Religion: Dean Change

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A desirable post in the Protestant Episcopal Church is that of dean of a cathedral. Often ranking next to his bishop, a dean bears the title "Very Reverend," usually administers the cathedral, plans its services. For two decades a notable U. S. dean has been Very Rev. George Carl Fitch Bratenahl, onetime president of the Society of Deans of Cathedrals in America, associated with the "National" Cathedral of SS. Peter & Paul in Washington, D. C. since it was in blueprints 40 years ago. Tall, shy, scholarly Dean Bratenahl knows more about cathedral traditions than anyone else in the U. S., for years chairmanned the Washington Cathedral's building committee, was its official iconographer in charge of steeping its fabric of glass, wood and stone in mystic symbolism.

Year ago when the Cathedral Chapter met for general assembly, Dean Bratenahl, enfeebled at 73, had lately suffered an attack of coronary thrombosis. The Chapter, a board of trustees including such Episcopalians as onetime Senator George Wharton Pepper, onetime Under Secretary of State William Richards Castle, onetime Ambassador to Great Britain Alanson Bigelow Houghton, retired Bishop Philip Mercer Rhinelander, Canon Anson Phelps Stokes, Senate Chaplain ZeBarney Thorne Phillips, was asked on the motion of Trustee Pepper to terminate Dean Bratenahl's incumbency, tender him the offices of dean emeritus and titular chairman of the building committee. With all but the foregoing members abstaining from voting, the Chapter thereupon retired Dean Bratenahl. To the press was issued a statement which implied that the dean was leaving voluntarily, with full salary. Actually the aging dean to whom the Cathedral was a consuming interest, left under protest, insisting—as did his forthright wife and his friends—that he be allowed to carry on his work.

Not until last month did Dean Bratenahl bring his controversy with the Chapter into the open. Then, in The Cathedral Age, a quarterly published by the National Cathedral Association, appeared a letter from him declaring that he had been "deposed," that the office of clean emeritus was "contrary to the established traditions of the Church," that he was not getting his full salary since two 10% pay cuts had not been restored.

On the heels of the dean's letter came announcement from the Cathedral of his successor, quietly chosen long ago to bring new blood to the white fane on Washington's Mount St. Alban—Rev. Dr. Noble Cilley Powell of Baltimore. Alabama-born 45 years ago, handsome Noble Powell was an entomologist, investigating the boll weevil for the Department of Agriculture, before he went to the Uni-versity of Virginia and Virginia Theological Seminary, became a priest in 1921. As rector of St. Paul's Memorial Church near Charlottesville and Episcopal chaplain at the university, he missionized among both students and hillbillies in the nearby Ragged Mountains. For the past five years the highly successful rector of Emmanuel Church in downtown Baltimore, Dr. Powell lately declined to be nominated for bishop coadjutor of Michigan.