Omaha daily bee., 1888-05-06
ST. JOHNS CHURCH.
The Magnificent Edifice Will Be Dedi-
Gated To-Day,

Gated To-Day.
On the last Sunday of June, less than q
year ago. possibly the hottest of the season,
the cornerstone of st. Johns collegiate
church was laid, on the California side of
Creighton college campus. To-day the church
will be dedicated, and when admitted within
its walls, the public will have an opportunity
of viewing the handsomest Catholic church
in this part of the country.
The style is gothic and the material stone
from Warrensburg, Mo. At present the
structure is but 1l2 feet in length by IS feet
in width, with a nave of slxty-two feet The
plan, however, comprehends building 1S4
feet long, with width at the
transcept of 1873 feet, which will
give it a cruciform appearance.
To enable the more easily the carrying out
of the design, the north wall is of but
temporary nature and consequently may be
easily removed to permit of the desired
extension
The front of the structure has been very
handsomely designed. 1t lacks the profuse-
ness of detail which the style encourages,
but preserves enough of them to distinguish
the order and illustrate the ideas of elegance
and stability which seem to have been en-
tertained by the managing mind On
the, southeast corner stands .quadrilat-
eral tower, supported by buttresses
and broken by a few windows of varied de-
signs. This is intended to rise to a height of
100 feet, an. .octagonal spire surmounted by q
cross, to rest upon the stonework now com
pleted. The latter has an appearance of sol
idity which is sustained by a depth of founda-
tion and thickness of wall which promise to
sustain the superimposed weight for many
year. Through this tower there is an en-
trance TO the choir as also to the body of the
church, though the main door is further
west, beneath pediment which is, as yet,
incomplete. On this it is intended to place
lifesized statue of the patron saint of the
church. To the west of the main is another
entrance, beside which stands tower which
has been completed and which rises to
height of eighty eight feet. This is now sur
mounted by gilt cross as IS also the apex of
the roof over the middle entrance. The roof
pitches at an angle of forty-five degrees and
is covered with slate Inside the entrance
there is an ample vestibule with double doors
opening outward from from the church, and
over these is an elaborate tracery. in stained
glass, in which are delicately intertwined
of the Latin words "Ad Maiorem
Del Gloriam," For the Greater Glory of
God" the object of the order of Jesuits who
have charge of this church.
Within these doors the visitor experiences
a feeling of disappointment as he looks to-
ward the sanctuary wall. This feel
ing is occasloned by the fact that
the length of the structure, al
e not IN wIh be pWdtS
and heighth. The fact is admitted, but, as
before stated, the north wall is only tempo
rary. The Jesuits have not builded for a
day. When the north wall is re-
moved and the church completed, the
lack of symmetry will have been RENE
died.
The interior is light and CHEEKY, the walls
and ceiling being of sand finish and white,
though these are to be tinted with mauve
and blue and illuminated with gilt. The roof
is forty feet in height, broken into joined
gothic arches which are supported by 1uted
pillars of iron sheeted with red oak. The
wainscotting is of the material last men
toned as are also the pews, which are hand
some in design and amply large and rendered
| easy of access by a main and two
side aisles., In the, south end
| of the church and above the
main entrance is the choir which may accom-.
| modate 100 people. 1t in no way detracts
| from the beauty of the interior and is beyond
| the vision of the worshipper unless he should
see fit to turn round,' which he is not
| likely to do at random be the choral service
| ever so fine.
| At the other extremity of the church is the
| sanctuary. This is three feet higher than
| the floor of the auditorium and carpeted with
| Administer. Three more steps lead to the
| altar, which is in many kinds of marble ant
rises to height of twenty-five feet. In its way
| this is the gem of the edifce. 1t is memor
ial to Mary Lee McShane, the deceased wife
| of Hon. John A. McShane, and SO fine
1
| serve detailed notice.
| The altar is the most expensive one be
tween New York and San Francisco, anc
when completed will cost $500 A few
| panels remain to be placed on the sides, bu
at present. to all intents and purposes, tht
structure is complete. The style is gothic
and the work weighs six tons, supported
by solid backing and foundation o
brick. The prevailing material i
the altar table are of Tennessee,
resting on a base of blue marble. Thes
| panels are separated by columns of gra.
granite with caps and bases of Italian. Il
each panel is a beautifully Sculped emblem
that in the main one being Agnus Del, an,
on the lateral panels the four Evangelists
These emblems are wrought in Rutlan
statuary and Tennessee marble. The az
proaches to the reredos, above the table ar
of blue marble. The tabernacle rests in
base of the same material, and the cornice
supported by Tennessee. The door of tn
tabernacle is of heavy iron, with the Host an
chalice on the outside IN raised work an
beautifully worked by the ladies of tn
Sacred Heart at Park Place in this cit,
| The interior of the tabernacle is quilted wit
silk. The recess above the tabernacle is c
Lisbon and German marble, with border
couple of inches in width of very expensiv
| Egyptian marble. On either side of this rt
cess and supporting dome are columns c
Mexican onyx ornamented with gothic cal
itals. The panels on each side of the tabel
| nacle are of Knoxville marble, with plaster
separated by groupings of columns of Mis-
SQUIRE onyx. Over and back of the tabernf
Gle is life-size statue of the Sacre
Heart of Vermont statuary This rests
a gothic niche artistically wrought and
flanked by two smaller inches in the one o
the cristle side, being the statue of st. JohI
and in that on the gospel side the statue {
the Blessed Virgin The material of tn
smaller statues is Tennessee, while the co