The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-07-02
|SI. PETERS Debt PAID
Conservation Services Will
Crown the Work of a
Society of Devoted
Paris1lioners.
IMPOSING CEREMONIES TOMORROW
Prohibitionists' Meetings at Pon
Richmond-Local Church
Items.

The conservation of St. Peters Roman
Catholic Church this morning and to
morrow is an event of great Importance
n the cfty's church history. According
to Roman Catholic laws a church cannot
be consecrated until the entire debt has
been paid. AS every church starts with
heavy burden of Indebtedness, which is
for some time increased rather than
diminished owing to necessary repairs
and other current expenses, tit may be
seen what an immense undertaking is
was to pay off all incumbrance and pre-
sent the church for it's final conservation,
The church building is located on
Grand street, where with the Parochial
School, facing on York street, st. Peters
College and the rectory, it takes up the
greater parU of the square. In the early
sixties, the Rev. Father Kelly, then in
charge, gave the church to the Jesuit
Fathers, who now control it. In 1884,
when the Rev. John McQuaid was pastor
OF the church, there was debt of over
200, which was barely kept from in
creasing by the usual methods of raising
money. To clear off this indebtedness
the Rev. Father McQuaid organized the
Church Conservation Society In that
year, members of which pledged them
selves TO give $50 toward the debt. The
membership list rapidly rose to more than
a thousand and a fair was given which
cleared over S1,4o0. The Church Conse-
Grafton Society, with the aid of regular
church collections, has now lifted the en-
tire debt. and its members have been
given tickets which admit them to the
private ceremonies, from which the gen.
eral public is excluded.
ToMoRROW'S CEREMONIES.
At 1870 A. NJ. tomorrow, the church
will be open to the public, at Solemn
Pontifical Mass will be sung, the Right
Rev. Bishop Wigger acting as celebrant.
The Rev. Father Doonan, of Boston. will
preach the sermon. At vespers, 7:3g P.
NJ, the Rev. Father Francis Smith, who
will be remembered as a former pastor of
st. Peters, will preachHthe sermon. The
musical programme was announced in
THE JERSEY CITY NEWS yesterday. Prof.
]. b. Ferry. whose work in St. Peters
as leader and choir-master needs no in-
PRODUCTION to the jubilee, will take entire
charge of the musical services. There
will be male choir of twenty-four voices,
who have been under long and careful
training.
WORK OF THE CHURCH.
Rev. Father John Harpes is the pastor
in charge of St. Peters Church. The con-
gregation is of immense size, and the gem
0tal aGL0nQance pFODaDly larger tnan GnaG
OF any church in the vicinity. There are
many sodaIities, such as the Children of
Mary, Young Mems Lyceum, Guardian
Angel Sodality. St. Stanislaus' Sodality
for little boys, and thu Sodality of the
Sacred Heart for married women. ST.
PETERS Parochial School, which adjoias
The church, was erected In 1861, and ac-
commodities large number of children.
The Sisters OF Charity, who teach in the
school, also conduct ST. Aloysus' Acad-
emy on the block below, which has re-
Gently erected an imposing building, and
furnishes instruction to many young
ladies of the city. The Sisters also carry
on worthy WORK In providing free indus
trial instruction for working girls. st.
Peters College is one of the best-known
educational institutions In the city. Its
corps of instructors is selected from the
Fathers.
AT 1890 tomorrow morning, when the
public ceremonies are about to begin, it is
safe TO say that there will be breathing
room only anywhere within the outer
doors of the church, while the assembly
OF church dignitaries present, will be
such as Jersey City has not seen, and will
not see again for many day.