The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1907-08-10


nance of great city A people to be
truly great, need great ideals-they
need a high spiritual life-they need
vivid and vital religion. The pro-
cathedral will go far to identify US
with the source, infinite and eternal,
of all Truth and Purity Soul is made
by contact with the Almighty; soul,
that can touch matter vitalize matter
and mingle with matter. and vet not
be matter.
The ground upon which we stand
tonight will henceforth be sacred
ground. Hither we will come to watt
our prayers heavenward and to renew
our relations with the Spiritual Being.
We know tonight. friends. that the AL
mighty above us blesses the work in
which we are engaged This temple is
being built by the people Of the Cath
Ole church-the great Democracy.
Each one Of you will help. and each
one of you will be able to say upon the
day that the structure is dedicated to
the worship Of the Most High, this
building is mine 1t belongs to the
people; it is not the property Of prince
or potentate. individual or company
it belongs to all the faithful of our
church
Long ago to build such building
as the one which will stand here. CEN
turtles would have been taken, but we
are in the Twentieth century when
wonders are accomplished in a day.
And we are in the city of Minneap-
oils where men say in the morning.
We shall do it, and in the evening
it is done. see quick completion of
our beautiful church; see the men,
bers Of the church in Minneapolis rail-
lying to our great project. And now
in the name of all present I make the
offering of this structure in the name
of the Almighty God for it is in His
name that we rear the building
Warm applause interrupted and fol-
lowed the address of the archbishop,
who, when he had finished, introduced
Mayor j. C. Haynes. the only other
speaker of the evening.
Mayor Haynes said in part:
Ladies and Gentlemen, Friends and
Neighbors: / cannot tell you the
pleasure that it affords me to be with
you on this important and suspicious
occasion. l am fully sensible that the
occasion is memorable and historical
one in city, state and nation. 1t is
memorable. not only in it's significance,
but because Of the fact that there has
appeared before you tonight your rev.
erend and venerable archbishop, who
has done SO much to further the plan
which sees it's first tangible movement
tonight. This beautiful site reminds me
of the Scriptura1 city that is set upon
the hill and cannot be hid. Another
thought that strikes ME forcibly is the
appropriateness Of having this beauti-
full pro- cathedral located upon the
avenue named for Father Hennepin
one of your priests who nearly two
and half centuries ago came up the
Mississippi on his errand of mercy and
beauty, and discovered the Falls OF
st. Anthony. And we have with us
another famous figure in your church
may call him Father Ireland?' The
erection Of this pro-cathedral is tes-
timony to the power. faith and good
citizenship of the Catholics of Mime
apolis. and extend to you, in my Of
fetal capacity, the thanks Of every
man. woman and child in the city"
Following the address of the mayor
the ceremony Of the evening took place
just outside the stand from which the
speakers gave their addresses.
The ceremony was simple. but very
impressive. Headed by Archbishop Ire
land. the executive committee of TWEEN
ty-nine shouldered the new shovels
decorated with the national colors, and
marched through the surging crowd
to the point selected for the beginning
Of the work. a big, decorated wagon
was driven alongside. and the arch
bishop sent the keen edge of his shove
deep into the virgin earth, lifted it into
the air and tossed the brown dirt into
the waiting wagon. The crowd of s.,
900 applauded and the new pro- cathe.
dral was begun. After the first shovel
full had been placed in the wagon b,
the archbishop the members Of tn.
committee piled their shovels Valiant,
until the wagon was nearly filed, anc
the ceremony was over.
The archbishop. Mayor Haynes ant
the members of the committee, includ
ing Father Cullen Of Immaculate Con.
ception parish and other members Of
the clergy, then posed for fiashligh
| rict,vAs after which thai od3r,,roa a.