The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1908-08-22
Church Universal

az
Catholics.
st. Anthony's chapel is the orl,
: church of its kind in the world. It is .
regular railroad car, siXty-seven faat
long, with a small altar in one end and
an organ in the other 1t seats seventv-
five comfortably, and can accommodate
fully 100 when occasion demands III
seats are the same size as the ordinay,,
car seats, and are provided with small
benches upon which to kneel.
because of the necessity of UTILIZING
every bit of room. many space-savin9
devices have been installed Aro,,15
the altar and in it are many small
| drawers and closets in which the 1-eS+-
ments. vessels, altar furnishings and
other articles needed for the SAVING Of
mass are kept The candlesticks arc
nailed to the altar
The chapel cost $4,000. II has hear
IN the field for one and one-half vearc
ana within it over 1000 masses have
been said. 1t has Travelled in fnIy
twenty states and has done excellent
missionary work in at least half doz-
en-. 1t has been so much of a success
that. when sufficient money is obtained
/ by the society, two more churches on
wheels will be built.
Inc Catholic Extension society, which
NAiV via pei car, has It's mead
quarters in the Rookery building. Chi
cago. The objects of the society are ''to
develop the missionary spirit in the
clergy and people of the Catholic
church in the United States: to assist
IN the erection of parish buildings for
poor and needy places: to support
priests in neglected or poverty-stricken.
districts; to send the comforts of re-
llgion to pioneer localities, and to pre-
serve the faith in every portion of the
country"
The car may go wherever the rail-
roads of the country extend. Through
Its agency first communion and con-
firmation have been given to hundreds
OF Catholics who are without the regu-
lar attendance of priests. Hundreds of
people have also. by means of the car.
been given an opportunity of seeing and
comforting with their bishop. 1t has
been the means of establishing churches
which are today the beginnings of
thriving parishes
The first trip OF the chapel car was
made under the direction of Bishop ]. J.
Hennessey of Wichita, Kan, who as
sumed personal charge of the car while
it was in his diocese. He was accom-
panied by Fath& Herman, one of the
young priests of the diocese.
They labored for months in the coun-
try districts with wonderful success.
The coming of the car was advertised
by means of newspapers, handbills and
word of mouth, and crowds of satisfac-
tory size were always on hand to greet
1t. Catholics and non-Catholics alike
enjoyed greatly the sermons of Bishop
Hennessey. As result of the first trip
of the car eight new churches were es-
tablished in southern Kansas.
This unique method of performing
missionary work is not without its
amusing side. The regular occupants
of the car have had many adventures.
Many of the amusing stories which the
priests delight in telling have for their
hero, Horace, a negro porter, who keeps
the car in neat condition and looks
after the physical welfare Of the priests
and bishops who travel in the chapel
Horace's strong point. outside of his
culinary ability, is his command of Wig
orous and artistic language. This fac
ulty was known to Bishop Hennessey. |
One night when the bishop was try
ing to snatch little rest after a hard |
days work, the chapel car was jolted |
by freight train as it was being |
shunted upon a sidetrack. The bishop |
was thrown from bed to the floor in the |
darkness, and being human he was an
noyed. although able to raise a laugh |
from the mishaD.
please take Horace fifteen yards |
from the car" he instructed from his
recumbent position on the floor, and |
have him express the sentiments which
the dignity of the bishop will not allow
him to-"
While, travelling through western
Kansas with the chapel attached to the
rear of a passenger train a wild and
woolly sheriff mistook the church for a
buffet car. Give me bottle of beer"
he requested of Horace, as he stepped
into the chapel. "Beah! Beahr' ejac
llated the astonished Horace; why.
man, this am a church" The sheriff
became indignant and. slamming the
1oor of the chapel, went back to his
seat in the smoker. condemning the
railroad that had a church in the rear
If its train instead of a buffet car.
Two sons of Erin were inspecting the
chapel car during one of its stops.
Well. we'll" said one as he marvelled
1t church on wheels. this does beat
he devil" Sure, it doese," responded
he other. that's what it's for
The church was brought to Boston in
he care of the Rev. w. D. O'Brien,
diocesan director Of the Extension So
.iety, and George D. Hennessey, who
assists Father O'Brien in making the
objects of the car known to visitors.
The car was built by Ambrose Petry
# New York, under the personal direc-
ion of Richmond Dean of the Pullman
ar company. both of whom are direc-
ors in the Catholic Extension society,
aid Father O'Brien.
I'VE have been very successful in
building churches on our missionary
rms and have been enabled to build
hem through the generosity of Catho-
les who prefer TO erect churches in
memory of the dead. instead of marble
hats"
The car returned to Chicago last week
no will take up it's missionary work
rom Sioux Falls, S. D.
WEALTH AND ARIsTocRACY.