Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-04-11
HUNTINGTON'S
No. "a North Summer Street,
NEAR UNION.
febs eodtljan972.

Easter Sunday-Ets Observance by
the Catholics of Nashville and
EdgeEieId - Laying the Corner
Stone of the New 4 hurch.
Easter Sunday was delightful day, and
q most happy one for thousands Of our
| Catholic fellow citizens. During the
| morning the churches were crowded to
excess from in the morning until half
| past 12. At hslf-p 10 in the morning,
the children at St Mary's Orphan Asylum
were brought in on the street cars, the
South Nashville company very generously
furnishing cars gratuitously for the occa-
sion. About eighty of the little ones
came in and were seated within the sane
tuary of the Cathedral, and around the
railing. The services were sublime, and
the music worthy of the occasion.
At 2 P. N the different societies met at
their usual places, and at 3 o'clock they
| formed in procession on Cedar street, ST.
Josephs Total Abstinence Society in the
lead, the members Of the Hibernian SOci-
ETY. following, and citizens bringing up the
rear. In this order they proceeded to
Edgefeld, and halted in front of ST.
Johns Church, where the Bishop was sd-
ministering confirmation.
This ended, the Bishop, priests, and
acelytes Joined the procession, which pro
ceeded to the site of the new Church Of
st. COLUMBIA, on Main street, where most
eloquent discourse was delivered by the
Bishop.
The Bishop took for his text the parable
of Jesus Christ when he reckoned the
Kingdom of Heaven like to a grain Of
mustard seed which a man took and sOwed
in his field, and when it was grown it was
the greatest among herbs, and becometh
tree, so that the birds could lodge in the
branches thereof From this theme the
distinguished divine made very beautiful
and appropriate discourse, comparing tbs
Christian Church to the grain OF mustard
seed, and going back to the foundation
of the Christian religion he re-
ferred to its spread among all
nations and tongues. He alluded in an
eloquent strain to the discovery of Amer
lea, when Columbus planted the cross upon
its shores, and later when De Soto ascend
ed the Father of Waters in a canoe, hold
ing up the cross to the savsges who
then inhabited the country Coming
down to only seventy years sgO,
he said that there was only one Bishop in
the country, few priests, and few thou
sand members of the church scattered
about the country. But the seed that hsd
been planted had grown to be great tree
and there were millions resting quietly be
meath its branches But we will not do
him the injustice to attempt even a synOp-
sis of his remarks, which were listened t.
throughout with marked attention by the
large crowd present.
At the conclusion Of the discourse, the
Societies formed hollow-square, the vast
multitude taking their places outside the
lines marked out for the foundation of the
church. This might seem to some people
feat of an extraordinary character, but it
was not--a minute or SO suffced, so polite
and oblging were all that great crowd
such a crowd as never before assembled IL
our sister city.
The Bishop and Priests, assisted by the
Acolytes, then proceeded to lay the corGsr
stone with the usual ceremonies, as pre-
scribed in the rubrics. = In the corner
stone were deposited an Inscription in
Latin, of which the following is a transla-
tom
'gThis corner stone, of church 10 be
dedicated to God, under the Invocation Of
St. COLUMBIA, has been laid on the solemn
Il odoS VI Isoou1HoCtAOu, luc SLu udy OF
April, A. D., 1871, by the Right Reverend
P. A. FeehAn, Bishop, in the city Of Edge
field, of which w. A. Glenn is Mayor; IN
the State of Tennessee, of which d. W.
O. Senter is Governor, towards the close
of the 25th year of the Pontiicate Of Plus
*, happily governing the Holy Ro-
man Church, and now brsvely suffering a
martyrdom in defense of its liberty
Copies of the daily and weekly papers,
and the constitution and bylaws of st.
Joseph's Total Abstinence Society, and Of
the Hibernian Society, were also depos-
tied with the above.
The corner stone being laid, the process
sion moved around the enclosure, blessing
the ground, etc. The ceremonies being
ended, Rev. Father Mssgher introduced
the architect to the audience; he displayed
and explained his plans to the people, who
seemed delighted at the prospect of having
erected so magnificent an edifce.
The church will have a front of 40 feet,
and a depth Of 120, the arms Of the oross,
extending 80 feel, and the spires will be 10
feet high. Workmen viii commence
medistely, .-...