The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-04-24
DEDICATION.
ST. MARY'S NEW CHURCH OONSE-
GRATED TO THE WORSHIP OF
THE MOST HIGH GOD.
Eloquent Sermon of BishOD
Gallagher The Visiting
Clergy-COnfirmatiOn,

Gallagher The Visiting
Clergy-COnfirmatiOn.
Sunday last, the day set apart for
the dedication of the new Catholic
church, opened cold, damp and diSa-
greeable. a heavy driZzle had set in
at about daylight, and steadily con-
tinued throughout the forenoon. Not
withstandipg this inclemency in the
weather, the church began to fill
early, and by 10 o'clock, the hour for
the service to begin, fully seven hun
dred persons had congregatel. The
ceremonies were impressive to a high
degree, and Bishop Gallagher's ser
mon, which we publish, was a master
piece of composition, and It's delivery
was almost faultless.
High mass was celebrated at 1880,
with Very Rev. E. Sorin, OF Notre
Dame, Ind, superior general OF the
Congregation of the Holy Cross" as
celebrant; Rev. Z. Lauth, of st. Mary s
church, Austin. deacon, and Rev.
Jacob Lauth, of st. Joseph's church,
Galveston, as sub-deacon; Rev. i. j.
Francescus, of Notre Dame, Ind, as
master of ceremonies, and Rev.
Vincent Willimowicz, of Brennan, and
Rev. Michael Robinson, president of
st. Edwards academy, Austin, as
attendants of the Bishop.
The music was appropriate.
THE BISHOPS SERMON.
The bishop spoke from Ii Paralipom-
mon, seventh chapter, twentieth
verse: IL have heard the prayer, l
have chosen this place to myself for a
house of sacrifice"
He said: The universe itself is the
house, of God, and the dwelling
place of His Initiate Immensely,
and vet even the universe of space does
not contain him. "Ob, how great is
the house of God, and how vast is the
place of his possessions; it is great
and has no end; it is high and i'm
mense," the Prophet Barach cries out
in establishment, and the Royal Proph'
ct, considering the immensely of God
exclaims: "Whither, Lord, shall l &C
from thy spirit, or whittier shall l flee
from thy face? If l ascend int
heaven, thou art there; if 1 descend
into hell, thou art there; If
take the wings of the morning anC
dwell in the uttermost parts of tn,
sea, even there Thy hand shall leaC
me and Thy right hand shall holt
me-"
In all places we are in the presenc,
of God. st. Paul says "In God W,
, live and move and have our being.
We can worship God, we can prais
him, beg his mercy and ask his aid il
all places yet the general sentimen
. of mankind from the beginning ha
been to select particular places TO
his service-placeS that are reSpec
ted and held sacred-and this sent
ment accords with the will of Goo
l for He expressly ordered certain place
: to be consecrated and set aside eXclu
. sively for His service. He ordere
! the building of the tabernacle, an
t prescribed its form and size. He Of
4 dered the building of the temple c
|. Jerusalem, and promised to hear an
!, grant, in Especial manner, the prayer
. of those who invoked Him in tha
L place; and when the temple was ded
e Gated with great pomp and ceremon.
I He manifested His pleasure in
d wonderful manner by sending down
: fire from heaven to consume the sa
d rifces, and his majesty filled the ten
d pie so that the people, overcome wit
2, holy awe, fell down on their fac
n adoring and praising God for H
r. goodness and mercy, and this is WI
+ we build churches; and this is WI
FL we dedicate these churches by prayt
e and the wor dof God,to sanctify thel
n and to set then apart for his servic
Because we have worship tn;
surpasses the worship of the Old TIE
lament, in so far as the r
atty surpasses the type and figure
E since in the old law so much care VIZ
u taken to erect grand and beautifl
Q house to be the temple of God, fl
Il greater reason do we of the new Gov
Z nant take an interest and care to hay
9 our churches grand and beautiful
Il that they may in some manner CORE
. pond with the splendor and submit
L of divine worship. AS the temple {
. Solomon was considered holy, no
: much more so should our church,
. be considered holy since tn;
8 temple was erected for the sacrific,
> viii, h were merely figure of the sa,
: rifice we offer in our church. Ths
, temple was regarded with respect, an
!. yet the respect we owe our church
u still greater by reason of the create
majesty of God that Fl lis our churche
Their God manifested his presence b
cloud that filled the temple, but
t our churches he is really bodily pre-
Y ent in the most high sacrament of tt
o altar. Therefore we should and "
d do respect our churches, for they al
d the house of God.
b The church is holy place b
f reason of the use for whic
it is intended, for it is in the churc
e that the word of God is preached t
o you. 1t is here you come to hpa
those words of truth and salvatio
which our divine Savior entrusted t
his disciples, and which he authorize
: them to teach when he said: $50 an
, teach all nations" go and preach th
+ gospel to every creature" "He ths
q believeth and is baptised shall /
' saved, and he that believeth not sha
! be condemned"
More than this; this church is hol,
because it is the house of God, th
house of prayer. AS the divin
Lord says: my house is the hous
{ OF prayer" It is here 20
come to offer up your prayers an
applications to almighty God. 1t i
in this house that God promises {
hear your prayer more favorably. !
ID mere, DIS IL were Oh Ms throne
mercy and grace, that he sits ready t
grant what you earnestly ask of hin
1t is here you receive the sac ament
which our divine Lord intended 70
your salvation to be the channels O
.. his grace to your souls. It is to tn
church you come or are brought 70
baptism, whereby you are cleanset
from all sin and male heirs of tn,
kingdom Of heaven. This church il
the place where you come to receiv,
the sacrament, which completes AM
perfects the spiritual life received il
baptism; the sacrament of confirma
ton which is administered by tn,
Bishop, and by which sacrament vol
are made perfect christians and soldier,
OF Jesus Christ. 1t is here you come
for mercy and pardon when you hay,
offended God by sin. 1t is in the sa
crament of penance received here il
the church that the precious blood OF
Jesus Christ is poured over your souls
TO cleanse them from the sin which
you make known to his ministers
who, acting in his stead, are, as St
Paul says, "the ministers of reconcilia.
ton, exercising this power delegated
I'D Id u -