Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1889-09-13
LAYING THE CORNER STONE.
Impressive Ceremonies mud n LnrE,
Number of witnesses.

Impressive Ccrem onies and n Large
Number OF witnesses.
About 1000 people were in attend
nnce at the laying OF the corner stone
OF the new st. Rose de Lima church,
last Sunday afternoon. The new church
will occupy very prominent position,
and just across the street from the old
one, which it replaces. Visitors were
here from Toledo and surrounding, and
from along the line of the d. & NJ. r. r.
A train was chartered on this road for
the occasion, and the services OF the
steamer Pastime we're also retained to
carry passengers from Toledo, and
about two thousand from that city
availed themselves of the opportunity.
Among the prominent clergy present
were Rt. Rev. Bishop Gilmour, Rev.
P. O'Brien, Rev. Louis Braire, Rev.
p. 7. Moran, Rev. Geo. Reagan, Rev,
Michael Vollmayer, and Rev. S. ].
Weissberk.
A large platform was erected in front
Of the new edifice. Bishop Gilmour
stated the programme Of the proceed
ings, after which the assembled priests
marched to the spot where the high
altar will, be and blessing the spot,
made the circuit OF the church. The
Bishop then mounted the platform
when the corner stone was laid with
the customary ceremonies and prayers.
The Bishop then addressed the as
sembled multitude, as follows, which
we copy from the Toledo Bee: HE
began by pointing out the laying OF the
stone as sign and signal Of the faith
which should animate the worshipers
who would later enter that house OF
God. He proceeded to show wherein
the building was distinguished from
J any secular building. 1t would stand
as the representative of religion and
would be thus steadily placed before
the eyes of the community, n reminder
OF God and the truth. The difficulty of
the day, he said, was want Of God. In
the very nature OF things men were
forced into human lines and to discuss
human actions. God is an idea-not
like that building, or a community of
or civil government, all OF which were
substantial, material and visible. God
is immaterial and invisible, hence God
is an idea. He is an idea that comes to
us from without, not from anything
from within ourselves. He comes to us
through revelation. What is revela-
tion 1t is the testimony of one who
can prove or has proven what he has
seen. When Moses came down from
the mount and said he had spoken with
the Lord, the Jews asked him for proof,
and when later the Lord spoke to them
in manner which convinced all that
the voice was the voice of the Lord
none hesitated to believe. The Jews
had the right to ask that question,
Where is your proof? How do you
know So when Christ came He was
asked to prove, not the doctrines He
came to teach, but the proof OF His
being the Son ofGod. And so it was in
our days, they were asked to prove the
truth of what they preached. They
were told the doctrines were not con-
formable to science, to human reason.
How was he (the speaker) to prove
what he had not seen. He was never
in hell or in heaven and could not say
they existed. But why ask him to
solve the supernatural when the ma
tural remained mistery. Who could
tell him why the flowers, the grass,
sprung up and died and rotting, only to
spring up anew. They believed in the
doctrines of Christianity because Christ,
the prophets and the apostles had
spoken OF them as truths: wise were
the truths revealed in the Bible.
What is the Bible ? 1t is a collection
of words spoken by Christ to men and
from men transmitted to us. The
Bible was right, but the means OF get
ting at the truths it contained was
sometimes wrong. The church was
not infallible in all things. That was
one of the mistakes which the church
had to contend against. She was only
infallible when speaking on faith and
morals. On all other matters the
church was human and liable to err. II
there was n hell, as taught, no mistake
would alter the fact. When the church
because she says it, but she says it be-
cause there is hell. And the same
with reference to God. 1t was claimed
that the church had no right to reprove
the acts of legislators. She had, and
so had everyone interested therein.
The civil government was amenable to
the laws of God. The legislators we
send to Columbus were amenable to
these laws. But God did not speak to
these rulers. Would that He did, the
people would not be so often the victim
Of their Doodle and general wickedness.
The state is bound to be just, and so
with the courts, and both are bound to
obey the laws of God. The liberty OF
truth would be taught to ruled and
ruler alike in the church, the founda-
tion stone of which they had there laid.
Before concluding his remarks the
Rt. Rev. Bishop thanked the Wis
itors, on the part of father Rieken, for
their attendance, and the throng was
dispersed with the benediction.
Among other papers that were lain
in the foundation, was Latin pamphlet
bearing the date of erection of the
church and other data, and a copy OF
the Perrysburg JOURNAL.
Several refreshment stands, where
lemonade, ice cream, eto., could be had,
were in close proximity, the receipts
from which were for the benefit OF the
church. A collection was also taken
up, and the entire proceeds amounted
to about $3.50.
Rev. G. H. Rieken deserves congratu-
lation for his efforts thus far, and the
successful termination of the ceremo-
nies of last Sunday, and he may well
feel proud that residents and visitors
responded sogenerally to his invitation.
The last of the visitors did not get
out of town until 10 o'clock Sunday
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