Excerpt from History of the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania, 1871-1909, Vol. 1: And the Diocese of Harrisburg, 1904-1909

The firm conviction that an intelligent interest in any given object is in exact ratio to the knowledge one possesses of that particular object, was the thought that first led me to think of undertaking so great a task as the writing of the History of the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania. While the Church in this great Diocese of ours, as well as all other Dioceses, is a unit, under the Bishop, yet - for the more complete and perfect accomplishment of the diversified duties of the Church - in this unity there is a multiplicity of parts. There are the body of the Clergy, the Parishes, the various Institutions, the Standing Committee, the Board of Mis sions, the Woman's Auxiliary, the Incorporated Trustees, besides a number of others, each of which necessarily has a history of its own. And as these different parts, in the perfect unity of the Church, are necessary factors for the fulfillment of-the Church's mission, it is important that every Churchman and Churchwoman have at least some knowledge of the inner life and doings of each of them. Without this no one can be effectually interested in any part, much less the whole, of the Church. Any one at all conversant with the fact knows that the'sources for acquiring such knowledge are very limited and fragmentary. Therefore to meet this wont, I have written, what many another could have done far better than I, this History of our dear old Diocese of Central Pennsylvania. And as the Diocese of Harrisburg constituted, for so many years, such an important part of Central Pennsylvania, I concluded, when, in 1904, it was erected into a new See, to continue its history, as such, to the present time. Hence this Work is intended to be not only a History of Central Pennsylvania, but of the Diocese of Harrisburg as well.

Another consideration which led to the preparation of this Work was to devote what clear proceeds might be realized out of the sale of the History-toward the erection of our new Church building, at Frackville. When the building of a new Church became a necessity, the great problem in the minds of my handful of good people, as well as myself, was. How to secure the required funds. It then occurred to me that such a Work as this, in addition to being a source of information to the Church whose history it gives, might also be used as a means of securing a portion of the funds needed. In the erection of our new Church. Thus I hope that this effort of mine may accomplish a two-fold good.

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