The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1886-01-24

sHc& 2 - HO C6utI0 hlbto, TWO aknAe1 AuAA.AsA-5
parallel on each side of the church leading
directly to the side gates in the railing
which divides the transept from the body
Of the church. thus making three tiers Of
peWs which will seat twelve or thirteen
hundred persons, besides affording stand
ing room for several hundreds more. The
transept is eighty-six feet in width and
about half the distance the other way, and
i raised four steps above the main floor.
The altar is handsome one and is built
of light colored wood and stands high. In
the rear of the transept and behind the
altar are three stained glass windows, one
of which was presented to the church by
the late James Curran, whose son is a
member of the church another was the
gift Of the Bowles brothers of Hoboken.
The organ loft is at the front of the church
next to the street, and extends the width
OF the building the steps leading to the
gallery are of stone and wind upward like
those in, the tower of Norman castle.
The organ is built of mahogany, and is of
English make. 1t had been in church in
England for seventy years, and was sent
to this country over thirty years ago. 1t
was purchased by the church for ST 900.
In spite of its age it is still of fine tune,
and holds its reputation as good old in
strument, though too small for this church.
The interior of the church is plain in some
respects the walls and roof being white
and the pews and altar oak, trimmed with
dark wood, but the effect is good. There
are a number of fine old oil paintings in
possession of the church, among therest
painting representing ss0ur Lady of Grace,
from which the church takes its name, and
is supposed to be of great antiquity.
Among ether relics and curios to be seen
is lamp which was for many long years in
the chapel of the palace of the Tuilleries,
supposed to be several hundred years old,
and was, if we remember right, presented
by one of the members of the ducal
family Of Orleans to Father Cauven during
one of his visits to the French capital
Rev. Father Corrigan, the pastor, whose
portrait we also present, was born in the
county Longford, Ireland, about ffty-two
years ago. When the young priest was
thirteen years Of age, his parents emigrated
to this country, and settled in Jersey
City, where the reverend father has spent
the greater part of his life. On their ar
rival they united with old st. Peters in
Jersey City, of which Father Kelly was the
incumbent, who at once took the young
stranger under his care and guidance, and
saw that the boy was to be useful in the
future, forecast which has been amply
fulfilled. In the year 1858 this young man
went to study at st. Marys College, Will
mington, Del, where his aptitude for
learning was displayed thoroughly. In
1856 he, by the advice of friends concluded
to study for the priesthood, and in further
ance of this object made voyage to his
native country, there to study in the cele-
brated halls of the Missionary college of
AH-Hallows. He remained there for the
period of three years, and in the year
1859 returned to this country On the
28th day Of June, 1860, he was ordained to
the priesthood in the chapel of st. Mary's
Seminary, in the city of Baltimore, Mary
land, at the hands of the Most Rev. Fran
els B. Kenrick. Father Corrigan after.
wards returned to Jersey City, where he
became assistant to Father Kelly, his old
preceptor, at st. Peters, he remained
for three years. In 1858 he was given the
independent passionate Of the churches in
Fort Lee, Hackensack, aud Englewood.
where he remained until 1865. Then
Father Kelly was removed by death, and
Bishop Bailey called him back to the old
charge Sometime before his death Father
Kelly had comDlenced the building of the
present st. Peters, or Church of the Jesuit
Fathers, as it is now called; his death
before its completion left heavy legacy to
his young successor in the shape of an
unfinished church and a heavy debt.
Father Corrigan completed the church and
reduced the debt to $4,000. After sew
eral years passionate he surrendered his
church and parish to the Society of Jesus,
and took charge of the small church of
Saint Budgets, which he had founded.
and remained there until the year 1876.
In the beginning of that year he was called
to the pastoTate of Saint Mary's, to succeed
Father Senez, who went to Hoboken with
the hope of finishing the new church
there, bat he soon became discouraged
after one years struggle with a debt which
proved too much for him, then he re-
qHested an exchange with Father Corrigan.
who was successful in his efforts. When
Father Corrigan took charge of the stupen-
dous work, he found a church not half
completed and heavy debt he at once
applied to friends, and succeeded in bor-
rowing the sum OF $4,000 to start on
when completedfhe church debt amounted
to the large sum of Sill, 900, which he has
reduced to $4,000 this sum is not on the
church alone. but is divided among the
other buildings. The reverend father is
much thought of by his people, and de-
servedly SO, as he has worked hard for
their interests, and has succeeded by great
effort in completing structure aud reduc-
ing a debt that proved too much for two
men who are capable Of doing much, all
this having been done in one of the small
est parishes in the diocese.