January 23, 1890 – September 25, 1968

by David Curtis Skaggs, Christ Episcopal Church, New Bern, NC, 2016

Elizabeth Gordon Griffin’s parents were Camilla Cook Vaughn Griffin and William Joseph Griffin. Her maternal grandparents were Camilla Helen Cook and Maurice Hamilton Vaughn, who served as rector of Christ Church, Elizabeth City from 1859-60 and 1870-73.

Throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries the missionary activities of Anglican Communion extended worldwide. Epitomizing this tradition was Christ Church’s Elizabeth Gordon Griffin. Before she left for missionary work in the Philippines Miss Griffin devoted seven months of work on a new altar cloth that was dedicated on All Saints Day 1930. She encouraged women of the parish to give pieces of lace in memory of friends or relatives. The 61 gifts were then sewed into a fair linen, credence table cloth, chalice veil and corporal. At the time of its dedication this altar cloth is only one of three of its kind in the country, the others being at St. John’s Cathedral in Denver and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City.

“Miss Lizzie,” as Miss Griffin was known to members of the parish, was the treasurer of the Missionary Diocese of the Philippine Islands when she was captured by the Japanese in 1942. She was among more than 2,000 mostly non-combatants confined at Los Baños Agricultural College near the shore of a large lake south of Manila known as Laguna de Bay. Fearing for their safety as American forces advanced on Luzon, a daring surprise land, amphibious and airborne rescue operation by elements of the 11th Airborne Division on February 24, 1945, freed all the prisoners.*

After a year’s rest in New Bern, she returned to the Philippines and continued her missionary duties which lasted twenty-five years. Following her retirement in 1955, she became very energetic in Christ Church activities, particularly with the Episcopal Church Women.

According to Christ Church historian Gertrude S. Carraway, the church’s silver receiving basin for holding the alms basins is a memorial to Miss Elizabeth Gordon Griffin, “Christ’s Faithful Soldier and Servant, 1931-1955, Missionary to the Philippines.” Custom-made in England, with embossed religious symbols, this basin was ordered and approved by a special parish committee and donated by Camilla Vaughn Griffin (Mrs. Victor William) Herlevich in memory of her aunt.

*As part of the Naval History & Heritage Command Papers housed at East Carolina University, there is a collection relating to Elizabeth G. Griffin’s internment, along with correspondence about efforts of the U. S. Department of State and the National Council of the Protestant Episcopal Church to exchange internees, and letters written by Miss Griffin upon her release revealing details of her rescue by American forces, her reflections on life in Los Baños, and her return to New Bern: https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/research-guides/source-guide-entry-by-state/north-carolina/east-carolina-university.html.