The New York herald., 1875-12-26
ST. FRANCIS xAyrYe's cHrpcu

Seldom has ST. Francis Xavier's Church contained
such a number Of devoees yesterday at last mass
Indeed, long before the solemn services commenced
hundreds wore unable 10 gain admission. The interior
presented an impressive and most appropriate aspect
every object the eye could rest on being in complete
and beautiful harmony with tho gladsome time The
brilliantly illuminated and adorned with the
choicest exotic plants Handsome festoons OF hem.
lock depended along the galleries. the large columns in
the church being neatly trimmed with evergreens In
deed the spectacle altogether characteristic or rev
erenLial joy and not the least conspicuous feature was
figure the LEFT OF the altar OF the Infant Redeemer
In cradle, surrounded by all the embems that could
recall the glorious event or the birth Of Christ AT
past ten O'Clock the procession issued from tho
sacrlsty amid the grand strains of Mendelssohns
professional march. The celebrsnt was tho Rev
Father Hadon the Rev Father Prendergast deacon the
Rev. NJ hclameny, suO-deacon, and the Rev. M
Plante master Of ceremonies At the termination OF
the fret Gospel the Rev Father Shea preached ser.
mon, taking his text from Isaiah, viL-"Therefore the
Lord himself shall give you sign. Behold a virgin
shall conceive and bear son and shall call his name
Immanueln The reverend gentleman In tie course of
eloquent address alluded to the adorable presence OF
God. He showed that during the two centuries Of the
highest human civilization the called philosophers
of the time bad no right or title 70 the name for
philosophy, II II meant anything meant the love OF
wisdom and dealing with the highest principles known
70 human reason y vas proven BY the facts. They
spoke OF God ~ 0eng iar away from man, utterly
needless OF what took place earth. There we're many
ghly cultivated men Of the present day who called
into question the existence OF Cod and denied il be.
cause tney could not God with thor eyes or hear
Him with their ears They coId lay their finger
upon Him and hastily concluded that God did
not exist Others thore who apparently
did not 60 quite 50 FAR into the regions Of ooscurity
WHO coniented themselves with the thought that al.
though God might exist stu ii impossible for
them 20 know IL Stl these so.called scientists and
the work 81 Gods hands and By
strange contradiction they presented instead Of the
truo God their manner Of substituting one for Him.
Science taken instead of God, human law progress
and all Of substitutes taken instead OF the
living Cod, because people could not do without God
A. the late President Of Ecuador exclaimed on his
death bed God does not die W and He docs not die
HIS place could not be- vacated. Therefore notwith.
standing all these new pagans, those scientific blas-
phemers said, the God question, n he ight speak,
to-day everywhere the absorbing question or the
hour The reverend preacher submitted thai, despite
all the IL the day and the would be wits Of the
day the existence Of could not Overset BY hu.
man reason. In concluding the reverend speaker
showed that ss God was omnpresent tho greater ygi-
lance should be exercised TO guard against
EN-. The music, under the direction Of
Dr. william Bcrge the organist, superb,
worthy the grand occasion. The double quartet con.
sisted or Mile Teresa Werneke and NINE Berge, So
prsni Mile. Marie Wernekc and NINE Shultz con-
tralti sgnor Tamaro and Herr Krcbs tenor; Herr r.
VierIlng and D. stanton, bassi and assisted BY a
fah and well trained chofua with LhAmA@ sirinSed