Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1889-05-02
THE rains of Saturday and Sunday were
timely, benefiting vegetation greatly.

ST. MARY'S CATHOLIC CHURCH.
THOUSANDS WITNESS THE BLESSING OF
THE CORNERSTONE AT MARTINS FER
RY-RIGIIT REV. BISHOPS WATTERSON
AN KAN PRESENT.
From the Wheeling Register, Monday.
The blessing and laying of the corner
stone of st. Mary's Catholic Church, at
Martins Ferry, yesterday afternoon, was
an event long to be remembered, not only
in Catholic circles but among the people
of Martins Ferry irrespective of religious
affiliations.
The rain made the day very unprOpi-
tious, but nevertheless an immense throng
crowded and jammed the streets for sew
eral blocks about the site of the new
building and a sea of umbrellas spread
out for quite a distance on all sides.
Every motion of Rt. Rev. Bishop Water
son, of Columbus, was watched with the
utmost attention and the crowd anxiously
listened for every word he spoke. The
windows of all the houses in the vicinity
were packed with spectators, while the
members of the Catholic societies braved
| the rain and stood in the street with un-
covered heads, comparatively small
number of those present being able to find
standing room on the lot or in the i'm
mediate vicinity of the imprOmptu pull
pit from which the Bishop spoke and con-
Quoted the ceremonies. 1t was the
largest assembly our sister city has seen
for years, and the thrOng was yariOusly
estimated at from five to seven thousand
| people.
The ceremonies proper were preceded
by parade of the Hibernians, of this
city, Benwood, Bellaire and Martins
| Ferry, and other Catholic societies and
| the gentlemen of st. Mary'S congregation
| They formed in the following order at
the ferry landing, and marched direct to
the site of the new church, the originally
intended route being too muddy from the
rain which had been falling since morn
| ing. Thomas DObbins acted as chief
marshal, and was Immediately followed
| by Mayors Band, and the Sir Knights of
st. George, Sir Knights of st, John, Hi
bernians of Wheeling, Hibernians of
| BenwOOd, Hibernians of Bellaire, Hiber-
mans of Martins Ferry, St Marys Cadets
of Temperance and the gentlemen of st.
Mary's congregation. The st. AlphonsuS
| Beneficial Society was not present.
Mayors band discOursed some music at
the temporary stand erected, after which
Rt. Rev. Bishop WatersOn delivered an
entertaining sermon, in which he took
occasion to compliment the Rector and
congregation of St. Mary's and to call at
tentiOn to the rapid growth of the CathO-
lie Church in the United States and the
State of Ohio, there being twenty-four
similar exercises performing in the
United States and four of them in Ohio.
After the Bishop had concluded his ser
mon, he, assisted by Rt. Rev. Bishop John
]. Kahn, of the Wheeling diocese, pro.
ceeded with the other ceremonies of the
occasion. First came the procession to
the Cross, then the blessing of the spot
where the alter shall stand when the
church is completed. The corner stone
was then blessed, and after the articles
commemorative of the time had been in
serted it was placed into position with
the usual ceremonies.
The new church will cost about $1,000
and will be of brick, two stories high.
Work on the foundation is well under
way, and the building will be completed
as soon as possible.