The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-11-10
ST. P4TRICK's CATHEDRAL, NEW FORK
A TYPE OF THE CHURCH FOUNDED UPON ROCK

New York Catholic Review.
The Cathedral of New York, like the Church
whose divine offices will be celebrated within It's
walls is founded upon rock. In digging tor
its foundations, the bedrock OF this great
island was suon encountered, and upon tnls
everlasting foundation the mejestio walls OF
the Cathedral ale reared. 1t STANDS upon tne
highest point of Fifth Avenue below the psrk;
il occupies the entire block which has Fifth
Avenue for it's west front, Madison Avenne for
it's east boundary, Fiftieth street on the south,
and Fifty first street on the North Its naJes-
tic and beautiful proportions wonld be seen to
far better advantage had it been possible to
plant the Cathedral iu the middle OF great
open space, or even to have spread out before
il a plaza like that which stretches in front of
st. Paul's, London, and many of the CONT
mental cathedrsls. Bot this was Impossible;
and we may bo well satiefed with the sltus-
ton of the Cathedral as it lie.
The foundations of this truly giori ions edIhce
are composed of very large blocks OF blue
gneiss laid in cemett mortar; 30 solid are
they. and 40 sxcellent the superstructure that
has been built upon them, that up to this not
o single def sction or crevice In the walls has
been detected. Above the ground line. the
frst-base course within ard without the edihoe
is in granite above this the whole exterior OF
the Cathedral is of beautiful white marble
The O aarries at Pleasantville, In our adjoining
the diocese of New York, and those of Lee, in
Massachusetts,, have furnished the dazzling
white marble which has the honor of forming
the walls Of this mej sstio temple OF the hVlpg
God.
The oathedrals of Rheims, Ameins and
Cologne, aud the naves of the cathedrals OF
York and Exeter aud of the abbey at "est'
minister have been taken os the mooels upon
which our Cathedral wss to be constructed
This is another way OF saying that its style is
that of the decorated or geometrio Gothic
only "a laymen and AS am steursi in ecclesiastical
architecture, is of all others the most beauG-
full and eloquent. The Cathedral has the form
of q cross. From the esrlieet ages our great
chrrro in q
tain beautiful symbolism was therein mani
tested. Our Blessed Redeemer, who died upon
the cross with outstretched arms, and bowed
head, established Oh earth. after His DEATH
His living Church, with which He became at
once 30 united that it was from the beg nlpg
as it shall be unto the end, HIS spiritual body
The tsmples of stone which the faithful erect
ed in order to furnish tabernacles for His
dwelling place on earth, We're made In TINS
cruciform shape; their architects intended
them to repre- sent imn nense crosses, upon " hich
the Redeemer was extended: and 80 falshfa
were they in this respect that in many of the
older cathedrals if not in all, there ls in the
upper, OF eastern ead of the nave, an molina
tiou to the south. reprssen ting the dropping OF
our SAviour's head He uttered His laat word
on the cross spd gave up the ghost.
This archi6. ctural symbolism is especially
noticeable at Csutsrbury and York and If We
mistake not, is is to be- seen in Nosre ID tme at
Paris, at Ehens, Amiens, and Cologne. Oar
Cathedral being built in this form OF hatl9 1,
cross has nave, "a choir, and transepts +; and
to make everything plain, even to those least
versed in these terms, 1t will be 81 fficient TO
say that the navejs toe long and lower end OF
the crosa, the transepts are the two arm s. the
choir is the head of the GROSS above the two @
arms. The whole length of the building, in
side the walls is BOG feet. The width OF the
nave and choir is l20 feet, of which space -
feet on each side are taken up. with side
chspels; the transept is lao feet long. The
central aisle is 49 feet wide, and 109 feet high;
the side aises are "a feet wide and 81 fett high.
These are large dimensions. and we may be
justly proud of our great temple, even in it's
yet unoompleted condition. Bot let we be be
puffed up too greatly in our own couce't, let
three buildings of the Same size could be
placed inside of St. Peters ct Rome, and still
leave about 500 sqasre yards of space to spare.
Here are the dimensions, of some of the Prinoi-
pal churches In England and on the Continent
and the numbers of people .hey can contain,
SLOWING the very liberal space of square
yard, or nine square feet, for every four per-
sons:
CdthedrdLs. Persons. Hq y9S::
St Peters, at Roms ..--------- 54oOO lS'9sS S'SSS
Milan Cathedral 3I,9"o s9xo @xo
ST PanI's at Rome ..-...............a - 0y0 8 600