Evening star., 1924-09-21


ton. Four of these great columns
are mahogany granite from South
Dakota and four are blue black Nor
way granite, seldom, if ever before.
turned into columns. Six other nota-
BILE columns are of lovely Irish rose.
All but three of these columns are
already in place. The wainscoting
is of mouse-colored marble from the
st. Genevieve quarries of Missouri.
The Is lunette windows of the
crypt are of stained glass, each bear
ing two slender figures of those
prophets of the Old Testament, who
foreroid the office and dignity of the
Mother of God. They are perfect in
color and design, and rank among the
finest specimens of modern pictorial
glass. over all, in the center of the
vault. where the arches converge
there viii be a great gold star, typi-
cal Of the Star of Bethlehem.
The first mass in the crypt was
celebrated on Easter Sunday by
Father McKenna, and on that oc-
casion Bishop Shanan preached the
sermon.
At the opening of the Holy Name
convention mass was said in this
crypt by Bishop Shanan. This inaug-
urateS a new phase of the work, as
realized for the first time the vast
proportions and the magnificent scale
on which the structure is being erect
ed
The next step in the building pro-
gram is one not contemplated until
recently. 1t comprehends the extern
sion of the basement floor from the
crypt, the addition to be 100 by 200
feet, directly under the dome and
nnt 90
sept.
This is to be divided into four halls,
approximately. 40 by S5 feet. One of
these will be used for Mariana Lii
brary, of books on the Blessed Vir-
gin. This will contain works by vari-
Gus English, French, Italian, Span
ish, Portuguese and Celtic writer's
together with many in the Oriental
Languages. Already friends of the
ing a complete collection Of these,
ton.
Three of the Roman cardinals have
taken a personal interest in the work
and have already sent several rare
editions of Mariana books Spain,
which always has been renowned for
its devotion to the Blessed Virgin,
under the title of THE Immacu-
in it's interest in this American Ma
tional Shrine of the Blessed Virgin.
Already friends in Seville. Madrid,
Barcelona, Saragossa and ValladoIid
are eager to help in this unique COL
lection. Especially was this the case
with the CarmeliteS of Burgos in
northern Spain.
A second hall will be given over
to an art museum of the Blessed
o. Nil
famous paintings, sculpture, medals
and medallions gathered from all
over the world. Many of the orig
inals are in the Vatican, while the
Louvre, Paris and the Prado in
Madrid, as well as the famous col
lections in Seville, will be represented.
The third hall will contain a re-
plica of THE Grotto at Lourdes,"
where the Virgin Mother appeared to
the devout peasant girl Bernadette
saying, Il am the Immaculate Con-
ception." The shrine is in Lourdes,
France. and there many miraculous
cures have been effected. This grot-
to is to be donation from a devout
client of Mary immaculate.
The fourth hall will be used as a
place where a lunch can be provided
for those who come on a pilgrimage
and go to Holy Communion fastines.
halls will be provided with copies Of
the various shrines, such as Lourdes,
Loretta, Pompeii and Guadeloupe, in
Mexico.
All of the work now in proeress-
the art-gem crypt and the extension
with the four halls-is in the base
ment and behind the dome
1t is now certain that the crypt will
be completed in all it's adornments,
as well as its structural features
within a year.
TT Is the desire and purpose of those
directing the work that the walls
of the entire edifice run to their
full height before the celebration of
the diamond jubilee of the Immacu-
late Conception-75 years after 1854
which means December 8, 1929, or
five years hence. This is the first
announcement that such early prog
ress on the building is contemplated
The shrine is being built by volun-
tary contributions Of. money and
jewels from all directions. So many
precious stones and so much jewelry
Of precious metals have been sent in
from all parts of the. world that 1t