The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-05-25
|SIL YER JUBILE EE |0F ST. PAT RICK 5 Handsome New Edifice Thronged at All the
 Services VISITING PRIESTS
 DELIVER SERMONS Gala Occasion for Rector, Rev. James B. Nihill, and
 His. Faithful Flock

The 18th anniversary of St. Patrick g parish was celebrated yesterday with 5 solemn high mass and sermon by Rev. Joseph ldcMahon, D. D.a The occasion marked the wonderful growth of the parish which has maintained g steady advance as the North End grew in population.
 When the parish was started in 1889 there were 125 families. Originally the parish lines included a1lsof the sec tion north Of Grand street from the Requonnock river to- M Madison avenue and east of Madison* avenue to the in- tersection Of Grand street. This ter ritory was a portion of St. Augustine,s parish until 1889 when the late Bishop McMahon appointed Rev. James B. Nihills then assistant at Danbury, to be pastor of St. Patrick's. A plot of ground on Lindley street, which con- tained house, was leased as a site for a new church.
 At that time there was no place for worship so the new pastor used the rectory= for week day masses and secured a room in Grand street school for Sunday services. Tn order to de- wise means for liquidating the debt made necessary by the purchase of the church plot. a meeting of the men of the parish was held in Grand street selected were John Reynolds and Geo. T. Kelly.
 In less than six months after the parish was organized s6,000 had been. raised toward church fund. Men, women and children worked with en-s thusiasm under the guidance of their pastor in the campaign to obtain. funds for this worthy cause. Subse- quently it was thought advisable, how ever to find 8 more central location for the edifice-
 Then the Eli Thompson estate, fac-s
 
 Parallel and Thompson streets. was purchased, Ground was broken at once for the church and the corner stone was laid in August, 1890. The basement of this stone structure was completed and dedicated in the fol-
 The parish did not grow very fast for the first IS years because the city was not spreading in that direction. After the completion of St. Vincent's hospital in 1903 the North End began to gain more new residences. This fine structure was an important fac- tor in improving the neighborhood. The extenston Of the Main street troll ley lines and the widening of Main street to the Trumbuu line were oth- CT causes that helped the increase.
 In 1909 when the original ESQ., 600 par ish debt had been wiped out and there was s20,o0O in the treasury, it was de- cfded to rush the work completing the church This was started early in 1910 and J une 20 1910 the corner stone was laid.
 The speaker on this occasion was Father John H. OsRourke, member of the Jesuit order, and noted orator His wonderful sermon made 5deep impression upon the large congrega- ton that assem bled to celebrate the end of the long struggle to build al suitable edifce in the North End.
 St. Patrick's church is one of the handsomest examples of architecture In the city and has received high praises from both clergy and laity as a model building. It is a monument to the energy of Father NihilI and the industry of his parishioners.
 In his sermon yesterday morning -heme, the immutability of the teach Ings< of the Catholic church. His text was sT came in His Name and you received me not; if another comes in His Name, him you will receiye.'' The speaker impressed upon his congre- sation the relations of the Church t6 modern schools of philosophy and the -rend Of modern social conditions He declared the prevalence of divorce was sHecting the sacredness of marriage. He said the two greatest impressions 1f the Catholic church were .sT'hosl shalt love God above all things with thy whole heart and with thy whole souI,n and Thou shalt love thy neigh Dor as thyselfs'
 The celebrant of the solemn high mass was the rector. Rev. Father Ni- afll. He was assisted by Father Jas. B. Mcdonald. native Of the parish,
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