Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-04-28
THE MCMAHON HALL OF PHILOSOPHY.
The Corner Stone Laid by Cardinal Gibbons
With Impre-siye Ceremony.

THE MCMAHON HALL OF PHILOSOPHY
The Corner Stone Laid by Cardinal Gibbon
With Impressive Ceremony.
The corner stone Of the McNahon Hall o
Philosophy was laid in the Catholic Cniversit
grounds yesterday afternoon in accordance
with the program announced in THE STAR
The weather all that could be desired. tn
bright April sun helping to make a scene il
marked contrast to the drizzly one in May
lsss. at the laying Of the corner stone of thu
university building. The ceremonies yes;er
day were simple, but impressive. large mum
Der Of people assembled at the foundation o.
the new building before the hour appointed
for the corner stone laying. In the lecture
hall in the divinity building. where the pre-
liminary addresses were delivered, an autlienc,
of 30 or 800 people were gathered. These in
Guided about fifty elergymen. Back of tbs
platform. draped about a bust OF ST. Ihoma;
Aquinas. wero two nIgs-one glorious with the
stars and stripes. the other bearing the keys oil
ST. Peter. The yestments of Cardinal Glib
bons and the prelates who occupied seats on
the Platform gave q touch Of color to the
scene.
DISTINGUISHED PRELtTTs PRESENT.
With the cardinal sat Archbishops Corrigan
Of New York RYAN of Philadelphia and Williams
of Philadelphia, Bishop Keane. rector of the
university, and Mr. Charles j. Bonsparte of
Baltimore. the orator Of the day. There were
in the audience Bishops Chappelle OF Santa Fe.
O'Farreu Of Trenton, Watterson of Columbus.
Macs of CoviDgton, Van de Vyver OF Richmond,
Curtis of Wilmington. Monsignor Farley. Rev.
DIR. Msgmen. president of St Mary's Seminary;
Rev. DIR. Edward =. Allen. president Of Mt
ST. Mary's College: DIR. j. f. Richards. pres.-
dent Of Georgetown College: Brother Anthony.
president of Manhattan College. and many
vell-known elergymen. The audience was not
confined to Catholics by any means. Rev. DIR.
J. L Rankin. president Of Howard University;
Prof. Hardness, Prof Clark. Prof. Bcrnhardt
and a number OF other scientists and college
professors we're there. There were many
ladies' present
The cARDISAI's ADDRESS.
There were no introductory addresses. Cardi-
nal Gibbons advanced to the reading stand and
read an address. expressing thankfu.ness that
already they saw the hope expressed by the
third plenary council IN Baltimore. IN dccreelng
the establishment of the university. beginning
to receive its accomplishment The cardinal
then set forth the aims Of the schools of phllos-
ophy of science which will be accommodated
in the new building
The cardinal. in the course Of his remarks
spoke of what he termed "a lurking suspicion"
that dwells in some minds that an aniagonism
exists between certain dogmas OF revelation
and the results of scientific investigation.
1.-The truth is" he SAID. that how much So
scientists and theologians may quarrel
among themselves there Will always be a per-
feet harmony between science and religion.
Human science and divine religion, like
Martha and Mary. are sisters. because they are
daughters of the same Father They are
both ministering to the same Lord. though in
n different way. Science. like Martha. Is busy
about material things; religion. like Mary, Is
kneeling at the feet OF her Lord.
The Christian religion teaches nothing but
what has been revealed by Almighty God or
what is necessarily derived from revela-
ton God Is truth. All truth comes from
Him. He is the author of all scientific truth.
He is the author of all revealed truth. God.
who dictated the Bible Archbishop Ryar
has we'll said. Is the author who wrote the
illuminated manuscripts of the skies. You
might as well expect that one ray of the sun
would dim the light Of another as that any
truth of revelation can extinSuish any truth
of science. Truth differs from truth only as
star dlhereth from star-each gives out the
same pure light that reaches our vision across
the expanse of the armament. Legitimate in
quiries into the laws of nature are therefore
no more impeded by the dogmas of faith than
our bodily movements are O6struc:ed by the
laws of physics.
I'VE may rest assured. then. that the church
Of God has nothing to fear from the progress
Of physical science and from new discoveries
of the laws OF nature. So far from hiding her
head like the ostrich in the sand at the ap-
proach of modern inventions. she will hail
them as messengers OF heaven and WIN use
them as provideutial agencies for the propa-
CATION Of the kiugdom Of Christ. Yes, we bless
you U men OF genius: We bless your inventions
and discoveries and We will impress them into
the service of religion and say, Lightning and
clouds bless the Lord; all We works of the Lord
bless the Lord praise and exalt linn above all
forever
The cardinals remarks were applauded.
Mr. BoNAPARTEs ADDRESS.
Mr.. Bonsparte. who followed the cardinal
made an addr, on The Ends and Scope of
University" which was received with every
mark of appreciation by his hearers. This is
not" he said in the course OF his address,
merely a unIyersiry-it is a Catholic Uni
versiry. Much depends on the place of the
adjective. From a school Of Catholic science
should expect little good A Catholic school
OF science seems TO me an experiment of great
promise. IL the facts TO be impaired are to be
culled over. If anything is distorted. Won nave
school not Of philosophy, but of sophistry;
the very basis OF your teaching is deception.
Bet II room is given to try all things. If you
are catholic in the spirit of your teaching
then you NAV free humanity from a specter
The modern world is still half afraid that it
must give up God and immortality To dissi-
pate this will be fitting task for the Catholic
University of America. a living proof that the
church OF God does not fear the truth"
LAYING THE CORNER STONE
After the addresses the cardinal the arch
bishops the bishops and clergy withdrew to
other rooms, and, donuiny their vestments,
formed procession which. preceded by the
students of the Paulist College. who chanted
Psalms as they went along, marched to the
site of the new building. As customary in
such professions the cardinal and his attend
ants. Rev. DIR. Thomas o. German and Rev. DR.
Thomas Shahan. came last. The cardinal was
arrayed in inter and golden vestments and
bore aloft golden shepherds crook. At the
corner where the stone laid the prela.es
gathered and n brief ritual was carried out the
students chanting at intervals. The cardinal
blessed the stone and placed upon 1t a trowel
full OF mortar. smoothing II over. as the stone
was moved into place. Then, after q solemn
chant, the ceremonies ended
To Bring the Supreme Lodge. x. p, Here.
The committee representing the knights OF
Pythias lodges in this city are meeting with
announcement IN the movement to invite the
Supreme Lodge to hold its biennial session in
this city in 1894. The meeting place for 1894
will be agreed upon at the coming session of
the Supreme Lodge in Kansas City next August.
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