New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-06
FIFTY FEARS OF CHURCH WORK.
no coNsECRATE ST. PAULs In BROOKLYN.
IMPOSING CEREMONIES IN A ROMAN CATHOLIC
rln-n

IMPOSING CEREMONIES IN A ROMAN CATHOLIC
CHURCH TO-DAY.
Tho formal conservation exercises OF st. Paurs
Roman Catholic Church In Brooklyn were privately
conducted yesterday morning. Only clergymen were
present, and Bishop Loughlin conducted tho solemn
services assisted by tho Rev. Messrs J. A. Hartnct
". l. oHara ]. Crowley, E. NJ. Cannon NJ J.
Terney and F. shcehey. The Bishop blessed tho
walls ard wrote In consecratcd ashes the aoor with
his croser the Greek and English alphabes, and then
Amounted walls and burned crosses Of wax and IN
cense on and in front Of the newly consecraed altar
Low mass followed the conservation which 1t took
three hours to perform.
At the service in honor OF the semicentennal and
conservation OF the church to-day Bishop MeNierny,
Of Albany, Bishop o'Fsrrell, Of Trenton And Vicar
General Keegan win take part and in the evening the
Rev. Martin Carroll will preach
The church has been decorated within and without
since the debt cleared of and Its conservation b.
came possible II was expected to have tho ceremony
observed in January, when the semcontennih Of The
opening of the edifce occurred. but there special
for deferrng the exercises until the first Sun
day in May.
When tho church was founded Brooklyn had just
started its olty The beginning Of build
Ing Roman Catholic churches there which have In
crcxsed fftyold In many years. made In Is23.
meeting was called Of the people who crossed tho
river to attend services at st. Peters. In Barclayst,
and IT was found that there seventy who
willing to did In founding Q new church
In Brooklyn Prominent among them was Cornelius
Heeney, who is still well remembered by his gifts for
charitable purposes. He offered . site for the first
building at Court and Congress sts., then little more
than cornfeld with street marked out across it
But 1t decided that would be going too far out
into the country and so South Brooklyn was de-
prved of chance OF having cathedral, for tho
first church was established in Jayst, and when tho
Diocese of Brooklyn ives created II became the 81.
James Cathedral II was not until after thirteen
years after the nrst church bus that Mr. Heeneys
offer was accepted and then in 1885 the building Of
81. Paus was begun But disaster overlook tho
enterprise and the edince was blown down IN a wind
storm after the walls up and the roof in Its
place Work ct resumed Tho oompcted
structure dedicated by Bishop Dubois, OF this
city, under whose Jurisdiction II was, in January 1898.
The real founder OF the church Mr.. Heeney, who
came to this country in 1884. He found employment
In fur store in this city where John Jacob Aston
vas his fellow porter, and when their employer 70
tired they bought the business Aftcrwsrd Mr. Heeney
sold out TO his partner and engaged In the same bus
ness Independently. lie invested his money In reel
estate and = part Of his property is what has been
known for many years Is the Heency estate. In tbs
Sixth Ward, brooklyn. 1t Is covered with business
buildings and homes, and the income from the rons Is
s25. 900 year. which goes to the charities supported
by tho Brooklyn Benevolent Society. Among tho
property Mr.. Heeney owned In this city was the site
Of St. PatrIcRs Cathedral In Ffthaye.. but after no
transferred It to another II passed through several
hands before u finally bought by the churches
Of st. Peter and ST. Patrick Mr.. Heensy never mar
ried and ct his death In 1e4s his estate was devoted
TO charitable purposes as no desired He was buried
at the rear Of the church he founded where tho
monument to his memory stiu stands.
81. Panrs Church has been served by only five
pastors In the half century of its history The first
regular pastor the Rev. Nicholas UDonnelly, who
served nom 1888 to 1s47. HIS parish was large
and tho people widely scattered. In ls47 the Rev.
Joseph schneider succeeded TO the church. Although
he was born In Germany no used to say he was an
Iris an. for the vessel which no came to this
country had to seek repairs the coast OF Ireland
After brief pasorate by the Rev Patrick MeGoyern
from 1861 TO 1863 tho Rev. Robert J. Mcguire sue
oeeded and he remained until he died In 1881
The present pastor Is the Rev. William J. I'M. VINO
began bis work In 1881. He has succeeded IN paying
OF 3 debt Of over $4,000 ard mas
raised 100000 for the repairs ana lns
provcments recently made. parish sehoo'
building In Warrenst., has Just boon competcd al
cost Of $4,000. Father IIlll suffered serious ac-
cident by fall whi,r this building was being con
structcd last year. but no happily recovered IN ny
fifty years the church has had the services OF score
Of assistant priests many Of whom nave CONC
from II ake chargc of churches The career OF me
church hiss been worthily prosperous, and no miller
proof OF this be found than In the fact that 70
90 among the fcw fully consecrsted churches 10 INC
city Among the recent improvements has been the
addition OF handsome set OF cathedral glass windows,
made abroad which add greatly to the atracuvencss
OF interior of the church