The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-06-10

About o'clock the procession formed at the
old church on La Sale street, in the following
order:
Marshals Brennan and Jerry Walsh.
Bach's Band.
A. O. II. from Ottawa, Streator, La Sale,
Utica, Seneca, some $50 men
in regalia.
| Fitzgerald's Band.
Father Mathew Temperance Society,
| 50 men.
Corner Stone Society,
l15 members.
Carriages with Bishop Spaulding
and clergy
| Altar Boys.
Infants OF Parish and Children of Mary in
white dresses and wells.
Private Carriages.
The procession marched south to Main st.,
thence to Columbus ST., thence to Jackson st.,
thence to Paul ST., thence to Washington ST., and
thence to the site of the new church. corner of
Washington and Columbus streets.
Here q large crowd had gathered. The head
OF the procession rested at the corner, and formed
in double line, through which passed the pro.
cession Of altar boys and Bishop and Priests in
their proper robes, the Bishopn the purple and
the priests in black, who took places on the plat.
form laid on the foundations of the church
| The first exercise of the ceremony was the
singing of a chant at the cross which had been
erected over the spot where the altar of the new
church will stand The tradition, from which
the chant has Its origin, is that when the church
was founded, the archangel of the Lord went
through the world, and at every place where, in
the great future of the church the mass should
be said, erected cross and blessed the spot The
chant sung, the Bishop blessed the spot, when
returning to the corner stone the Guam Dulectu
was sung by the clergy, followed by the blessing
Of the stone, the foundations and the earth the
church shall stand upon. Then followed the
singing and recitng the Litanies Of the Saints.
The stone was then set; and the Miserere chant.
ed in professional around the church
The history of the church was then read, with
the list of articles to be placed in the corner
stone, as follows:
st. Columba's parish was founded in 1914 and
Rev. Thomas O'Donnell was appointed first resi-
dent pastor by 1T. Rev. Bishop Quarter, of Chi.
cago. Previous to Father O'Donnelrs appoint.
ment the faithful were under the charge of Rev.
| Fathers Estini and Parrodi, Lazarist Fathers of
La Sale. st. Patrick's brick church, which
stood at the corner of La Sale and Washington
streets, was commenced in 1915, but was de-
stroyed by fire shortly after its completion. The
present frame structure known as st. Columbia
church, was built by Rev. DR.. Dunno, who sue
ceeded Father ODOnnell. Rev. Fathers O'Gara
and McGorris were DR.. DUNES immediate sue
cessors. Rev. Dean Terry took charge Of the
parish some twenty three years age, and estab-
lished the Convent OF Mercy in 1859, the Sisters
starting Catholic school the same year. On ac-
count of the rapid growth of the parish, several
priests have been employed here in the sacred
ministry. Rev. Father Ryan is assisted by Rey.
Father G. +. n. O'Neil and Rev. Father Jer +.
! Donovan. There are about 500 families in the
parish, which includes a number of farmers in
Wallace. Rutland and Ottawa townships.
| This history in Latin and in English on pareh-
ment was deposited in the corner stone togeth-
er with the following articles:
List of all subscribers to the building of the
church on parchment.
Copy Of all papers. daily and weekly, pub
lished in Ottawa,
| Coins of the Nation, and the following:
In the name Of the Holy and Undivided Trinity,
| An,en.-In the year of the incarnation Of our
Lord, 1882, the year Of the Pontifcate of Pope
Leo XIII, the thirty-egth year OF the foundation
of the parish of St. Columbia the fifth year OF the
erection of the Diocese at Peoria, and the conse-
Grafton of the RI Rev. John Lancaster Spauld.
ing as Bishop of said diocese, Chester A. Arthur
being President of the United States of America,
Shelby NJ. Cullom Governor of the state of Illinois,
!.
H., this corner stone was laid on the eighth Of
June, eighteen hundred and eighty-twO, Oh the
feast Of Corpus Christi, by the 1t. Rev. John
Lancaster Spaulding, d. c., Bishop OF the DID,
cese of Peoria, solemnly blessed and laid.
The Bishop then announced the stone laid,
urging the congregation to be true to their past
history as a church and Jealous that they may
worship God in place suitable.
Rev. Father Guidry, OF Sale, then delivered
the address OF the day, which, though compare.
lively short, was interesting and effective. The
ceremony just witnessed, he said, was full Of
meaning and teaches an important lesson. Man
in all ages has offered sacrifice to his God, there
by admitting his guilt and that he is sinner
and needs TO make reparation to his maker for
his sins. so in the past ages he made sacrifices
OF beasts as a means to that end. Were not the
world full of sin it would itself be a beautiful
temple of God, but because sin has polluted the
world it is not tit to be place OF worship and
sacrifice, SO it became necessary to set apart
place for worship, to bless it and consecrate it to
that purpose. In the wilderness Jacob had
glorious vision and talked with God in his dream,
and waking, said "Surely this is the house OF
God and the gate of heaven" and then men with
drew as by instinct to the wilderness or to the
mountains apart to worship God. When the He
brews had passed out from Egypt into the will
derness God spoke with Moses and commanded
him to build Him sanctuary, giving directions
as to its most minute details. This was the first
church of God and God himself dwelt therein. In
this temple the Hebrews worshipped until the
great temple Of Solomon was built. which was
the house OF God until Christ came, prefguring
the new church Of Christ, and when He came the
old gave way TO thc new. In the old temple there
was the altar and there sacrifice was offered.
Without an altar there is no church. SO in this
new church there will be an altar, for without