The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-05-30
LAYING THE CORNER STONE.
CATHOLIC UNIVERSITIES BEGINNING.
Impressive Ceremonies ut the Foundation
of the Divinity School Building-The .
President and his Cabinet At
tend-The Addresses.

/ tne new cdtuOnC OF America was
laid this afternoon. The day opened rainy and
| gloomy. Early in the day there appeared to be
| prospect of clear weather, but notwithstand-
ing the fair weather" prediction of the signal
service bureau, soon again drilling rain set
in, and, with frequent brief cessations, con-
tinued until night-fall. Still the preparations
for the ceremony went on. AS early as 10
o'clock delegates from Baltimore and
other neighboring cities began to arrive
and from that time until after o'clock
every incoming train brought its quota of vis-
| tors. Cardinal Gibbons arrived from Balt-
more at II o'clock and was attended by anum-
| Der OF distinguished prelates. The cardinal
was driven at once to the residence of the Rev.
DIR. Chapelle. At 2 o'clock he accompanied
! Col. and Nine. Bonaparte in their carriage TO
the university grounds where about 1000 peo-
| pie had already assembled.
/ Fully $4,000 people had been expected, but
the heavy rain and the deep mud of the coun-
/ try roads had deferred all save the bravest
! The grand procession under the direction Of
| Gen Rosecrans which was to have been an inn
! posing feature of the ceremonies had to be
abandoned. The canvas and bunting which
/ had been stretched over the grand stand to
| protect the people from the rain, but indiffer-
emily answered its purpose.
Among the distinguished prelates present
were James, Cardinal Gibbons; Archbishops
Williams of Boston, Ryan of Philadelphia,
Elder of Cincinnati, Salpointe of Santa Fe and
Ireland of st. Paul; Bishops Spalding of Peo-
ria, Keane of Richmond, Ryan of Buffalo,
Northrup of Charleston, S. c., Bourke of Chey-
enne, Machebeuf of Denver Brodel of Helena,
Gilmore of Cleveland, Janssens of Natchez,
If Eai, Of paf1
of Springfield O'Sullivan of Mobile, Moore of
St. Augustine, Lebroeuf of Washin gton terri
tory, Macs of Covington, McGovern of Harris
burg; DIR. John s. Foley, bishop elect, of De-
troit; Robert Fulton, 5. J. provincial of the
order of Jesuits of st. Louis, and Mgrs Farley
of New York and Sullivan of Wheeling
A large number of priests, scholastics and
seminarians were also present. A few minutes
before o'clock the president arrived and was
introduced to Cardinal Gibbons and the other
distinguished divines present, who removed
their scarlet and purple berettas and remained
uncovered while the president was standing.
He took proffered seat between the cardinal
and Bishop Ireland on the platform Sec'ys
| Bayard, Villas, Whitney and Endicott and P.
NJ. Gen. Dickinson arrived soon after and took
seats near the president. At p. m. choir OF
! 100 voices, accompanied by the marine band,
rendered HaydenS anthem "The Heavens Are
! Telling" This was followed by the chanting
OF Psalms lxxxiii by the chOisters from st. Mary's
seminary and ST. Charles college of Baltimore.
After selections were rendered by the choir
and the Marine band, the Right Rev. Bishop
| Spaulding of Peoria began the delivery of his
address, Speaking of the religious exies who
sought in America a home for Christian con-
science, he said:
| Who could have had faith that men of different
creeds speaking various tongues, bred in unlike
cial conditions, would here coaesce and cooperate
/ for the general purpose Of ree government? Above
/ all who could have believed that form OF govern
/ ment rarely tried in small states, and when
tried found practicable only for brief periods, would
have become stable, strong, that every hamlet
/ every village, is Self-pOised and manages its own
| affairs The achievement is greater than are able
| coming from MANY lands have here made homes
and found themselves free nor in the building of
cities the clearing of forests the draining OF Swamps
the binding of two oceans and the opening OF lines
/ OF rapid communication in every direction.
/ Not to numbers and wealth do we owe our signif-
canoe among the nations, but to the fact that We
with civil and religious liberty that a free people
can become prosperous and strong and preserve
der without king or standing army; that the state
and the church can move in separate orbits and still
cooperate for the common welfare; that Of diff
feren and beliefs may live together in peace
and that in spite OF abnOTmay rapid increase of
population and wealth. and of the many evils thence
resulting, the prevailing tendency is sanctity Of
I thought and sentiment thus plainly manifeSting
the vigOr OF our life and institutions that the gov
eminent OF the majority, where put their trust
IN God and in knowledge, is in the end, the govern
ment OF the good and wise.
OF the catholic church in America he said:
All observers remark its great Development here
the rapid increase in tine number OF its adherents
growth in wealth and influence the frIA but gentle
hand which brings heterogeneous populations under
/ the control OF common faith and discipline the
ease with which ii adapts itself TO conditions
and organizes itself in every part of the country 1t
Is not little thing, in spite OF unriendly public
opinion and of great and numerous Obstacles in spite
OF the burden which high achievements impose and
/ OF the lack OF easy and supple movements which
| gathering years imply 10 enter fields, TO bend
ones self TO unaccustomed work and 10 struggle for
the right TO live IN the midst OF generations needless
/ of the gOOdand mindful only OF the evil which
/ has been associated with ones life. And this
/ is what the catholic church in America has
/ had 10 do; and has done with n success which
recalls the memory Of the spread OF Christianity
/ through the Roman empire 1t counts its members
here by millions, while 100 years ago il counted them
by thousands and its priests churches schools and
institutions of charity it reckons by the thousands
| when they could be counted hardly by tens. And
public opinion which was then hostile is no longer
in the degree. Prejudice is not, indeed ceased
to exist for where there Is question OF gion, of
society Of politics. even the iairest minds fail to
things they are, and the multitude it may be sup
posed,will never become impartial but the tendency
OF our life and OF the age is opposed 70 bgotry and
lose faith in the justice and efficacy of peTse-
cution, perceive more clearly that true religion
can neither be defended nor propagated by violence
and intolerance by appeals to sectarian bitterness
and national hatred. And by none is this more sim
cerey acknowledged or more deeply felt than by the
catholics of the United States.
The bishop predicted a splendid future for
the church, and at the conclusion of his address
said
And now how shall more fttingly conclude than
with the name of her whose generous heart and en-
hghtened mind we're the impulse which has given to
what had long been hOpe-defeTred and dream-like
VISION existence and dwelling place-Mary Gwen
dOlen Caldwell.
Bishop Keane, rector of the university, here
stepped forward and addressing himself to Miss
Caldwell, who seated at the right and i'm
front of the platform, read "a short letter from
the cardinal to Miss Caldwell expressing the
! profound gratitude of the church for her gift
OF 100000 which he said entitled her to be
considered the founderess Of our catholic uni
Yersity.
Accompanying the cardinals letter was one
| from the pope to Bishop Keane, expressing
gratitude for Miss CaldwelPs munificence and
bestowing upon her the apostolic benedictiOn.
Bishop Keane then handed Miss Caldwell the
medal sent TO her by the pope. tits Of solid
gold and about two inches in diameter. Ii was
struck by order of of Leo XIII at the beginning
of and in cOmmemoration of the eighth year OF
| his pontifcate. One side contains the profile
of the pope. On the other is a representation
OF the genius of history lifted aloft by angels
with an inscription cOmmemmOrating the open
ing of the archives of the Vatican to the histor-
! cal researches of the scholars of the world
Miss Caldwell received the gift with bowed
head.
The ceremony Of blessing the site of the
chapel and laying the cornerstone was post
poned on account of rain. These ceremonies
Will be performed at a future day. While the
bishops and a few especially invited guests
were dining with the cardinal at DR.. Chapelle's
i