The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-05-09
HIs'GRACE THE ARCHBISHOP.


HIS GRACE THE ARCHBISHOP.
Ike Superb Gift He II 10 Receive
From tie Fnithful-His Diamond
Decked Chalice Of Gold on His Fiji
tieth Year OF PriesthOod.
Gin. Enquirer
The clergy and the laity of the Roman
Catholic Church are looking forward
with great anticipation to the 2lst ofthis
month-which is hut two weeks from to.
dsy-as sort of Red Letter day, the occa-
sion being the tittieth anniversary of the
ordination of Archbishop Purcell as a
priest of the Mother Church. Somew hat
like the grand Jubilee occasion of five
wears ago, when the whole Catholic world
celebrated the Pope's arrival at the years
of st. Peter, this will be general out
pouring of an arch diocese to congratu.
late the venerable prelate on his length
of days. Fifty years service ut the altar
is long time, and when the prelate com
plotting 1t is so renowned for his piety
and learning as is the Archbishop, then
the celebration of the event becomes a
pleasant duty.
On several occasions reference has been
made IN these columns to the fact that
the venerable Archbishop Was to be the
recipient of rich gift from the diocese
on the completion of his tiftieth year i'll
the priesthood, That gift, which Is in the
shape of a most beautiful and elaborately-
wrought golden chalice, reached the city
Yesterday, and was shown 10 an Enquirer
reporter by Mr.. Clemens Hellebusch.
;ewcler ut the corner of Pearl and Main
streets, who was the original designer of
tho beautiful thirg. This magnificent
token of love and esteem is wrought of
eighteen carat gold, studded with dia
monds and ameLhysts, and engraved in
the most elaborate manner. 1t is doubt
full if its equal Is to be found anywhere
in America. The chalice stands ten and
Il half inches high, the diameter OF the
bowl is four and half inches, and the
weight of the piece is seven hundred pen
nyweights. The base, which is five inch
es in diameter has for Its ornaments, first,
the Archbishop's crest, pallium sur
mounted by the usual ArchblshOps hat,
under which the legend, Archep,stopo
Cinc,nnatiensis, appears in scroll. The
center is an oval shield, an altar with
lamb lying upon it, and an ensign pend
ent from the left. On either side are
pyramids OF tassels, while underneath the
motto In Eide VIC Is engraved. Above
the crest is q cross of diamonds. Follow
ing the work around the base, there is
next portrait OF St. Peter, engraved on
shield of yellow gold; next a portrait
of st, Edward, on a similar shield of red
gold; and next one Of st. John the Bap-
tist, on green gold. Between these por
traits are four large amethysts, incrusted
with diamonds, cross Iilling each. At
the bottom of the base the presentation
legend, engraved in medieval text reads:
"Presented to the Most Reverend Arch.
bishop j. b. Purcell, May 81, 1876, on
the Fiftleth Anniversary Of His Priest
hood, by the Catholic Laity OF the Arch
diocese of Cincinnati"
The swell of the stem in the middle is
of yellow gold, very deeply carved EN-
graved hardly conveys the idea OF such
heavy work-and mas ten amethysts set
around it in a rich, dark purple hue. The
bowl is of red gold, also elaborately en-
yraved ut its base, but brightly FURNISH
ed at the rim and is studded with thirty
diamonds of the first water, each quar-
ter of a carat in size This describes as
far As words can, perhaps, the beautiful
treasure " hich Is to be given TO the ven
cradle prelate. but it is thing which to
be spprec ated must be seen. The patton
Il. Ia
which accompanies it Is also OF solid goid
six inches in diameter and weighs eighty
pennyweights. On ITS face Is engraved
the monogram / II. s., and underneath
a heart burning. The cost of the entire
thing was four thousand dollars. The
work was done in Jersey City, though
the design, as we have said, was made
here in Cincinnati. and the effects OF the
different colors of gold the result OF care
full study in making up that cesign
1t is the purpose Of those having In
hand the testimonial service and presen-
tstion TO the Archbishop to present 1t to
b,m on the evening Of the 10Th, the pre-
senta,,on address being made by Bishop
Toebbe, of Covington. The next morn
ing the Archbishop will celebrate Solemn
hlSn MASS, Oh "hie" 'N -, 9
McCloskey, who was formerly a pup'i Oh
the Archbishop, will be present ana take
part. Besides this. there will be some
thirty Bishops and tour or 1--we hundred
priests inattendance. On the following
dsy( Monday it is proposed to have a sort
ef Jubilee meeting at Exposition Hall,
in whichproninent members OF the iaity
will present an address Of congra'ulat'on
to him.
But the costly gilt We have just desert
bed is not the only one A magnificent
gold cross, studded with gems, and de
signed to bear at the head OF PROFESSIONS
will also be presented to the Archolshop
at the same time. This beautiful gut mas
NOT yet been brought to the city, but VIII
be here next week.