The record-union., 1896-11-27
THE SISTERS new HOSPITAL.
Ceremony Of Laying the New Corner.
Stone Yesterday.
4 Large Attendance - Address by
K. NJ. Clarken, and Other
Features.

A large number of people assembled
at the Mater Misericordia Hospital,
conducted by the Sisters of Mercy
where its new building is being erected
on Twenty-third street, between anu
r, at 10 O'clock yesterday morning to
witness the ceremonies of the laying OF
the cornerstone, at which Right Rev.
Bishop Grace officiated. He was as
sisted by Rev. Father Hines OF wood
land (master of ceremonies) ard
Fathers Hunt, Walsh, Mulhall and
SeureZ of this city.
The Sacramento College Band was In
attendance and rendered number OF
selections, and there was also excel
lent vocal music. The imposing cere-
mony was watched with deep interest
by those assembled. AS the various
sodalities assembled appropriate airs
were played by the band, which was
stationed some distance away. The
various societies affilating with the
Catholic Church, together with MEM
bers of the Christian Brothers, the
altar boys from the Cathedral, etc,
then formed in procession at the older
building, and led by Bishop Grace, the
assisting clergymen and cross s-bearer,
marched to the new building. Here all
assembled about the cornerstone,
which was blessed by the Bishop, the
Cathedral choir singing the hymn,
Mother of Mercy"
At the conclusion of the Bishops
blessing the choir rendered "Veni Gre
ator." The ceremony was simple, but
impressive. and though the air was
ladies and misunderstanding many
non-members of the church-remained
interested spectators to the end.
The articles deposited in the recepta
Gle beneath the cornerstone were in
closed in a tin box. They were: A man
uscript containing the following in
ScriptiOn:
This chief or cornerstone of the Ma
ter Misericordia Hospital in this city of
Sacramento, was blessed and laid on
Thanksgiving Day, the 26th of Novem
ber, in the Year of Our Lord One Thou
sand Eight Hundred and Ninety-Six,
by Right Reverend Thomas Grace,
Bishop of the Diocese of Sacramento,
Leo, XCI, being reigning Pope and
Ruler of the Church of God; Grover
Cleveland, President of these United
States; James Budd. Governor of the
State of California; Cyrus H. Hub
bard, Mayor of the city of Sacramento;
Richard NJ. Clarken, Orator on the oc-
casion; Nathaniel Mayo, architect, and
Bassett Bros. builders of the Hospital"
In addition there was deposited the
great seal of the State of California
copies of the Constitution OF the United
the city of Sacramento, names of all
the present State officers. a copy of the
Sacramento Record -Union," the Sac
ramento Bee" the San Francisco
Monitor" the San Francisco daily pa
pers, the Philadelphia Catholic
Standard Times a Catholic German
paper, a copy of the bylaws of the Sol
dality of the Immaculate Conception,
a Baltimore catechism, two relics and
various medals and coins of the United
States, including some coined the pres
ent year.
After the ceremonies Of laying and
blessing the cornerstone Hon. r. NJ
Clarken delivered an address laudatory
of the Sisters of Mercy in their efforts
TO secure the erection of the building
under construction. Mr.. Clarken spoke
to the point, and at the conclusion was
the recipient of hearty applause.
The ceremony just witnessed, he said,
was novel. in that its like was never
before witnessed in Sacramento-the
laying of the cornerstone of a hospital
under the auspices of the church. Up
on the slab of granite just laid will be
erected hospital for the whole city,
a need long felt and long desired a
desire gratified by the erection of such
building under such auspices, and
II must follow that the citizens will
recognize that no better building of a
public nature could have been erected
The ancestry of the hospital, said the
speaker, goes back to the dawn of
Christianity, and from the Christian
edifices erected in Rome and Constan-
tinople have sprung the charitable in
stitutions which are now spread all
over the civilized world. AS far back
as the year 1900 the Sisters of Charity
have been assiduous in their efforts to
alleviate suffering and conduct hospi-
tails, and they have succeeded in all
parts of the world where their order
has penetrated. And where is it not TO
be found? But the Sisters of Mercy
do not date back so far. That organ