The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-05-31
Fifth annual CROWN|NC
Memorial Day Exercises on RectOry
Lawn Of Holy Rosary Church.
STATUE OF VIRGIN CROWNED
Witnessed by Over Five Thousand pco.
pie on william Strcct-Addrcss by
Rev. N. J. McMunus Over Seven
Hundred Children Take Part.

j. McManus, the pastor. Each year
since 1t has Been the custom OF the sis
ters of the convent school to engage
the parochtal children in exercises of
literary and musical nature. which
culminate in the coronation of the brow
of the statue with u wreath of beauti-
full, fragrant flowers.
No fairer scene could be beheld than
the picturesque grounds lit up by
bright arc lights whose glare was soft
ened by the beautiful moonlight rays.
Along the edges OF the paved walks.
and among the shrubbcry We're count
less variegated little lights half hidden
In the grass. In the fountain basin
confronting the statue incandescent
electric lamps in the form OF Il star
sent reflection against the Virgins
shrine which gave the marble a lifelike
appearance.
Against the church was erected Il
platform. draped with bunting. From
tall STAFF above the platform an
American flag tluttered in the breeze.
Pendant at the wide entrance gate
hung brilliant light that shot its
glints over the heads of the hundreds
of little children.
An Immense Crowd Present.
The street In front OF the church and
grounds was SO filled with people that
the number could safely be estimated
at 5000. Prominent persons from the
central city who were present as the
guests of Father McManus We're: DIR.
and Mrs. John Burnett, Mr.. and Mrs.
John j. Fahey, Attorney and Mrs. Jo-
seph O'Brien, Attorney and Mrs. John
p. Kelley. Mr.. and Mrs. Richard
O'Bren. Mr.. and Mrs. John J. o'Boyle.
Mr.. and Mrs. J. c. McAndrew and
James McAndrew.
At I o'clock the children marched
from the school. where they formed in
line. to the grounds. The little boys
came first. POO of them. then the girls
of the school, sodalities, and senior
choir. In the procession upward of 700
were numbered From this magnih-
cent chorus the strains of the Lttany
came forth in grand volume. Miss Lib
bic Neary was the accompanist at the
organ. The junior class of girls sang
"Springtime Flowers" and again the
assembled chorus was heard in the
rendition of the hymn "Evviva
Marie" The boys alone sang Our
Lady's Rosary" followed by musical
hymn by the chorus.
An Historical Sketch.
The number that showed care and
preparation was next given by the
senior girls of the school, those who will
graduate in June. They enacted his
torical sketch. giving the story in dia-
logue of the origin of May devotions.
The syllabus of 1T was to the effect
that the devotions shown by Catholics
to Mary are due to her position as the
mother Of Jesus. Therefore that she
is worthy of the deepest love; also that
through this means sinners are enabled
through her to receive graces from the
Heavenly Throne by her intercession
a May hymn by the chorus preceded
the coronation Of the Virgins head by
an interesting and sprightly young tot,
little Alice Mulchrone. The act of con-
secration was recited by Miss Katie
Jordan. The Te Deum chorus was the
final number and was preceded by this
address by Rev. n. ]. McManus:
Dear children, / congratulate you on
the great success Of your commemora-
tive coronation exercises and on the
very able manner in which you have
performed the parts assigned to you
of speech, song and prayerful supplica-
ton. The expression with which you
rendered them attest your fidelity and
stamp you as sincere, faithful, loving
children Of Mary. 1t is indeed a high
honor, an exalted dignity conferred by
the King of Kings, to be called and to
be children of Mary, and brings with
it corresponding obligations-the show
ing forth in our lives the family traits
Of our queen mother.
One Way We Have Been Honorcd.
To be made children of Mary, to have
the mother of God declared our mother,
is one of the many ways in which God
has honored our weak nature, yet only
one.
For four thousand years before the
birth of Christ, God would have hu-
manity honored in the promise Of the
woman who would crush the surpent's
head and whose seed would crush the
seed of the serpent. And when the
expected time was come and the in
carnation an accomplished fact. The
second person of the Blessed Trim
ity, clad in Mary's pure Virginal
flesh, on Calvary's heights, and from
the cross proclaimed that the honor
paid to the human face for four thou
sand years In the expectancy of her.
who would crush the serpent's head,
would be continued until the end OF
time, and that Mary would be asso-
ciated with the omnipotence of God,
not only in the redemption, but in the
APPLICATION OF the same to the end Of
time.
From the cross, as from the Cathedra
or Throne, Jesus in His agony pro-
claimed Mary, His mother, to be the
mother Of the human family, and the
present and future generations her chill
dren. In the person Of st. John we were
all lrepresented-'Loo from the cross
at His afflicted mother and st. John,
His afflicted mother and st. John,
standing at its foot, He said to His
mother: Woman, behold thy SON.
and after that He said to His disciple,
behold thy mother "-solemn and
dying testament of the Savior of the
world, the Goldman.
Docs His Work Effectively.
Now whatever God does, He does It
effectively. In making His mother our
mother also, the relation is perfect. In
this new relation she has all the quail
ties, all the affections, all the care, all
the interest in our welfare that the best
of mothers can have in their offspring,
and being the mother of God, she has
all the influence which the best mother
can have with the best of sons. What
1..,
given to Mary at the foot Of the cross
by Divine appointment, therefore eff
fectively her children in every relation,
because by Divine appointmenD would
approach this heavenly queen, our
mother, with all the confidence which
a child can repose In a mother, and ask
her suppllcation with whom 1t means
so much, for with God she has the in
fuence of a mother. What wonder