The San Francisco call., 1897-03-22

Ah0 4SOmdn SatDOllC ClurCQ OF OF.
Peter, on Alabama street, which has been
completely renovated, and has had the
interior most elaborately frescoed and
otherwise beautified, was again opened
for worship yesterday. A solemn high
mass was celebrated at 10:30 A. NJ, at
which the most Rev. Archbishop Riorian
preached. In the evening there were
solemn vespers, the sermon on that
occasion being delivered by the Rev.
Father Yorke. The church was crowded
at both services.
The high mass IN the morning was rem
dered doubly impressive by the excellence
of the musical programme, which COM
prised The "Kyrie," ''Sanctus' and Gag
nus" from Mozart's Twelfth Mass;
The Credo," from MilIard's mass in B,
and the "Benedictus.' from Cimorosa's
mass The organist and director was
Miss Mamie Coonan and the choir con-
sisted of the following:
Sopranos, Miss n. Giusti, Mrs J. Knight,
Mrs. ]. 7. Mcdonald. Miss Amanda Cor
coran and Mrs. ]. Owens; altos Miss E.
krleg, Miss NJ. Malone, Miss A. Sullivan,
Miss a. kendrck, Miss L. Kiordan;
tenors, I. Nowlan, J. Stantini, G. Matlne
and ]. c. Flood; bassos, Charles Deane,
Carl Seeiy, }. c. O'Donnell, J. Edminster,
The Arch bishop presided at the mass,
and Rev. 2. s. Casey, pastor OF the church
since Its foundation, was the ceebrant
He was assisted by Rev. James Mcdonald,
deacon; Rev. William Lyons, subdeacon;
Rev. 7. E. Mulligan, master of ceremo onies.
In the sanctuary attending the Arch
bishop were Father Varsi, S. j., Rev. r
Cummings, pastor of st. Charles; Father
Organ. Father Connolly of st. PauIs and
Father Lynch of st. James
The Arch bishops discourse was IN effect
splendidly eloquent apology-using the
word in its theological acceptation-for
the estheticism OF the Catholic ceremonial.
He said in part:
In reopening this your parish church,
complete in the details OF its architecture
ard beautiful in the lavish adornment of
its walls, the thoughts and feelings are re-
vived of many years ago, when we en-
tered 1t for the hrst time and with solemn
ceremonies dedicated IL to the service of
divine worship. We are glad to-day that
the work begun then is at last completed
10 the honor and glory of God.
MY firsi words are of congratulation TO
your devoted pastor, who has directed his
efforts to supply the material needs OF the
parish without neglecting its spiritual
needs, and 10 his assistants and the people
of the parish, who have always been ready
to second his efforts and give unto the
house of the Lord some of the means with
which Almighty God has endowed them.
Even superficial reading of the his
tory of the church of Christ shows that
wherever the church exists under normal
conditions at peace and in an atmosphere
of liberty and permitted to put forth her
activities from the beginning to the pres
ent day, those activities, while they have
DISPLAYED themselves in many depart
ments of life, have, bove all, displayed
themselves in the Doblest, stateiiest and
most costly buildings, and have sur
rounded our worship with all the adorn-
ments that music or art can contribute.
"In the music and the liturgical obsery-
ances which mark out different parts of
the year Joyous or severe, full of jubila-
tion or OF sorrow, we see manifestations
of the Catholic lie which, to the Catholic
mind, are indications. of the will of our
divine master. To those who assert that
the intellect should alone be appealed to,
! reply that man is composite being to
whom i'm preSsions are conveyed through
the senses, which are the feelers of the
intellect. Both spiritual and ID material
temple are necessary. Gods church is
not built for a day nor for the passing
needs of human nature. 1t is the neces-
sery equation between Gods mercy and
the wants of man, and so the external en-
vironment of Christian truth and of
-Christ's church should bear a character
of stability and permanence, binding to-
gether in one communion the past, the
present and the future
Father Yorke, who preached in the
evening. also referred in complimen tary
terms TO the completion of the church
and availed himself of the opportunity to
criticize those who are wont 10 cavil at the
manner in which the Roman Catholic
Church spends money on its religious
establishments. Some OF those critics, he
said, were emulating the spirit OF Judas
Iscariot who. when Mary Magdalene
ha nt ha
head of the Savior in the house of Simon
the Leper, objected to the action as ex-
travagant and wasteful.
$50 today continued the speaker
''there are some men who look upon this
church and churches like it and say: For
what purpose is all this waste? In these
hard times the money might be better
employed in relieving the needs of the
poor' Our answer to them is the same as
was given by our blessed Lord to the MUIR
murers in his DAY. 1t is done for His sake.
Does the beautifying of Gods house inter-
fere with charity2 1t does nor. The
church which spends money for this pur-
pose IS the church which ALWAYS spends
more upon the poor of Jesus Christ than
any other institution.
mo charita BILE organization can parallel
the work OF the holy sisterhood for the re-
lief of the sick and suffering, work whose
value cannot be estimated in dollars and
cents Those who give stinglly to the
church give siingily to the poor and those
who give generously to the church are
those whose hearts are never hardened
against the appeal of the deserving.
The pre- acher justified the .magnifceEcs
Of Catholic churches on the ground that
they are houses OF God, and undertook 10
prove the upmistakable nature OF the real
presence and the doctrine of transubstan-
tiation bv the express declarations of
Christ himself to that effect