St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1876-07-07
Great Religious Meetino

ana praise To God for the one hundred
years of prosperity and blessing this
country was about to celebrate. AL
though little shower came ut about
the hour of service, Il very large COM
pany gathered. estimated at some 1000
people. The exercises were directed
10y A. {. Mitchell of the Baptist church,
ana were participated in 10y Revs. Mil
Ter of the Methodist church, Sanford
and Roys of the Baptist. Jones and Fair
banks of the Congregational, Tillotson
of the Universalist, Boissonnault of the
Catholic, and IL priest from Newport
laNmen Franklin Fairbanks and A. NJ.
Dickey also addressed the meeting.
The band occupied place upon the
the stage and led the singing, which
was congregational and consisted of
such appropriate hymns as
God bless native land,
Firm may she stand
Through storm and night.
And l.. Bacon's majestic and patriot
ic hymn
OGod beneath thy guiding hand,
Our exed fathers crossed the sea,
And this one by ). F. Smith, which
Is probably sung more on these anniVer-
saries than any other:
My country, It's of thee,
Sweet land of liberty.
vi thee sing.
The addresses partoOk more or less
of the spirit of the cenntennial, with
devout gratitude and thanksgiving for
mercies received, prom inent in several.
Father Boissomnault's address was in
his native tongue, quite Il large number
of French being present.
Sheppard's Jubilee Singers col"red
were in town. and kindly volunteered
To sing at this meeting. They added
much To the interest of the occasion by
their strange and wild. though strictly
religious, plantation melodies. After
son, in which was made emphatic the
fact that all the religious sectS of the
place met there on common ground and
with unity of heart aud purpose, the
colorcd singers sung hymn. the re
tiain of which WAS,
There room enough in heaven for You.
so don stay away
/ " hich must have touched every heart.
| interest, aud We trust useful.
Blessing of Bells.
An Interesting ceremony WAS wit
messed at the Catholic Church in thi>
place last Sabbath afternoon, it being
the blessing of Il new chime of thre,
bells Just procured for the church. The
bells were in their frames. and place,
upon the platform III the audience room
in front of the altar. The blessing con
sisted of washing with water. amounting
with oil. and burning incense beneath
While this was being done, the chol
was chanting. and one of the priests
read service designated for such ccrc
mony, as We suppose. There were five
blltStS present. ne ''iS''ii''I VA
Rev. {. \. Boi>sonnault, brother ot the
. parish priest, cure of Ste Martha. L. q
He was assisted 10y Rev. }. +. Fila
tlanlt. and Rev. L. Campea", professor
in Montreal college. as deacons. Thu
pastor. Rev }. \. Boi>Snnnault. wa
master of ceremonies and Rev. d
/, Michaud of Newport, gave the sermon
OF address at the close.
, The bells are fiue-tnned. from Mtnee
. lc\'S manufactorN, and the largest ON
| bears the following inscription "N0t
/ Dame DIES Tictoires. Presented hN til
Congregations" The second III size this
+ ...Joannes AntOniHS. Presented 10y Rev
{ j. A. Boissounault." The third: Geo,
airs ". Presented by ouI America
. friends"
,, Essex County S. S. Union.
The annual meeting of this s"clet
WAS held at Guildhall. on Thursday an
= Friday. June - and ~, at which til
following officers were elected for til
ensuing wear:
= President II. Forrest of 1t