The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1869-09-19

NgW ORLEANS. SUNDAY. SEPTBAhAh ~. i-oe
Dsdication, Of st. Pstdats Church, Memphis
-. Tenn. ff>kF-
rr.,;s new church, which for some time
,,ast "was being erected at the corner Of
f;,,syen and DeSoto streets, was cumpieted
~, saturday, August Goth, the last touch
bei,,o riyen TO it rs the shades OF evening
felI over the city. The building rs a hand
some frame, one hundred feet long and
1sfTv feet wide. fronting on DeSoto streets.
The exterior is plain, the only attempt Mt
ornamentation being at the main entrance,
which is surmounted by cross ana mas
something of the gothic style ABOUT IL.
The interior has neat and chasue appear
ance, the walls and ceilings being painted
white. and the pews, wainscotting and
other woodwork tastefuliy grained. Inc
roof ia supported by two lines of pillars,
that add to the beauty of the editice. The
sanctuary is separated from the body OF
the church by a handsome rali1ng, tnae Is
really beautiful and is credit to the
workmen who executed it. Six rows OF
news. with entrances from the middle on
side aisles, have been erected, which, it is
estimated, will seat about seven hundred
people. Immediately over the main en-
trance is gallery for the choir. The
congregation numbers some two or three
thousand souls.
About ten o'clock ON Sunday morning
great number of people began to congre-
gate in front of the new church to take
view of it outside, and TO admire its some
what attractive exterior with its large,
high windows and pointed roof, surmount-
ed by large cross.
at about eleven o'clock, the edifice
being well filed, q procession started out
from the vestry composed In TINS order:
Six boys-the two boys in front bearing o
large silver cross Father Kelly; Fathers
Cook and Walsh;
The procession walked down the middle
aisle and out of the door of the church,
where the ceremonies prescribed by the
Roman ritual fer the dedication OF a new
chnrch were at once commenced. AT that
hour the sun came down fercely on the I'M
covered heads of the clergymen and the
little boys who composed the procession,
and the Bishop wisely decided to read the
services instead of singing them, as is
USUALLY done. After Offering short
prayer, which is always said in Latin in
the ceremonies of the Catholic Church,
the Bishep- spfiakled- holy water ON the
building, repeating the psalm: Sprinkle
me with byssop, Oh Lord, and shall be
cleansed; wash me and ] shall be made
whiter than snow" the attendants (clei)
alternating with verses from the fifteenth
psalm-"Have mercy on me, o God, ac-
cordipg to Thy great mercy The band
played Adeste FideteS, and the procession
then moved slowly around the building,
the Bishop saying appropriate prayers
appointed by the Churchfor such occasions,
and the attendants repeating. the. l19th,
I2Oth and I21st psalms, entering into the
building by the same door at which the
procession went up the aisle, one of the
attendant priests singing in n loud voice
the litany of the saints, while another
made the responses, going up the middle
aisle to the altar; after which the process
sion spread out before the altar, the final
prayers were offered, and the church was
dedicated to st. Patrick and placed under
his special protection.
Solemn High Mass was then commenced
with Father Riordan rs celebnRnt, and
Fathers Cook and Fortune as assistants.
During the celebration of High Mass was
preached the sermon.
After the Gospel was read, Bishop Fee
han went upon the altar steps to preach
the dedicatory sermon
He read the Gospel of the day from st.
Mathew, and the text from which he
preached the sermon, from the ninth
chapter of the Third Book of Kings.
When the bishop concluded his eloquent
sermon, the celebration of the Mass went
on, and the large congregation of silent
worshipefs Teverently bowed before the
altar as if it had been consecrated by the
blood of many martyrs and the hallowed
memory of q thousand years. The Mass
selected by the choir was Mozarts
Twelfth q ileservedly celebrated piece of
sacred music. Professor Sabatzky worthily
led the fine choir.