The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-09-22
The New Catholic Church.

We believe the TRADER has had as yet nothing to
say of the new Catholic church to be erected in
in this city on the corner of Columbus and Wash
ington sts We have preferred to wait until We
could say, not that work would begin, but that it
had begun, which is now the fact, the work Of
excavating for the walls being now done, a week
ago Sunday last Rev. Father Terry having ap-
pointed his necessary committees for the build
ing of the structure he has so long desired Kel-
ly Noonan have the contract for the founda-
ton, which will be put in this fall.
Mr.. ii. {. FURNEss, Of this city, has drawn up
the plans and VIC are assured that there will not
be finer church in Illinois. 1t will be q pure
18th century Gothic 'clear story" of which there
are not half a dozen in America. Its appear
ance will show massive rather than that beauty
which comes from the gew-g aw work tackled on
to the style at the Renaissance, the structure de-
irving its exterior beauty from its elegant pro-
portions and simplicity. 1t will be one of those
churches of which Father Burke spoke so elo-
quently in q lecture at Enniscorthy, Ireland,
when he said:
"When the church was established, pagan ar
chitecture was symbOlical of false religion; spa
cious colOnnadcs, large courts and great build
HES, Win iincS lcNcl Will TIC euTlH,
as little as possible raised above the earth There
was nothing in them looking to Heayen-noth
ing leading the Imagination to God. But when
society improved, then the church of God rose to
the height of her sacred mission--to cultivate
the arts, to create the sciences once more; and,
inspired by the highest Christian ideas, that
which before was beautiful corpse received its
living. spirit from the inspiration of the Church
Of God
SLOWLY, but surely, under her care came forth
from the Church-consecratcd by her monks
stealing back to the light-thc arts which barbar-
ic armies had spread over and destroyed. Forth
cam Science with new rays Of beauty in her face;
and from her mind came forth the magnificent
institution of Gothic architecture. 1t was no lev
ell, horizontal line, spreading out and taking in
large portions of SOIL the new idea was to take
in so much of the earth only as was necessary to
raise up structure which should be "A thing of
beauty and joy forever structure sufficiently
broad to take a strong hold of the earth; and
gradually narrowing to point, as If 1t was an
arrow shot from the church and destined to meet
the skies
THAT silent preacher, the cross on the spire,
would proclaim to them every day, pointing
away into the skies, the great and mighty truth
that, as man aspres to heaven, in the same pro-
portion he must recedc from the baseness and
sinfulness of his fallen nature. They saw what
hold that spre had taken of the earth-going
down to the rock on which it had firmly fixed it.
self, raised by inches into solid squares, and from
the tower spring an edifice which tapered gradu-
ally to point as it prosfeds towards heaven,
rising beautifully, dimip1 ling in weight, dimin
ishing in thickness till Mreachcd the point, and
then, and then only touching and unfolding the
cross. Thus it was with the true Christian who
must aspire heavenward, leaving earth and its
cares and sins behind him"
The great size of the church will be seen by
the following ground measurements: tower 24x-
"A IT.; across the nave and aslcs, ~ it,; across
the transepts, 100 it,; extreme length of nave,
go it.; extreme length of AISLE $50 it.; width of
aisle, 10 IT,. width of nave 81 it,; width of tran
sept 81 ft.,-making it fully one-thrd larger
than the present Congre gational church. 1t will
consist of basement and church proper, with en-.
frances to the church proper (Which fronts on
Washington street. at the front, in the tower and
sides; and will be built of the Aux Sable stone,
and cost in the ncighborhood of $4,000. The
details of the interior plan have not yet been def
nitcly determined so that we shall not attempt
any mention Of them now, though the general
outline is completed. The outlines of the entire
plan have been submitted to Bishop Foley, who
not only approves them, but seems highly pleas
ed with them, thinking it will he one of the finest
churches in his diocese