The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1914-10-24

events seem likely to inter-
fere with the conservation
OF the Church of Sacre Occur. Octo-
Der II was the day chosen for this
ceremony. and this is thirty-nine years
after the beginning of the building
This GATE is the fete-day of Marie
Marguerite. who heard voices COM
manding her to build church on the
top OF Montmartre. Louis XVI formed
In prison the pious intention to carry
out the behests of the voices. but the
scafold robbed him of the chance.
Napoleon had a more secular idea and
proposed building there a temple
where each successive peace might
be proclaimed, but he never ceased
warning, says a writer in the Literary
Digest.
1t was the events of 1901 that d.
rected the Catholic mind to the prof.
ect and caused its consideration by
the national assembly.
Under Paris date the London
Times prints the following:
"Pious people at Poitiers wished to
invoke the protection of God by erect
ing a temple to his worship in Paris
Momentarily allowed to lapse, the idea
was taken up by Catholics in Paris.
The difficulty was to establish COM
munication with the outside world, for
the city was invested. Balloons were
tried. the pigeon-post. and even the
bribery Of secret agents; but all failed,
and 1t was not until the Commune
had added its horrors to the war that
the enterprise took practical shape.
The war minister wanted the site
Tor fort; but, better inspired, aIgr.
Guibert, the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF
Paris, cried: Your fort will do no
good and may be turned against you.
Better build my citadel than yours
Whether or not he was moved by the
argument. the minister gave up his
SIIotect, and, on July %. 1873, the ma
tional assembly authorized the pur-
chase of land for the church and even
permitted the cardinal to proceed by
appropriation. The large majority
which supported the bill shows how
feeling in parliament has since
changed on questions Of church and
state.
Byzantine Architecture.
"Two years later the first stone was
laid with impressive pomp and in the
presence Of 10000 persons gathered
from all parts of France Almost in.
evitably the plan Of the architect.
which prescribed a Byzantine church.
was severely criticized; but It ulti-
mately triumphed. The public saw
the folly of attempting to rival the
Gothic glories of the thirteenth ce4-
fury by adding Montmartre to the
splendid series Of Charities, Of Amiens,
of Rouen, and Notre Dame.
Slowly the domes and campanile
and the cluster of side chapels arose
on the Mount Of Martyrs-near, in
deed, to the spot where. according to
the legend, st. Denis was decapitated
and carried his head under his arm
a. II 1t had been q crown. Centuries
after temples to Mercury and Mars
had disappeared, deaf and almost
blind abbess, with the ladies Of her
order. was hurried to the guillotinc
on the tumbrels OF the convention.
Mount of Martyrs 1t was also for two
generals shot by Communards while
M. Clcmenceau was mayor Of Mont.
martre. The people had dragged guns.
for the second time in the history Of
Paris, up the steep slopes Of the hill.
the iirst was on the morrow of the
taking OF the Bastile. when the mob
feared vengeance from the Royalists
and the army It Saint Denis-and the
two ofncers had gone to parley IN the
name Of the government In tAsar