The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-06-18
BISHOP MILAN
 ARRIVES TO LAY CORNERSTONE
Continued from Page 3.)

our God: I have sought good things for thee.
 Glory be to the Father. As it was, &c.
 Let us pray. Let us bend the knee
 R. Rise.
 God, who from the dwelling to- gether of all the saints dost build an give heavenly increase to thy build ing; that what by thy command is founded, by thy bounty may be per fected. Through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
 The hymn Veni Greater follows: Come, O Creator Spirit blest, And in our souls take up thy rest; Come, with thy grace and heavenly To fill the hearts which thou hast
 made.
 Great Paraclete! to thee we cry: O highest gift of God most high! O fount of life! O fire of love! And sweet anointing from abovei Thou in thy sevenfold gifts art
 known;
 Thee Finger of Gods hand we own; The promise of the Father thou! Who dost the tongue with power en-
 dow.
 Kindle our senses from above, And make our hearts o'erf1Ow with
 love;
 With patience firm, and virtue high, The weakness of our flesh supply. Far from us drive the foe we dread, And grant us thy true peace instead; So shall we not, with thee for guide, Turn from the path of life aside. Oh, may thy grace on us bestow The Father and the Son to know And thee, through endless times con-
 fess'd,
 Of both tn eternal Spirit blest. All glory while the ages run Be to the Father and the Son Who rose from death; the same to
 thee,
 c Holy Ghost, eternally Amen.
 Let. thy holy Spirit, we beseech thee, Q Lord our God, descend upon this house which is to be built, that he may therein sanctify both our gifts and those of thy people, and vouchsafe to purify the hearts of the same Through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
 Let us pray.
 God, who in every place of thy dominion, a merciful and benign con- servator dost assist, hear us, we be- seech thee, and grant that the frame of this place may abide 1nvlolab!e, and that the whole company Of the faithful, who supplicate thee, may de- bounty Through our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity Of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. R. Amen.
 Then comes the Episcopal benedic- ton.
 The ceremony of tomorrow is of striking significance to Catholics or the North End. For more than 2O years they have been striving to build the church that is now fast nearing completion Thanks to the indefatig- able zeal of their respected pastor, Rev Father J. B. Nihill who has been in charge of the parish from its incep- ton, the work of years is about to frucitfy
 It was on May 21. 1889, that Bishop McMahon, the predecessor of the late Bishop Tierney, assigned the Rev. F'a- ther Nihill to the task he has so well performed. He partitioned from St. Augustine's church the north end of the parish and giving Father Nihin his blessing, bade him set about the work of establishing a parish and building a church.
 Father Nihill was without a cent The territory included in the new par ish las no families of great wealth, and no prospect of endowment. There were but 1s0 families. not more than 700 souls. Father Nihill first secured a place for the celebration of the sac rifice of the mass. One of the upper rooms of the Grand street school was obtained at a small cost, and here for one and one-half years the faithful as- sembled every Sunday, each contribut- ing a little towards the sum that was destined to grow until the parish should take it's place among the lead ing divisions of the diocese.
 Under the wise administration of the pastor, the finances of the church con- tinued to grow until it was possible to purchase a tract of land in Lindley street, where Ives Court is now laid out. This land was held for possible use, but there was a sentiment in the parish that the location was not suit able. So the Lindley street property was sold and the fine property where the new church is building was secur- ed for s30,
 In December. 1890, the basement had been completed for the church that the parishioners dreamed some day of completing, and roof was spread parish was $60, 0,000, for the venture of buying the property and building the basement church was undertaken with only nominal resources
 For five or six years the parish re- mained stationary. The numerical and financial strength increased a little from year to year, but the progress was so slow as at times to be almost heart breaking to those who were striving to put the project through to success. Then there began a gradual trend uptown of the residential sec tion. and slowly the parish increased to 200 families. with a corresponding increase in the church revenues.
 It was about five years ago that the parish received it's greatest boon. the erection of St. Vincent's hospital In common with the entire North End, the new parish benefited greatly by the addition of this most slightly and imposing structure to the buildings of the section. The erection of the hos pital called for the extension of the brought a still more rapid develop ment of the North End Today the parish numbers 360 families, nearly D. 900 souls From 25 to 30 families were added to the parish by a rearrange- ment by the late Bishop Tierney of the parish division lines.
 For more than a decade Father Mi hill lore the burden of the parish alone. Then Rev. Father Picker was jail and hospital constantly increasing. the Bishop a short time ago appointed a second curate, Rev. Father Curran.
 The financial condition of the parish bespeaks wholesome liberality among the Darishioners. No large bequests have been made. the work having been accomplished through the continuous stream of small contributions. The entire debt of s60000 had been paid off
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