The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1868-10-04
81. pATR1cHs cATHEDRAr, DuEL1N.

p Catholic churches are always open. No
distinction is made in classes or persons.
In the whole world, here alone the barrier
of caste and privilege is negatived. In for
mer times it was so in st. Patrick's, Iublio.
The custom now in vogue may be gathered
from the following extract of q letter writ
ten by the Rev. G. w. Gray, Protestant
Vicar of Inkberron, Worcestershire, Eng
! land, to the London Guardian:
Being in Dublin on Sunday, went with
some friends, two ladies and q gentleman,
to the afternoon service at St. Patrick's
Cathedral, where, and when it was adver-
tised that q Mr.. O'Meara, preacher of con-
siderable eminence, was to occupy the pull
pit. We entered by the southwest door,
and passed up the nave hoping to occupy
some empty seats in the north or south
| transept of that now magni6cently restored
temple, in close proximity to the pulpit. On
| arriving, however, at the east end of the
nave, and requesting to be allowed to pass
through the barrier, at which stood an ODD
cial of the cathedral, we were very uDcere-
moniously informed by the said official that
| all the seats in the transepts were reserved
! for the relatives and friends of the deaD,
! and could only be occupied by an order
| from him. / could not help remarking to
| the official in question that I had heard of
| reserved seats at concerts and places of
made for such reservation, but that never
before heard Of reserved seats in the house
| of God, and such house of God as the re-
stored Cathedral of st. Patrick's, Dublin.
! My friends and l were subsequently
| shown to a square pew at the farthest end
of the choir. The sermon was in aid of
some Protestant charity near Dublin, but
as could not hear one word in hundred
spoken by the preacher, was certainly un-
edi6ed, and the charity unassisted, at least
from my purse. Sir, hardly think it ne
cessary to make any comment on the above
mentioned facts, and yet; perhaps, one or
two observations thereon may not be inap-
propriate, more especially at the present
day, and in the present position of the Irish
branch of the United Church. Under any
circumstance of that church, and had the
dean and chapter themselves been at the
cost of the recent restoration OF their cathe-
dral, this system of reservation and exclu-
sion would. be equally unwise and inexpe-
dent. But when we remember that the
dean and chapter of st. Patrick's Cathedral
owe its restoration entirely to the pious
munificcnce of the late Sir B. l.. Guinness,
one of the oldest and most respected citi-
zens of Dublin, and who expended thereon,
as / am informed, upwards of EIJ0,000,
am of opinion that not only the citizens of
| Dublin themselves, bnt the public at large
have Just cause for complaint and indigna-
tiOn at the conduct pursued by the dean in
thus making large portion of this magnih-
cent temple, if not a place of merchandise,
at any rate one of private interest and favor.
have little doubt that the present dean of
| st. Patrick's is as much opposed as the
| humble writer of this letter to Mr.. Glad
stones scheme for the disestablishmeDt and
disendowment of the Protestant Church in
ireland, but he must pardon me for saying
that, in my opinion, Mr.. Gladstone himself
could hardly find or wish for sounder or
better argument in aid or defense of his
sacrilegious proposal than is afforded by the
mi .erably exclusive and unchrfBtlan course
In his cathedral