New-York tribune., 1910-07-28
To ENSHR|NE ST. AIMS
RELIC IN NEW Church
Edifice in Pure Roman StvIa
VIII Cost in All
S750.OOO.
"THE LORD WILL PROVIDE"
With Faith in This Promise the
Priests Acquire Land and
Prepare to Begin Work
Of Building.

Il this intensely practical age and in
this practical city it is rather g s,1rnrise
to find a body OF nler expressing bv
Their act profoundest belief in the prom
ise The Lord viii provide" Yer tba-
is just what the Fathers Of the Blessed
Sacrament are doing in erecting splen-
dd new church at Lexington avenue and
10Th street
The little Church Of St Jean Baptiste.
- which many thousands fiocked during
the last nine days TO pray TO ST Ann and
venerate the relic OF that saint which is
preserved in its shine. has become too
small for the influx OF worshippers.
Built IN 1882 for the French Canadian
parochiaI organization
Back in 1880 the French Canadians of
the city for the most part lived in the
neighborhood. and they appealed to the
Rev. Father Doherty, who rninistered to
their spiritual wants to give them a
chapel Of their own. He began ser
vices in 18th street, near Third avenue.
n what had been up to that time e
grain and feed store and the present
church was then built. The spread of
The city, however. had. as one result the
dispersion Of the French speaking Cana
dian residents. and now they constitute
only very small portion of the worship
pers AZ the Church OF St. Jean Bapttste
Brought Relic from France
Twenty years ago the French Cana
dian priests then il charge, under the
from France a relic Of St Anna por-
tion Of one OF the small bones Of her
wrist. The devotion 10 St. Ann is espe-
oiaIIy ardent in Quebec, as she is the
patron saint Of that province.
When the Fathers Of the Blessed Sac
rament were sent to take charge Of the
church. ten years ago, they continued
the novena 70 81. Ann The relic had
remained at the church in charge OF the
Rev Father Petit. who brought Il from
France and its presence attracted the
faithful OF all nationalities. The church
became e place Of pilgrimage, though
the particular devotion OF the order now
n charge Is to the Blessed Sacrament,
snd a. all hours priests may be found in
St Jean Baptiste Church. and the adora-
ton i perpetual
With the dispersion Of the French
Canadians to aH sections Of the city the
regular congregation fell of. and their
places we're taken by voluntary con-
r-lbutcrs, SO that to-day onIv at one
mass On Sunday IS the sermon de-
Tf-ered in French At other services the
irish p-edominate. while there are a
Italians in the congregation. The same
change has come over the school at
tached 70 the church Only small pro-
portion Of the nine hundred children in
attendance are French Still, only the
French are Uarishioners, and outside OF
the sum received as pew rent the Faith
ers Of the Blessed Sacrament in charge
- The church have only such revenue as
-he-- secure from voluntary contribu-
tions.
Plans Nov Perfected,
Despite their poverty the fathers have
decided 70 build new church. which
-iu Dc the finest example in the city of
pure classic Roman architecture. they
hone The plans have been prepared by
Nicholas Serracino cf No ITO Broad
way. who studied his profession in Italy,
and IS therefore well versed in the style
of architecture which has been chosen.
The facade or Lexington avenue. viii
consist Of q great dome which viii rise
fully / ~ feet from the curb, fanked by
rz-c towers about $50 feet high topped
h- crosses and crnamented only IN the
rhazte manner prescribed By the classic
from the Roma nesgUe- Il VIII take
three Years TO complete the church
While the beginning Of such IN under
taxing without z fixed revenue may ap-
rear impractical the method pursued in
z4rr1nz the land shows that the fathers
z-e practical. They az first tried to
secure options on the north side Of 18th