Parish Decides to Stay
Diocesan Press Service. May 8, 1963 [X-18]
ST. LOUIS - A 100-year-old parish here has made three moves in its life. Each move was prompted by a neighborhood change, and each took it further away from the downtown area.
In 1953, Trinity Church decided to stay in its fourth location and minister to those around it. It had seemed necessary to close up or move, but an alternative was found - ministry to its community.
In the mid-1950's, the parish took on new life. Young people, Negro communicants from the surrounding neighborhood, and a large group of young professional people came in. The result was a new tradition and the beginning of a neighborhood parish.
Trinity is located in a fairly stable borderline community, boxed in between business and residential areas, some all-white and some all-Negro. One nearby block of single family homes is integrated and probably will remain so.
During Lent of 1960, a community relations committee met and frustrations poured forth. The frustrations led to inviting neighborhood youngsters into the parish hall for Saturday afternoon recreation. Seventy showed up the first day, and the "Saturday program", which still continues, began. That June the vestry again talked stay or move, and they chose to stay. The church school that fall doubled in enrollment.
In early 1961, a parish worker was hired to coordinate the expanding program. By June, the pressure of growth hit the vestry. Again, they had to make the decision, stay or move, neighborhood work or not.
They stayed, continued the program and developed a successful vacation church school. Pieces began to fall into place as a group offered $8,000 for a building program if the parish could raise $2,000. The parish voted the program, raised $4, 000, borrowed some more, and revamped the building. As a result, Trinity Church now has quarters in which it can fit its lively neighborhood and parish life.
Mrs. Robert Richmond, a YWCA worker downtown and a communicant, came in June, 1962 as the second parish worker. The rector is the Rev. Anthony J. Morley. The Rev. Arthur Walmsley was rector from 1955 to 1958.
(Editors: Two photographs of some of the participants in their Saturday "enrichment program" are available for the asking.)