Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-05-25
MISS CALDWELL'S GIFT.
versity Laid With Imposing Ceremonies in Washington.

The Corner Stone of tho Catholic Uni-
 versity Laid With Imposing Ceremonies
 in Washington.
 WASHINGTON, May 25.-The corner stone of the Catholic university, two miles north of this city, was laid late yesterday afternoon with imposing ceremonies It attracted wis itors from all over the United States and Canada, many of the most distinguished pre- lates of the church being present. Beside the clergy there were also present many of the most prominent Catholic laymen of the country.
 The ceremonies began in the midst of driving rain. Despite this upwards of 5000 people congregated in and about the founda- tion of the university, and with uplifted um- brellas stood for two hours in the rain while the ceremonies progressed. Cardinal Glib bons occupied the throne of honor, with Presi- dent Cleveland on his left. Several members of the cabinet occupied seats to the presidents left. About the cardinal were seated Arch bishops John J. Williams, w. S. Corrigan, J. B. Salpointe, W. H. Elder, P. J. Ryan, John Ireland and twenty-four bishops Priests to the number of 200 and seminarians to the number of 800 were seated in the rear of the bishops A number of distinguished invited guests, among them the Misses Cald- well, Gen. Rosecrans, ex-Speaker s. J. Ran
 
 cry, Second Assistant Postmaster General Knott and Eugene Kelly, were also present
 The only covering that protected this dis tinguished gathering from the rain was a thin canvas awning, and the rain sifted through 1t as through a sieve. The president and cardinal sat during the ceremonies with nncnvarad haads- an ~tt...~as."o HoIuIng an umbrella over them. None of the clergy wore vestments, but instead overcoats and TT,~I@ d. cumstances was the corner stone of the great Catholic university laid.
 Cardinal Gibbons called the bedraggled crowd to order in a few words, in which he returned thanks to God for the bright pros poets with which the university was started. He then introduced Bishop Spalding, of Peoria, Ills, the orator of the day. He de- livered most finished oration, which wa. received with much enthusiasm. In closing he complimented most highly Miss Mary Gwendolen Caldwell, who started the move ment to found the university, and contrib uted thereto $3OO, 900, which formed the nucleus of the present fund.
 At the conclusion of Bishop Spalding's ad- dress, Bishop Keane, of Richmond, the rector of the university, read the papal brief, accompanying a gold medal sent by Pope Leo XIII to Miss Caldwell, as expressing his holiness appreciation of her munificent act The medal is of purest gold, about two inches in diameter, struck at the beginning of the year 1856, by order of the pope, in commemoration of the eighth year of his pontihcate. The face of the medal contains a splendid profile of the pope himself, with the inscription of his name and the year of his pontifcate. The reverse side represents the genius of history, lifted aloft by the angels of the Lord, with an inscription com memorating the opening of the archives of the Vatican to the historical researches of the scholars of the world This was pre- sented to Miss Caldwell by Cardinal Gibbons, | who placed it about her neck. The corner stone was then laid by the car diual, copies of the local papers, current | coin, the decrees of the third plenary council, etc, being placed under it. This completed the inauguration of what is designed by its founders to be the greatest seat of religious learning on the western hemisphere.