0 0 ▁parish ion ers . ▁During ▁the ▁Great ▁De pression , ▁it ▁sold ▁that ▁building , ▁which ▁had ▁become ▁cr amp ed , ▁and ▁bought ▁a ▁larger ▁church ▁on ▁La f ay ette ▁Square ▁from ▁a ▁white ▁con greg ation ▁( Ch urch ▁of ▁the ▁As c ension ) ▁which ▁moved ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁to ▁rapidly ▁developing ▁Middle ▁River , ▁Maryland . ▁On ▁E aster ▁Sunday ▁ 1 9 3 2 , ▁B rag g ▁led ▁the ▁con greg ation ' s ▁first ▁service ▁in ▁what ▁remains ▁its ▁current ▁church ▁building ▁ ▁On ▁March ▁ 2 6 , ▁ 1 9 3 3 , ▁the ▁con greg ation ▁presented ▁its ▁largest - ever ▁class ▁for ▁confirm ation ▁by ▁the ▁bishop , ▁who ▁had ▁supported ▁the ▁move ▁despite ▁considerable ▁opposition ▁within ▁the ▁parish . ▁ ▁B rag g ▁continued ▁his ▁social ▁activ ism ▁fighting ▁rac ism ▁and ▁Jim ▁Crow ▁laws , ▁both ▁within ▁and ▁outside ▁the ▁church . ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 9 , ▁he ▁helped ▁establish ▁a ▁black ▁or phan age ▁in ▁Baltimore ▁( the ▁Maryland ▁Home ▁for ▁Friend less ▁Col ored ▁Children ), ▁which ▁became ▁known ▁for ▁its ▁pla cement ▁of ▁te en agers ▁in ▁fost er ▁homes . ▁Three ▁years ▁later ▁he ▁helped ▁Book er ▁T . ▁Washington ▁found ▁the ▁Committee ▁of ▁Tw elve , ▁which ▁fought ▁to ▁prevent ▁dis enf ranch is ement ▁of ▁black s ▁in ▁Maryland . ▁He ▁also ▁advoc ated ▁the ▁h iring ▁of ▁African - American ▁teachers ▁to ▁educ ate ▁African - American