The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-10-15
PRINCE AND PRIEST.
The Holy POmp In which Cardinal McClOs.
key Lived.


key Lived.
N. Y. CoiTopondH Phiia. NeUt.
Tbs close Of Cardinal McCloskey's
career centres public attention on the big
snd ornate piles Of marble that occupy
block in the cty's NEST fashionable sec.
ton. The Roman Catholic Cathedral Of
st. Patrick, the costliest and finest ex-
ample Of church architecture in America,
is right across corner Of Fifth avenue
from the Vanderbilt mansions, while
facing It from Madison avenue at the rear
ia the reproduction OF an Italian palace
that Henry Willard had not completed
when his downfall came, and on all sides
are the residences Of extreme wealth and
luxury.
Two corners Of the square on which the
Cathedral stands are lesser and yet big
structures in a corresponding style OF ma
terial and ornate shapeliness. One OF
these is the official home OF Archbishop
Corrigan and the priestly members OF. his
aud the Cardinals establishments. The
other has for few years been exclusive
TO the only prince OF the Roman Catholic
Church that America has had. Within
this beautiful Enclosure Cardinal MCClns-
kew formed and maintained court that
had all the ceremonial, formality and
1nuch OF the magnifiCence OF q secular
ruler, for it is an unwriiten law OF Roman.
ism that Cardinal shall sustain certain
degree Of princeliness, and McCloskey,
despite his personal simplicity Of char.
acler and tastes,, felt bound to obey the
usages OF his church abroad.
On rare occasions Of great ceremony,
when he took part in the worship in tho
Cathedral, he invariably entered with pro-
cessional paGeantry, wearing crown,
ribed in trailing garments whose royal
gorgeousness has been repeatedly de-
scribed, and taking a seat on throne
whose splendors OF construction were
sacredto his use alone. His sge.enteebled
health prevented him from any active
participation in the public rites, hal he
been SO disposed; but he was an idea
figure when he did show himself as the
centre Of the most brilliant imaginable
scenes of ecclesiastical pomp, with his
asceLically esthetic face. noble bearing
and venerable aspect. The deep impress
eiyencss Of his disclosure to a mixed as
semblage OF rich and poor, intelligent and
ignorant, cultured and snperstitious, was
a spectacle to remember for a lifetime.
A feature OF the Cardinals palace was q
} chapel, Of which the outer observer was
made aware by its tall, stained glass win
doSR, occupying tW Histories Of the build
Ing. The Interior had all the appoint
ments OF Catholic worship, except that
. there wero no pews for congregation.
High masses were performed daily. The
Cardinal went to confession once week,
his contess6r being Father Preston, the
only priest in New York who came from
, a family OF wealth and social distinction.
McCloskey was devotional in the extreme
and very punctillious in his observanCes.
He also exacted to the,utmost that defer
: epce which was due from his household to
, his rank. lie lived plainly as to eating
and drinking, however, and his likes and
desires ran altogether in the direction oil
literature, art and religion.
/ He never went out into society, for the
presumed reaiou that he would not II he
could demand the kind OF homage which
his prinCeship implied. He was never
seen in the streets after his elevation to
the throne, and when compelled to go
anywhere he rode in close carriage. he
was about as confined as the Pope in the
Vatican, though altogether by choice, for
he had many warm personal friends last.
ing over from his humber days. In the
summer he lived quite as retired in con-
vent belonging to sisterhood on high,
rural ground Just north OF the city
proper. During the last two years
physician visited him every
day, and the same constant, skilliul
sort OF attendance extended even to the
lowest servitor; and among these the Ell:
quette OF royal court, such as the use Of
the phrase "Your Highness" in address
ing him, low obeisanCes in entering his
presence and awaiting permission by q
wave OF the hand to speak tremendously
enforced. Ia his privacy he wore sim
pie robe OF black and beretta Of the same
color. In his officials he exacted a strict
compliance with the fashions as set by
foreign authority. His family relations
were chiefly with the wife Of John Kelly,
one OF his three nieces.