Episcopal Press and News
Colorado Council Supports "Loyalists" at St. Mary's
Episcopal News Service. December 17, 1976 [76395]
Salome Breck
DENVER, Colo. -- The Executive Council of the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado gave unanimous support in mid-December to a resolution upholding the status and rights of 79 "loyalists," communicants of St. Mary's, Denver, who declared they would stay with the diocese when the rector, the Rev. James Mote, and remaining members of the parish voted to secede. The vote, 197 to 79, was taken at a parish meeting Nov. 28, and was precipitated by the action of the Church's General Convention to ordain women to the priesthood.
The Council agreed with Bishop William C. Frey not to contest in court the vote of St. Mary's to secede from the diocese, at least for the present.
The resolution, passed by this, the governing body of the Diocese of Colorado, stated that it "did not approve or recognize the action taken by St. Mary's, to withdraw from the Diocese."
The Council also affirmed its support for "those members of St. Mary's who voted against such withdrawal and affirms its ecclesiastical ties and its rights to the nonprofit corporation known as St. Mary's Church."
This is the group now meeting at Epiphany Church, Denver.
Council action followed comments by Field C. Benton, chancellor of the diocese. Benton explained that "the recent action of the Secretary of State, Mary Estill Buchanan, had simply ruled the amending process had met the minimum statutory requirements, and that she had no authority even to consider additional unique requirements based on Canon law."
"The Council's vote, in part, was due to the fact that the canonical amending requirements had not been followed by that parish corporation," he continued.
Benton described the situation as one "which to my knowledge is unparalleled in the Episcopal Church, and is certainly unparalleled in this diocese."
Joseph Frascona, vestryman for the original parish, and now serving in the same capacity for the group remaining in the diocese, said, "We need the direction of you, who make up the governing body of this diocese. The St. Mary's people who are loyal have been left without a priest and a building. They have invested time, money and energy in their parish."
Frascona said he had been "on the inner councils of the parish when the trouble began, following the General Convention vote to ordain women to the priesthood.
"As a member of the vestry I watched hardness growing in the people I love. Family ties were broken because of the break in the congregation.
"People came to me after the vote on Nov. 28 and told me that if it had been secret, they would have voted with the other side and stayed with us.
"We who remain have received gracious hospitality at Epiphany Church. We are not worried. We are with the diocese. Physical assets are not the primary interest," he added.
"As a lawyer I feel our new vestry has a responsibility to the 79. We would rather not go to court over this. However, fairness would indicate that we should receive an accounting and an appraisal of parish property. If we don't get it, we can still worship happily."
Most needed, according to Frascona, was the assurance that the Executive Council supported the 79-member-group at St. Mary's Church.
"I am amazed at the audacity of the seceding group calling itself St. Mary's," he said.
Bishop Frey spoke of the assurance of support he had received. "It is an amazing coming together of the entire Christian community," he said. "What started out looking like a divisive action will probably evolve into a unifying action."
Several members of the Council expressed their dismay at the way the Bishop had been misrepresented by St. Mary's rector and members of the seceding group, and with the decision of the Secretary of State.
"Our concern is not on the decision of the Secretary of State, or on the misrepresentation," said the Bishop. "It is with the people of the parish. Slowly, but surely, I believe we will get them back. The seceding group certainly doesn't need armed guards to defend themselves. I told them to save their money.
"We don't plan to bother them. Jesus didn't hire armed guards to protect his rights."
The Rev. Canon C. Harry Christopher, who conducted the first service at Epiphany for the 79 loyal members from St. Mary's congregation, said, "I never saw a more loving Christian group."
The resolution, passed first by the Executive Council as the official Board of Directors of the Diocese, and then by the body as the Council read:
"Whereas the Colorado nonprofit corporation known as St. Mary's Church, Denver, Colorado, in the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado, attempted to withdraw from the Diocese of Colorado by amending its Articles of Incorporation,
"Therefore Be it Resolved, the Diocese of Colorado, speaking through the Diocesan Executive Council and the Diocesan Corporation, does not approve or recognize the action taken by St. Mary's Church to withdraw from the Diocese of Colorado, supports those members of St. Mary's Church who voted against such withdrawal, and affirms its ecclesiastical ties and its rights with respect to the nonprofit corporation known as St. Mary's Church."