It has been said that many Christians are distressed when teachers of American history omit its religious ele-ments. However, a good example of the union of Ameri-can and Christian history comes from the close of the French (British) and Indian War, 1754-1763, and how it impacted our local history and religious commitment. n This seven year war, triggered by George Washing-ton, was fought by the British to expel the French troops and fur traders, and their Native American allies, from the area below the Great Lakes extending to Fort Pitt. It ended with the Treaty of Paris,1763, which brought forth great displeasure for Native Americans over the British victory, and the postwar policies that British Gen. Jeffrey Amherst imposed upon them. The instigator of the hos-tile reaction was the Ottawa chief named Pontiac. What he began in 1763 is called Pontiac’s War. . �n In 1758 the British first promised that white settlers would not go westward into tribal land. In 1763 (the 250th anniversary was October, 2013) King George III issued a Royal Proclamation that the demarcation line was determined by whether the headwaters of the rivers flowed on the east or west side of the Appalachian mountains. White settlers, like our benefactor William Lea, crossed the mountain and staked their claims in Indian territory. The Native Americans wanted their land west of the mountain free and clear in order to farm, to hunt for game and to conduct a lucrative fur trade. nAfter the British had expelled the French, the Indians no longer received their compensation of guns, tobacco and alcohol as French allies. Gen. Amherst denied this practice, to cut costs, to stop this form of bribery, and to restrict the sale of gunpowder. The Indians were in-sulted. A spirit of rebellion against the British was emerging among the tribes. A new spirit of faith was emerging in the lives of Indians and white Christians. n As the French and Indian War began here, the forms of worship in England and in the colonies were seen to be cold and formal. In the colonies The Great Awaken-ing movement was started to make evangelical worship, hymns and prayer ring with fervor, emotion and to build intimacy with God. Three leaders were George White-fild, John and Charles Wesley. Their work greatly influ-enced Christian worship. n A spiritual movement had been founded in the 15th century by John Huss, who protested the practices of the Catholic Church. His later followers took the name Moravians in the 18th century and this Protestant church soon spread worldwide. In this country, they stressed missionary outreach, and in particular, to Na-tive Americans to convert them to Christianity. The first Moravian congregation served the Mohicans in New York. Of local interest, in 1770, three local Indian chiefs requested the Moravians to establish a church in the Beaver Valley. The site chosen was named Frieden-

War, Moravians and Neolin

Old St. Luke’s Church c/o The Rev. Richard Davies 300 Madison Ave., #309 Pittsburgh, Pa. 15243-1087

2014 Dues and In Memoriam Prayer Name _______________________________ Address _____________________________ City ____________________ Zip _________ Phone ___________ Email ____________ Prefer Newsletter by email ___

Dues $15 ____ or $ ____ In Memory of _________________________ _____________________________________

Memorials remembered in November 23 Service

Payable to OLD ST. LUKE’S CHURCH Please mail to Richard Davies

300 Madison Ave., #309 Pittsburgh, Pa. 15243-1087

“If someone visits a small, isolated country church and finds it is well kept, cared for and

clearly prayed in, this is itself a witness. So time and money spent caring for such a building

should not in principle be regarded as a waste.”

Quote is from “A Radical Vision for the Church” The Church of Wales, Report 2012

A Colorful Sun Catcher

Designed in Williamsburg for us, we offer this three dimen-sional translucent gold finish year long Sun Catcher and Christmas Decoration. $15 ($17 if mailed) Call 412-489-3795 for details.