Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-31
A NEW CHURCH
To De Dedicated at Leicester, Near
Bowie. Md.

The beautiful new Church of the Assem-
SIGN at Leicester, near Bowie. Prince
Georges county, Nd. on the b. and p. rail-
road, is now completed and will be dedi-
Gated Sunday, September ., at 1870 am
The ceremonies of the dedication will be
performed by Cardinal Gibbons. Solemn
high mass will be celebrated by Rev. ].
Havens Richards, president OF Georgetown
University, assisted by Rev. A. Coppens,
s. j., also of Georgetown University, as
deacon. and Rev. p. ]. Mckinney, S.
j., Of Gouzaga College as suDdeacon.
A choir of twenty-five trained voices.
Under the leadership of Miss Annie Hol-
lchan, will furnish the music for the oc-
ca sion. The sermon will be preached by
Rev. VIM. OBJ. Pardow, S. j., provincial of
the Maryland and New York province.
The new church, now known as the
Church of the Ascension, has been erected
on one-acre lot donated by the Leicester
Town Company. 1t is near Bowie and
stands about 80 yards from the railroad
running from Baltimore to Washington.
The architect was MIR. Thus. c. Kennedy of
Baltimore and the builder Mr.. Emanuel
Bunty of McSherrytown, Pa.
The church is Gothic in design, ninety
feet long by forty-four feet wide, with a
tower ninety feet high. The foundation is
OF stone and the superstructure is of the
best Georgia and North Carolina framing
material. The exterior presents a most i'm
posing appearance. and the whole structure
undoubtedly is the finest Catholic church in
Prince Georges county. The interior closely
agrees with the architectural style of the
exterior. The ceiling is forty feet high and
is arched. The walls and ceiling are finished
IN plaster. The altar is quite handsome
and is the historic altar that stood IN the
old Georgetown Chapel for over 100 years
Over the choir gallery is a large window In
seventeen sections. beautifully ocnamented
with imitation of stained glass called ..gla-
cfer." This window was presented by Mrs
Margaret Curtin of Washington in memory
of her deceased husband. The side windows
are quite large and are ornamented with
glacier
This church has been made the possessor
of superb oil painting through the munifi-
cence of MIR. George Menke of Washington
who generously donated 1t. with a magnifi-
cent frame and all, to Rev. Nj. A. Noel,
5. j., the pastor. The subject Is the ascen-
sion and was especially ordered as an altar
piece for this church through Father Ar
mellini, the Jesuit art critic of Rome. Prof
Pacelli. the distinguished Roman artist. was
chosen to execute the work and was guided
by the admirable design of one of the OBJ
long tapestries In the Vatican Hall Degi
Avazzi. The size Is extraordinary, being
twelve feet wide and fifteen feet high. but
even with these magnificent proportions
there is a wonderful deiicacy of finish in
every figure and detail. The composition is
extremely impressive, and in the variety Of
attitudes and features of the eleven apostles
there is q conveyance to perfect unity Gull
mindting in the predominant figure of
Christ. The blending of color and tint Is
exquisite and pleases the eye at first glance
To insure it against alterations by time the
artist coated the canvas with tela a gesso
and double coiored it, SO that the painting
VIII ever remain fresh. A glimpse alone of
this masterpiece is worth a visit to Bowie
IL VIII be unveiled ON the day of the
churchs dedication. A train leaves Wash
inston from 9th street dCpot at 500 an.