William Elwell (September 15, 1901 - December 29, 1977) was a prominent American
Anglo-Catholic
Anglo-Catholicism comprises beliefs and practices that emphasise the Catholic heritage and identity of the various Anglican churches.
The term was coined in the early 19th century, although movements emphasising the Catholic nature of Anglican ...
priest who originated devotion to
Our Lady of Walsingham in the American
Episcopal Church. A native of
Sheboygan, Wisconsin, he was ordained to the priesthood on May 22, 1927, after studies at
Nashotah House Theological Seminary.
He was appointed rector of
Grace Episcopal Church in Sheboygan, Wisconsin in March, 1938 after serving as assistant under the Rev. A. Parker Curtiss since 1929. During his tenure from 1938 to 1955, the name of the church shifted from the standard "Grace Episcopal Church" to a dedication to "Our Lady of Grace." He instituted a Marian pilgrimage and procession in 1951 that is still observed annually as of 2022. Elwell was the only Wisconsin candidate for coadjutor bishop election in the
Episcopal Diocese of Fond du Lac
The Diocese of Fond du Lac is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, encompassing the northeastern third of Wisconsin. The diocese contains about 3,800 baptized members worshiping in 33 locations. It is part of Provinc ...
, but withdrew in favor of
William Hampton Brady
William Hampton Brady (September 7, 1912 – December 23, 1996) was a bishop in the American Episcopal Church (United States), Episcopal Church.
Early life
Born in Aquasco, Maryland on September 7, 1912, Brady graduated from the University of M ...
who succeeded as diocesan in 1957.
Elwell became rector of
S. Clement's Church, Philadelphia in 1955 (instituted Epiphany 1956) and served until
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...
forced his retirement in 1964. He was a canon of
St. Paul's Cathedral, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin and a guardian of the
Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham
Our Lady of Walsingham is a title of Mary, mother of Jesus venerated by Catholics, Western Rite Orthodox Christians, and some Anglicans associated with the Marian apparitions to Richeldis de Faverches, a pious English noblewoman, in 1061 in the ...
in
Norfolk, England. He was also a prominent member of the
American Church Union.
He was buried at Wildwood Cemetery in Sheboygan in the family plot and left no survivors.
References
*"Father Elwell Dies at 76", ''Sheboygan Press'', December 30, 1977, p. 10.
*Obituary, ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', December 31, 1977, p. 27.
External links
Grace, Sheboygan websiteService leaflets from Elwell's tenure at S. Clement's
from Philadelphia Studies
Leaflet for the Institution of Rev. William Elwell as Rector of St. Clement’s Church (1956)
from Philadelphia Studies
Photographs from the Installation of Rev. William Elwell as Rector of St. Clement’s Church (1956)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Elwell, William
1901 births
1977 deaths
20th-century American Episcopal priests
American Anglo-Catholics
People from Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Anglo-Catholic clergy
Anglo-Catholic writers