Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-06-03
ORPHAN ASYLUM DEDICATED
NEW BUILDING ERECTED By THE ST.
VINCENT SOCIETY.
Address by Rev. DIR. Conaty, Rector of
the Catholic University
The Program.


| The dedication Of the new ST. Vincent
! Orphan Asylum. which is located at Edge
! wood. the site of what was once the
| residence of the late Salmon P. Chase
| chief justice of the Supreme Court of the
United States. took place yesterday after
noon in the presence OF an Immense assem-
| blage of citizens from every part of the
District.
Rev. DIR. D. J. Stafford. pastor of ST.
Patricks Church, and chairman of the
board of trustees of the Institution, opened
the services and. after making a statement
of the financial condition of the orhDan-
age, he called upon Rev L. ]. Dolan as
sstant pastor of st. Patrick's, to take the
chair
The Grafton of the occasion was delivered
by Rev. DR. Thomas j. Conaty, rector Of
the Catholic University, and in part. he
said:
This building is today sacredly dedicated
to the cause of charity By the ceremonial
of the church 1t IS separated henCefOrth
from all profane uses; 1t becomes a home
for the little ones of Jesus Christ. Here
consecrated daughters of St. Vincent de
Paul will be mothers to the orphans On
this spot. sacred to many scenes of worldly
gayety and political powers, the sweetest
of all humanity loves is enshrined in a
and protect the wanderer and the home
less. The most sacred thing on earth is
the unprotected child, who. unable to pro-
tect itself, is prey to danger of soul and
body.
The age boasts of it's humanity but it
is largely a humanity without Christ: char
lty, as our Saviour taught 1t, finds little
place among the actions of the age. The
church of God holds aloft the banner of
| Christian charity and teaches, as all
through the ages. the value of human life
and the sanctity of childhood 1t holds to
the gaze of a cold, incredulous world the
figure of the mother with the Child. and
it bids the world see in that Child the Re-
deemer of mankind. and in the mother,
Mary. the exemplar of true womanhood.
1t places before the world a Sister of
Charity and in her arms the orphan, and it
bids us recognize the expression in action
of true Christian love.
BenevOlence of the Ancients.
The civilization of the ancient world
knew the meaning Of benevolence-it re-
qulred the coming of Christ to teach the
depth and breadth and sweetness of true
charity. Pagan civilization valued man for
what he could do-human life was worth
what it could bring to society to the state
Manhood was managed by It's ability to
produce Christ came to teach us the true
values of life. the true dignity of manhood
Value was in the soul, the individual had
rights from God, life was Gods gift, to
preme dominion over him. Weakness, pow
erty, disease, deformity do not deprive man
of the friendship and love of God, nor of
his right of existence. Weakness becomes
4 reason for kindness and love on the part
Of the strong. Poverty was a source of
| blessing to the rich. who by their wealth
might aid their suffering brethren.
The orphan has always been regarded
in religious tradition with a special inter-
est Among the Jews the orphans were
considered as the brethren Of Israel Each
family took one and adopted it, and a por-
ton of the tithes was reserved for it. The
Judges were ordered to render Justice to
the orphans in preference to others. This
was but figure of the law of love which
Christ came to preach. He taught the les
son of true brotherhood. He loved the lit
tie children. He gathered them about Him
H was the Saviour of ALL but in a special
manner. He was the friend of the poor
the orphan, the widow. and the Magdalen.
The early church caught the spirit of
Christian charity. and the orphanage the
hospital. the asylum sprang up to care for
those who Were needy and in suffering.
Christianity and Charity.
The history of Christianity is a history
of charity. 1t would be interesting to en-
ter into review of a St. Vincent de Paul
and his white-coroneted Sisters Of Charity,
under whose loving care this building Is
placed, to recount the deeds of Christian
martyrs OF charity, who among the poor
sources Of consolation in their consecrate ed
lives. Charity is not dead while such lives
devote themselves to healing the wounds
of humanity.
Not to them is money given for their
work. They appeal in the name of Christ
for the orphans whom they have taken
under their care. What you do for the or
phans is done for Christ. May then the
spirit of Christian charity increase in US
our love for the poor and the suffering
May our share in that work be the share
of men and women who see Christ In the
least of His brethren, and who help the
poor as if the help We're given to Christ"
Ritunlistic Service.
The regular dedicatory services as pre-
scribed in the ritual were performed at the
close of DR. Conaty's address. the robed
clergymen, headed by acolytes and escorted
by the knights of st John and a drum
corps, marching in procession through the
corridors of the building and around the
walls of the same. a beautiful feature Of
the services was the singing by the girls
of the institution of hymn dedicated to
St Vincent de Paul the patron saint of
the Orphanage.
The trustees of the orphanage are Rev.
DR.. Stafford, chairman; f Francis Riggs,
Dominic l. Murphy, William Gait and J.
Larcombe- The ladies' auxiliary, recently
organized. which has already done much
for the institution, consists of Mrs X r.
Mann, president; Mrs. r. o. Hoffman,
| vice president; Mrs. A. c. Tuohy score
tary; Mrs. +. j. Bastible and Miss Louise
Gibbons, assistant secretaries; Rev. NJ f.
1unsling, chaplain of st. Vincent's, treas
urer About 100 ladies have already joined
the auxiliary. which Will do sewing for the
children and do other work to aid the sis
tiers who have charge of the orphanage.
Among those who assisted in the ar
rangements Yesterday We're W. J. Frizen,
John Finn. John Dermody. John ]. Do
Ian. Thomas Nolan, Donatus O'Brien J.
Frank O'Meara. Joseph ]. Murphy, P J.
Haltigan and John A. Madigan. Fifty lit
tie boys from ST. Joseph's Orphanage, I'M
der the care Of ]. E. kalvenback, were
present.
The new building. which has been al
ready described In The Star Is ouadranRu-
lar in shape. of brick. with granite base
work, and the interior Is finished in hard
wood There are accommodations for be-
tween 800 and 1000 orphans. The cost Of
the site. with the grounds surrounding
was $4,000. and the building about $500
600 The location is Of the most
prominent in the District. and from the
windows of the buildings views of the city,
Potomac river. etc, can be obtained