The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-06-06
SERMON OF THE MOST REVEREND ARCHBISHOP

plans. | thank every man and every
woman who made sacrifices to bring
forward the financial help needed to
they do not now regret the dollars
saved to construct the o-Cathedral
They were giving their money to
whom? To Almighty God from whom
all blessing do come. They have TAX
en- little from His gifts to make a
gift to Him. He it is to whose name
on the summit of the dome arises the
cross, the emblem of our love, the
standard of our faith. In making your
contributions, what have you done?
appeal to your Catholic instincts. You
said we will build something of which
Catholics may be proud. You have
built temple to the old Church, the
Church commissioned nineteen hun
dred years ago to teach all nations
and travel all countries saving souls,
bringing men into union with Almighty
God. 1t is tribute to the old Church,
to your Catholic ancestors, to the mar
tyrs, confessors and virgins of his
tory. Here and there it has been said
by those who understood her not that
the Catholic Church is passing away,
that the Catholic Church is tottering
on it's old foundations. So far as we
were able, We have put in the center
of the great city of Minneapolis, a
home of the Catholic Church, temple
which all must see and admire; a
temple which, when seen and admired,
tells as no discourse can tell, as no
book can read, that the Catholic
Church possesses today all the vigor
of it's youth and full power over souls,
derived from the authority of it's
founder, Jesus Christ. We love the
old Church; we love her story; we
are proud this morning that something
has been done by us in this great city
to extol the dear old Church and make
all who see this building say: The
Catholic Church lives and works and
prays today as it has been doing dur
ing the past nineteen centuries
Religion is all things to us, and
while we may enjoy the benefits of re-
ligion under a tent in the wilderness
or in an impoverished cottage, still we
know that we are helped in ailr-.devo-
tfon and aspirations when all around
US speaks of the beauty of the skies
were forcibly into the regions of the
supernal world Our children cannot
but be strengthened in their faith as
they pass by the Pro-Cathedral and
stop to say: How grand and splen-
did, And those who are not of our
faith will say: 1T is worthy of the
Catholics, this great temple
eyes, this is day of solemn thought
and deep emotion. We might cast our
glances at the past and compare it
with the present. 1t is two and a
quarter centuries since the first Cath
olic put foot where now reigns the
City of Minneapolis. In the year 1881
the pilgrim missionary, Father Henne-
pin, gazed on the cataract nearby and
christened It st. Anthony Apart from
himself and two companions, no white
man was then within hundreds, yea,
thousands of miles of this place. Could
he without miraculous revelation have
even thought of the temple that now
rises today in splendor within hear
ing of the waters of the Falls of St.
Anthony. And by good fortune this
Pro-Cathedral fronts the avenue nam
ed after the first missionary, Hennepin
Avenue. Travelling down further, not
long ago, we had the first frame
church built in what was then ST. An
thony and many remember when the
present Church of st. Anthony housed
the Catholics of this whole territory.
Many remember the very temporary
frame building which first served the
parish of the Immaculate Conception.
Well, one church has succeeded an
other, until you have twenty-seven or
twenty-eight parishes in Minneapolis,
schools for thousands of children,
asy1ums, hospitals, all crowned at this
hour by the great and beautiful Pro-
Cathedral of st. Mary. All of us shall
remember long this first Mass ce1e-
brated today in the Pro-Cathedral.
Much yet, we must remember, re-
mains to be done before the last hand
of builder, painter, sculptor, has been
laid upon the Pro-Cathedral of ST.
Mary. And for all that is to be done
make appeal to your well-proven gen
erosity. You will not tire, am con.
f1dent. The appeal is to your faith
to your love for God and the Saviour
You will give of your temporal means
in the furtherance of your spiritual
welfare. Your giving will not be with
out a sacrifice. But it is we'll that il
be so.
The sacrifice, a condition of your
giving, will be the test of its
earnestness, the measure of its merits
You will give collectively; you viii
give singly. You will give collectively
leach one doing his full share to
wards the liquidation of bills now due
towards the payment of current ex
penses of the public worship. Yor
will give singly, one after another
coming forward to claim the honor o.
paying the cost of one or the othel
piece of furniture and decoration need
ed that all things be well with the
noble Pro- Cathedral. A list will soo1
Ibe made out of the several pieces O
Il furniture and decoration, with tn,
statement of the probable cost of eacl
Ione. There will be the several chapel'