The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1912-05-23
Great Concourse of People
Attend Dedication of st.
Thomas Church.
FATHER CLEARY BREACHES
Archbishop s. G. MeAJmer Has Charge
of Formal Services of Dedication and
Is Assisted by Many Visiting Priests
Of This and Other Dioceses.

The new st. Thomas Aquinas Cath
olc church at the corner of Elizabeth
and Charles street, was dedicated with
impressive ceremonies on Sunday and
great crowd of Catholics from al
parts of Southern Wisconsin came to
henosha to attend the services OF the
day. Archbishop S. G.. Messmer of the
diocese was in charge of the dedica-
ton and he was assisted by nearly a
score OF well known priests from vari-
Gus parts of the diocese and from sur
rounding dioceses. Catholics in Keno
sha made the event a great day in the
history of the church and more than a
thousand people attended the dedica-
tion service. All of the Catholic
churches in the city were represented
at the big gathering and the priests of
many of the parishes were in attendance
and took part in the service.
The dedication was in, charge Of the
Rev. W. D. Malone, pastor of the
church, who acted as celebrant of the
solemn high mass. He was assisted by
the Rev. j. j. Ryan of st. Francis as
deacon, the Rev. Robert Wall Of Beaver
Dam, as sub-deacon, and the Rev.
Father Muruhy of st. Johns Cathe-
dral in Milwaukee, as master of cere-
monies. Special musica was furnished
by the choir of the congregation.
The archbishop read the service of
dedication after which the Rev. J. M.
Cleary of the Church Of the Incarnation
lat Minneapolis and a former pastor
of one Of the Kenosha churches gave
the sermon of dedication.
The sermon of Father Cleary was on
the subject, 'IThe Purpose of the
Church. The sermon was particu-
larly vigorous one and one that brought
great interest to the large congrega-
ton. Father Cleary declared that the
purpose of the church was to teach men
| the truth, to aid in the movement of
men in moral order, to influence moral
character and to save society from sin
| by the means of grace institute by
Christ himself. He spoke of the great
mission of the church in every COM
munity as the promoter OF the higher
things in life and as an agent for hon
esty and morality.
| Following the sermon by Father
Cleary, Archbishop Messmer gave a
short address in which he spoke es-
pecially of the work of the school of
the church He declared that one of
the greatest agencies for good was the
schools connected with the churches and
urged the members of the congregation
to see the necessity of maintaining the
highest possible standard for these
| schools.
Following the regular service of dedi-
cation the ladies of the church enter
tanned at a dinner in the assembly
rooms and at this dinner more than a
thousand people were served. The af-
ternoon was given over to social gath
ering at which the visiting priests had
chance to meet the members of the
parish.
Among the priests from other cities
present at the dedicatory ceremonies
4 were the Archbishop RE. Rev. Sebas-
tan G. Messmer, Milwaukee; Monsignor
Lochemes, of Racine; Father Charles
Mcbride, Father Michael Huston, Faith
er E. J. Blackwell, Father F. G. Ryan,
Father Murphy, Father j. J. Ryan,
Father F. J. Petit, all of Milwaukee,
and Father Robert Wall, of Beaver
Dam.
4 During the services several large con-
tributions and many smaller gifts were
received for the liquidation of the debt
OF the church, but the amount of these
contributions has not as yet been made
public.
The new church is one OF the most
modern churches in the city. Il was
erected at cost Of $51, 900 and while
the entire fund for the building has
not been raised the members Of the
church are hopeful that they will be
able to pay off the debt by the end Of
a decade.