Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1874-07-15
CATHOLIC SCHOOL morsr.
Laying of the Corner stone on sabbath

AS was announced in our issue OF
Sunday, Father Meagher's performs
ance of the ceremony OF laying the
corner stone Of the new school house
was fully up to the expectations of the
people. On Sunday morning he de-
livered most learned and eloquent
discourse ut the lOl o'clock mass,
which was replete with touching pas.
seges from the Scriptures to Il large
congregation.
Long before the hour for laying the
stone, large crowds were constantly
arriving and took up their positions in
aud around the building, At 4 o'clock
r. NJ, commencing from the church,
Il long line of children tastefully array
ed i'm white and bearing lighted torches
rs they chauted the Ave Sanctissima,
after whom came Rev. Fathers Mar
ron and Meagher. The latter then
commenced his lecture 10y stating the
purposes for which the building was
intended, paying well merited COM
pliment To the pastor aud congregation
who are making such efforts To pro-
mote education, but also offered the
the sincere thanks of tue people To the
many benefacturs outside the Catholic
Church who - generously paid a large
donation towards the building.
In tracing the spread of education
throughout Europe long before Column
bia was dreamed Of the learned divine
paid high tribute to Ireland the cher
ished home of many of the audience
He referred in glowing terms to the
general Diffusion of learning, through
out that Island after its conversion to
Christianity 10y st. Patrick, the vast
number OF its Churches, Universitie.
and Schools, whose high order of liter.
ature and sanctity attracted thousands
of students from Britain, Gaul, Spain
Italy, Germany and oCher nations oI
Europe, rich aud powerful Empires
and Kingdoms whose might and atllu-
euce excite the wonder of the present
day, but which first imbibed that
knowledge at those fountains
of learning in the En-.
erald Isle - where the foreign
student was received with unbounded
hospitality, getting his board, lodging,
books and education gratis. The pri-
NATAL city of Armagh alone afforded
accommodation to 9,iOO foreign stu
dents, besides Glendough, Clones
Clonmacnoise and many other noted
universities throughout the island
| From these seminuries of learning
came the most illustrious Saints anC
| schoars-apostles who carried the
| light of the Gospel throughout Europe
One missionary company of these
men deserves special notice; they
landed on the shores of Gaul, and wer,
carried before Charlemagne, the grea
Emperor of the West. A royal wei
come was extended to those Irish Mis-
sionaries, and work of regeneration
commenced. The Rev. Father con,
tinued his historical narrative dow
to the present day, including the con
quest of Ireland by Eugland-th,
heroic struggles which theformer mad
for faith aud education-the wei
known mean, dastardly and murlerou
attempts resurted to by England +
crush forever the religion, intelligenc
and patriotism Of brave but conquer
ed race, and the heroic and ObstInat
resistance made by the Irish for tn
last 700 years. Until now
at this present day, that Fri
has again part of her rights sh
takes a higher place in the scale of ed
ucation than her proud imperial mis-
tress. Such is brief outline of tn
lecture. At its conclusion the corne
stone was laid with due ceremony
The lecturer was listened To- durin
his delivery with marked attention b.
very large and appreciative audience
At Nespers, Father Meagher deliv
cred his third and final lecture. H
left the city yesterday for Nashville
leaving with him many kind remenl
brances from his friends in Knoxville