Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-09-24
CARDINAL GIBBONS
DELEGATES Stone
FOR GREAT Shrine
Thousands Witness Brilliant
Ceremony at Catholic
University.

Cardinal Gibbons, assisted by Car
dinal O'Connell and the papal dele
gate, Archbishop Bonzano. blessed the
huge foundation stone of the $1,000
600 shrine to be erected in honor of
the immaculate conception on the
grounds of the Catholic University
yesterday afternoon in the presence
of the Catholic hierarchy, religious
societies, officials of the United States
and foreign governments and a gath
ering of more than 10000 persons.
Pope Benedict Cables Blessing.
Pope Benedict XIV cabled his bless
ing, which was read to the assembled
throng by Bishop Shahan, rector of
the Catholic University, as follows:
Rome. September %.
cardinal Gibbons. Washington. D. c.
"The holy father was greatly pleas
ed to learn of the laying of the foun-
dation stone of the National Shrine
of the Immaculate Conception ana
gladly grants his apostolic blessing
to your eminence. the clergy and the
faithful present at the sacred cere-
mony and to the Jealous promoters
and benefactors of the holy Work.
CARDINAL GASPARR1.
''Secretary of State to the Holy
Father"
The following congratulatory mes
sage was also received by his emil
nence from Cardinal Bourne of Lon
don:
Cardinal Gibbons. Washington, D. c.
pray God grant blessing and sue
cess National Shrine War Memorial.
CARDINAL BOURNE"
New Freedom and the wave of
materialism which is sweeping this
country and the world were de-
nounced in a sermon by Ri. Rev. John
T. McNicholas, Bishop of Duluth.
Largest in Western Hemisphere.
Work already has begun on the ex-
cavations for the new church edihce,
which win be the largest on the west
ern hemisphere and one OF the nnest
in the entire world. and in which will
from the entire Christian world
About this excavation were built
grandstands from which the notables
Of church and state, including more
than seventy-five archbishops and
thousands of the clergy. witnessed the
ceremony of laying the foundat1on
stone, after which solemn benediction
was pronounced
The bright colored robes of the
American hierarchy in one section. the
casSocks and surplices of the priests
In another, the gafbs of the various
religions orders and the plentiful use
OF the papal colors in decoration gave
picturesque coloring to the interest
ing spectacle
The ecclesiastics marched to the
scene OF the ceremony from Caldwell
Hall A guard of honor from the
Fourth Degree, Knights Of Columbus.
attended CardinalsGibboEs and OCon-
nell The knights wore silk hats,
fruclccoxfSand carried their swords
Bslhsp Outlines Plans.
Bishop Shahan made the preliln-
mary announcements. telling briefly
OF plans for the great shrine. Car
dfnal Gibbons then blessed the stone,
which was the gift of James Sexton
Of Stamford. Conn Mr. Sexton was
present, with his two sons, Vincent,
a second lieutenant Of aviation. and
Leo. a seaman in the Navy, and his
nephew, William s. Fitzgerald. who
70 an infantry private
Cardinal Gibbons was attended by
Rt Rev. Mgrs. Edward AcGoldrick
of Brpokfyn and Frank Van AnWerp
Of Detroit Rt- Rev. Denis ]. Daugh-
erty Of Philadelphia ofhciated at the
Among the embassies represented
at the exercises were England.
France. Russia, Japan. Siam, Brazil,
Argentina. Chile and Peru. There
Bulgaria. Cuba, Guatemala, Honduras,
Poland, Serbia and Venezuela, and the
charge daHafres Of Belgium, Bolivia,
Colombia, Czechos1ovakia. Finland,
Greece, the Netherlands, Panama, Ru-
mania and Switzerland. Sir Francois
Lemieux, chief justice of the supreme
court of Quebec, represented Canada.
Distinguished People Present.
Among the representatives from
the United States government were
Justice Joseph McKenna of the Su-
preme Court; Admiral W. S. Benson.
chairman of the Shipping Board; Ad
miral MCGOWAN. Mai. Gen. Tasker S.
Bliss, Brig. Gen. !. W. LitteH and Col.
II. P. Birmingham of the Soldiers
Home, with a delegation of five vet
Grams of the Indian and five veterans
of the civil war.
The Four Degree knights in the
guard Of honor, were led by Morris
McAuI1ffe. state deputy of the district,
who was attended by William s..
Aumen, state deputy of Maryland. and