Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-02-09
BEAUTIFUL CHURCH.
TIE DEDICATION OF ST. FRANCIS
AT STANTON YESTERDAY.
EARLY Days of the Catholics I'm the
valley City-Very Imposing Cere-
monics-A Fine Description of the
Structure.
Structure

/ SIAONION.
ciaI)-Yesterday was a red-letter day In
tho calendar Of the Stanton Catholics,
It was an occasion which they will long
remember with just pride. as 1t marked
an epoch in the local history Of their
! Church.
Flfty-six years ago the first Catholic
priest, Father Downey, visited Staunton.
Father Downey celebrated mass in this
city. the first ceremonial Of that rite, to
| less than a dozen Catholics. He brought
spiritual food to "the faith" in this sec
ton. preaching, too, I'm Lynchburg, along
| the line of the then James-Riyer and
| Kanawha canal. along the Piedmont
slopes of the Blue Ridge, and suffered
/ the hardships and fatigue OF many Sab
! bath days journeys through the then
wilds, now marked on the maps as West
Virginia.
When, yesterday. ST. Francis church
! one Of the most elegant ecclesiastical tdi-
I fees IN Vlrginia-was dedicated. II
marked another mile Of progress Of the
/ Church IN Virginia; and, with its proud
/ epire made a monument OF the potent
pertinacity Of its priests and people
/ working under adverse conditions. A
tremendous crowd had gathered when the
dedicatory exercises began yesterday
morning Visitors from Charlottesville
/ and Clifton Forge were here, with q
| large crowd from Harrlsonburg, who
came on special train. on this special
came the St. Joseph's Hlbernian Society,
| OF Harrisonburg. to join the stanton
! Iiibernian Society, in official attendance
on the ceremony.
IN SOLEMN PROCESSION.
In solemn procession. led by the Right
| Rev. A. Van de Vyyer, Bishop OF the
Diocese Of Richmond. the Bishop and
other clergy went about the exterior or
/ the church. coursing 1t from right to
| left. sprinkling the walls with holy
water. Then the procession entered the
/ church, and, with imposing ceremony, ac-
cordlng TO the ritual. the upper and
lower interior walls were touched with
holy water. In these offices Bishop Van
/ de Vyver was assisted by the Rev. John
/ McVerry, who has been pastor OF the
stanton church twenty-seyen years; As
Standardization the Rev. Castor Payne.
! and the Rev. Michael Dinneen. now or
St. Mary's Seminary, Baltimore, who
was born in Staunton. and who received
his first instruction at st. Francis.
The church dedicated yesterday Is one
OF the most beautiful houses Of worship
/ In Virginia. 1t Is an architectural gem,
and is as elegant a piece Of workman
ship as IS seen anywhere; standing, as
/ it does, on a proud eminence, 1t Is q pic
ture Of approved architecture, wrought
out of green cut-stone.
THE EXTERIOR.
The ediice is situated on the site OF the
old church. which was removed 70 make
room for IT. The new church building
covers about two and a half times as
much ground as the old church. The style
/ of architecture is early English Gothic.
The foundation IS or native limestone,
laid in regular coursed ashlar. The super
structure is faced with Chester county
i GpaD serpentine-stone, rock-faced ashlar
laid up IN broken-range courses. The
water, table, bell. and sill course, and all
| other trimmings are of Indiana oiithic
limestone, moulded and dressed, the prln-
cipal members of the most prominent
| parts being carved In a very artistic man
ner. The chapel and sacristy-rooms at
the rear are comparatively low, and are
I faced with Powhatan Va) gray bricks.
I with Indiana stone trimmings In Keeping
/ with the trimmings Of the main building.
The sheet-metal work IS all OF copper,
/ moulded and shaped 10 match the general
design OF the building. The roof Of the
building and spires are covered with
slate. The main entrance at the centre
Of the front is, as IL should be- the prin-
I ciual feature Of the design; the approach
| 10 which is by means OF three bro2d
/ steps and a platform Of stone. The doors
are OF oak, panelled and finished In the
natural wood. with a handsome Gothic
art-glass transom above. The stonework
| surrounding the doorway stands out from
] tHs g.. "A
recessed covering for the door. The open
ing on either side Is fanked with three
| ,ami-detached columns, with moulded
I bases and carved capitals. The series OF
I recessed arches over the entrance spring
from the tops Of the columns, and are OF
! exouisitely enriched mOuldugs and cary
ing The buttresses for the arches are
rock faced finished with a Gothic gable.
! surmounted with a moulded stone coping,
al the apex Of which, % feet above the
base Is q handsome stone cross, which
stands out IN bold relief in front OF tho
/ iar1a St GATHERINGS wheel window above
| che entrance. This window has a deep
\ moulded and panelled sill. and Is set in a
| cothie stone frame with a semi-dctached
| coiunnn on each SIDE with moulded bases
! and carved capitals. from which a grace
hi Gothic arch springs The three panels
surrounding the window. and enclosed by
the frame. are richly carved. The open
Ing which Is II feet In diameter Il flled
with an art-giass window. representing
the Ascension OF our Saviour from Mt.
/ Ollyet. II Is a memorial Of the benefaetor
az the church. John Geary, and was exc
cuted by the Meyer Brothers, OF Munich.
and cost 500 The front finishes with a
| gable. capped with a heavy moulded
! stone coping. finished with handsome
| stone cross.
THE SPIRES AND BELFRY.
The front II fankcd on the ieft-hand