Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-01-27
lFRoM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT.
NEW YORK, Jan. %, 1872

NEW YORK, Jan. 70, 1877.
retract in part what wrote a week ago, to
the effect that we Americans cannot get up a
public ceremonial. No spectacle could he bet
ter arranged than that at st. Stephens church,
when an ex-Protestant clergyman was received
into the Romsh fold. Three years ago, OF there
about Joshua Dobson Bradley, an English
clergyman of the established church, came to
New York. He was young man of about FIVE
and twenty years, OF fine presence and rare ac-
qu,rcments. He entered earnestly upon the
duties of his profession, and in time became
pastor of an Episcopal church styled the 0rato-
ry of st. Sacrament. He gathered around him
a congregation quite respectable in numbers
and still more so for zeal and earDestneSs, by
whom he was held in the highest esteem. Last
Sunday he surprised his flock by announcing
from the pulpit that he had renowned the err
r0rs Of Professionalism, ana was about to enter
the Romish church. Three days after, Mr.
Bradley was formally received into the fold OF
St. Peter.
The ceremony took place in st. Stephens
church, in TweDty-cigbth street. This is pre-
emineutly the fashionable church of the city
The structure is a fine one, although arcbitectu-
rally there are several which exceed it. The
imposing service of the i;oman church is there
pei formed with an cxactitude which leaves
nothing TO be wished. The music is in
comparable. Connoisseurs, upon whose ijudg-
ment rely more than upon my own, assure me
that simply as a musical treat no oratoriO or
opera excells mass at st. Stehpen's; and | am
sure that no drama on the stage can be better
enacted than is the regular service there. say
this with no invidious implication. For myself,
am Protestant of New England birth and
training. My ancestors for at least four genera
tons-how much longer | do not know-wcre
New Englanders. But often try to put myself
in the place of others whose training has been
different Ii l can be sure Of any one thing, it is
that shall never become Roman Catholic; but
can conceive nothing more likely to move me
in that direction than the order of worship at st.
Stephens.
The church is large one. am told that it
will fairly accommodate from four to five thou
sand people, and that when aisleS, corridors and
galleries are packed, it Will hold eight thousand.
Judge this estimate somewhat too large; but
at all events the great building was packed 10
OVERLOOKING. Hundreds may safely say thou
sands-went away because they could not enter
Ii there were not eight thousand or ten thou
sand to assist at the ceremony, it was because
there was no room for them.
St. Stephens church was mainly built up by
the late Rev. DR.. Cumming one of the finest
scholars and most accomplished gentlemen in
his or any other profession. Let me interrupt
my story by an anccdote, which may serve as
an illustration to many things. Some years
ago Mr.. S, gentleman of wide culture in
innate with most men in New York who are
worth knowing, made up special dinner party
The repast was modest one. The attractions
were the guests, all known TO the host, but most
of them personally strangers to each other
have a list of the guests, which shall not give
curious list it is. The leading idea of the
genial host was to bring together a score of
men, all of whom he knew, every one of whom
would be glad to know every other one, but
whose paths in life lay so widely apart that they
would hardly be expected to meet, As it hap
pened, quite large portion of the guests were
clergymen of various denominations | will
name but three, each Of whom has a kind of
representa- tive character. There was Milburn,
"the Blind Preacher Methodist. Many men
know of his eloquence in the pulpit and on the
platform. The one finest piece of eloquence
which ever heard was when Milburn spoke at
the publishers festival, in 1855. At the close of
his impromptu speech he turned 10 where Irving
and Bryant, though invisible to him, were
sitting. He tore off the green shade from his
forehead, aud waved it alolt as though it were
triumphal banner, and exclaimed in that sill
very voice of his, which ran like clarion note
through the vast arcades of the Crystal
Palace: Gould have written the Sketch
Book, almost every word of which
had by heart before ! was eight years old, or
could have sung that ode commencing, "rhe
groves were Gods fist temples which COM
mitted to memory in a saddle on western
prairie, cheerfully would 20 through life bind
ing this badge of infirmity on my brow, to wear
1t as crown; or gropihg in the unbl oxen dark
ness, so it were my fathers will, for three score
years and ten of mans appointed time. But
what though the sage's pen and the poets song
be not ours to utter and to WELD? Is not the
man greater than the author? Nor is theirs aay
lgnoble lot who are called to learn, aud to show
that they also serve, who only stand and
wait" But eloquent as Millburn is in large
| discourse, they only who have heard him talk
when surrounded by hall score ofintimate and
appreciative friends, know how eloquent he can
be. have heard many Of the best takers of my
day and country, but of all the good ones, the
very best is this blind Methodist preacher.
Another clerical guest on this occasion was
DR.. Iren@us Prime, editor Of the New York Oh.
server, Of whom have before said word a
Presbyterian of the very straitest kind. A third
was the Catholic priest, DIR. Cumming, Of st.
Stephens. The Presbyterian and the Catholic
were introduced to each other by the courteous
host Really, DIR. Prime" said Cumming, look
ing down iron his grand height upon the slight
or form OF the other, 81 do not know but ought
to be afraid to meet you. You might have me
burned at the stake, as you used 10 burn us in
old times. But stop" said the Catholic priest.
putting his hand to his forehead as if trvino IN
recall something to memory; perhaps am
lite out. IL seems to me that have read some
where that il was we who used TO burn Won in
the old times. Suppose we let the question pass.
| ""N "SiNS hot W JUN SuNH olncI lO-ulIul.
Well, as have said, the ceremony of trans
forming Joshua Bradley from an Episcopaan
to Roman Catholic took place on Wednesday
in the church Of ST. Stephen. jenkins of the
Herald describes, far better than can hope 10
do, how it was done He tells us that on Mon.
day the postulant betook himself to "the Hoboken
monastery, where he made the necessary prepar
atoms for the ordeal through which be was "a
pass" When be entered the church, Jenkin.
AYERS that "his department was marked b,
modest dignity" For the rest quote Jenkins
with much abridgment: As the organ peaed
the clerical procession issued from the yestry
There were, among others, Fathers Lynch anc
McSweeny, oNell and Stump, Loveioy anc
Healy, besides Father Sabngi of Syria, Mr.
Bradley being accompanied by two fathers VIII,
acted as his sponsors.
After the choir had sung the noble oven
spritus Sanctus," DR.. McGlynn, the pastor o
81. Stephens. the worthy successor of DIR. Cum
ming, delivered sermon an hour long Con