Los Angeles herald., 1905-02-20
IMPRESSIVE SCENE
At DEDICATION
BISHOP C0NATY PRESlDES AT
SPECIAL SERVICE
Church Of st. Thomas the Apostle Is
ElaborateIy Decorated and Many
Prominent Catholics Are
Present

With all the beautiful ceremonies of
the Church of Rome, the Church of st.
Thomas the Apostle, Pico and Hobson
streets, was dedicated yesterday morn
ing my Bishop Conaty. The ceremony
commenced at 1O:3O o'clock, the dedi-
catory service being followed by solemn
high mass celebrated corum pontifco.
Rev. M. J. Clifford of oakland. brother
Of the pastor. Rev. J. J. Clifford, was
celebrant; Rev. d. w. j. Murphy, pas
tor of the Hollywood church. deacon:
Rev. William Quinlan of the cathedral.
sub-deacon; Rev. C. Molony, pastor st.
Agnes, master of ceremonies. Very
Rev. P. Harnett, V. G., acted as arch
priest; Very Rev. DR.. Glass, c. NJ, and
Rev. j. M. Mccarthy of Fresno dea-
cons Of honor. The following priests
were present: Revs. ]. j. Clifford, S. T.
L., the pastor; J. Barron, McAuliffe,
Have. Donahoe, Foin, Rafhael, o. F.
NJ, Mcdonald, c. NJ, Monclus, Pujol
and Scanlon.
The affairs were eaborately deco
rated with potted plants, calla lilies
and carnations. The main altar was
especially noticeable, being daintily en-
twined with smilax.
Bishop Conaty preached an eloquent
sermon, taking for his subject the his
tory of the Catholic church and the
patron saint of the church dedicated,
St Thomas the Apostle. The bishop
was robed in cappa magma. and as he
stood in the sanctuary he presented a
striking appearance. The sun threw
its rays through stained glass window
at the back of the altar and glinting
on the rich purple of his robes it made
a halo-like appearance about him.
Around him a beautiful scene was
formed by the priests, robed in cloth of
gold and purple and by the many
lighted candles. Bishop Conaty said
in part:
Sermon Of Bishop
Dear Brethren, today this church is
dedicated to. the worship of God under
the patronage of st. Thomas the Apos-
tie st. Thomas was a Galileean, a
Jewish fisherman who left his nets, all
he had, that he might follow the mas
ter who made him fisher of men,.
st. Thomas was a man of courage, full
of love for the master whom he had
sworn to follow. Thomas, the man OF
a moment of doubt, but the fulfilment
of his thought and removal of his
doubt, made him the clearest human
witness to the resurrection. Unless L
can see the place where the nails were
and can put my fingers into his side,
cannot believe His answer to the
master, My Lord and my Cod was
satisfaction for all time that he was
the savior risen from the dead.
The thought that comes to us today
is that of the apostolic character
Christ came to fulfil the promise and
to realize the figure and give perfect
worship. He came to be the victim
and the priest; the teacher to establish
among men the one religion which
could alone satisfy the human intellect
Christ came that he might teach us
how to love and serve God. He
SeleCleQ the IltSSellselS " teach Tie
truth not only in Judea but in Rome
and Athens, everywhere and always;
to bear the message to every human
being
Brethren, Christ built his church
upon the apostles. To them alone he
said, Go preach the gospel to every
creature, 1 am with you always He
sent them forth to preach the gospel
to bring to the lives of men the means
of salvation.
This church belongs to the old
Catholic church, linked with the apos-
tolic days, to be the messenger of the
word of God. 1t binds itself with the
days of the padres. those brown -habited
self-sacrificing men who left home and
kindred; it is bound to the days when
along these shores men dwelt who
knew neither God nor his son, Jesus
Christ, until the brown habited Fran
cisan padres came with the cross and
built a little church in the pueblo; it
binds itself with the fragrant tradi-
tions of California. They taught the
doctrine they had heard from their
father. Francis, who had heard it from
the apostles, who had heard it from
Jesus Christ. So this church is ready
to go forth on its work of truth and
mercy"