The Newtown bee., 1895-06-14

The corner stone of the Sandy Hook parochial school was laid on Sunday af- | ternoon in the presence of an assemblage which must have numbered 1000 people. Over the basement walls had been erected platform and awning, decorated with United States flags, on which Father | Fox, his assistant, Father Smith, and the visiting clergy, occupied seats. The ser vices began promptly at 3 o'clock. The clergy present included Rev J. A. Null cahey of Waterbury, the vicar general, Rev Patrick Fox, the rector of St Roses, Rev J. B. Nihil of Bridgeport, who otfle- | lated as deacon of ceremonies, Rev J. C. O'Brien of Bridgeport as sub-deacon, Rev | T. B. Smith, the curate at St Roses, as master of ceremonies, and Rev William Rodgers of Stamford, the preacher of the day. Others of the clergy from abroad were Rev MT Kennedy of Dan- bury, Rev F. O'Connell of Bethel, Rev MT Curtain of New Milford and Rev MT Hurley of Bridgeport.
 The clergy first repaired to the place where the corner stone was to be placed in position, when the service of reading the ltany, the Psalms and the blessing of the corner stone, took place. The clergy then marched around the walls on which the school building is to rest and returned to the platform. Father Rod- gers, who was to preach the sermon, then read the following, first III Latin and then in English: In the year of our Lord, 1895, the 9th day O June, Leo the 18th Pope most happily reign ing, Grover Cleveland being President ot the | United States of North America, O: Vincent Coffin being governor ot the state of Connec- ticut, William II. Glover, Timothy Costello and Charles E. Beers being selectmen, Rev | Patrick Fox rector, ,and Rev Terence E. Smith, assistant rector, Rev William Rodgers preach CT, John Haugh and Thomas Lillis, lay trus- I4x To der Balduc, builder, Most Reverend Michael Tierney, bishop of Hartford. Very Rev John (the bishop being absenD has laid thls corner stone (the gift of James sexton, Jr 2 TOT me souls, in the presence ot a great gathering of the clergy and the people.
 He then referred pleasantly to the col lection about to be taken, and said that Father Fox would be pleased to receive either checks, bills, gold or silver. He suggested, however, that the offering might be made in bills, as it would cause less noise and the noise of the money falling into the box would not affect the nerves of the speaker or the audience.
 Father Rodgers then began his ser mon. Among other things he said:
 The interesting ceremony just witness ed carries many lessons of importance To worship God properly knowledge is necessary. ''Go teach all nations' saith our Lord. In obedience to this command the church has erected edifices whereir the knowledge of God might be made plain. From the earliest ages the church has ever been the promoter and patror of education. In history we read of the famous schools at Rome, at Milan, a Carthage. We remember the lustre sheC upon the school at Rome by St Angus tine. For three centuries after her con - version Ireland took the lead in the diffusion of education throughout tht world and in the study of literature, hold ing aloft the torch of faith and of science History tells us that the men who de serve the credit of preventing the extinc tion of education from the earth in thost centuries were the pious servants of th' church. As we turn page after page O. history we find the church has lead il the establishment of universities ant schools and in promoting religious in struction. It was the church which leat those early barbaric nations from dark ness into sunshine. Religion and learn ing have always gone hand in hand. is the same to-day. This is the reasol why the church is making so man. sacrifices to-day, that her youth may b trained in religion as well as education
 It is often asserted that the church not the champion of liberty. She ha
  The church has been the champion 0 liberty. In this country no people hay done more for the preservation of tn nation than the Catholics. In our lat war we find the names of Sheridan Shields and others. The sisters did nobl service in the hospitals. This then is tn liberty which the church teaches. W love this country and we teach ou children to love it. Fear not then y biggots. So then, my friends, the churc to day the same as in the early ages the promoter of education. She build her schools and colleges and places upo them the cross, the emblem of redemI tion, and the stars and stripes, tn glorious emblems of liberty.
 Among the articles placed in the bo
 in the corner stone were copies of tn Boston Pilot, the New York Sun, tn Connecticut Catholic, THE NEWTON BEE, and United States coins from on cent to a dollar.
 The dimensions of the new parochis school are 45x37, Leander Balduc 0 Danbury being the contractor. On tn corner stone are inscribed the words, "s Mary's Parochial School"