Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-01
Of the New st. Paul's Catholic
Church.
ELOQUENT SERMON BY BISHOP KEANE.
The Ceremony Impressivey Per-
formed by the Cardinal.
THE GUESTS OF HONOR,

lie Church, corner of 18th and streets,
was laid yesterday afternoon. The founda-
ton was foored and tented over with can
vas. The throng overlooked into the street
Fully four thousand people were present.
The civic and military organizations were
grouped around and the scene was one
of great animation. Cardinal Gibbons Off
ciated, and DR.. Magnien, president of St.
Mary's Seminary, Baltimore, and Rev.
Father Gloyd of St Stephens Church,
Washington. acted as deacons of honor.
Father John Gull of the Catholic University
was the master OF ceremonies and Bishop
Keane, rector of the Catholic University,
served as the orator of the occasion.
Brief but Impressive Ceremonies.
The ceremonies were performed accord
ing to ritual and were very brief. The
procession. headed by the cross bearer fol-
lowed by the acolytes of the church, and
the priests, moved around the walls of the
new structure. These walls were blessed
as were the altar space and the spot where
in the corner stone was set The stone was
then blessed. and after the cardinal had
cemented it was lowered into position The
usual box of relics. containing copies of the
Washington papers, current coins of the
United States, names OF the subscribers of
the church fund. history of the parish
an account of the corner stone laying, and
the names of the clergy of the arch diocese
was inserted. This box also contains a.
parchment, inscribed as follows:
ITO God, best and greatest: the day be-
fore the Kaiends of January, 1894, Leo
XIII. pope. happily reigning. Grover Cleve-
land being President of the United States
of North America, John w. Ross. NJ M, Par
ker and Charles Powell, Commissioners of
the District of Columbia; Rev. James F.
Mackin, rector of this church, this corner
stone was laid by the archbishop of the
arch diocese of Baltimore, James Cardinal
Gibbons"
The procession returned to the altar. and
the ritual was concluded. Then followed
an address by Right Rev. Bishop Keane
rector OF the Catholic University. He said /:
bishop i>enne's Sermon.
=, Lord. what wilt Thou have me to do"
-FOUR emlnence. reverend fathers and be-
t tS Dretnren: On that eventful day when
the providence OF God permitted Paul to
enter INTO the service of our Lord Jesus
christ, from the heart of the converted
man there issued this exclamation: Lord
what VIII Thou have me to do?" and x
seems to me that in those words that came
from the heart of the great Apostle PauI
were contained the meaning of the solem-
nifty in which we, this day. are taking nart
This is the last day of one of the most
eVentIul years that we have had in the
history OF our country or even in the his
tory OF the whole world. This year our
country has celebrated with gladness ana
WIN Thanksgiving to Almighty God tbe
tOotn anniversary of the discovery OF this
new new world, and in the great metropolis of
the west we have beheld such an exno-
sitlon of the earths products and of MAJ.
ingenuity as was never before seen. And
together with the exposition of ali p,an's
KSenuly' series of congresses mani
5esteu all the progress that man had made
during these 100 years. in every I;na a,
human thought and human activity In
the very midst of that great exposition the
most prominent feature was the cross 'i ne
lized. en II symoo-
In the midst of all the congresses the
sleatest was that which told of mans
aspiration for God and of the divine ra,,
eiation Thus We have this year manifast-
ed TO the world that the center of bumon
me- tne inspiration of human activity. the
biaStir'e, u All human greatness is the
pressing OIL God. And worthily II is that we
should close this eventful year by Iavino
tne corner stone of that temple which sbai
De cohSecrated to the religion of our Lord
Jesus christ, and worthily is that church
consecrated to God under the patronaga 90
she great apostle from whose heart went
Iorth that exclamation, Lord, what will
fhou have me to do?"
All humanity echoes back that evclor,,,,or
OF st. Paul. He recognized that ali HE o.
tiohs would be in vain were 1t without the
VIII OF God; that ali his efforts would he
as hothlng were not God to approve them.
worlds intelligence. Our country moro
tnan any other nation of the earth stands
ready TO do great things for the world's
progress. 1t is therefore proper that she
should look up to God and say to Him
Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do o''
Worthily it is therefore that the closing
OF TINS great year should be commep1ora tod
oy monument that will linger for ali
Tune, ana Worthily is the church planted
here in the capital city of the western
world. On the walls of this sacred edifice
may there be inscribed in golden letters
Loru; what wilt Thou have me to do?'
AS TINS Is the lesson for the whole world
SO 1t is the lesson which should guide each
OF us. As the wayfarer passes by this
motto viii speak to him and he will hear
the echo of the apostles word and the
apostle will answer and the Lord viii viii
answer. What 1 will have thee to do Is n
work, work. work" And you will ask
them what work you will do. Work to
make yourselves better work to make
the world happier work to give glory to
Almighty God" This winter, dear breth
rem, take that lesson to heart Oh this
winter there Is much to be done for our
Fellow man, and much to be done for God
and for ourselves. This winter there is So
much to be done for the poor Self-deniaI
should be practiced. No man should dare
to indulge himself in luxuries while the
poor are crying for bread. No man should
smoke expensive cigars or crafty his thirst
for drink so long as the poor stand in need
of the necessities of life. Let every man
ulViue MS savings INTO TWO parts and let
him give one part to the poor and the
other part to Father Mackin. Give it to
the poor to relieve their sufferings and give
it TO Father Mackin, who will put it where
1t VIII do the most good. l don't know of
any man in this or any other country that
would lay the corner stone of a church on
the last day of the year. He has done
right by closing this wonderful year by this
solemnity.
Bishop Keane concluded his sermon by
eulogizing Father AIackin and declared
that he was the most worthy and lovable
of priests" Bishop Keane was followed
by Cardinal Gibbons, who said that he
would not detain the assemblage for two
reasons-irst, because it had listened to an
excellent discourse. and second, because
his voice would reach but very small por-
ton of the vast audience. II only echo the
hope that has just been expressed by Bsh-
op Keaue that not many months shall pass
by before shall have the happiness OF dedi-
eating to Almighty God this beautiful tenn
pie of st. Paul. which will be another
ornament to your beautiful city and mon
ument to our Heavenly Father and an OBJ
ject worthy of the devotion of the faithful
Of the city of Washington
The choir was composed as follows
Fathers Bart and Mari of Baltimore Rus
sell of Hyattsville, Fletcher, Dougherty and
Maynadier of this city, and several Catholic
University students
The Clergy and the Guests of Honor
The clergymen having seats on the plat
form were Father Gloyd of ST. Stephens
Father Gull of Catholic I-piyarSity