Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-01-17
NEWARK Church
IS CONSECRATED
ST. COIumba's Is Sixth Local
Catholic Edifice to Be
So HOnOred.
FREED OF ALL DEBT
BY RECT0R'S EFFORT
Unusual Solemnity Marks Ser
vice, at Which Diocesan
Head Offioiated,

st. Coiumba's Church, Of which
rev. Michael ]. White is the rector,
was formally added TO the list Of con-
secrated churches OF the Catholic do
cese of Newark today. It ia the sixth
Newark church to be so honored by
freedom from all debt. The last
church in this city to be consecrated
was st. Peters on Belmont avenue.
This event took place nine years ago
Bishop OConnor officiated at the
services this forenoon at st. Column
ba's. There was g large attendance
OF parishiouers at the mass which was
offered. The conservation ceremony
itself was limited TO the clergy. II
vas marked by unusual ritualistic
solempity and was participated in by
a number of prominent diocesan
priests.
The assistant priests at the conse-
Grafton were Rev. James A. LundY, OF
Elizabeth; Rev. Thomas A. Walsh, OF
St. Charles Borromeo's, Newark, ano
Rev. John A. Dillon, OF st. Patrick
Cathedral Rev. Charles A. Smith.
chancellor of the diocese, acted as
master of ceremonies.
The celebration of the conservation
will be held tomorrow. pontitlcai
high mass will be offered in the morn
ing at II o'clock and solemn Vespers
will be sung in the evening at 1880,
There will be elaborate musical ana
vocal services.
Archbishop to be Guest.
Archbishop Prendergast, OF Phila-
delphia, will be the guest of Father
White tomorrow. The visiting prelate
will offfciate at the final morning
service.
st. Colu1nba's Church is modelled
after the magnificent chapel at YER
sailies. the paiace of the French
kings. 1t is built on a triangular plot
near Lincoln Park, and faces on
Pennsylvania avenue, Brunswick and
Thomas streets II is built OF
limestone. The church was ded-
icated on January 10, 1899. Father
White was appointed rector of st.
Columba's in 1897, year before he
started the new church.
In sixteen years Father White has
built and cleared of debt one Of the
most beautiful churches in the coun-
try, a rectory, a sisters house and q
new modern school building, the total
valuation of which is s250.0J0. The
priest is regarded as one of the lead
ing Catholic clergyrnen of the State,
and one of unusual executive ability.
The other Newark churches that
have been consecrated are st. Johns,
in Mulberry street, the first Catholic
church in the city; st. Patrick's Ca
thedral. st. MichaePs, and st Mary's,
High street. The conservation of st.
Mary's Church was the last one prior
to st. Peters,
Decree Is Read.
BY a decree of the Council OF Trent
mass should not be offered in any
place except consecrated. or blessed,
church. Because of the decree it lie
the wish of the Catholic Church that
at least cathedrals and parish
churches should be consecrated, also
that the smaller churches should be
blessed. Any church and public or
semi-public place of prayer, however,
may be consecrated.
The Catholic Church defines con-
secration as an act by which thing
is separated from q common use to a
sacred use. Conservation of persons
or things to the service Of GOD can
be traced through the ages to the re-
hottest periods. The Catholic Church
distinguishes between conservation
and blessing, both in regard to per-
sons and to things. In both, the per-
son or thing passes from the common
order to a new state and becomes
the instrument of a Divine protection.
AT a conservation the ceremonies are
more solemn than at blessing or
dedication. The officiating representa-
tive at a conservation is a bishop.
The ordinary representative at a
blessing or dedication may be priest.
At a conservation holy oils are used.
Only holy water is used at a blessing.
The new state to which conservation
eievates a person or thing is deemed
permanent and the rite cannot be re-
peated. Such is not the case at a
blessing. The latter ceremony, in
connection with a church, makes the
edifice a sacred place, but not neces-
sarily one in perpetuity.
One of the essentials in the conse-
Grafton of a Catholic church is that it
is necessary to consecrate a fixed al
tar within the edifice. It may hap
pen that the affairs may have been
all consecrated. In this event the
church cannot be licitly consecrated
except by special permission of the