A BEAUTIFUL CHURCH

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 155, 27 March 1922, Page 6

A BEAUTIFUL CHURCH

ST. MARY OF THE ANGELS DEDICATION CEREMONY The dedication of the now jedifice to Replace the old Church of St, Mary of the Angels, destroyed by firo about four years ago, took place yesterday, commencing, at 9 a.m. The building, ■which 'xyas designed by Mr. F. de J. Clero, the well-known architect,, is one . of the most beautiful places of worship in the Dominion. The architecture is of Gothic design. Although the outside of the church is unfinished, it is - not so with the inside, which, is excecdinly chaste and artistic. At 9 a.m. His Grace Archbishop Redwood (accompanied by two dssistants, and preceded by a cross-brearer and two acolytes) t vested in cope and mitre, and carrying his crozicr, his magnificent cloth of gold robes adding splendour to the scene, appeared at tho front door of the building, which was closed, and said tho introductory prayer, the clerics who ’ formed the choir meanwhile beginning tho “Asperges.” The Archbishop and tho procession then passed round the exterior wills of the building while the psalms wore chanted. Tho outer walls were blessed • with holy water as tho procession passed round, and on tho return to tho main entrance His Grate chanted tho prayer of dedication The procession moved into tho church, to bless the interior with holy water, the. z doors being again closed. It proceeded to the high altar, where the litanies were chanted. Afterwards tho altar on which the sacrifice of tho Mass was offered, was blessed. AVliilsb the choir again chanted the “Asperges” and Psalms 119, 120, and 121, the procession marched by the Gospel side of the church, and the Archbishop blessed the interior with holy water. Tho ceremony of dedication having concluded, the procession returned to the , (high altar, and, in a final prayer, His Grace called upon God to bestow His blessing upon tho edifice dedicated to divine worship. Ho prayed that tho supplication offered in the consecrated temple might be acceptable to tho Lord. God Omnipotent. Thereupon the actual ceremony of blessing terminated. At 11 o’clock,'the solemn Pontifical Mass of dedication commenced, when a procession,' headed by cross-bearers . and acolytes, was formed by a body of tho chrgy, including Bishop Whyte, of Dunedin, and Archbishop Redwood, wearing the purple robes of office; the celebrant of the Mass, Bishop Liston, jof Auckland, attended by Dean Holfey .• (Provincial of the Marist Order) ■ as ’ assistant, priest, the Rev. Father'Gilbert as Deacon, and the Rev. Father G. Mahoney, P.P.j as sub-Deacon. The last-named three" were in costly . vestments of cloth of gold. On entering the church the choir sang -“Ecte Sacerdos Magnus,!’; and as the solemn strains, of the organ pealed out and the voices of the large choir sounded in full volume, the effect was inspiring. Reaching the . altar-rails and mounting to the front of the altar, . the clergy ranged themselves round the spacious ' sanctuary, the Bishops / anfd Monsignor McKenna in their purple'robes, the, officiating clergymen in their golden vestments. The altar was decorated with belladonna lilies, which, with the chaste hackground of the interior of the church, its white pillars and arches and domed roof formed a picture of brilliancy and beauty.

In (the sanctuary His Grace the Archbishdp, occupying the throne, was assisted by Archdeacon Devoy and Dean McKenna, in their purple robes, Bishop Whyte being assisted by the Rev. Father S. Mahbney. Monsignor McKenna occupied a position near the Archbishop, and after the singing of the Gospel by the Deacon of the Mass, the the Rev. T. McCarthy, knelt to receive the blessing of tho Archbishop,- and then ascended the pulpit, taking as his text Psalm xxv, ‘‘l have loved, O Lord, the beauty of Thy house, and the place where Thy glory dwell'eth.” He drew upon history for his illustrations, and ■specially dwelt on the (place the . Church had taken in the development of the arts, the protection of the oppressed, and the preservation of .what was ennobling. ’ . At the conclusion ofthe sermon the Pontifical High Mass was tenciuded, and a procession was formed along jthe nave, out through the main doors, , and on to tho presbytery. The following is a complete list of the clergy who took part in the ceremonies :—His Grace Archbishop Redwood, His Grace the Bishop of Dun■edin (the Very Rev. Father. Whyte), His Grace the Bishop of Auckland (the Very' Rev. Dr. Liston), Monsignor McKenna (Masterton), Ven. Archdeacon Devoy (Island Bay), Very Rev. Dean McKenna (Newtown), Very Rev. Dean Holley (St. Mary’s), Very Rev. Dean Brinsfield (Greenmeadows, H-B.), Rev. Father Devoy (Island Bay), Rev. Father Venning (Jerusalem), Rev. Father McDonell (Wellington), Rev. Father Carmine (Hutt), Rev. Father Smyth (Wellington), Rev. Father O’Donnell (Wellington), Rev. Father Ryan (Wellington), Rev. Father Dickson (Meanee), Rev. ba J aer F. Cullen (Wellington), Rev. lather Mitchell (Wellington), Rev. bather Miloney (Wellington), Rev. father Connelly ' (Kilbirnie), Rev. McDermott (Wellington), Rev. Father Segrief (Wellington), Rev. father Kane ■ (Wellington), Rev. lather Walsh (Nainai>, Rev. lather G. Mahoney (Wanganui), Rev. Father Gilbert (Wellington), Rev. lather Mahoney (Wellington), Rev.' Father Murphy (Wellington), Rev. Fathei Ainsworth (Wellington). The musical portion of the service was .worthy of a great occasion. Mr. W. MeLaughlan presided at the orcan, Mr. E. J. Healy conducted, and ari augmented choir of 70 vo '®® B re . n " ' dered the incidental music, lhe soloists were Mrs. Wilkinson, Miss K. Jansen, and Messrs. A. 6 Fogarty, E. B. J,. Reade, and J. Flhott. The music included Gounod’s Messe bolonelle,” “Vent Jesu” (Cherubim), aiid a processional march at the conclu81<inie church held a congregation of about 'a thousand, and proved wonderfully sound in acoustic properties, every sound being clearly heard throughout tho largo auditorium. At night, Bishop Whyte, of Dunedin, preached an eloquent sermon. The music included “O Salutans (Elgar), by a specially picked- male choir; “Tantum Ergo” (Verdussen), “Tota Pulchra” (Jos. Smith), Ardoremus Gregorian,” and the hymn “FJith of Our Fathers.” lhe church was packed to the doors even the choir gallery being invaded, while numbers were turned away. Bishop Whyte preached from the text, Behold from henceforth all nations shall call me blessed.”