The Irish standard., 1904-06-18
HE WILL PRESIDE
Cardinal Vincent Vannutelli
Will Go From Rome to
Participate in the Conservation
ofthe Armagh Cathedral.

columns of the Philadelphia Catholic
Standard and Times:
Cardinal Logue has received let
ter from His Eminence Cardinal Merry
in which it is intimated that the Holy
Father has learned With pleasure that
the Cathedral Church of ST. Patrick,
Armagh, is to be consecrted on the
Oath of next July. His eminence states,
moreover. that in order to add to the
dignity Of the celebration the Holy Fa-
cardinals of the Holy Roman church
should be invited to preside ut the
occasion. The Sovereign Pontiff gra-
ciuosly declared that he saw no diff
Guilty i'll conserving to the wish ex-
pressed by Cardinal Logue that Cardi-
nal Vincent Vanutelli, cardinal bishop
of Palestrnn and archpriest of the
Patriarchal Liberian Basilica, should
be selected for the purpose, and sin
conformity with the consent of the
Pontiff" should go to Armagh.
There is a special fitness in the Sc
lection of His Eminence Cardinal Vim
cent Nanutelli. His eminence is po-
nente in the cause of the martyred pri-
mate, Venerable Oliver Plunkett, and
has always been deeply interested i'll
Ireland. and especially gracious and
kind to the Irish in Rome.
Information up to that indicates that.
for many reasons, the ceremony of the
reopening and conservation of the Ca
thedral will be the occasion of gath
ering unique. both in numbers and dis
tinction. in the annals of the Irish
church during recent years. The
friends and admirers of His Elninence
Cardinal Lo@ue all over the world will
be assembling in large numbers to Of
fer him their congratulations. first of
all. on the happy occasion of his cpis
copal silver jubilee. and secondly. on
the accomplishment of the thorough
renovation of his cathedral. which has
long been his chief ambition For the
past four years. since the great bazaar
of 1900. itself Il worlds record. pro-
vided the requisite funds for start
the work of restoration and dccom ton
has proceeded on a unique scale. and is
now rapidly approaching" completion.
AS Il result. the mother Church of ST
Patrick bids fair to be an object of pill
Srimage surprising in attractive inter-
est all other ecclesiastical buildings
within the four seas of Ireland.
Visitors here on July 81 will hardly
realize that an old chapel lettering
with age. was the sole place of worship
possessed by the Catholics of Armagh
when. on the It'll of April 1885, Dr.
Crolly. bishop of Down and Connor
was promoted by Pope Gregory XVI.
to the primatial see. Under his able
rule muchneeded churches had risen
through the length and breadth of his
native diocese in old Ulidia. Now nine
closing years of incessant effort We're
absorbed in the realization of new
idea, at once the supreme ambition and
the browning glory of his life-the
foundation of cathedral worthy of
the city and See of st. Patrick. "the mis-
tress and metropolis Of Ireland" Like
the dove of Diluvian days. however, the
church of those times had difficulty in
finding ''whereon to rest the sole of
her foot" Armagh City and suburbs
consisted almost entirely of "seeland,"
j. e.. the mensal estate or demesne of
the Protestant primate. For nigh 800
years, since the days Of Queen Mary,
Catholic bishop dared not approach
within three miles Of, much less reside
at, Armagh. Fortunately, however,
there was an oasis in the desert, a
noble eminence ON the north. between
the Dungannon and CharlemOnt roads,
and commanding the entire city and
neighborhood, called Sandy Hill. This
property, though almost surrounded by
scotland, was in the possession of the
Earl of Dartrey, and from him lease
in perpetuity was eventually negotiated
through the influence of Lord Crem-
orne and Councillor Robinson of Ar
magh, with whom the primate was on
terms of friendly intercourse.
A strange and beautiful story, full Of
the supernatural mystery of those first
fateful days of St. Patrick's apostolate,
is told in the Book of Armagh about
500 A. d., and has been beautifully
enshrined in verse by Ireland's chief
Catholic poet, Aubrey de We're. "Get
thee northward," said Gods angel to
the saint. "to the height Of Macha
there shalt thou build to God the fort
ress temple and great house of Christ.
The saint obeyed, but found the ruler
of his day as grudging of site as
many successor has proved. How
ever, the struggle. though keen. was
brief. The wonderful force of st. Pat
ricks personality. added to the fear
inspiring influence of his miracles, Sc
cured for him at length from old King
Daire of Armagh, great-gmndson OF
Mall of the Nine Hostages the ground
for church. "Give him Drum
Saileach" C'the Ridge of Willows')
said the grim old pagan. chat he
Ill, l.