DEDICATING A CATHEDRAL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13206, 13 February 1905, Page 6

DEDICATING A CATHEDRAL

IMPRESSIVE 'OEREMONY AT CHRISTCHURCH. THE NEW ROMAN OATHOLIO CATHEDRAL, (Per United Pbuss Association*.] CHRISTOHUROH, February 12. Tho ceremony of tho dedication of the ■new Roman Catholic. Cathedral,-under-the title of " The Church of the Adorable Sacrament," took place this morning in magnificent weather, 'and in the presence of a tremendous gathering of 'tlfe Catholic community. Many dignitaries, both ecclesiastical and lay, attended from all parts of the Australasian colonies, among those present at the service being: -His Excellency the Govornor, Lady Plunket, and suite; Right Hon. K. J. i Seddon {Premier) and Mrs Seddoti; Sir Joseph Ward; his Grace Dr Carr, Archbishop.of.Melbourne; his Grace tho Coadjutor, Dr Kelly, Archbishop of Sydney; the Right Revs. Dr Corlett, Bishop of Sale; Dr Revello, Bishop of Sandhurst; Dr Verdon, Bishop of-Dunedi'u; Dr Lenihan, Bishop ot Auckland; and the Very Rov. Monsijjncr Mackay, North Otago. Apologies were received from Cardinal Moran, tho Cardinal Archbishop of Baltimore (U.S.A.), tho Very Rev. Dean of the Australasian Episcopate, tho Bishop of Maitland, the Archbishop of Adelaide, and the Bishops of

Eockhampton, Armidale, Hobart, Bat-hurst, New Pomerania, Samoa. Central Oceana, and many others, as well as a 6heaf of private lett&rs and telegrams from other dignitaries. Tho proceedings opened by a procession of tho clergy to the Cathedral in full canonicals, and tho solemn blessing and dedicatory service was eonducrcd l)y his Urace the Archbishop of Melbourne. At 11 o'clock pontifical liigli mass was sung by the -Right Rev.' Dr Corlett, Bishop of Sole; Gounod's solemn and impressive "Messe Solennelle" being chosen for the occasion. Tho dedication sermon was preached by Dr Kelly, Archbishop of Sydney; whilst the Very Rev. Father Cleary was assistant, priest at the mass, and the Yer" Rev. Fathers Kcogh (rector of St. Patrick's College, Wellington) and O'Donnell (Aslibnrton) wero deacon and sub-deacon respectively. Tho Rev. Fathers O'Connell aim Cooney were masters of ceremonies. 1 Tho Archbishop preached from Psalm cxvii: " This is the day which the Lordi hath mads;' let us be glad and rejoice therein." Ho first_ referred to a letter of congratulation received by Bishop Grimes from tho Pope, aud said that after the service that morning and in the evening he would take occasion to communicate to the faithful the benevolences tr paternally granted by his Holiness. The oliurch, he said, was being dedicated to the service of God, tho salvation of man, and the peace and welfare of society and the peoplo of the colony; and the Catholics of tho world rejoiced on such an occasion. He referred to tho prevailing scepticism 01 tho age, but said that centuries had shown the truth and stability of tho Christian faith. Man yearned for happiness and tranquillity and peaco of soul, for the possession of perfect truth and absolute goodness, and this was tho end proposed for him by a-Creator of infinite wisdom and perfection. No materialistic doctrine satisfied. Man felt that ho hart come from God' and had relations with God; and God had appeared in the person of Christ—perfect God and perfect Mail,—to be the Light of the world and the Saviour of mankind. He dealt with the benefits of the blessed Eucharist, which, he said, was the foundatoin of all true humility. All sinned daily, and should repent daily, lien must be contrite, must confess the number of their transgressions and make amendment to those who had suffered, and on those conditions would receive assurance of pardon from Reason told them that God was the instructor, and then through Christ they acooptcd the Word of God infallibly true. That was the foundation -of their r.elitrion; and though nations might change, though political theories inig-ht come and pi, the faith that was founded oil tho Word of God would continue for over. In conclusion ho urged upon all tho need for further generosity in order that the new Cathedral might bo handed over to God free from any debt. The sorvico was a long and impressive one, and it was a quarter to 2 o'clock before it was concluded. Tho acoustic ' properties of the building wero found to be excellent, and the large congregation could hear every word of the sendee, even in tho remotest corners of the grand edifice. Tiio musical arrangements were narticnlarly good. a .strong local choir having 1 been reinforcod by contingents from at. Joseph s, Dunedin, and from Wellington the nnncipal soloists wero Mrs GoworBurns and Mrs Costelloo (Dunedin). -the amount of the colloction is not yet ascertainable, but. the sum of £347 v/as taken Jn the sanctuary alone. At the close of tho service Bishop Grimes, addressing the congregation, said he could not express one-thousandth part of what he felt. He wished to thank tho Eternal God especially for the untold happiness He had given them all m bringing their beautifu 1 temple to completion. He wished also to thank ms devoted clergy and his people, who liart been generous even unto sacrifice in heir efforts. This, indeed, had been tho Keynote of all that had been achieved, lira thanks, indeed, were duo to one and all—to the 'Governor and his illustrious consort and suite, to tho members of the Ministry who wero present, to the venerali o prelates who had come thousands of miles in recognition of their belief in tho great dogma. After the service visiting ecclesiastical dignitaries and the Premier and Sir Joseph Ward wero entertained at dinner at the Presbytery. It was lato in the afternoon before what tho Bishop described as tho abomination of after-dinner speaking was reached. The toast of "The Church and the State " was proposed bv Bishop Grimes, who said that loyalty was a tenet of the Catholic faith and loyalty to the Church meant loyalty to the State. He spofco uppreoiativcly of tho gracious act of the Governor in attending tho service, and referred to him as a broad-minded man who reflected the broad-mindednoss of the earthly King he represented. In proposing tho toast of "The Ministry/' he spoke of the great assistance that had been volunteered to him by Mr Soddon during the period of great although at tho time the Premier himself was suffering from severe ' physical distress. His thanks were also due to Sir Joseph Viard for much kind aud unostentatious consideration and advice. 1 The and Sir Joseph Ward were ! replying late in the afternoon. To-night 1 the Most Rev. Dr Carr, Archbishop of M-e!- 1 bourne, will preach, and there will be a ! series ,of festival services throughout the '' week. ;

DESCRIPTION OF THE BUILDING. The prevailing feature of the building, which is of the Ronnaisanoo type, is tlio •use of the classio colonnade with a more sparing use of the arch common to the stylo. Hie sido aisles are divided from the nave by an lonic colonnade, and go right round the building, and the lower colonnade supports on its entablature a Corinthian colonnade with gallories over the aisles, and similarly carric-d right round the building. Tho architect has employed the two Greek orders—tho lonic and the Corinthian,—the latter being used for the upper portions of the work only, and the heavier lonic forming the ground work throughout. The whole building covers an area of 210 ft by 106 ft-, tlio front portico measuring 66Jft by 19ft, and having a height of 45ft, placed between two of the frontal towers. A flight of 10 stops gives access to the floor between four splendid Corinthian columns of fluted stone. The central pediment is surmounted' by a oross, Bft high, flanked by two figures of angels, and rising to a height of 80ft. Below the pediment is the inscription " Ecce Tabernaculimi Dei cum Hominibus.' Tho two flanking towars are surmounted by stone belfries and cupolas with iiediments for clock faces, and rise- to a height of 108 ft; In the portico are large central folding doors, each of 16 panels, in embossed oopper, with two pairs of smaller folding doors aud two single doors. There are two colonnades—one on each side of the building,—which have each two pairs of folding doors built with embossed copper panels. Each Colonnade measures 49ft by 10ft with a height of 24ft 6i'n. Within the frontal doors is tho vestibule, measuring 19ft by 66 ft. and having, a height of 24 a ft. The vestibule is separated from the nave by columns which carry the organ loft. The nave has a length of 92ft 9in, a breadth of 6in, and a height of 48ft. It ia encompassed on three sides by' a double colonnade, the lower comprising lonic 'columns, 21It lin high, crowned by tlio full entablature, with architrave, frieze, and cornice in order. This carries the Corinthian Colonnade, 12ft high, whioh has a stone balustrading between its dies to act as a; parapet to the galleries. Above this is the, full Corinthian tablature, and then tho ceiling .beams. The ceiling of the nave' contains three inside domes rising in their-centres 9ft higher than the rest of the ceiling, which is subdivided into coffers of various sizes. The ceiliug is of embossed metal, of rioli design, and is painted in three ecclesiastical tines. At., tlio further end of the nave arc the choir tuid sanctuary, separated from' the nave by j one of the four arches of the sub-dome. | EaoK; arch -measures ,40ft * by, 25Jffc,' and has a tbipMc& of Bft Id front of (lie arch are

the communion rails of turned stone, with gatei of hammered iron. The choir oua sanotuary ure in the space immediately below the dome marked out by ■ the four largo arches. Behind the eastern aroh is situated _ the semicircular colonnaded apse. The choir and sanctuary have a floor space of 50ft by 26it,. and are approachable lrom the four sides. The npsU has a total height of 44ft. and the inner dome a. height of 75ft.- .The inner dome has two ecclesiastical galleries and a whisper gallery. The doruo itself rests on the circular column of the whisper gallery, which is 3ft wide and ISIt high. It is surrounded by. 28 columns. Above the inner dome is the circular dome .room, 36ft 6in in diameter. A door leads from the whisper gallery to a balustrade balcony, 12ft wide, which passes round.tlireo sides of the base of the domo dram. \The nave, choir, and sanctuary are completely surrounded by the aisles which run behind the columns and arches, giving access to side chapels. Behind the apse are the sacristies, to which access is had by means of two pairs of folding doors and one.single door. Each of the tide aisles is 151iffc in length, 12ft in breadth, and 21$ in height, and ' the connection aislo on the eastern end behind the apse measures 43ft by 7ft by 244 ft. There aro balconies round tho flanking columns in addition to that round the dome. The chapels and sacristies cover all tho'spaoc. At t*o eastern/end a pair of external folding uoors open on to a porch, sft by 12ft, and on cither side are the sacristies. . The principal sacristy is 34ft by 13ft, with a height of 24ft 6in, the boys' sacristy 13ft by 14ft, and tho bishop's sacristy 20ft by 13ifc. Over the vestibule and along the. western end is the organ loft, to which entrance is given by doorways off the circidar stairways on either side. The galleries over the side aisles are situated at a height of 25fk Gin above the floor of the nave, and are each lift wide and 20ft high. The floors are of cemented concrete, which may subsequently be paved with tiles. The basis is armoured cement concrete, with steel bars bedded on the edge of the concrete. The construction of the balconies is similar, and it is thought that tho building, will be proof against earthquakes. The waitings, columns, and piers are of stone, Timaru blue stone having been used for the base, Mount Somers stone for the plinth, and Oamaru stone for tho rest. Strength and damp resistance are the qualities of the walls, the outer and inner casings having been made of stone and the heart of cement concrete filled with iron ties. The three domes, which have final crosses, are roofed with copper tiles and the liavo with Marseilles tiles.

From Our Own Correspondent.) CHRISTCHURCH, February 12. The consummation of the pious hopes nd aspirations of tho Roman Catholics of )anterbury was readied to-day when the loble cathedral, which their devotion has 11 some fivo years erected, was dedicated o the service of God. Every arrangement lossible had been made to ensure tne omplcte success of tho event of this most olemn occasion. Special trains brought irge numbers of tho faithful into the town arly in the morning. The weather was :bsolutcly perfect. Long before the hour ppointed for the start of the ccrcmonics he Cathedral began to fill, and at 10.45 it ras crowded in every part. Those who lad seen the interior of tho building a week icforc had serious misgivings as to whether ts completion in tho time would bo posible. AH such fears, however, were instantf set at rest on entering the building this aorning. The basilica is indeed a striking nd beautiful edifice. Tho archictcctura lesign is of the lonic and Corinthian order. l ombined, and the designers found their in piratioa in the beautiful ohuroh of St. Vin cut Dc Paul in Paris. The latter, how iver, has not the magnificent dome whiel haracten'ses the Christchurch Cathedral ?hc interior is extremely and luxuriousl; irnate, but so perfect is it from an artisti i_oint of view that its almost eastern decora ion dons not in any way diminish th ensc that one is inside a church,. notwitli tanding the fact that English people, ar nucli more accustomed to associate th Jothic style jyilh ecclesiastical architecture Phe sanctuary is vast and extremely beaut! ill and impressive. The altar was splendid]; lecorated with wliito and red flowers ani ;reen plants, and with its lighted candle iresented a truly magnificent sight. A ■Iready stated tho Cathedral was filled i: very part when the ceremonies began a • quarter to eleven. A procession was formed at the presby ery, and the outer walls were consecrated .'Jie procession thon entered the Imildni; ■nd filled the sanctuary. At 11 o'clock hi Jxcellency the Governor and Lady Plunlte .rrived and were received at the mail ntrance by Bishop Grimes and tho vieitinj iretates and clergy, and accompanied b; hem to the seats reserved for them. Th! 'rcmiei and Sir Joseph Ward were alsi iresent, and amongst" the congregatioi rere to be seen many of the leading mem icrs of society in Christohurch. The suddei lurst of music from tho admirable clioi rhich suddenly filled the air was very im iressivo indeed. Too much cannot indcoi ic said in praise of the choir. The singini ras perfect, and the solos of Mrs Gowcr Jurns, Mrs Costello, Messrs C. Reid, R joughnan, A. Medhurst, and H. Hobbs core beautifully , and emotionally ren lored.- The solemn blessing am ledication ceremony was lierformei )y His praee the Archbishop of Melbourne The principal music at the pontifical liigl nass, sung by the Right Rev. Dr Corlcti Sishop of Sale, was Gounod's "Mess iolonello," which was preceded by Mcyei leer's " Lc Prophet," as a processional, fo] owed bv the "Ecce Sacerdo9 Magnus.' The dedication hymn was " Coelestis Urb Jerusalem" and .the recessional "Th iVar March of the Priests," fror 'Atlialie." The dedicati.on sermon wa >reached by Dr Kelly, the Co idjutor Archbishop of Sydney. H ■eferred to _ the joyfulness of tho ocra ion. Tho inscription on the front of th. cathedral, which all men might read, was 'Eceo Tabernacultim Dei cum Bominibus.' n this materialistic age, said his Grace here were people who might ask what rigli hey had to sav " Behold the Tabernacle o 3od with men "; but reason and faith wer listinct, and did not clash. He then pro ceded to explain the distinctions betweei he conviction of reason and the assent o aith. The rest of tho discourse, which wa ong and eloquent, consisted of a justifies ion of tho faith doctrines, notably tin loetrino of Transnbsfantiatiou and tin cachings of the Roman Church. At tlv ionelusion of the sermon tho offer!*iry wa aken un. during which tha "Salve Maria' Mcrcadante) was sung. Tho offertory mus lave lieen a very largo one. Numbers o ivicsts accompanied the plate-bearers, am hequcs, bank-notes, and gold were pourei nto the plates by the congregation. Th I'hole service was equally gorgeous. Tin irgo number of prelates present, their nev ■estments of varied hues, the . frequen knges of vestment, the orrfate and com ilicatcd ceremonial of the high mass, tlv mysterious influenre of the odour of incense lie beautiful music, the noble proportion l ? sanctuary, tho devotional fervour o ho faithful—all conspired to produce i ense of intense rcycrenco and to impres he ceremony on the mind 1 for many a yea o come. Although it was extremely hot outside ,nd notwithstanding the very largo congre ;ation, it was beautifully cool inside tlv jathedral, and tho long service, whicl astcd nearly three hours, was eat out b' il present withmit the slightest diseomfori U the conclusion of the service Bislioi primes thanked his flxceilenov theGovernoi lie Premier and Ministers, and the foreigi lonsuls for being _ present. He announcei ■hat he had received permission from hi llolmess tho Pope to bestow tho Papa Messing on the congregation. Owing l t ihe lenjstn of tlw 'cmoo, however, he woul. reserve this for the, evening service. Apar from the very largo congregation inside th uathedral there were considerable crowd outside both before and' after the. service. After the morning service a banquet ti the visiting prelates was given at tin presbytery, at- which a number of the lead ing residents of Christchurch were present In tho evening solemn nontifiea! vesper were sung th° p apa l Tteing was be stowed by Bishop Grimes, a, Gregorian " T Deum was sting, and his Grace the Arch bishop of Melbourne preached. There wa again a very largo congregation.