The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-10-30
AT FHE MONASTERY.
Stately Old Church in West
Hoboken to Be Decorated $
at an Expense Of
+ SIS, 900.
HISTORY IoF THE PARISH
Corner Stone Laid in 1855 and
the Dedication Four Years
Later = Among the
Churches.

In the completion of the vast improves
nnents now being made at st. Michaefs
monastery, West Hoboken can boast OF
having in its midst one Of the handsomesti
churches in this part of the country as
Tar as interior grandeur is concerned.
Y The stately old church is undergoing all
most a complete reconstruction. Immense
sums of money are being expended IN the
work. The interior embellishments have
never been surpassed in this State, They
are magnificent in the extreme, and aside
from the other improvements they will
cost close on to $75, 600. Artistic carvings,
beautiful ~life-size paintings, brilliantly
colored and large statues mark the decor
ations.
The Monastery, with its towering gray
walls has stood on the spacious grounds
at Spring and Monastery streets ever
since 1866. 1t was then not entirely com
pleted, and the dedication services did not
lake place until 1869, four years later.
The original formation of the parish
was as far Jack as 1851, when a little but
earnest band of w~orshippers got together
and organized what was then known as
st. Mary's Roman Catholic Church. A
small ediice was erected on Clinton ave-
nut, jill lllS SOOu PIOFCA
the increased number of parishioners, and
it became necessary to erect a larger par
ish. Upon removing to the new edifice
the old name of the church was dropped
and the name .St. Michaers' was adopt
ed. So prosperous was the parish that IN
a short time it became one of the fore
most Catholic churches in the county and
today it is still more prominent.
The improvements which are now be-
ing carried out are principally confined
To fhh infarinr ThaU were hPollnA I2Et
February, and it Will take three months
more before they are finished. a News
reporter visited the building yesterday af-
ternoon and found scores of men busting
hitler and thither, making all possible
Roadway in their work. The whole IN
side was a network of scaffolds, reaching
from floor to ceiling. On either side there
are five massive square pillars, he bases
Of which are of green onyx. while the
crowns are carved in graceful curves.
Supported on the pillars are ten small
archways, five on each side of the main
aisle. Each archway has a dome hand
somely painted.
The artistic painting. designs are being
most tastefully carried out. Above the
pillars and just over the lower row OF
windows is a brilliant border in gold,
with a pale blue background. This is
skirted with other designs equally as
handsome. Som are in gold and orange
and produce a most beautiful effect. Gold
is the prevailing color, probably because
of its brilliancy when the church is light
ed in the evening. The lofty dome, al
most directly over the altar, is magnifi-
Gently tinted in sky blue, with clouds of
cream white and ornamental carving in
gold. 1t will be lighted by one hundred
and eighteen lights, to be placed around
the circle one foot apart. Four hundred
lights will be placed around the walls
and one hundred and fifty over the altar.
The windows in the building have all
been newly glazed with beautifully col
ored Biblical pictures.
From one end of the ceiling to the other
there are four life-size scenes taken from
several books in the Bible.
Fourteen bas-reliefs, in large size, have
been placed on the north and south~walls
representing, in allegorical manner, the
accusation, the condemnation, the cruel
fxion and the burial of Christ.
The altar. which is, perhaps, the most
expensive item in the work, will cost,
when completed, about $1,000. Fou round
marble columns, which were brought es-
p~ecially from the new quarry, i'll Sienna,
italy, will support the corners. They will
be mounted on pedestals of Mexican mar
Bile and onyx Of various colors.
The grand organ is also being entirely
renovated, and will be. almost a new in
strument when the church opens. The
work of refitting the edifice Is being per-
~sonally sup~erintended by the Rev. Father
Philip Birk and Father Mark of the par
ish. Fathe Bifk told "rhe News" man
that h had been obliged to refuse infor-
nation regarding the improvements be-
cause Of their inconpleteness. and said
out for publications upon the completion
of the work.
While the work is going on. the parish
toner's meet for service in the basement.
All are anxiously awaiting the church to
reopen.