The Irish standard., 1910-12-03
Marble Cross Erected on Spot Where
Open Air Mass Used
to be Said.
When There was Neither Thatch nor
Slate Over the Altar
of God.
Many Places in Ireland Deserve
to be Similarly Remembered
in History.

The erection of marble cross to
mark the spot on which mass was said
in the open air in Penal times is an
event of some little Importance, says
the Weekly Freeman (Dublin). 1t is
the first of it's kind yet erected in all
Ireland, and in all probability it's erec-
ton will be followed by the erection
of similar crosses in various parts of
the country.
The spot is rath or liss three miles
distant from Killarney, named Liss-
an.Affrion, or the liss of the Miss. 1t
is a marble cross of Celtic shape, rest
ing on a limestone pedestal, on which
there is an inscription in Irish and in
-7sMglish. The Irish inscription was
written by DR.. Sheehan, of Maynooth,
and may be literally translated as fol-
lows: "F'or the greater glory of God
and In honor Of st. Cummian this cross
was erected to mark the spot on which
mass was said, when there was neith-
er thatch nor slat over the Altar of
God, and when the soldiers of the king
prosecuted his people. This cross was
erected by priests, all natives of Kill
curnmin parish. Praised be Jesus
Christ for ever and ever more"
as, The cross was blessed on Sunday
last by the Most Rev. DR.. Mangan,
bishop of the diocese, in the presence
of an enormous crowd of people. 1t
was erected at the expense of the
Kilcummin priests. Some of them are
in Australia, others in America, some
in Scotland and some in England
There are only two in their own ma
tive diocese Of Kerry. One is a ven-
cradle old man, now eighty-nine years
of age, who worked in Kerry during
the famine. The cross was erected by
Mr.. Mcguire, of Cork, and is very
much admired.
At II o'clock solemn high mass was
sung in the Kilcummin church, at
which his lordship, Most Rev. DR.. Man
gan presided. The choir was augment
ed for the occasion, and included Very
Rev. D. Brosnan, president, st. Bren-
professor, do. At the conclusion Of
the mass, Very Rev. Canon Lynch, de-
livered q very eloquent and powerful
sermon, to crowded congregation.
At the conclusion of the sermon a
procession was formed outside the
church, in which the people of the
part The procession proceeded from
the church to the liss on which the
memorial cross is erected, about a
quarter of mile distant. Along the
route sacred hymns were sung by the
processionists and the effect was truly
devotional. Several very fine ban
occasion, were borne by the process
sionists.
His lordship, having blessed the
cross, said, when asked to be present
at the beautiful function he accepted
the invitation with very great pleas
ure; first of all, as a mark of re-
spect to the parish priest and the peo-
pie of Kilcummin, and, secondly. be-
cause Of his long associations with
Canon Lynch, who had done so much
in fact, he might say nearly all
for Its promotion, and for the great
success that attended it today. There
was no finer specimen of thorough
ly Irish priest in Ireland, or outside
Ireland, than Canon Lynch. It was
not always easy for an Irish priest to
tell them that Canon Lynch had been
always one of the most prominent
figures in the great English cities
first in the promotion of the religious
interests of his people. But there was
another matter which was almost as
dear to his heart, as we'll as it was to
theirs, and that was the love of his
country. Canon Lynch, with the as
sistance of the priests born in Kilcum-
min, and now working in other lands;
had banded themselves together an6
contributed their money to erect that
cross, to be standing memorial OF
the faith and the sacrifices of those
who went before them They were