The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1907-06-07
CORNER STONE Of
CATHEDRAL LAID
r.
MOST ELABORATE RELIGIOUS
CEREMONY EVER SEEN IN
: NORTHWEST.
l
ST. PAUL MECCA Of CATHOLICS
WHOLE NORTHWEST REPRE-
sENTED IN GRAND PARADE
= 10000 PEOPLE IN LINE. 4

-
st. Paul, June 4.-The cornerstone
of the new Catholic cathedral was laid
yesterday afternoon. No more I'M
pressive event has marked the history
of the Northwest; neither has any
event been fraught with greater Sig
nificance. both religious and civic, for
yesterdays ceremonies have a distinct
i've importance which cannot be meas
ured in the doings Of day, nor In the
lifetime of the magnificent edifice
which is building on the brow OF the
hill overlooking a wide and busy val
ley.
A Notable Gathering.
In the presence of thirty bishops,
five of whom were archbishops, In the
presence Of priests from scores ct par
ishes scattered throughout the North
west: in the presence Of tens of thou
sands Of spectators, both Catholic and
nom Catholic, the cornerstone was
laid with the most elaborate religious
ceremonies ever witnessed in the
Northwest.
The cornerstone was laid by Bishop
McGoirick of Duluth, the senior bishop
of the province. He was assisted IN
the chants by 100 seminarians from
the seminary Of st. Paul. Archbishop
Ireland delivered the sermon. and
never has that distinguished prelate
been more eloquent. Addresses were
also delivered by Senator Clapp, Gov.
Johnson, Mayor Smith and Judge w.
l.. Kelly.
The Grand Parade.
The great feature Of tho day was the
parade. probably the greatest of its
Kind ever witnessed in the Northwest.
Thirty thousand men marched under
the banners of the Catholic church and
an endless line of flags. banners and
faces filed past the reviewing stand.
Every town and city in the state was
represented. Old men, whose early
lives had been spent in the service Of
the church and state marched side by
side with boys in their teens. Bust
ness men and sturdy farmers kept step
with each other; the wealthy and less
fortunate formed ranks together. All
lines and barriers were cast aside, and
like a vast army. Of invasion the laity
of the Catholic church OF the North.
west passed through the streets of St
Paul to do homage to their church.
Old Guard Is Present.
Fully an hour and half was con.
sumed in passing the reviewing stand.
An impressive feature of the parade
was the appearance of the old guard,
men who arrived in St. Paul when it
was garden spot in the vast northern
wilderness. Prominent among them
were A. L Larpenteur, who came to
the trading post which is now st. Paul
in 1847, and Isaac Bissonniere, who
built the framework of the log cabin,
which, as the Chapel of st. Paul, gave
the city it's name.
$4,000 Visitors.
1t is estimated that the event
brought more than 10000 people to the
city, including the visitors from Min
neapo!i:;. More than 100000 persons
were gathered about the site of che
new cathedral to witness the ceremo-
MES, and it would be impossible to es-
innate the number that witnessed the
parade.
Considering the sultry, humid condi
ton of the weather, the thousands of
strangers in the city and the CORE
spending dangers of accident and sud-
den illness, the entire program was
carried out with little or no unpleasant
interruption.
The New Cathedral.
The cathedral will be one of the
finest and most imposing buildings of
its kind in the country. The site could
not have been improved upon, and
when the 100000 structure is COM
pleted it will stand as fitting monu-
ment to the work of the Catholic
church in the uplifting of the North
west.
The building will be in the form of a
cross, and as in the cathedrals of the
Old World the ambulatories between
the main bodies and the surrounding
chapels, with all their religious SYM
bolisms have been retained. The main
entrance is to be under a monumental
arch which frames the rose window
and the three front entrances leading
to the vestibule located under the or
gan gallery.
The great dome Is to be 90 feet in
diameter and 175 feet in its interior
elevation. The sanctuary will occupy
the entire space, the dimensions being
80 feet in width and 65 feet in length.
The seating capacity is to be 5000 In
pews and 1000 by the addition Of re-