The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-08-21
GRAND CELEBRATION.
Services at St. Patrick's Church, in
Commemoration of the Six
tenth Anniversary.

. The lowering skies and disagreeab1e
weather had no apparent effect upon the
people OF st. Patrick's congregation. as
they thronged in large numbers yester-
day TO the solemn dedication services held
in that church. The three masses were
we'll attended. and nc doubt the extra
attractions announced for the sixteenth
anniversary had much to do with in
creasing the solemnity aud grandeur of
the occasion. AT the close of each SER
vice, the Pastor, Father Hennessy, read
to the people the cordial aud kindly let
ter OF the Apostolic Dsleg ate.
M~onsignor Satolli, imparting to
papal blessing. The scene was
unusual impressive, as clergy aud Iaity
knelt in prayer, while over them were
pronounced in the language of the
church. the words of thu Apostolic Bene-
diction.
The pulpit was reserved yesterday FIR
the Very Reverend Canon Moynihan Of
Peoria. Illinois, who has annually gracea
the recurring anniversary with the charm
OF his presence aud eloquence. The ven
cradle prelate of the church is in his
seventy-eighth year, aud the forty-sev-
enth of his priestly life, and he
gives good promise OF being spared
to celebrate the golden jubilee
of bis ordination, The canon
preached eloQuehtly from a text deduced
from the gospel of the day. St. Luke. II.
which tells the story Of the cure OF the
ten lepars. The lesson drawn from the
Scripture reading was the W of inter
cessary prayer. Many interesting exam
pies of human meditation with God to
vert calamity aud to spare the guilty
were taken from the Old Testament, put
For fhA Chnfck1np TIM NM rrnof ranAa1 nr
prayer Is oUr Divine Master, VINO prayed
for His disciples in His human caracity.
The language of the venerable preacher
abounded in choice expressions. and
vivid and beautiful imagiuery, and it Is
not surprising that he held the deepest
attention of his hearers from the begin
ming to the end OF his discourse.
Ia congratulatiug the people of st.
Patrick's on the work of the Dast sixteen
years, he drew a strong contrast between
that day in August, 1877, and the present
imposing occasion. Then the walls were
bare and unfinished; the altar Il crude
temporary structures; the organ a small
affair, hardly in Keeping with the ma
jestic architecture of the church. Now
the interior of the building is u joy TO the
artistic eye; the altar and mural paint
in gs masterpieces OF ecclesiastical work,
and the deep tones of the graudest organ
in the State join with the faithful In
Cd cir devotions.
1t was a very successful demonstration
despite the stormy weather. The high
mass at half past ten was celebrated by
the Rev. j.. g. McErlaiu. with Father
Sheehan as Deacon, and Father Murray
of Brooklyn Subieacon. The mass vas
Giorgi's III c. sung by the quartette
choir, Miss Kellt and Mrs. Prip, soprani;
Mrs. Cross, alto; Messrs. Sanoorn and
Donovan, teuori; Mr.. Croker. basso.
Solemn musical vespers in the evening
were attended by q large congregation,
aud closed the days solemGitics.
Among the visiting clergy were the
Rev. P. Corrigan of Hoboken, Rev. p.
Cody Of ST. Sames' Newark, Rev. NJ. j..
Kirwan of East Orange. and Rev. L. j.
Fitzgerald or Brooklyn.