Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-11-24
ST. yosEPH's CHURCH.
ITS DEDICATION YESTERDAY

tIOH ~ w w. 1890
great cities Of our country have rapidly
advanced in the number Of Catholics,
Richmond has seen no such increase.
This, in the main, was owing to the
absence Of immigration. The poor
Catholic emigrants from Europe, finding
the field Of labor preoccupied by race
Of another hue, drifted to more con-
genial places. Notwithstanding, there
has been a notable progress in Rich
mond. There are Catholics still living
who can remember the time when there
was no church Of theirs in the city.
To-day there are four, which accommo-
date. congregations aggrcgating over
five thousand.
Yesterday st. Joseph's church was
dedicated for the especial benefit OF
that race who uncOnsciously were the
means of turning ofi.so many Catholics.
Tie ceremony was carried out with all
possible solemnity, Rt. Rev. Bishop
Keane dedicatiDg the building to Gods
service. Standing before the altar, the
Bishop. surrounded by the clergy, ex-
planned briefly the ceremonies. u pro-
cession was then formed, headed by the
professional cross, carried by an
acolyte, who was followed by fourteen
more acoly tcs, all from the Cathedral.
Next came the clergy, Rev. Fathers
Tierney. Tiernan. Dougherty, Ryan,
Giesen, Wiersma, and Leeson, and last
ly the Bishop.
DELEGATES from the following So
cicties acted as escort st. Joseph s
Beneficial Society, st. Mary's Bene-
fetal and Social Society, Catholic
Knights of America branches ll3
and l62), Andrews Literary So
ciety, St. Peters I. A. and b. Society,
Knights of st. Joseph, St. Vincent de
Paul's Confraternit, (CathedraD, Catho-
lie Beneficial Society.
While proceeding down the aisle and
going around the church on the out
side Psalm 5l-" Have mercy upon
NE, o God " (Niserere)-was chanted
by the choir, the clergy mean while re-
citing it. During this singing the
Bishop sprinkled the walls of the
church, at the same time reciting the
Asprges-" Thou shalt sprinkle me
with hyssop and | shall he cleansed."
On entering the church the procession
proceeded to the altar, where, all kneel-
ing, the Bishop intoned the Litany Of
the Saints, the clergy joining in, and
the choir making the responses. Al
terwards the procession again formed
and moved around the interior of the
church, the Bishop again sprinkling
the walls with holy water and
the choir chanting the l22d Psalm
~ was glad when they said unto
me-" A short prayer, invoking God
blessing, through St. Joseph's interces-
sion, closed the dedicatory services.
Solemn mass then followed. Very
Rev. a. B. Lesson, Of Louisville, pro-
yincial of the Josephite order was the
celebrant with Rev. c. j. GiesOn
rector Of st. Francis Nayier's (cOlored)
church of Baltimore, as deacon, and
Rev. G. Wiersma, rector of st. Monl-
cas- (colored) church Of Baltimore, as
sub-deacon. After the gospel the
Bishop ascended the altar and read from
the Bible the description given in the
Chronicles of the dedication Of the Tenn
pie of Solomon. lie expressed his
heartfelt JOY at the completion and ded-
ication ofthe church. He was sure that
the handful of colored Catholics who
prayed so many years for this purpose,
were equally as happy. 1t was a JOY
too, no doubt, to the fathers
of the Josephite Order, who are
specially devoted to colored mis-
sions. The superior had come
from Louisville, and the two rectors
of the churches in Baltimore, with
considerable inconvenience, were pre-
sent on the occasion, which could not
but be happiness to their whole order.
Father Slattery, a member Of the same
order, and rector Of the new church,
must be equally happy. Through his
instrumentality the children of the
Catholic schools of the United States
were enlisted in the good work, and
these little ones raised nearly 1000
towards building the church. The SER
mon was on the nature Of sacrifce-the
meaning of a church. 1t was treated
by the Bishop in his usually eloquent
and mastery style.
The choir of the Cathedral, with several
gentlemen and lady volunteers, fur
nished excellent music. The whole
service lasted about two and half
hours. The church was filled to over
flowing.
In the evening at 8 o'clock the
church was again filled to hear the
opening sermon Of weeks mission SER
vices. The hymn, "Nearer, My God,
to Thee" opened the service. Father
John r. Slattery then gave a short in
struction on the sign Of the cross.
After a second hymn the Right Rev.
Bishop preached on the opening words
of the Lords prayer, sour Father ~
He explained that the true mean
ing of Gods fatherhood implied the
filiation with Jesus Christ, His Son,
and this filiation was effected in bap-
tism. Naturally, it followed that all
unbaptised are shut out from it; hence
the necessity Of infant as well as adult
baptism.
Solemn benedictiou closed the SER
vice , and the day of the dedication of
St. Joseph's (colOredl church passed
into history-a day long 10 be remem-
bered by the Catholics of Richmond as
adding new church to their former
ones, so that their faith may be further
propagated among the colOred people.
The Xaverian brothers Phillip and
Michael, had charge Of the ceremonies
and under their management every detail
was faithfully carried out.
The mission services through the re-
mainder of the week, except Saturday,
begin at s P. NJ.
Connected with the church is a new
brick structure, erected especially as a
school building for colored children.
This is in charge of sisters brought
over from England, and there are now
nearly one hundred and fifty pupils in
daily attendance.
BURIAL OF A RELIGEUSE.