The Dickinson press., 1884-11-08
tismal rite administered to q newly-born

tismal rite administered to q newly-born
infant.
Along the side a%isles, also, are man,
confessionals. Some bore the name of
the priest there officiating, with the
further announcement, in y few instan-
ces, that the confessions there could be
made in English.
At the entry of the sanctuary, rest
ing on one of the right hand columns,
is a sculptured figure, in pure white
marble, of the Blessed Virgin, on o
marble pedestal. From its neck hangs
asmall gold cross. In 1872 the cure of
this church, while in Rome, asked the
Pope Git was Plus Ky for some mo-
mento to put III this church in Montreal.
The Pope gave him this marble figure,
and with it the small gold cross that
hung around its neck; a cross that was
often worn by Plus TX. himself. Here
it now hangs to. day in this great church
in the western world.
Nobody can adequately imagine OF
realize, without seeing it, the ornate
lofty, and grand effect of all
this beautiful interior architecture,
with its wealth of bright colors
shown in clustered column, res
plendent sanctuary, and tower
ing alter, andin the lofty groined arches,
making a maze of ornamental lines, far
up above the people in the pews. One
feels, before analyzing the effect of the
great altar, its cleaning towers reach
ing to the very ceiling, and splendid in
their blazonry of gold, and their script
ural figures and groups, the gilded gal
leries for the priests and alter boys, the
special galleries for the nuns, and the
alter lamps, swung from the far ceiling,
and their lights (kept ever burning,
year after Year, seem to be gently and
slowly moving, with an almost imper'
ceptible motion and pendulum effect.
1t is all one great blaze of rich but har-
monious %colors, gold predominatmg.
The oriel sky windows, illuminated in
beautiful designs and colors, are very
rich and effective; while the maze Of
pointed and gilded arches, %springing
far above nave and galleries, take the
eye captive and involuntarily.
Here people are coming and going
from dawn to night-some kneeling at
particular shrines in various parts of the
great interior, others silently saying
their prayers in the pews. The noise
of the carpenters at work, with hammer
and saw, among some Of the centra
pews makes no interruption of the de-
votions. Men and women silently come
in, kneel an instant on one knee, tow
ard the great altar with its figures au6
groups of the crucitixion and the crown
ing of the virgin, enter a pew, remain
some time in silent devotion, go out O.
the pew, again bend the knee afterwarc
and silently depart. Recently q funera
mass and two other masses were gong
on at different parts of this grea'
interior at the same time in the
early morning hour. At one time there
were a wedding, a funeral, and the regu'
lar morning service, all going on stimuli
taneously, and so far as any confusion
was concerned, they were as free from
it as they would have been performed
in three widely separated part of the
city. The church was built to seat ter
thousand people and half as many
more could be got IN by using the
aisles. The act Of xorshipis performed
almost publicly as the work in the
streets, and seemingly with as little re
gard to the lockers on. Such is tn
case in all the great Catholic churche:
Of Europe, but Montreal seems to illus
trate the custom more conspicuousl,
than any other city of the new world