The times., 1897-07-05
ST. PETERS CELEBRATION
The Grand Closing Event of the
Diamond Jubilee.
A MAGNIFICENT CEREMONIAL
The Impressive Scene in the Sane
tuary-CIergy who Officiated.
The Music Special Feature.
Father kervick breaches IA Ser
mon Appropriate to the Occasion.

The diamond jubilee events of St.Petei
f,bulch and parish are now more than
recoIlections, although they ale only his
tory. They have been sung in superb
music and illustrated in feTyid oraJory,
ike many other significant occasions, but
Tie distinct memorial of this jubilee has
been written in marble and Is maihie IT.
self, exquisite IN workmanship and beau
tifuI in design.
Tho closing event of the celebration Of
the jubilee took place yesterday morning
in the presence OF notably lelge congre-
cation in that beautiful mal BILE edIficc IN
East Washington.
The crowning incident was the pontili-
cal mass, always solemn and pictur-
esoue ceremonial, but never mole effective
than il ibis splendid church Of st. Peters
with it's manificent sactuary, LOFTY cell
ing and arches and spacious auditorium.
The walls of the church proper and Of the
sanctuary aIe adorned with Cathe dial glass
windows nearly to the loOf. Most of these
picture -paned windows are the loving
gifts of tie older and younger generations
OF a church which has just observed three
quarters of a century of progress, peace
and prosperity. and the sanctuary itself
has iust been made one Of the most Ornate
III this country.
The new altar shone reSplendent during
the mass yesterday morning in the golden
flaming of huBuIeds of candles. The altar
proper and the shrincs on either side were
described Yesterday in The Times. They
were exquisitely adorned yesterday as for
a uridal occasion, here and there on the
virginia. marble being placed clslices filled
with white loses, sprays OF bridal wreath,
and against and around the miniature
onyx columns and pilasters was gracefully
twined the foliage Of vines
The chapels of the Virgin and st. Peter
were also decorated as on a fcstal day.
The scene in the sanctuary from any
point in the church after the congrega tiOn
there OF the celebrant OF the mass, his
asslStouts, visiting clergy and the null
tituuC OF acolytes, was Impressive. There
were thirty acOlyteS, all in white lace
TOpeS, in some cases over purple and in
others over red Bishop Curtis, Of Bal
timore, the Cclebrant Of the mass, WAS
in the customary pontificals. Bishop Curtis
has a commanding presence, which Is aC-
Centuated on such an occd sion by his
splendid robes and the golden inter.
TIE assist ant priest was Father Sullivan,
OF st Teresa $, AnacOstia; deacon, Father
Ryan, of the Church Of the immaculate
Conception; subdeacou, Father McCor-
mick, Of st Peters. Others in the saurtu-
arg were Father O'Brien, the rector Of
81 Peter :, Father Caughy, of 81. Stephen s;
Father Carey, of Baltimore; Father Mat
thew, OF st. CypTan's 5; Father O'Connell
Of san Francisco, and Father KerSick,
Of the Church OF the Holy Name The
procession into the church with silver
cross and gold Crozier and the move
ment before and around the altar
iblaze with tie glittering and trefnulous
yellow glow Of the candles, made con-
stantly changing pictures Of harmonizing
oo.ors in gold, blue and white and red.
If music can add anything to the i'm
precision on the eye there was not lacking
that component which swept through the
church with an effect seldom heard even
in Washington, during the enactment If
the familiar and solemn scenes around the
altar
TIE music was, indeed, one Of the special
features Of tie jubilee A reinforced
choir sang. among other parts Of tie mass,
GoIHUd' ''TautUm Ergo" ''Veni Creator, -
Mcndclssohn's, and Lehnderfs' ''Introit -
The soloists, who sang with the spirit OF
the occasion, We're. Signor Coda, cIaronet
MT. william Devereaux, MT. Al FeEnell,
who sang tie ''Et Incarnatus'' with splen-
did devotional and musical effect; Miss
Hattie Ritchie, and Miss Regina BaptiSta
The ensembles We're very grand and in
spring Tic thirty voices and instru
ments were conducted in admirable style
by Mr. Eugene French. Miss y. r Kearon,
OF st. Peters, being the accomplished Or
ganist.
1he sermon was by Father EerviCll, who
selected theme hearing appropriately
upon the origin Of the ministry and its
aItars. aad upon the primacy Of st. Peter
among the apostles Father Kervick
read the Epistle of the day, in which are
related from The Acts Of the Apostles. the
conversation between Christ and st.
Peter, in which the latter recognizes Hin
by divine inspiration as the son ol
God, and Christ selection Of st. Peter as
the rock on which the church of tn,
ages was 10 be founded
The more Immediate suggestion OF
Father Kervick's discourse was, ho wever
the establishment of the priesthood, witt
AaIOn as the Aigh priest He quoted tn,
language describing the investiture OF
Aaron and his commission to teach tht
people Of Israel
''Such, beloved brethren,'' said Fathe
Kervick, lis the description of the divine
vocation. the exalted dignity of the frs
high priest OF the synagogue But il
these sublime and beautiful words are
sptly applied to Aaron they are true il
higher, holier and more sacred sens,
OF the vocation Of Peter and his successors in
papacy under the new diSpensatOn oi
light and life. The apostle OF the Gentle:
proves beyond doubt that the prieSthoot
of Aaron was but the preparation for Z
higher and holieT priesthood under the
new law which was inaugurated by Chris
and transmitted TO Peter, the prince o
the Apostles"
Speaking Of the redemption the reverend
father said: This signal manifestation
took place 1900 years after the fall o
man; butlu the meantime the visible priest.
hood, beginning with Aaron, had not re
ElaineG Inactive. Thcinterval wasa tern
OF preparation for the eternal priesthood
or the Son Of God.
But when the Son Of God did appear
the sons OF Aaron re ejected His claim. The,
refused to surrender their commission anC
they plotted the death of Christ. SO tn,
Levites brnke the covenant made with
Jacob, the Almighty rejected them and
Christ chose Peter and conSeCrated hin
the first high priest OF the new diSpensa
tion, His represented tive to all nations oI
the earth and TO continue the sacrific.
ordained 10y Christ, not in the blood o
goats or Of lambs, but in His own bloGt
which lie shed, sacrifice for the world