The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1914-09-05

Grating the departure of the parish
from the historic old cathedral of st.
Paul, previous to the destruction of
the old cathedral by the workmen to
make place for a commercial struc-
ture. The services had been planned
for many weeks and those in charge
sought to bring together all of those
who, by sacrifice of time, effort and
money, assisted in the construction
of the old cathedral. Among the
crowd that filled the church and
thronged about the entrance were
many whose minds and thoughts
went back to the day when the old
cathedral was an object of civic pride
in st. Paul, as well as shrine OF the
greatest Importance to the Catholics
throughout what is now the arch
diocese of St. Paul. The years that
marvellous growth of Catholicity.
When comparisons are made between
the two illustrations on the front
page of the Irish Standard of this
week. comparing the structure of the
old cathedral with the new cathedral,
shows at a glance the marvellous
changes that are symbolized in these
two houses of divine worship, and in
a proportion they reflect the growth
of Catholicity and the upbuilding of
the great northwest since the days
when mass was first celebrated in the
old cathedral.
Invitations had been extended to
all those associated with the early
history of the old cathedral, and they
were present in great numbers. To
no one assembled within the church
or taking part in the ceremonies did
the passing of the old cathedral
mean so much as to his grace, Arch
bishop ireland, whose personality has
kept pace and whose biography Is
interwritten with the development OF
the great northwest. His vast audi
ence we'll understood the emotions
that guided his thoughts and the feel,
ings that prompted his utterances
when he rose to bid farewell to the
old cathedral. The joys and the sor'
rows of SO years flooded in upon the
memories of those who saw in the
passing of the old cathedral, the
length of time that had elapsed and
the strides that were made since pio'
neer days. Well, indeed, did his
grace express the commingled feel
ings of his hearers as he bid farewell
to a landmark of Cathol:city in the
northwest.
Assisting him in the services were
Archbishop Keane of Dubuque, Bish
op O'Gorman of Sioux Falls and Bish
op McGolrick of Duluth.
The following is the sermon of tht
archbishop in full:
Beloved Cathedral, thy days are
numbered: die thou must. Plead
not thy long and precious service in
cause most holy: plead not the love
which tens of thousands vowed to
thee, as year after year, beneath thy
roof, they won to themselves the
favors and graces of Heaven: plead
not the streaming tears that bedew
the cheeks of the throngs now come
together to chant thy parting dirge
It is all in vain, the hammer of the
demolisher is lifted: tomorrow il
will strike the fatal blow: tomorrow
thou shall cease to live. We are as
. sembled to speak the saddened word
farewell.
Lovers of the old Cathedral, homo,
it-honor it by filling to the brin
your souls with the rich and rare
memories that spring from every
stone in it's walls, from every boarc
of its floors, from the threshold Of
its doorways and the altars of its
sanctuaries. The poet of humanity
bids us "ind tongues in trees, books
in running brooks, sermons II
stones" Assuredly, mystic tongue:
there are, and books, and sermons
in the old Cathedral of st. Paul. To
'gether, we shall hearken to the music
of their echoings, and sink deepl,
into our souls the sweet and valu
able lesson they impart. to be Otter
ir future years remembered ant
acted upon. 1t is the tribute thu
Cathedral merits: it is the tribute
we shall render unto it.
The Old Cathedral-and its Prede
cessOrs.
Fifty-eight years is the age of thu
old Cathedral. We date its birtf
from the day of the laying in place
of the cornerstone. read its bap
tismal Certificate copy of the orig
inal document deposited within thu
corner stone: "In the year OF oul
Lord 1856; during the reign of Piul
TX, Pope; in the presence Of the Rt
Reverend Joseph Cretin. first Bishop
of the Diocese of st. Paul, Minneso
ia, in the United States Of America
the Right Reverend John Timon
Bishop Of Buffalo, being the officiat