The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1869-10-24
Cornerstone Of 81. Johns Church.

street, took place last sunday afternoon
The church is TO be a splendid structure in
brick, and occupies in part the site for
merly used for the frame church so long
and so well known by all Catholics in the
rear of the First and Fourth Districts.
This building is going up with remarkable
rapidity, the walls being already above the
stills of the windows, the frames of which
are set in their appropriate positions, while
the main tower is about twenty feet high.
The bricks are of most excellent quality
and the sand of the finest and sharpest
kind, instead of the clayey dirt with which
contractors so often make their mortar.
We know not whether Father Moynihan
is more to be congratulated or compliment
ed on the magic like promptness with
which this great edifice springs from the
ground. Certainly such thorough earnest
ness and success could not be infused into
a complex work of that description with
out an abundant mixture of both energy
and experience on the part of the moving
spirit. 4
Notwithstanding the frequency with
which occasions of this sort have required
in our midst lately, the present one ELECTED
the earnest interest of large crowd, which
we had no opportunity of numbering, but
which has been generally estimated at
from three to four thousand people. The
feeling of this assembly was more exactly
appreciable by the result of a partial col
lection which was taken up during the
proceedings amounting to several hundred
dollars.
Among the most prominent patrons of
the new work, present and absent, we
heard of Messrs. H. McCloskey, w. j. Cas-
tell, John L. Gubernator, E. Connery,
Thos. Gilmore, Thos. Mulligan, Col. Strang,
U. S. A, Thos. Maxwell, Esq, Sheriff of
this parish, j. C. Pooley, John c: Stewart
D. P. Seaman, E. BIessey, p. F. Herwig,
]. L. Herwig, Col. Boyd, Az. Isaacson,
Christy Connell and many others besides
those gentlemen whose special exertions
had justified the placing of their names on
the scroll hich was deposited beneath the
cornerstone. These specially honored
names were those of Patrick Irwin, l.. Fol
ger, Nicholas Burke, Michael Condran, NJ.
Wheelahan, NJ. Hines, Oh. Riley, Peter
NJ. McNolty, VIM. Walker, John French,
Andw. ParIe, Martin Casey, James Cass,
Patrick Dryer, Patrick Fitzsimmons and
Michael Fitzsimmons.
The scroll containing these names was
headed by that of the reigning Chief
Pontiff, of Our venerable Archbishop, the
President of the United States, Governor
of the State, Mayor of the city, and of
Father jeremiah Moynihan, pastor of the
parish.
The procession consisted of many mem
bers of the local clergy, religious societies,
parochial schools, and the general faithful,
and all headed by band of music from
the. Boys Orphan Asylum of the Third
District. Very Rev. Able Perche officiated
at the ceremonies appropriate to the occa-
sion, and an eloquent address of nearly
an hour was delivered by Father Smith, OF
st. Josephs Church.
Rev. Father Perche, before Diminishing
the assemblage, made few most eloquent
and appropriate remarks.
Thus within short time our public has
been summoned to witness the inauguara-
ton of several great Catholic works. First,
ground was broken for the grand new
Church of st. Josepthts; then for THAT of St
John the Baptist, now the corner stone Of
the latter is solemnly laid. few days age
similar ceremony took place at the site OF
the new convent SO rapidly rising in the
Fourth District for the benefit of the Sis
tiers of Mercy. We had to chronicle re-
Gently the initiative for new convent in
the Third District, and now the new church
on Annunciation Square is nearly ready
for dedication to divine worship.
AS young now as at first, the Church
pushes on her work of zeal with untiring
energy, fighting with the powers of the
world that battle which shall never end
but with time. 1t is cheering to see the
signs of progress, these approaches to a
victory though we know it can never be
completed until the sign of the cross is
planted in the heavens in view of all men.