The New York herald., 1866-12-24
RELIGIOUS SERVICES.

Dedication OF st. stepaes'- Church- --Impres-
sivo monics-Haydn's Imperial Mass No.
3-sermou by Archbishop BIcOieskcy- -Ces-
ciuding Services.
ST. Stephens church. In Twenty sghth street. has been
always considered tho leading Catholic church In tbs city
as regards music aud ceremonies particularly great
festivals Finding that the church not largo enough
to accommodate the Of tho parish pastor
Rev Dr. Cummings, under whose direction the original
ednce was built in 1854 thought necessary 70 extend
it, and in the spring OF 1895 ths work begun His
SUCCESSOR Rev. Dr. McGlynn carried on the work with
energy and despatch and yesterday threw open to the
public ono Of tho handsomcst religious sdces In the
city The present exterior dimensions Of the church
foliows:-Exrsme length Of church, exterior,
hundred feet breadth Of body Of church. exterior
sixtysoven feet breadth Of transcpt EXTERIOR one hun
dred and ten feet front Twenty ninth street, ono
hundred and twenty feet The interior 10 divided by
columns into and aisIes with double transepts,
and Of the following dimensions Length Of church.
hundred ninety feet breadth Of body Of church
sxtythrce feet; length OF transopts, hundred and
ave feet breadth Of ransepts hfynve feet height Of
centre aisle ny-sx feet height OF side aslss thirty
ak feet 5& a
The front Twenty-ninth street 10 or facs bricks
with Bellsviile brown stone trimmings. II Is divided
into parts with centre gable, two SIDE gables.
tower and spi. Tho great centre gable ssvonty
feet high the walls forty, and tho sptre nnctyslx
feet high The building has two doors Twenty ninth
street, with heavy double stono stops with iron rangs
and basement entrances underneath The inter has
gronod roof, richly decorated with ribs and bosses aud
is elaboatey painted Ia fssco. With the addition the
Church OF st. stephen Is probably the largest parish
church In tho State Of New York. or perhaps In the
United States The architecture Of the building Is Ro
manesque. with semcircuar arohes doors and Nip.
aSws and 5sb s.aSSr:s T. the !, Windows: Tns Whole
house outside OF the building adoinIpI lot tho
steam apparatus being the most complete Ever used in
AK Ssdnss & "A; E5S Iss ii a, %
altar and % Tho cspi y al the columns .. - s'
The disagreeabls vea!hsr Yesterday had seemnsiv 40
isss Essa ss 4 Hs. ss ,s.s s:.sssS:, q T.:
sons entering ;hs shyrYh q every door add ., the ap
svery aisle Az messxay besides crowded Tho
and there could not have been css than thousand
above tnat number crowded into yesterday Through
some misunderstanding the ceremonies did not COM
mencs until quarter twelve o'clock Al that hour the
Archbishop, preceded by bearer clcrgymcn and
scolytes entered the church from one Of the Twenty
ninth street entrances The dedication ceremonies
blessed After the Lsny Of the saIuts Ana the solemn
ncen,Ing o. toe sanctuary the nigh mass esmmsnced
cesbrant, Rev. Mr. McEvoy. deacon, Rev Louis
Gsmbosve. subdcacop. and Rev. VIM. Poole, rnAst8f
Rev Mr. Farrell, Rev Dr. Moore, OF Charleston. south
Carolina; Rev Mr. Mccarthy Rev. c. Macrcady and
Rev Mr. Kearney There were thirty boys IN white sur
One Of tho great features Of the occasion was tho
music. which unusually brilliant and imposing.
There were nearly eighty singers In the choir mostly
from the Msndcssohn Union and an excellent orchestra
Of thrtyeight members The entire force was under
the direction Of Mr. william Bcrge. orsanlst Of tho
church. Fr9t came tho overture 10 DIR Frcixc at the
masterpiece Of Weber thu. Salvador Roaa or music In
this work embodied she Wild and fantastic images Of
German superstition, and in strength aod vigor of
finely played by the orchestra and whatever may be its
aptitude for such an occasion. Il formed highly eject
i've Introduction 10 Haydns Imperial Mass No g. which
followed Haydn's masses some Of the host typcs
of sacred music that have Having carly discovered
uxuriousnesa Of modern italian ps-Scs and the mon Of
onouy, insipId styio Of the German hymns, Haydn
felt that 70 compose sacred music as u realy
different He therefore borrowed some ideas from
dramatic music. but preserved. by tho sodty OF tho
the ancient school, sustaining by his orchestral richness
melodies solemn tendsr and ~ the sams time dgnncd
and brilliant In his sacred airs thcrs arc occasional
graces aud ornaments which happily relieve from time To
time the general ionsss and magnincencc OF hi sacred
style In the Imperial Mass these qualities ssrkingy
aoursh or trampess and is martial stately and to soms
degree symphonic Ia iu spirit Now the hundred voices
and inssumsnts with she dsep diapascn OF The oxan
thunder forth unisos the chord Of tho Dat ninth FOL
lowing nj intervals In crashing dissonsucs and
Itself into the minor giving character shs
truly Tsss ss xsss rather scrd ssprsSs colo oDs of
those beautiful figures FOR which Haydn u - rkabe
fs'lowa towards ths Close u shs xyse the harmony
becomes delightful and the voices sssm N try
every ksy in music m their appeal 70 Heaven unlock
iis treasures Of mercy 70 shsm gradually returning.
Ths C,sdo followed next the 0tsyta bsinr omitted on
account OF Advent The aki<are spivito movement
with which the csdo opsna vas gwen vish telling eject
by the Immense body OF voices and instruments in a.
stephens church Yesterday Il wns Hike Of thoxe
grand osaiorio which the voices follow one
after the other In fugue STYLE eliminating with magnI
ncsnt Anas. The N lnearnafs is . soprano soio and
very esctivs one, too but II spoiled, The
other SOPRANO solo. - the msss BY the lady nirured
with that part She sang completely eut of tune--in
some instances nearly half sbovs tho pitcb-and
besides her voice appeared iiks moro shsli without
the conssaIio on tho occasion; Mr. W. J. Mn tenor and
Mr.. Duschnitx bssso They wers IN general vsry GOOD
Tho crscfrus and ~ Rss1rerf we're the nert notcsabs
features IN the Ced1 The Sarcfss and Agns Def both
highly dramatic works. concluded the masa. Rarely "
ever, has such a musical beeu offered 70 the
grcgaion Of any church In this cisS wnh the sxcep-
ton Of the Soprano artists who assisted II gass
the utmost Subtraction Bssdss the fAmbIlIotses
vsni Cteafr and To e Psfvss, by composer Of the
addition Of ths GLORIA viii b repeated christmas
Day The Coronation March was given BY ths orchestra
and orau sfssr shs man ~as oeuc'odsd A. mo Gospel
ssruox nv Asrnssswoe ucnsxrv.
Tho Rsh, Rev. Dr. MccIcsksy, having a.esndsd ihs
ss6iy fourth Palm :aIov ovsiy are tky sabcvnscIes
Lord Of Yes ths rparrow hath found house
asd The swallow for herself wbsre shs lay her
yopnx. thns s'sars Lord of hosts my King and
my God ~ t
kpeh belovsd brsshrsn, the earnest exclamation
OF tho royal prophet he devouuy contemplated the
beauties 0 thr temple of hs God and medifaed with
snecsio nate delight the wisdom and power ana
glory aud goodnes of the Eternal One who nsd u with
ha holy prcsence Hs loved to quit ha rich palace
bult o. tss precous woods Of LehAnon and % he
take msef 20 ths spot which he bad chosen oa the
Mount of zon fhs NJ tho tabernacle and
there laying sde royal and r~xz sosftr~ ana
all tho appart.nances Of his human s.ibess hs bowed
down and offered the homage Of his earthly roy
atty 70 him who n the King of Kings and The
God Of Armies. He loved 70 witness asd W
sxsiss al tie solemn and impressive c~rrmonais
which Cod himself had prescribed for HE own
divine service Ne loved TO behod the priests ard
L-v,o. robei their sarerdosl yes,nsrts mmiwerng
within tho sanrtuzry Hr loved 10 the elo1ds u In
csnss o. and bssntsous emblem Of prsyef, vssd high
from golden censsrs. and when the blood of victims
str~auna arvund altar ~ hoocauxss his prophetr
vision him Contemplate that other aitAfths altar
~ Is aryon -hlch tho Lamb, srotier and npdsnicd
"A han H.n {onts