THE SACRED HEART

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1510, 7 February 1901, Page 21

THE SACRED HEART

OPENING CEREMONY

OFFERTORY OF £SOO

The noble’ piie erected in the place of St. Mary’s Cathedral, which was burnt down some months ago, was dedicated as the Church of the Sacred Heart, and declared open on the 3rd under auspices of a most solemn and impressive character.

The dedication having taken plaoe earlier in the clay the public proceedings opened with a procession through the church at 10.30 a.m., in which about fifty of the Catholic clergy participated, including his Grace Archbishop Carr, of Melbourne, his Grace Archbishop Redwood, of Wellington, his Lordship Dr Grimes, Bishop of Christchurch, his Lordship Bishop Verdon, of Dunedin, Monsignor O’Reilly, representative of the Diooese of Auckland; Monsignor McKay, Oamaru; ’Mon-signor O’Leary, Lawrence; Dean Foley, of Christchurch ; Father Coffey, of Dunedin ; and all the nriests of the arch-diocese, about fort;/ -n number. The service was High Mass, and a fine orchestra of fifteen instrumentalists, together with a choir of a hundred voices, drawn from St Mary’s, St. Mary of the Angels, and St. Joseph’s Churches, all under the conductorship of Mr Cimino, produced such music as has rarely been heard m the Empire City. The chef-d’oeuvre was Haydn’s Third, usually know’ll as “The Imperial Mass,” owing to the circumstance that it was composed for the coronation cf Alexander 1., of Russia. Madame Merz gave feelkig interpretation, as leading soprano, of the very fine bravura solo passages with which the creation abounds. Miss E. Maginnity,, the contralto soloist, and Mr Rowe, the tenor, also sang with confidence and power, while Mr Ballance’s voice was heard to great advantage in the basso passages and also in Clifton’s composition, “Ecee Dies,” an offertory contribution. T3ie choir and orchestra rose to a particularly high pitch in its singing of the “Kyrie Eieisen,” the exacting passages in the concluding portion being sustained with exceptional power and brilliancy. “The Benedictus” v r a.s also sung with admirable sympathy and feeling. Archbishop Redwood was on the throne, and High Mass was chanted by Bishop Grimes, who was attired in magnificent robes.

Tils Grace Archbishop Carr, of Melbourne, was the preacher. He said that with ancient and simple rites the ehruch in which they were worshipping had been dedicated to the service of God under the title of the Sacred Heart of Jesu. By this service the church had been purified from all unholiness ; it had been reclaimed from the dominion of man, and converted into a place where God in His glory could dwell; and it had been dedicated to devotion to the Sacred Heart of the Lord Jesus Christ. The preacher then went on to explain to his hearers the doctrine of the incarnation, pointing out to them that inasmuch as the Saviour had come down from heaven to make the major sacrifice and thus redeem His people from original sin, so they might rely that Christ’s sympathies must ever be exerted on their behalf, even at the right hand of God the Father. He exhorted them to devotion to the Sacred Heart of Christ in “atonement," not only for their own sins, but for the sins of those who. had fallen away from grace. Concluding, the preacher congratulated Archbishop Redwood on the erection of so noble a building as the one which had been dedicated that day. The existence of such a church told in the most imoressive way of the progress of the Catholic faith in this colony. He was delighted to find such a magnificent edifice on what had come to be regarded as a historic site. It bespoke a staunch faith and a generous people. me Archbishop went on to speak of the kindly feeling which existed between the Catholics of New Zealand and Australia. Often at- great inconvenience to themselves, the Catholic clergy had gone over to assist their brethren “on the other side," and he was delighted for his own part to have this opportunity to make some small return. Archbishop Redwood took the opportunity of thanking the Archbishop of Melbourne for the part he had taken in the proceedings of t-hat day, and also for his sermon, which was “so dogmatic, yet so devotional, so solemn in truth, and yet so tender in charity and love.” He also wished to associate with the name of his Grace the visiting prelates who had honoured them with their presence, and who had done so much to

enhance the effectiveness of the ceremony ; and to thank the orchestra and the members of the combined choirs who had by their magnificent, performance added lustre to the ceremony. In the name of the parishioners also he thanked those who had helped to prepare the church for the noble ceremony which had that- day been performed there; and to those of the congregation he tendered his heartfelt thanks for the munificence of that day’s contribution, which amounted to "no less a sum than £SOO.

A procession of the prelates and priests was again formed, the congre--gation standing as it passed through the church, after which those present disr persed.

There was a large congregation at the Sacred Heart Church at night, when Monsignor O’Reilly preached, and the same clergy were present as at the morning service. The choir rendered the following music:—“ Conlitebor ” (Emmerich), “ Lauda Jerusalem” (Rossi), “Magnificat” (Rossi). The Benediction service was as follows :—“O Salutaris ’ (Holloway), ‘‘Tan turn Ergo ” (Schmidt), “Divine Praises” (Elliott), Bominum” (Lambillotte). Mr Cohen played a ’cello solo and the orchestra the “ War March” from Athalie. Mr Cimino conducted, and Miss Maginnity presided at the organ. THE NEW CHURCH. •-'rid The new church, was built in the Basilica style, from designs of Mr Frank Petre, of Dunedin. It is the only example of that style in Wellington" and of the three in the colony, it is the only complete one. With its portico, of noble colonnade and triple corniced pedimejit of pure white unadorned, and its flight of steps sweeping up from thr street below, with its tiled roof, massive crosses and lofty sides set off by the nappy combination of brick and stone, the new church is a striking object from all points of view. The interior is a charming study in white. From thp portico you enter a hall of noble proportions, broad'and lofty, under a noble ceil-, ing of metal work, harmonising m colour with the white stone of the whole interior. On either side a row of elegantly ornamented Roman arches, supported by composite pillars (lonic apd Roman), carries a broad lonic entapr lature, with massively moulded architrave, plain open freize. and delicate . cornice, the whole length of the building, From this spring the clere-story walls rising in arched bays of the same curve as the arches below, divided from each other by lonic pilasters, each bay pierced with a large window arched in the prevailing Roman form, the whole surmounted and joined to the ceiling with a metal cornice of the same colour and pattern as the latter. The outer walls, white also, ornamented, similarly, and pierced with windows like those of tha clere-story above, seen to advantage under the side arches, each with ibe side arches form, a narrow aisle to the central hall or nave. Opposite the portico, from which four doors give access, is the sanctuary, in an opening in the end wall of the church. At either side is a handsome niche above a side altar, and a row of' graceful fluted pilasters cf the lonic order flanking the sanctuary!' The latter is a deep recess under two massive; richly ornamented Roman arches, one carrying the device of the;SA&red Heart, handsomely carved oh its keystone, supported oy fluted lonic columns, with suitable entablatures, corresponding to those on the clerestory walls. With the fine stone altar at the back, and the wrought altar rails above the front, together with the architectural ornamentation, and ecclesiastical decoration within, riiis sanctu* ary will bo unique in New Zealand. Facing it at the other end is the organ loft, suitable for a large organ aud choir of a hundred voices. The floor is at present concrete, and will be eventually tiled; the foundations are concrete, and the premises are fitted with the electric light.