National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-02-15

The necessity for q Catholic church in the
northern section Of Washington caused the parish
Of the Immaculate Conception to be organized
from the parish St. Patrick in the fall Of 1854,
when the small brick church on N, near Eighth
street northwest, was planned. October 80, 1854,
the cornerstone was laid by Rev. J. A. Walter,
Of ST. Patrick parish, assisted by Father Nc
Carthy, assistant rector. On July 2, 1855, Arch
Walter and Mccarthy, dedicated the church.
At this period there were in the parish about
1000 souls, with large attendance at the pa
creased, and seemed to have drawn from the pa
rent much Of the vitality of former years. The
congregation continued under the pastoral charge
OfSt. Patrick's, conducted by Rev. Father Walter,
with Rev. VIM. Jordan as associate, until the
latter part OF August, 1880, when Rev. P. T. Nc
Carthy was appointed pastor, and took possession
September !, 1866, with the following
BOUNDARIES TO THE PARISH:
Beginning on the northwest corner OF Third street
west and L street north, thence along the north
the east side of Thirteenth street to Boundary
thence to Third and thence along the west side Of
Third to the place OF beginning.
The congregation increased to such an extent
from 1854 to 1870 that it was determined to build
new church, which decision was received with
surprise by the people OF the northern part oil the
city, who little thought that this congregation
had such high aspirations. lot at the corner of
Eighth and streets northwest, adjoining the
hrst church, was selected, and Mr.. Edward
Clements WAS selected as the architect, "a full
description OF the plan has been published in
The REPUBLICAN,) who began the work at once,
and on the 18th day OF November. 1870, the cor
ner-stOne was laid by Rev. B. A. Mcguire. The
patch as the means Of the congregation would
permit, and it having been so far completed, yes
IeTday was set as the day for
THE DEDICATION.
Long before the hour for commencing the SER
vices the streets in the vicinity were thrOnged
with people DESTROYS OF witnessing the dedicatOry
ceremonies. A detachment of police was on the
doors were opened the crowd pressed in, and
in a short time every seat was occupied, as well
the aisles.
In front Of the altar were arranged the mem
bers OF the Knights Of st. Joseph, who vOlun-
teered as an escort TO the bishop.
At O'Clock the services began by the bishop in
eOmpanyWith Fathers Walter, Kealy, and acolytes
marching through the aisles chanting and sprin-
king the walls and pews with holy water This
over, they next proceeded to coDsecrate the altar
according to the ritual of the Roman Catholic
Church. On the conclusion Of the dedicatOry GER
emony Bishop Bayley delivered the following ad-
dress:
REMARKS OF ARCHBISHOP BAILEY.
On account of the great length of the service Of
the ceremony OF blessing the altar, it was thought
best not to have any sermon or discourse on the
occasion, but to put it of until the evening. Still
the reverend pastor Of the church thinks that it
would hardly be right if, after having oficiated
on this occasion, did not say at least few words
to you.
al have lived to see the beauty Of thy house and
the place where thy beauty dWelleth."
may say to you, my dear children; to you in
particular who belong to this parish, that you
have lived to see the glory of Gods house You
have manifested that love, proved that love, 1
may say, (although not Over-blessed with this
worlds gOOds) by the generosity with which you
have aided your most jealous and faithful pastor
in erecting this neat and commOdiOus parish
church to the glory Of God and for his holy SER
vice.
From this moment it should be t. you the dear
est place upon the earth, for there is spot upon
the face Of the earth to which the heart Of good
Christian fastens ITSELF may say, SO strongly as
to his parish church. 1t is in ouI very nature to
bPeOme attached TO localities which
ciated often with the incidents Of our life; so
much so that an old writer has remarked that
person who by habit and custom, did not become
attached to stacks and stones is in some manner
stack and stone himself But If this be true of
ordinary things, as we all know it is especially
of the places associated with our recOlleCtiOns
and our early affections, the home and the family,
how much stronger must it be in the case OF
places so closely connected with our highest and
best interests those of our religion and our
Christian duty. Here you will come to assist at
Inc holy rn,,r,, the great act Of our religion by
which, above all others-by wins IN iAe! SIUnes
we render to our God that supreme
which is due to him, and by which, above all
other things, we bring down upon ourselves his
GrRees and his blessings; and here you will come
to receive the sacraments Of the Church, those
fountains Of salvation which he has opened to US
in his Church; and here you will come TO listen
Vealed by God through his Divine Son. our
blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, to make
wise unto salvation; and, therefore, 1t is that
your hearts will cling to this place. Your hearts
will be bound to it, as it were, so that, have
said, II will be to you not only the hOliest but
also the dearest place upon earthi and may It
prove to you also, my dear children, and it Will
prove TO you If you make good use o. these en-
RIeHh "t grace anu salvation which our blessed
Lord thus offers to you, in the language OF the
patriarch Of old, indeed the house of God and
The gate Of heaven.
Under other circumstances there are many mat
tiers, suggested by the services Of this day, which
might speak TO YOU about. The conservation Of
church and altar Is one Of the most sacred
acts Of our religion. 1t is almost the first great
n ma N nnRRDt ScFiD-
lures. You will remember when the patriarch
slept at Bethel with a stone for his pillow, that
he saw there that vision OF the heavens opened,
ana q ladder descended from heaven to earth,
and the angels OF God ascending and descending.
1t is. by the way, most beautiful and striking
figure Of the Christian Church, because the heav-
ems are alway opened above place consecrated
to the service Of God, and if our eyes could be
opened TO see spiritual things TO see the invisible
things of God, we also could see the angels OF
God descending and ascending; going up to carry
our prayers and petitions, in the performance Of
this Divine sacrifice, which will be offered upon
this altar; carrying them before the throne OF
God, and descending to bring US those graces,
those divine blessings which we stand in need OF,
in order to Eerve and honor him land secure our
salvation. And when the old patriarch had seen
this vision, and aWOke from his sleep, you will
member that he tOoE oil and he consecrated that
stone. that spot, and gave unto II the name which
il still bears, the name Of BethslEthat Is, the
this place; this Is, indeed, the House Of God, the
gate of Heaven"
might recall also 10 your minds, as connect ed
with tho altar that we were ministering at this
morning, this solemn service which Solomon
made uRe of when he consecrated that wonderful
temple which God had ordered to be built, and
which he built with such magnttcence, and which,
when It was finished, for seven days they cele,
brated the festival Of its conservation, and God
approved Of what they had done and consecrated,
himself as it were, the spot by sending down hre
been prepared upon the altar This Is one OF the
festivals which the Jewish people still keep in
honor fthe conservation Of the great Temple OF
Solomon; Of that temple which was erected on
their return from the Babylonian captivity. But
ali these things. as We well recognise; all these
solemn services in regard to the tabernacle and
ark of the tabernacle, Of which We read in the
Holy Scriptures Of the conservation Of the great
Temple Of Solomon and Of the second temple, are
after all but mere shadows OF the Christian
Church
You will call TO mind that it was said of that
second temple that it very inferior TO the first
temple Of Solomon in its size and in its magnth'
cenee; and It was said oft that it was the glory
Of that second house, and that second temple
should be greater than the first. And he reason
why its glory was greater than that Of the hrst
was because the second temple was honOred by
the presence of cur divine Lord himself. 1t wRt
the HOW TjosneIs which he was aecustomed x
visit 1t was this presence OF our divine Lord trod
time to time in the temple Of Solomon in the tenn
pie Of Jerusalem, that made the glory OF that sec
Ond temple greater than that Of the first. Bu
that same divine Saviour who thus gave bright
ness and glory to the second temple, by his pres
tian temple, and dWells here in the divine sacra
ment Of his love, in order to hear our prayers anC
graces that we may ask and therefore 1t is tina
we may say that the glory Of this is greater thar
that Of the second temple, with all!its grandeur.
It is for this reason that the Catholic Church
has always done much in order to make, as Il
WERE dWeIling-places in some manner worthy o
the majesty Of God. She knows full well that 1
we were to build our churches Of gold, and cove
them with precious stones, we could in no name
adequately set forth his greatness and his glory
but she knows also that we are bound as his chfl
dren, in order to show our love, our gratitude I
him, we are bound always to do all that is in on
power: and we md that even in the beginning G
our religion in those days of persecution-in thos
days which are called in peculiar manner tn
days Of persecution, because persecution Away
exists; # exists in this nineteenth century,
some respects in q more subtle and wicked forE
than in the first, second and third centuries-bu
in those early days when Christians were not abb
TO worship God in the light Of day, when the
were Obliged to hide themselves as Il were, In tn
caves Of the earth, in those very days they WeT
jealous for the glory and beauty of the house {
God.
II you go down into those eatacombs you wi
ind, after passing through the narrow pass, line
on either side with bodies Of the dead-of tn
carly Christians and the early martyrs-yo
come, as you all know, to larger excavation
which were intended TO serve for the purpose
the Church; for the divine services OF religion
Thavu ro4eo in