Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-29

The celebration of the centenary of st.
Mary's Roman Catholic Cathedral, Balti-
more the cathedral church of the diocese
of which this city is q part, is to be held
today and tomorrow. and not since the last
great council of bishops in Baltimore has
that city been the scene of a larger Or
more distinguished gathering of prelates.
They have been arriving for the last few
days. The program has already been pub
iished in The Star.
One of the notable features of the cen
tenary is the issuance of a book of interest
to every Catholic in America and many
non-Catholics Rev. NJ. ]. Riordan of Pixies
vile, Md, was commissioned by the car
dinal to compile the volume, which con-
tains an accurate and graphic story of the
beginning OF Catholicism in Baltimore and
its progress to the present time In the
preface 1t is stated that the magnitude OF
the task and the briefness Of the time left
but scant opportunity to collate or unity,
and still less to enlarge on the material on
hand Incidents and facts hitherto un-
known are presented in its pages. Be
ginning three hundred years ago, when In
dams clad in deerskin roamed where the
baltimore cathedral now stands, the tale
or the establishment of the Catholic Church
III this diocese is related, and the story in
the nrSt two chapters Is brought up to the
inception of the cathedral
The Baltimore cathedral" says Father
Itordan, may be said to have had its in
c9ption in Rome in the mind of Plus vi
In the bull creating the see of Baltimore,
under date of November g, 1889, and APP
pointing Very Rev. John Carroll as tire
first bishop. are to be found these words:
| We commission the said bishop-elect to
erect church in the said city of BaIti-
more in the form of a cathedral church,
inasmuch as the times and circumstances
may allow This was thrty-two years be-
fore the opening of the cathedral and a
number of years before any known move
ment was set on foot for the erection of
so worthy purpose
It is told how the project was taken up
years later by the trustees and OF the eff
forts to gain subscriptions. Describing the
effort of Bishop Carroll to gain support and
funds for. the building OF a cathedral. the
appeal written by the bishop to Napoleon
Bonaparte is quoted. The appeal is in
French. and the copy has been made from
the diocesan archives:
'Tc General Bonaparte First Consult
General First Consul: The bishop of
Baltimore, in the name of the Catholics or
the United States of America, has the honor
to implore your assistance for an enterprise
which shall have need of your help. 1t Is
in accordance with this consideration, gem
eral first consul. that the Catholics OF
the United States dare turn their eyes to-
ward you in their need to erect a public
monument to their piety. After having
suffered long time under oppression, they
enjoy under a wise and moderate govern
ment the free exercise of their worship. But
they have no temple where they can as
semble with becoming decency-and their
past misfortunes have reduced them, SO
that they are unable to bear the expenses
which such an edifice demands
Are they presumptuous, general first
consul. in hoping that you will not disdain
to favor their wish and to prove to them
your good will for the construction of a
cathedral In the city of Baltimore. Such
q proof of your devotion to the welfare OF
the church in a country allied to your own
would cause the Catholics Of the United