Norwich bulletin., 1921-03-21
BREAK GROUND FOR ST. MARY'S CHURCH

The plan of Rev. William A. Keefe, pasor of the church. to have many hands participate in breaking ground for the new St. Mary,s Memorial church on the lot at the corner of Central avenue and Prospect street was carried out with complete success Saturday afternoon ct tive o'clock. When, after the brief form al exercises, the word was given to drive on the carts for the first loads of dirt. the lot was covered with crowd of men, women and children, many with shoxels and others waiting for chance to bor- borrow one so that they might at least toss a shovelful or two onto the waiting carts. In time ali had their turn be- fore the afterneen was over so that there were hundreds who will be able to say l in future years that they helped do the diggings for the new church.
 The Norwich firm having the excava- fiea contract, Carroll and Fenton, had 1 the plot ploughed up in advance to make 1 the digging easier. The crowd began to gather early, many bringing their own shovels. The regulated pointed laborers' shovel. ordinary coal shoyels. and spades we're seen, while several women carried new long handled beach or garden shovels that semed to have been bought l fer the occasion and will doubtless be preserved as souvenirs. It was reported that one man used a shovel which he Isaid was the same that had been used in digging the foundation for St. Patrick's icnuFch fifty years ago. Ringing in the crowd were several men who came wir1 their shcvels and in overalis prepared for Ian afternccr of real work. Among these were Registrar Cornelius J. Downes and
 William H. Bowen the Greeneviile news
 dealer.
 The diggers were not confined to mem Il bers of the parish but included people mot connected with the church and from parts of the city. Probably the oldest mar to put his hand to a shovel was g s. Stocking, the well known Civil War
 veteran who had just passed his 9otn ,t year. Rev. c. H. Ricketts, pastor of the GrceneviIe Congregational church, was } present to turn over few sods.
 Just about 2 o'clock. Father Keefe hai , l a group formed at the front of the To ] for a picture in which Mayor H. M. Lero1
 held the reins over a pair of horses o1 | the piow, around which stood Fathe Keefe. Rev. W. H. Kennedy, the curate John Sullivan and Frank J. Murtha. trus tees, and John Carroll. the contractor : The same group was taken standing in 5 1 in position to dig. In the first group ap ' lpeared Mrs. Julia Corcoran of Chestnu 2 lstreet, now past her S0tb year, probabl, ! the oldest former member of the parisl who was present Saturday.
 ' Two Brief Speeches.
 Following the taking of the pictures | Father Keefe conducted the brief forma r program of the afternoon with the crow q grouped at the front of the lot, while tn s Sisters from tile convent viewed tn ceremonies from the upper windows Q T the rectory.
 Spoke From Automobile Truck. '- The automobile truck of George N
 Clendennin, loaned for the afternoon t
 the church, served as platform for th short speaking programme, which pre- ' lceded the digging.
 2 Father Keefe addressed the crowd a ], follows:
 We begin today the erection of ne' 2 temple of worship in honor of Christ, tn 2 God man. In this temple we and gen l. Ierations yet unborn will assemble to hon \ or Christ and to imbibe the spirit c : I Christian virtue which he taught for tn 2 salvation of mankind.
 This church will stand in trouble
 world as monument of our devotio 7 Ito the ideals of the Prince of Peace. W / dedicate this church to the mother C
 Christ and name it St. Mary's, teachin by this dedication all the ideals of pun e ity and devotion to wonanhood ths h Christ taught by the special honor ths l- he paid to his beloved mother. > In this church we will study togethe a the ideals of Christian citizenship whic Ie shall make us better Christians of th ' republic and prepare us> for a plac e among the citizens of the everlastin :. Kingdom of the eternal God. The Catht |. lie church teaches devotion to God an e- to country. We will learn here not meri " ly our obligations to our God but also ,d our country.
 I'd Father Keefs thanked all who hs e- helped in any way to make possible u ss beginning of the new St. Mary's churc ,d and referred to the fact that he hope ar the beginning of this work might mea T the beginning of building boom in No n wich. He referred to the fact that as , result of war conditions there had bet . a tendency to wait, but that progress ar z. the welfare of the community demand, e that even though individual sacriic s might be involved, he considered it be ari for the civil welfare of the city and u
 business welfare of the community tn
 we begin now in the springtime to ere ut buildings, which shall serve to devel' ,t a building boom for the erection of ia
 tories and homes and business instit
 tions for the betterment of our city. In conclusion he said that the wo
 now begun should mean much in the Ii
 of the city of Norwich. What is taug
 here will it be an antidote against t
 materialisn1 and impurity and radicals
 that threaten the individual and faml
 and public life of the citizens and W
 inspire to all that is best for the hap
 lness and progress and prosperity of o
 city and state and country.
 Mayor Lerou speaks.
 In introd icing Mayor Lereu Fatf
 Keefe said that the mayor had been o
 of the very first of non-members of {
 parish to make a contribution to
 building fund 70 that he felf particula
 well pleased to have him present to r
 resent the city at the breaking of grou
 Mayor, HIM Lerou spoke as follows
 We are gathered here this afternoon begin work in the erection of St. Mar Memorial church.
 Three-quarters of century ago vi the trolley car and the automobile W only dream, a small band of worsh pers from various sections of east, Connecticut iaboring unf CT many di culties as to Transportation, organized Norxinh what is knnxrfa t1dav as