The San Francisco call., 1897-10-11
Priests Lay the Corner
stone of MOnterey's
New Convent.
Impressive Services at the
Old San Carlos Mission
Grounds.
The Picturesque Building Will Be
Ready for Occupancy
Next April.
Special Dispatch to THE CALL


MONTEREY, CAL, Oct. 1O.-In and
about old San Carlos Mission Church to-
day a scene was presented which in point
OF plcturesqueness seemed far removed
from prosaic America, and an onIooker
could well believe himself in city of old
Spain. The quaint architecture of the
church, its rel cs of the mission padres
and the olive skin and dark eyes of most
of the people who whispered constantly in
musical Spanish served TO heighten the
illusion, and when the procession of
acolytes and priests bearing sacred en-
blems issued from the ancient portal of
the church on its way to lay the corner
stone of the new convent the picture was
one not soon to be forgotten.
The convent building, the establish
ment of which has long been a cherished
plan OF Rev. Father Mestres, the priest of
this parish, is now a reality, and the cere-
mony of to-day in the laying of its corner
stone marked an epoch of no little i'm
portance in Monterey's history. With all
the pomp and solemnity which the
church of Rome knows so well how to
EN- ploy the house was begun, and another
scene as impressive will be that when the
completed building is dedicated this COM
ing Easter.
The church and the grounds surround
ing 1t were crowded with people when the
formal service was opened at O'Clock
this afternoon. The procession was
formed in front of the main altar. and
was composed OF the acolytes carrying
professional cross and candlesticks, the
Ladies' Altar Society, Young Ladies' So
dality of the Blessed Virgin. Young Mems
Sodality of st. Aloysius, Holy Angels
Sodality, the San Carlos Council Y. NJ. L.,
which acted as escort of honor to the
officiating clergy, and the clergy, among
whom were Rev. Fathers Hugh Nc
Nance of Santa Cruz, the orator OF the
day; r. NJ. Ferrer of Gonzalez, P. Stoters
of Salinas, NJ. Mahoney of Castroville, B.
Smith of HolIister V. CIosa OF San Juan
and r. NJ. Mestres of Monterey.
The priests wore their gorgeous ceremo-
nial vestments and carried missals and
other religious insignia. AS the process
sion passed from the church TO where the
great stone was made ready to be lowered
upon the newly laid foundation the choir
sang The litanies.
While the stone was being lowered into
place the psalm, UNLESS the Lord build
the house" was sung, and then Father
Ramon NJ. Mestres placed an iron Golfer
containing various documents, blessed
medals, coins and other appropriate arti-
cles in the stone and gave it the three taps
Win HIS SllHeI lIOHel, au0 aIteT lOllOWlnS
the prescribed ritual the procession re-
formed and returned to the church.
Then Rev. Father McNamee of Santa
Cruz delivered the Grafton, taking Chris
tian Education" as his main idea. His
language was strong and well chosen. In
referring to the old days when the Domin-
ican Convent, whose place the new con-
vent IS TO fill, was fiourishing institution
of Monterey, he touched the chord of
pleasant memories in many of his hearers
hearts. The last survivor of the sister
hood of that old convent died two years
ago.
The afternoons ceremonies closed with
the benediction of the blessed sacrament
The new convent will be conducted by
the Sisters of st. Joseph, a noted educe-
tional order, and the building will be
ready for occupancy in April. In design
il will conform TO its historical surround-
ings and will be commodious and sub
siantial, as well as artistic.