William McGarvey

Who was William McGarvey?

William McGarvey was a priest in the Episcopal Church and rector of St. Elizabeth parish in Philadelphia. In 1896 he became the leader of a group known as the 'Companions of the Holy Savior', which was associated with St. Elizabeth parish. McGarvey had been mentored by Henry Percival along with William Walter Webb who became president of Nashotah House. During the first few years there was a close association between Nashotah and St. Elizabeth parish. In 1906 Joseph Barry took over as president of Nashotah; he was an advocate of ritualism, but also anti-Roman. He was suspicious of the Companions, and in 1907 a dispute arose over the 'open pulpit' resolution. In the fallout McGarvey and many others joined the Roman Catholic Church, including 3 teachers and 5 students at Nashotah House. This resulted in a backlash against ritualism in the Episcopal Church. Bishop Charles Chapman Grafton and others helped to counter the backlash.