Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-11-10
AN ERA IN CATHOLICISM.
Grand Opening Of the Third Plenary
Council of the Roman Church
in America.
A Brilliant Procession of Laity, Bishops
and Priests, and Imposing
Ceremonies.


BALTIMORE, Mp, Nov. 0.--Under a
cloudless sky in the midst OF brilliant
sunshine with thousands of eager, on
lockers and fervent worshlpers, and
with all pomp, pride and Circumstance
OF the form and ceremony Of the Cath
Ollie church, the third plenary council
in the United States opened this morn
ing at the cathedral In this city.
From early dawn the streets in the
vicinity of the sacred build
ing OF the archbishOpal residence
were filled by people, Carriage after
carriage left at the archbishopal resi-
deuce priests and bishops who stood
around the doors Of the cathedral and
robing-roOms. The altar boys, semi
mariana aud the masters OF ceremonies
kept up constant change OF light and
color. IL had undoubtedly been deter
mined that In briiliance and In num-
hers the opening services should
exceed any religious event in
the history of the country
and certainly the result went beyond
ali expectations. With thirteen arch
bishops, siXty-hve bishops. scores of
abbots, monsigneurs, Wears general,
superiOrs, religious orders, rectOrs Of
seminaTies aud theOlog ians, such 81
procession and spectacle wac not be-
fore seen. Old men and women went
home exclaimiug: NOV | have seen
my salvation.n The minor clergy and
laity who were TO take part In the pro-
cessiOn assembled at st Alphnnso's
church, two squares distant, aud then
marched to the RTchbishnpis To receive
the great dignitaries Of the church
The streets through which the proGrs-
sion WAS to move to the cathe drai were
| filled with spectators, reverend in
attitude, "a the cross bearers were
seen all uncovered, and the
| Catholics added genuil sctloR.
| In order followed the secular aud re-
| ligious theologians. bishops, archblsh-
| ops and mitTed abbots, all Ia full
robes. The c0lors Of the vestments
/ worn aud the jeweled crosses borne
sparkled in the sunshine. Occasion
ally among the crowd of clean-shRveu
faces In the proc sssion was one with
a patrlarchal beard and venerable look
seeming as If cut from some richly
stained window, glowing with the
| pictures of saints and apostles. After
the bishops and archbishops were the
censor bearers and their
apostolic delegate, Archbishop
| Gibbons, and accompanying him
WAS the venerable vicar, Father Nc
Coleman. Archbishop Gibbons was
supported by his deacons of honor,
Father Leo and Dwinn, and his sec
Rotary and chancellor aud his train
bearers, followed by the bishops The
archbishop IL at all times ascetic but
l,ls face looked pale when contrasted
with the purple aud crimson that met
him at every turn. Rich voices chant
ed psalms as the procession moved TO
the church between the masses of
men, women and children, all
IN sympathy. Up the long
aisles of the cathedral moved
these linen of might,n The altare
were a-blaze with light and he grand
organ sent forth a welcome. The
voices of the choir We're soon hoard
and the opening services OF the council
began. Archbishop Gibbons sat
on the throne and near him
the vicar archbishop of the see
Rev. Dwight Lyman was deacon.
Rev. j. a. MaAllen was master of GER
Nth'tAaNNt hN tAlpit tbuNta tu OF up
ward OF tifty voices, under the direc,
ton OF Rev. Father Gray. Themusie
sas of a high order, and the reverend
clergy aud the higher dlgni.
tarles chanted the litauies
After the mass the Most Reverend
Archbishop Ryan of Philadelphil
preached ON "rhe Church and Her
Councils He selected for his text
the eighteenth, nineteenth aud TWEEN
usth verses OF chapter IS OF the gos-
pei Of st. Matthew. AZ the close OF
his sermon the Most Rev. Archbishop
| Gibbons descended from the throne
and proceeded TO the center of the
sanctuary In front OF the altar, where he
offered prayer for the plenary council,
The most Reverend Archbishop Glib
bons, Observation-Disclosures presided The
ohancellors were Rev. Geo. s. Wiles
aud Bishop Cole of Wheeling; the see
retaries, Mgr. Cochran OF Phlla-
delphia, Rev. Father GABRIEL of
Troy and Rev. Or. O'Con-
neltOf Richmond. The votariea were
Revs, Messrs. Wayrlc, All
branok, Chape lie and GTanuer. The
| masters Of ceremony, Reve. ]. A Me-
Calien, rhos. DIay aud nj r. Kelly.
The apostalio delegate took his seat
on the dais Ia front Of the
altar with Blshop Klein on
hls right and Divinn on his
left, aftel witch the roll was called BY
Rev. Dg O'Cnnnell The decree Of the
pope authorizing the third plenary
council was then read, Several other