Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1892-05-09
A GREAT WORK COMPLETED,
DEDICATION AND CONSERVATION OF
ST JosEPH'S CATHEDRAL.

Prominent DIgnitarIes Assist at the
Ceremonies Program of Yesterdays
Exercises and History of the Life
Work of Three Bishops.
Thousands of Catholics from all parts
of Connecticut gathered at Hartford
Yesterday to witness the dedication and
conservation of the magnificent cathe-
dral of st Joseph. The exercises which
were of a most impressive nature were
conducted by church prelates from
Canada assisted by the priests of the
About four hundred Waterbury peo-
pie were present, but not all of that
number gained admission to the cathe-
dral at the morning services. A special
train from this city left the New Eng
land station at $3.50, arriving in Hartford
shortly after 10. A second train was
made up at Bristol and carried a party
New Britain and other stations on the
line. On the return the special trains
left Hartford at 5 o'clock.
Governor Buckley, Mayor Hyde,
Senator Cleveland, Charles Dudley
Warner and other prominent citizens of
Hartford attended the morning exer
cises. All the leading papers of the
state sent representatives, seats facing
the pulpit, on the west side near the
affairs, being provided for reporters.
Prominent among the newspaper
in the school of journalism of the late
John Boyle O'Reilly. Her writing in
the Boston Pilot is familiar to many
Waterbury readers.
CEREMONY OF CONSIDERATION.
The preliminary work of the cere-
monial of conservation really began on
Saturday, when Bishop Mcmahon and
other celebrant priests began to fast as
| required by the laws of the church for
twenty-four hours before the consecra-
ton. In the evening the relics, which
were yesterday placed in st Joseph's
altar, the high altar of the cathedral,
metal w tn three grains of incense and
parchment document commemorating
the event, signed by Bishop Mcmahon.
The case was placed on an ornamental
bier and was carefully guarded all night
in the sacristy.
At o'clock yesterday morning
Bishop Mcmahon and the attending
clergymen entered the cathedral, sur
rounded the holy relics and recited the
ceeded to the front door of the church,
where he laid aside his pastoral staff
and intoned the antiphon: "Aid us,
Thou One Almighty God, Father, Son
and Holy Ghost" the choir continuing
it. The bishop, after reciting the litany
of the saints and blessing the salt and
water, sprinkled himself and the attend
ants with the holy water, and the
clergy formed in procession. Passing
around the outside Of the cathedral the
bishop sprinkled the walls, while the
priests recited dedicatory scriptural
poem. This was repeated until the
clergy had passed three times around
the cathedral. Each time the bishop
knocked for admission and was
answered by the deacon from within.
At the third call the party was admitted
and the bishop consecrated the interior.
A cross of ashes was made on the
floor of the church and the bishop
wrote on the ashes with his staff the
Greek alphabet and the Latin alphabet.
The ashes, salt, wine and water were
then blessed, the bishop sprinkled the
high altar, and then the entire party
passed around the inside of the church
three times, the bishop sprinkliDg the
walls. He then made cement at the
altar and after addressing the people at
the door the procession of relics was
formed, the altar incensed. The bishop
then encased the relics in the recess in
the altar and cemented the slat in posi-
ton. During all the impressive cere-
monial there was constant prayer,
singing by the choir and chanting by
the priests. After the conservation of
the cathedral and the main altar the
five other affairs were consecrated
simultaneously by Archbishop Fabre of
Montreal, Bishop Ludden of Syracuse,
Bishop LaFleche of Three Rivers, Can
ada, Bishop Harkins of Providence and
Bishop Mcdonnell of Brooklyn. Each
cOnsecrator was assisted by eleven priests
or cross bearers, acolytes, water bearers
and mitre bearers.
| PONTIFICAL HIGH MASS.
At 1920 the pontifical high mass was
celebrated and long before that hour the
cathedral was crowded. Admission was
by ticket and nearly every parish in the
diocese was represented. Hundreds
who could not gain admission remained
outside to see the procession of pRiests.
Archbishop Williams of Boston, Off
ciated at the mass. He was assisted by
the Very Rev James Hughes of Hart
ford, assistant priest; Vicar general
| Byrnes and the Rev Hugh Smythe of
Boston, deacons; the Rev Thomas w.
Broderick of Hartford, deacon of the
gospel; the Rev Thomas J. Shahan
of the Washington university, sub dea-
con; Rev James Walsh of Tariffville,
and Rev John F. Corcoran of New
Haven, acolytes; Rev Timothy M.
Crowley of rhomaston, censor bearer;
Rev Frank Murray of Bristol, cross
bearer; Rev J. FL. O'Donnell of Water
bury, Rev John ID. Coyle or Stafford
Springs, Rev T. A. R. Nealon of the
cathedral, and Rev William Maher of
Hartford, as masters of ceremonies.
There was about 200 priests in the
procession, headed by the four arch
bishops, bishops and monsignors who
were followed by the local and visiting
clergy of the diocese. Among the
church dignitaries present were: Arch
bishops John j. Williams, D. D., of Bos-