Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-30
.ox2o. which will be entered from the cell


| the aim of the builders being simplicity and
neatness combined with symmetry and SOL
idity.
The plans of the building were drawn by
Philip n. Dwyer architect, who will also
superintend the work of construction. The
contractor for the entire building excepting
pews. windows and heating apparatus, Is
MIR. owen DOnnelly. B. Hanrihan & Son
are the subcontractors for the stone work.
The cost of the church will be 100000, and
will be ready for occupancy early in 1888
provided the work is not interrupted by
| bad weather or the financial depression.
Raising the Money.
The money with which the church is to be
built is to be raised principally by sub
| scriptions. An organization known as ST.
Paurs New Church Association has been
collecting funds for the past three years.
The object of this association is to enroll
all the members and friends of the parish
as contributors of specified amounts at
given periods for the benefit of the new
church. The present membership includes
only about 40 families, but 1t Is believed.
now that the work has really begun, that
this number Will be more than trepled and
| that in the near future the membership of
the parish and the membership OF the as
ISOLATION will become, as they should be,
practically Identical.
Rev. James F. Mackin.
Rev. James +. Mackin, the pastor of ST.
| d
| throughout the archdiocese. particularly in
Baltimore and Washington, where he has
| many friends. Father Mackin is a native
| of Baltimore. and received his collegiate
| education and theological training there.
He was ordained to the priesthood June 30,
1858, by the Most Rev. Archbishop Martin j..
Spaulding. Washington was the scene OF his
| first priestly laDors. where, as assistant TO
| the lamented Dr. Charles l. White OF st.
1 a NJ he n nod fNyn war -
| whence he was placed in charge OF tine
| Rockville mission, where he labored assid-
| uously till May, 1877, when he was made
| assistant to the Rev. DIR. Foley of ST. Mar
| tiE's Church, Baltimore. Here he remained
! until May, 1882, when he was made pastor
Of st. Joseph's Church in the same city,
succeeding the now Most Rev. Archbishop
| Chappelle of New Mexico.
| The year 1885 found the cardinal contem-
Mating the division of st. Matthews par
ish and the building Of a new church in the
| separated territory. Such a task required
more than the ordinary man, and when, on
October 10 Of that year. 1t was officially an
| nounced that Father Mackin was appointed
| to assist at st. Matthew's Church, and COM
missioned to proceed at once to organize a
new parish, there was general rejoicing
among the Catholics interested, for they
were well pleased with the cardinals
| choice, and were well satisfied that If any
| carry 1t to successful conclusion II was
| Father Mackin. and events have shown that
| their confidence was not misplaced.
| Parish History.
| Early In 1886 a diocesan commission pur-
chased a plat of ground at the corner of
| 18th and V streets northwest site for a
| new church and for other parochial build
ings. The price paid was s26129. This
debt was turned over to Father Mackin to
l!quidate or pay interest on as best he might.
| Such task, with no congregation or
/ CaniZatiOn w was nv no nea 9
4 an enviable one. Father Mackin, however,
made up in faith what hc lacked in United
| states currency, and, like a good business
| man, decided that the way to make money
was to spend 1t judiciousy.
| He accordingly at once proceeded with the
| erection of what was not only to be a
| chapel, but was to supply the need of a
parochial school in the northwest section Of
the city. October 3, 1856, witnessed the lay
| ing of the corner stone by Cardinal Glib
| bons, the sermon for the occasion being de-
livered by the Rev. J. S. Foley, d. D.. the
| present bishop of Detroit. The building is
a red brick structure, with an ornamental
| front, containing two stories and a cellar.
| The chapel Is in the upper story, the
| lower floor being divided into three large
| school rooms, where secular instruction is
| given during the week and religious train
| ing on Sunday to a fiourishing Sunday
school This building. which cost sl2,OOO
| to erect, will be devoted to school purposes
| exclusively. as soon as the new church is
| ready for occupancy.
| The first service in this church was held
| on Christmas day, 1856. by Rev. Father
| Mackn, who celebrat ted high mass, and on
| that day the work of forming a congrega-
| ton may be said to have practically COM
| menced. So we'll did the work succeed and
| the congregation multiply that in the fall
| of 1889 the cardinal decided to make the
| till then but a mission a parish unto itself
| In anticipation of this action, Father Mac
| kin had already erected a handsome rectory
| on site originally reserved for it on V
4 a a
| building, forty feet square, of red brick,
| after the prevailing Washington tone. COM
| Portable looking and well lighted. Its cost
| was $1,000.
Here Father Mackin took up his abode
! September /, 1889, since which time he has
| devoted all his energies to the development
| Of his parish and the interests of his con-
| gregation. That he has succeeded is well
| shown by the prosperous condition of his
| work today. In the short period the parish
| has been in existence-about seven years
he has gathered around him congrega-
| ton of about 700 established a creditable
| parochial school of 125 pupils and three
| teachers. organized a hourishing Sunday
| school of over 800 pupils established vari-
Gus charitable and devotional societies
| among the congregation. brought the
| finances Of the parish to most healthy
! condition, and now the year of his silver
| jubilee he has entered upon the browning
| work of his life in the erection of a magnifi-
cent church, which will amply supply the
| needs of his parish for generations to come.
In the Struggle for Life.
From Cornhill Magazine.
| In tropical countries, where the struggle
| for life seems to rage even fiercer than in
| the temperate regions, a vast number of
| animals have been driven by want to seek
| their livelihood in the dark, through stress
| of competition. There are the bowler mon
| keys. for example. who make night hideous
| in large tracts of South American forest.
| beginning their dismal music as soon as
| evening sets in and only retiring for the
| day as dawn puppies the horizon.
| There are the lemurs of Madagascar so
| called because, like ghosts, they walk by
4 night and withdraw at cockcrow-strange,
| stealthy, noiseless creatures, with great,
| wistful, poetical eyes and enlarged pupils;
! monkeys that prey on birds and insects in
! the gloomy depths of their native forests
| There is the slender loris, a graceful and
| beautiful beast, with eyes like a gazelle's,
| but treacherous manners, who pounces upon
| birds as they sleep in their little nests,
| creeping silently upon them from behind
| like an Indian upon the warpath, and ar-
| fording no indication of his hateful pres ,nce
| till he is within arms reach of his slumber-
ing victim.
There Is that curious little nondescrIpt
| animal, the aye-aye, who attracted so much
| attention a few years ago at the Zoo-a
| quaint, small beast, half monkey, half ro-
| dent, who comes forth by night in search
of fruits or insects, and crawls through the
| woods with catlike pace upon butterfly or