THIS WEEK’S GREAT DAY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 20013, 2 December 1927, Page 5

THIS WEEK’S GREAT DAY

DEC. 2—OPENING OF ST. PAUL’S

(By Charles Conway). Two hundred and thirty years ago. ,on December 2, 1697, the first service was held withir the walls of the present St. Paul’s Cathedral, wh’ch at that time was far from finished, for, although the building was commenced in 1675, its erection occupied thirty-five years, and it was not finally completed until 1710. This service was attended by King William [II. and it was hold as a public thanksgiving for the signing of the Peace of Ryswick, which had effected a temporary truce between Great Britain and France and put an end to the war which had been raging on the Continent of Europe for eight years. Ever since that time daily services have been held beneath the mighty dome of the splendid edifice, which, after Westminster Abbey, is the most famous church in the British Empire.

The first Christian church on the site of the Cathedral was erected in the early days of the 7th century by Ethelbert, King of Kent, and was destroyed by fire in 9GI. A new church, commenced in the following year, met a similar fate in 10S7, and this was followed by the erection of the historic building known as “Old St. Paul’s,” which took 150 years to erect. Old St. Paul’s was one of '’he largest and most magnificent churches in the [world, and for centuries it was the Mecca of pilgrims from all parts of Europe, who were drawn to the church in tremendous crowds to view the numerous sacred relics displayed upon its altars. At the time of the dissolution of the monasteries in the reign of Henry VIII., most of its treasures were stolen and its glorious decorations destroyed, and, during the last century of its existence, the church became the scene of almost incredible acts of sacrilege. The nave was used as a public thoroughfare and marketplace, a theatre and drinking booths were erected against the outer walls, while a baker was permitted to excavate a hole in one of the buttresses, which ho used as an oven for baking bread and pics. During the great Civil War in the reign of Charles I. the side chapels were used as stables for the horses of the Parliamentary army. The edifice was completely destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666, and nine years later the presen* building, the masterpiece of Sir Christopher Wren, the greatest of British architects, was commenced.

It was originally intended that no monuments or memorials should be placed in the Cathedral, and there were none for the first century of its existence, but the burial of a large number of naval and military leaders in the crypt during the Napoleonic wars led to monuments being erected to their memory in the church above. Today, St. Paul’s is the recognised burial place of our most illustrious sailors and soldiers, and among the great national heroes who have been laid to rest within its walls are: Admiral Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington, Admiral Lord Collingwood, Lord Napier, Admiral Lord Charles Beresford, Earl Roberts, and Viscount Wolseley; wh..-> many memorials . have been erected to celebrities who have been buried elsewhere, such as Florence Nightingale, Sir John Moore, Sir Henry Lawrena'?, Gen. Charles Gordon, Dr. Samuel Johnson, Sir John A. Macdonald, Captain Robert Scott and Lord Kitchener.

A section of the crypt is known as “Artists’ Corner,” and there are to be found the graves of a large numb-.-of the most distinguish ed British painters, including Reynolds, Lawrence, Opie, West, Landseer, Holman Hunt, Turner, Alma-Tadema, Leighton auJ Millais, while nearby are the restingplaces of Sir Arthur Sullivan, the- most popular of British composes, and Sir Chris top her W r en.—Copy rgh ted.