The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-10-09
Father COyle Breaches the
 Opening Sermon
TO BUILD A CONVENT
Will Cost About S50,O00 and to Be Built With Money Provided By the Sisterhood of the Per
 petual Alteration

| rick Turner, pastor, was crowded Nes- terday at 10 o'clock on the occasion of the first mass celebrated there. The Rev. James E. Coyle, pastor of St. Paurs church, preached the sermon.
 A year or two ago the Rt Rev. Bishop Allen acquired the Tate estate for church purposes. The old mansion is used as Father Turner's parochial res idence. and the new building will be set apart as parish hall as soon as permanent church edifice Is erect ed. Before work on the church building l is started, however. handsome con- vent will be reared. This structure will cost about s50.00O and will be built by money provided by the Sister hood of the Perpetual Alteration. Nuns of this sisterhood will conduct a high grade academy there. Ground will be broken for the convent and school within the next few months and the building will be completed and ready | for occupancy by the early fall os 1912. Father Coyles sermon delivered at West End was as follows:
 My dear friends, I feel highly hon.
 
 good pastor to say a few words OH this memorable occasion, for today will be date to be looked back to with joy, by you and by your children, and by your childrens children for all suc- ceeding time. Today, for the first time, you meet on your own property, in your own house of worship, which, though now humble, is yet a precursor so to speak, of grand and stately edi- flee, that, a few years from now, will be your proud possession
 You. today, are attended by your own pastor, who will, I hope and trust live long enough to see the realization of his and your hopes; a parish fully equipped with all a first class parish should possess: a grand church in honor of God; parochial schools of high efficiency: able and devoted teach CTS; a hall where old and young may meet to discuss parish needs and fur ther parochial progress a loyal, de- Vout, and pious congregation, Catholic not only in name, but in every deed, l showing forth in their daily lives the beauty of the faith of Christ, and by their upright living and strict hon esty and sterling devotion to mother church, winning to a respect and a recognition of Catholic claims our non Catholic friends, the wandering sheep that the Savior wills should hear His voice. and be gathered under the one true shepherd, into the one fold.
 Today, then, you see the beginning of realization of hopes that please God, will be fully and completely real lzed before long. Looking forward to- day, 1 see glorious uture for this parish of the Blessed Sacrament You have, IS yet it is true in an uniformed m hrVnnia Gfa ta al1 h,t alr parish great You have a location and site that could not be improved or; plenty of space for the buildings that the future expansion and the growth of the parish may demand You have a people that, though now compara- lively few in numbers will take second rank to none in loyalty to faith and in devotion to mother church. l glad ly bear witness to this. for during the years when this West End section was still an integral part of St. Paufs, and as such under my spiritual Jurisdiction, l always found that in parochial activ- ity and in spiritual endeavor the peo- pie of West End were second to none
 One word about the title of your parish and of your church. If there Is one thing l would envy you today it is that title, The Blessed Sacra- ment.' Yours is the only church in the vast diocese of Mobile, in 59,000 square miles, that has that glorious title. You know full well, that the Blessed Sac rament, our Lord present in the sacred host, is the center and source of all our Catholic worship: that for the Blessed Sacrament the very church of Christ exists that Christ present is every thing. Go to any Catholic church and take therefrom stations and statuary and painting, every ornament that piety and devotion has embellished it with but leave the tabernacle, and that church is the church of Christ
 On the other hand, take away the tabernacle, and leave all else, aye heap the church with art treasures, with statuary of world famed sculptors and Madonnas of old masters. with all that wealth can give, and yet that church Is an empty shell it were hollow mock cry to call it the church of Christ.
 'The Blessed Sacrament in truth a glorious title. Today, as never be- fore, except in the early days of pietv and faith, is devotion to the blessed sacrament so glowing and so warm. Our present pontiff Plus x, now glor- lously reisning, whom heaven defend wishing to win the world to God, 10 restore all things in Christ has, in letter after letter to his faithful chil- dren the world over begged and plead ed for T greater devotion to the hid
 
 sowing is not falling on barren soil {; 1t is producing fruit hundred fold The clarion call has gone to all the ends of the earth and the faith and the piety of an earlier day is being renewed again. The devotion is exper- fencing second spring, it will grow to glorious summer and a full frui- tion of autumn tide. In this re-awak- ening. you, parishioners of the church of the Blessed Sacrament win take your part; you cannot but take your part having church with such title the church of the Blessed Sacrament You are to be congratulated in that. too. in this parish of the Blessed Sac rament, you will have the Sisterh ood of the Perpetual Alteration, sisterhood that night and day bends in adoration and love and petition before the sacred host. What wonderful showers of grace and mercy on all will not this bring.
 The Savior has said, Ask and you shall receive! seek and you shall find : knock and it shall be opened unto you;' and here you will have, right in your midst, pure souled ladies bend ing lowly, praying ever for you all before -ttle throne of grace, the sacEa- mental God
 And then your schools, where your boys and girls can be trained to know and love and serve their Maker; where, while a secular education equal to that given In any public school will be l imparted. where, while the intellect will be trained, the heart will also be directed alright, to the love of the beau tiful the good, and the true, to the l practice of those virtues that will mak . | of the future parishioners God d-fearing 2 | men and virtuous women, a pride and