Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1913-12-27
Beautiful Edifice Blessed by the
Right Rev. Bishop
O'Donaghue.
Vicar General Cronin and Rev.
Father Schuhmann Also
Officiate.
FATHER WILLET'S GRAND WORK

Last Sunday morning beautiful
and impressive ceremonial marked
another important event in the
| Catholic history of the city and
diocese of Louisville-the blessing
and dedication by the Right Rev.
Denis O'Donaghue of the handsome
new Church of st. James the Apos-
| tie on the Bardstown road. The new
church is built on Cathedral lines
and stands a monument to the piety
and earnestness of the pastor, Rev.
| Father Erie Willett, and his con-
| gregation. Promptly at 10 o'clock
Sunday morning Bishop O'Donag-
hue, accompanied by a number OF
the clergy, blessed the new edifice,
after which there was solemn high
mass, with the Rev. Father Willett
as the celebrant. The Rev. Patrick
Monaghan, secretary to the Bishop,
acted as deacon; the Rev. Thomas
McAleer, assistant at st. Patrick S
church, as subdeacon, and the Rev.
George NJ. Connor, pastor of st.
Williams church, as master of
| ceremonies. An elaborate pro-
gramme of music was a feature of
the dedication.
Bishop O'Donaghue preached the
| sermon, in which he traced church
history from the building of the
temple by Solomon to the present
day. He said the structure being
dedicated was fitting memorial to
the pastor, the Rev. Willett, whose
untiring efforts had made it pos
sible, and the beauty of the edifice
reflected praise upon the architect,
J. ]. Gaffney.
In the evening the church was
again thronged, when the Rev.
James P. Cronin, Vicar General of
the diocese, pastor of st. Patrick's s
church, sang the solemn vespers.
Rev. John T.. Hill, pastor of st.
AIMS church, as deacon; the Rev.
John D. Kalaher, of st. Columba's,
as subdeacon, and the Rev. Celestine
Brey, of Holy Cross church, as mas
ter of ceremonies. The sermon was
preached by the Rev. DR.. George
Schuhmann, pastor of st. Johns
church. Father Schuhmann said
that yesterday was the birthday of
the new church, that it was the
result of the labor of many months
by both pastor and communicates,
land that it was in the thoughts and
prayers of friends all over the city.
This year was to be remembered as
the jubilee year, he said, for it was
the i ,600th anniversary of the de-
cree of Constantine, proclaiming
Christianity. The architecture of
the St James church was Byzantine,
he said, thus being a reminder of
the connection between Eastern and
Western hemispheres. He COM
pared the church to a ship and said
that he had no anxiety now that IL
was setting out to sea, but that It
would always keep its PROV pointed
in the right direction. 'Tn the words
Of st. James, for whom this edifice
was named, Faith without good
work avails nothing" he said. 1--WE
nave here an example of good work
accomplished in this magnificent
structure"
The church, which is of yellow
| brick, faces Bardstown road at
Edenside avenue. A campanile on
the southeast corner rises 100 feet,
and in its tower is the belfry. The
nave is 1T feet long, sixty feet
high and fifty-six feet in diameter.
rhe interior is in white. High in
the ceiling is an eye, emblematical
Of the eye of God, and below II are
figures in bas relief, representing
the twelve fruits of the Holy Ghost
charity. joy, patience, peace
beningnity, goodness, longanimity
mildness, faith, modesty, con-
tingency and chastity. Just below
the dome are four stained-glass
windows. The columns are moi
placed on the main floor, where
they would interfere with view
of the sanctuary, but in colonades IN
the rear. The pews are OF. quarteret
oak. with seating capacity of $50
The three altars are OF Carrari
marble, inlaid with Venetian
mosaics. The side affairs are sur
mounted by statues OF white
Carrara. The inches for the sta
tions OF the cross are grouped OF
each side under the large windows
The light through the stained win
dows Is soft and the electric illum
mating bulbs are hidden. A larg'
basket at the rear throws out sof
rays while each colonade has
cluster In a small basket.
The excellent musical programme
rendered by an augmented choir
was under the direction of Mis-
Nellie B. Hannah and Prof. c