Connecticut western news., 1915-11-18
ST. PATRICk'S DEDICATED
tContinued from First I'age.J

authority. The kingdom is the sheep. fold. where the voice of the Shepherd is heard and recognized by the sheep, and they follow Him and are saved. The church began as the grain of mus tard seed-the mustard seed grew into a tree and the birds filled its branches Therr must he some kind of urganiza ton. or the church will be tl,o sport of time. So the Divine Savior organized it with simple men. And He sad to one, Thou art Peter, the rock, '" and on that rock the church was founded. Faith is of little use unless it shapes our life. Forms and sacraments caunot make our lives pure, nor make our lives like his. My N ish is that this church may be to this community q pleasure and d comfortable place for devotion and service to God. He is not confined by walls. He sees and hears and reads the call or men.
 THE NEW CHURCH. The new church. which succeeds the structure that was destroyed by fire ig- nited by u locomotive spark April 15, 1914, is located on the beebe Hill road, near the Congregational church. The basement and foundation were built by Contractor John H. Garrity, of Lake vile, and the snperstructure by E. R. | Lorrain, of Canaan, who began work in July last. Since the old church was destroyed, services had been held in the Citizens Building, over the postoffice.
 The new building stands on a lot 224xIS0 feet, purchased from I. P. Hornbeck. Its capacity is about l75, including the gallery across the east end. Its sides are shingled and a bel fry, surmounted by cross is situated on the northeast corner. The interior is done in chestnut, oiled; the pews and altar rail, of the same wood, being stained to a darker color than the natural. Besides the stained glass windows containing the life.size figure of St. Patrick, which was rescued from the old church at the time of the fire, there are seven memorial stained glass windows, bearing inscriptions us fol- lows:
 Gift of Rev. John F. Donohue."
 "In Memory of John and Julia Grace"
 "In Memory of Patrick and Margaret Carroll ''
 Gift of MT. and Mrs. Michael Cog gin. Sr."
 Gift of MT. and Mrs. John Skelly."
 Gift of James Cummings and Family"
 Gift of Mary Mahan."
 The pews. and altar rail, which are of artistic and appropriate design, were | do hx- Af The altar and "stations of the cross'' are of composition, beautifully and skillfully wrought, from the Ber- nardini Statuary O., of New York. The carpets and linoleum were furnish ed by Heaton & Co.,, Lakeville. The painting and vanishing were done by O'Brien Brothers, Lime Rock The candelabra were from ths old church, saved with the organ, several windows and some few other articles from the burning church.
 AN OLD PARISH.
 Saint Patrick's parish in Falls Will lage, is the oldest in this region. When the old church was built itwas the only Catholic church on the line of the rail- road, between Pittsfield and Bridgeport. Before the church was built services were held in the open air and under trees, and Catholics came from adj Oin- ing towns to attend the services. The church was built under the pastorate of Rev. Peter Kelley, who was its first pastor, about 1851, and was dedicated and consecrated by Bishop O'Reilly in 1858 or 1854. Bernard Smith, who was a1t i'm Ina nl1 whose father, the late Michael Smith, was a trustee of the first church, relates that Father Kelley used to stay at the Smith home, while in Falls Village, and that he was reputed to be the auth or of the following lines, referring to the churches in Falls Village, West Cornwall and Goshen:
 "In this hillv country
 Three churches I did build
 Saint Patrick's, Saint Bridget's
 And Saint Mullen Kills"
 The priests assigned to St. Patrick's, who followed Father Peter Kelley, were Rev. John Mulligan, Rev. P. O'Gorman, Rev. Philip Sheridan, Rev. John Couch. Rev. Thomas Quinn, Rev. Michael O'Reilly, Rev. John O'Farrell, Rev. John McCabe, Rev. Joseph. O'Keefe, Rev. Stephen Sheffrey, Rev. Henry J. Lynch, Rev. Patrick Fox, Rev. Patrick Donohue, Rev. T. F. Ban- non, and the present. pastor, Rev. John F. Donohue, who has been in charge of the associated parishes about three years. having come from Coventry, where he was highly esteemed.
 Up to Father Lynch's time, the priests lived in Falls Village. Since then the parochial residence has been established in Lakeville, where a fine church edifice and convent are estab- lished and the property of the church represents large money value
 MT. Smith recalls tbat at one time the late Bishop Tierney was assigned to the Falls Village parish and the order was reversed the same day. That was long before he became bishop, and .rrli To Ia