Carolina Bishop

There are 130 Episcopal bishops in the U. S. Like their 102 Roman Catholic brothers, they claim membership in a succession which goes back to apostolic times. To this succession last week was added a new member, Rev. Robert Emmet Gribbin who in Winston-Salem, N. C. was consecrated Bishop of Western North Carolina.

Born of Irish parents 46 years ago in South Carolina, Bishop Gribbin has a more martial background than most Episcopal prelates. He went to the Citadel, famed military academy of Charleston, S. C., taught there two years before going to Manhattan's General Theological Seminary and becoming a priest. After rectorships in Charleston, Atlanta and Wilmington, N. C. he went overseas as an A. E. F. chaplain. In 1921 he took charge of St. Paul's Church in Winston-Salem where he commanded the local Legion post, is still a National Guard chaplain.

Popular as is the Episcopal Church among rich U. S. families elsewhere, in North Carolina it never weaned the late munificent James Buchanan Duke from his Methodist and Baptist benefactions. The Richardson family (Vick's Vapo-Rub) are Presbyterian and Vapo-Rub goes gratis to missionaries of all denominations. Among Winston-Salem's devout Episcopalians most notable is Vice President Robert Edward Lasater of R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. (Camels) who lent his town house as a rectory to Bishop Gribbin, gave a good part of the $500,000 which built St. Paul's.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.