SACRED HEART BASILICA, WELLINGTON.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIX, Issue 6, 7 February 1901, Page 3

SACRED HEART BASILICA, WELLINGTON.

+ IMPRESSIVE OPENING CEREMONY.

(By Telegraph from our own correspondent). February 4. It will be in the memory of the readers of the N.Z. Tablet that St. Mary's Cathedral, Hill street, was totally destroyed by fire on the morning of Tuesday, November 29, 1898. The fine cathedral was valued at £8000 and the insurance on the sacred edifice was somewhat less than a third of this sum, consequently the loss, apart from the historic and religious associations, was a serious one for the Catholics of Wellington. The Catholic people of the Empire City were not, however, disheartened, for they immediately took steps to repair the loss sustained by them. A preliminary meeting, under the presidency of hiß Grace Archbishop Redwood, was held in the Guilford Terrace Schoolroom on the following evening. Several speeches were delivered, and the consenus of opinion was that it would be advisable to erect a church on the Hill street site, and that the new cathedral should be built in a more central position, as the increase of population was taking place principally at the Te Aro end of the city. On the following Monday evening, December 5, a public meeting was held in Thomas's Hall, when the Archbishop again presided. The meeting was a great sucoess— the attendance was very large, and the promises of assistance towards building a church in Thorndon and a cathedral in Te Aro were very generous. His Grace sketched the history of St. Mary's Cathedral with its many associations, and urged upon his people the necessity of replacing it by an edifice worthy alike of the great object to which it was to be devoted, of the Metropolitan See, and of the capital of the Colony. Speeches supporting the proposals were delivered by the Hon. Dr. Grace, Messrs. Martin Kennedy, John Cumin, H. S. Wardell, A. A. Corrigan, and others. As a result of the appeal the sum of £2400, in addition to £1260 reported at the preliminary meeting, was promised. Mr. Martin Kennedy gave £50 towards the new church and a contribution of £1000 from himself and Mrs. Kennedy towards the building fund of the new cathedral. His Grace the Archbishop promised £500, Mr. Raymond P. Collins £200, and the following £100 each :— Arcdeacou Devoy, St. Patrick's College, Hon. Dr. Grace, Dr. Mackin, Messrs. Dwan Bros., and Maurice O'Connor. Mr. F. W. Petre, Dunedin, was appointed architect of the new ohnrch to take the place of the cathedral, and which was to be built in the basilica style of architecture. In April, 1899, the tender of Mr. J. Small, of Dunedin, was aooepted for the erection of the basilica — which was to be dedicated to the Sacred Heart— the amount being £7170. The foundation stone was laid on Sunday, July 16, 1899, by his Grace Archbishop Redwood in the presence of a great concourse of people, including numbers of other denominations. On that occasion the subscription! amounted to close on £1000. A.BCHITBCTUBAL STYLE AND DIMENSIONS. The style of the new basilica is taken from those which may be ■aid to be examples of the more modern interpretation of the anoient idea, as produced all over the Continent of Europe by the Renaissanoe of the fifteenth oentury. One of the most striking features of the churohes of that period was the comparative plainness of the exteriors as compared with the wealth of detail and deooration of the interiors. To such an extent has this idea been oarried out in many of the Roman churches that a very poor conception of their chief merits would be obtained by an observer who confined himself to merely an external view.

The Baailica of the Sacred Heart, both externally and internally, ia designed in the lonic order kept strictly within its properly regulated proportions. The whole building forms a parallelogram 137 ft by f>2ft by a height of 60ft. The main entrance is reached by means of a flight of seven steps. 48ft wide, on the top of which is the portico, 48ft by 12ft, out of which are three pairs of folding doors giving entrance to the vestibule. The pediment of the portico is carried on aix fluted atone columns, each 24ft high. The front of the building, which overlooks the harbor, forms the main feature of the edifice externally, the flanks and back being 1 comparatively plain «n their detnil. The PTtern»l nisle walla run round both sides and back, and rise to a height of 24ft, starting from the tungs on caoh side of the portic?. These walls are built in a succession of arches surmounted by a cornice of stone, which forms part of the fire-proof roof. Each of these archea corresponds with those which internally support the clerestory. The imposts, archi volts, and pier quoins are all of stone, and the external faoings of the piers and window bays are of pressed brick pointed with black cement. The external face of the clerestory presents similar features to those of the aisle walls, being finished on the same principle of arches in stone and brick, but the cornice, which tops these wall?, ia of cast iron and answers the purpose of an iron water spouting. Both back and front gables are finished with stone moulded copings, each surmounted with a large stone Latin cross, Bft high. The whole building ia covered with a roof of Marseilles tiles. In . ternall y tne . Church has a vestibule, lift by 40ft ; a nave, 72ft 6in by 41ft Bin ; two aisles, each 72ft 6in by 7ft Gin ; two Bide chapels, each 25ft by Bft ; two oonfesaionals, each 9ft by 7ft ; a sanctuary, 26ft 6in by 25ft 9in, and an aisle at the back of the sanctuary and chapels 56 ft by 6ft 4in. In addition there are two galleries overlooking the sanctuary each 16ft 6in by 6ft 6in ; an organ loft, 40ft by 20ft ; a baptistery, 10ft by 7ft 6in, and two strong rooms. The nave iB surrounded on three of its sides with an arcade, consisting of 13 archea with pilasters carrying a full lonio cornice, from which rises the clerestory aroade and windows to the height of the ceiling level which is 37ft from the floor. The sanctuary is divided from the nave by means of an arching, 19ft wide by a total height of 32ft, carried on fluted pilasters with moulded archivolte and imposts. At the wings, on each aide of toe sanctuary arch, are statue niches having fluted lonio pilasters on each side of them. The central feature of the sanctuary is the altar canopy, consisting of an arch 15ft wide by 28ft high, oarried on fluted lonic columns with lonic cornice for impost and archivolt, having its members carved and decorated, the whole surmounted with a decorated scroll, and emblem of the Sacred Heart. The ceilings throughout the building are finished in embossed zinc, those of the aisles consisting of decorated diapers, and the nave, sanctuary, and organ loft of deep moulded and decorated coffers. The building throughout is constructed on very permanent and fire proof principles. The roofs of the aisles, the floors of the galleries, and the ceilings of the portico are of concrete, with iron bedded in it ; the floors of the nave, aisles, sanctuary, «nd side chapels are ail of concrete ready for future finishing in tiles or wood blocks, so that practically there is nothing combustible except the doors and the timber inside of the roof. The whole of the walla are built externally with a casing of stone and briok with an internal casing of stone, and breasting of cement, concrete, and iron. The foundations and base are of cement concrete. The stone ia from the Totara Tree Co'h quarry at Oamaru, and in all a thousand tons of it was required to finish the building. Mr. F. W. Petre of Dunedin was the architect, and Mr. James Small, the contractor for the construction of the building. PONTIFICAL HIGH MASS. The solemn ceremony of dedicating the new church was performed on Sunday morning in the presence of a large congregation. Early in the day the building was blessed by Archbishop Redwood, who afcerwarda celebrated the first Mass in it. At the appointed hour the procession, consisting of the visiting prelates (the Most Rev. Dr. Carr, Archbishop of Melbourne ; the Right Rev. Dr. Grimes, Bishop of Christchurch ; and the Right Rev. Dr. Verdon, Bishop of Dunedin) and clergy (Right Rev. Mgr. Mackay, Dunedin ; Right Rev. Mgr. O'Reilly, Auckland ; Very Rev. Mjrr. O'Leary, Dunedin ; Very Rev. Dean Foley, Christchurch ; Very Rev. Father McCarthy, Melbourne ; Rev. Father Coffey, Dunedin), his Grace the Archbiahop of Wellington, and the priests of the archdiocese, who had been in retreat, left the Archbishop's residence, and, passing along Hill street, passed into the new Basilica by the main entrance. As the procession went up the aisle, tha orchestra played the march from ' Athalie." Solemn Pontifical High Mass was celebrated by the Right Rev. Dr. Grimes, the Yen. Archpriest Walsh (Westport) being assistant priest ; the Very Rev. Father Power (Hawera), deacon ; Rev. Father Mahony (St. Patrick* College), sub-deacon ; and the first and second masters of ceremonies were respectively the Very Rev. Dean Kirk (Wanganui) and Rev. Father Herbert (St. Patrick's College). His Grace Archbishop Redwood presided at the throne, and occupying seats in the sanctuary were his Grace Archbishop Carr, his Lordihop Bishop Verdon, and Mgrs. Mackay, O'Leary, and O'Reilly. The visiting priests were in the front pews on either side of the aisle. THE SERMON. His Grace the Archbishop of Melbourne preached from th« following text : — ' Learn of Me, because I am meek and humble of heart.' To-day (said his Grace) with ancient and solemn rite, thU spacious basilica has been dedicated to the service of God, under the title of the Sacred Heart of Jems. The ceremony of dedication has effected three things in connection with this church. (1) It has purified it from all unholiness, and sanctified it, so that it might bo fitter for the oblation of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the administration of the Saoraments, and the other acts of worship which will be oarried out within its walls. (2) It has transferred it from tho

dominion of men, bo that in future no man shall claim any part of it as his property, and it has made it by a special title the house of God and the place where His glory is to dwell. (3) As long as this basilica will last, the ceremony of dedication has linked it with devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The subject of my diicourse, therefore, seems to have been determined in the very act of dedication. 1 am called on by the circumstances of the occasion to speak to you on the instructive and tender devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Divine Founder of the Church, Who promised to be with her by His efficient assistance fvon tr, thp ooninrnmation of the world, and to send her the Paraclete to teach her all truth and to show her the things that are to com", rc'°' 1a <~>r • ngjwts from time to time special devotions according: to the varying necessities or advantages of His kingdom on earth. And every such devotion is intended not only to excite the piety of the faithful, but even still more to guard or develop some dogmatic truth. Any devotion that is not based on solid doctrine is apt to degenerate into superstition. No devotion bears the stamp of a divine sanction that is not calculated to enlighten the understanding as well as to inflame the heart. It ia because devotion to the Sacred Heart complies so admirably with these two conditions that it has spread so widely and produced such abundant fruits in modern times. From the beginning some had erred regarding the humanity, some regarding the divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ. Two centuries ago the foundation was laid, in the philosophy of Descartes and Spinoza, for the revival and wide propagation in modern times of those ancient errors. Both faith and piety were threatened. Jesua the Incarnate God is the foundation of Christian faith, and the centre of Christian piety. Any error, therefore, that assails or obscures the Incarnation is destructive both of faith and piety, On the other hand, any devotion that defends and illustrates the Incarnation fulfils the double office of prophet and preacher. Such is the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. To underBtand this devotion, therefore, we must have clearly before us what the Incarnation means. It means that when the man had fallen from original justice and the hope of future happiness, the Eternal Son of God, in a mystery of love which human understanding cannot fathom, determined to redeem the fallen race. He determined to do this not by employing man or angel to make partial payment of the debt, but by making perfect satisfaction Himself to the Eternal Father for the accumulated sins of mankind, original and actual. As God, He could not suffer, nor consequently make such satisfaction. Neither could man nor angel reach to such merit as to be capable of paying the almost infinite debt. It required, therefore, the infinite dignity of a Divine Person, united to a passible nature, to pay the full price of the redemption of the world. That union was what the Incarnation effected. The Only-begoften Son of God, the second Divine Person of the adorable Trinity, left the golden Throne of His glory in heaven and came on earth to unite our nature to His own Divine Person. That is : He took a human body and a human soul in the chaste womb of Mary and a»->umed them into the unity of His Divine person. In Christ, therefore, there is but one Person, and that the Divine Person of the Son of God. In all other easier, when a human soul is united to a human bouy, a human person results from the union. But it was not so in the case of Christ. He took the nature of man, body ard hoal, but lie a?, uuied that nature to Himself and made it subsist in His Divine Person. This is what is meant by the hypostatic union of the human nature to the Divine Person. If Christ had a human person He would not be God. He would be merely man, no matter how perfect. Hence He could not have redeemed the world by offering full satisfaction for bin. Again : contrary to the definition ot the Council of Ephesus, Mary would not be the Mother of God, but of a mere man. The Word would not have been ' made ile^h ' nor 'dwelt amongst us.' Man would not have 'seen His glory ' as ' the glory of the Only-begotten of the Father.' But because there is in Christ but one Person, and that a Divine Person, there ia but one agent, and to that Person and Agency all that He did and suffered must be referred. Even amongst men all that is done either by mind or body is referred to the person. We do not say that the body walks or the mind thinks, but we say that the peivon walks and thinks. Hence all that Christ did and suffered were the acts and sufferings of God — of the ManGod. The whole huinm nature, by the Incarnation, became, not indeed the Divine Nature, Which is unchangeable and from eternity, but the Nature of God. 'The countenance,' as Cardinal Manning nay.-<, in his admirable treatise, The Glories of the Sacred Heart, 'the countenance that gazed up:>n the faces of men while He ''dwelt amongst them " was the face of Goi ; the hands that cleansed the leper were the hands of God ; the finger that opened the ear« of tho deaf was the finger of God ; the feet that Mary kissed in her repentance were the feet of God ; the hands that were bound with cords were the hands of God ; the hands and feet that were n.ulcd upon the cross were the hands and feet of God ; and the Heart that was pierced upon the cross was the Heart of God ; because the whole Humanity which the Eternal Word assumed was the Humanity of (Jod.' But, then, dearly beloved, it may be asked, if the whole Humanity and all its parts — body and soul — were the Humanity of God, and therefore worthy of supreme worship, Why do we Select the Sacred Heart of Jesus as the special object of our worship and devotion 1 I answer • (1) Because even if no revelation had ever been made regarding the devotion to the Sacred Heart, from a doctrinal point of view that devotion is most useful in keeping before the mind the true doctrine of the Incarnation. By its human sympathies and intense Lurro.v.s tho Sacred Heart proclaims the human nature of Christ. By tho supreme worship that is due to it the Sacred Heart witnesses to the unity of Person in Christ, on account of which

such worship is due. From a doctrinal point of view, therefore, the devotion to the Sacred Heart guards the doctrine of the Incarnation, which means the union — tha hypostatic union — of the Divine and the human nature in one Person. In this respect, though it has its own peculiar office, it resembles the devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and to the Blessed Virgin Mary Immaculate. These are the outposts — each in its own way — that guard the doctrine of the Incarnation of the Eternal Son of God. How valuable and effective these outpoats are, may be cleirly seen in the history of religious belief. If the outposts are deserted, heresy and unbelief will attack the citadel of truth, and gradually the doctrine of the Incarnation will become obscured and confused. But in the Catholic Church, where these outposts have bern defended against every attack, the full, complete, and consistent belief in the doctrine of the Incarnation has been always maintained. Passing from a doctrinal to a Devotional Point of View, we find that piety, no less than faith, is aided by the devotion to the Sacred Heart. Nothing better calculated to stir up the pious affections and desires of the human heart than the contemplation of the love and compassion of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. But we must remember that the object of our devotion and worship is not merely the abstract love of Jesus for men, but the real, material Heart that beats at this moment in his sacred Body at the right hand of His Father in heaven. The heart ie recognised as the seat of the affections and the symbol of all that is tenderest in human nature. It is so reoognised in the ooinmon and universal language and practice of men. When Robert Bruce lay at the point of death, he remembered the vow he had made of going in person to fight for the rescue of Palestine as aoon as he saw an end to his own wars at home. Not being able to fulfil his vow, he called Sir Jamea Douglas to his side and said to him : ' Sinoe my body oannot go thither and accomplish that which my heart hath so much desired, I have resolved to send my heart there in place of my body to fulfil my vow.' The sequel is touohing. Sir James Douglas, before setting out for Jerusalem, first went to Spain to fight against the Saracens. Being surrounded by a large body of Moorish cavalry, and seeing no other hope of escape, Sir James took from his neok the casket containing the heart of Bruce and oast it from him, Baying : ' Now pass onward as thou wert wont, and Douglas will follow thee or die.' These, said the chronicler, were the last words and deed of a heroic life ; for Douglas fell, surrounded by his enemies. The heart of Bruce was deposited at Melrose, and the body of good Sir James in the parish church of Douglas. When O'Connell was dying at Genoa he willed his soul to heaven, his body to Ireland, and his heart to Rome. Lately we read of the fulfilment of the last wish of the Marquis of Bute, that his heart should repose in the Holy Land. That was in accordance with a feeling that lies deep down in human nature, and which is reflected in the common conversation of men. If we wish to describe a man as benign and beneficent we say that he haß a good or a kind heart. On the other hand, if a man is regarded as insensible to the wants or sufferings of his fellow-man, ha is said to have a hard heart. The language of Holy Writ coincides in this respect with the oommon speech of men. When God would recall man to a sense of duty, it is to his heart he appeals, saying: 'Son. give Me thy Heart.' And in the New Testament our Blessed Lord, to teach us meekness and humility, expressly refers to His Saored Heart : ' Learn of Me,' He says, ' because lam meek and humble of heart.' Again, He tells us that ' where our treasure is, there is our heart also,' or our affections and desires. In the same sense he quoted the words of the prophet Isaiai : ' This people honoreth Me with their lips, but their heart ii far from Me.' And as He assures us that it is from the heart that evil thoughts and actions go forth, so it is from the heart that lovirjg thoughts and every manifestation of affection proceed. Nor is there wanting in the physical consitution of man a foundation for the selection of the heart as the seat and symbol of tha affections. For, as a matter ef fact, the human heart is sensibly affected by the various emotions to which man is subject. It is dilated or contracted according to the feelings of joy or sorrow bj which the individual may be affected Even in the absence of any revelation, then, the Sacred Heart of Jesus would have been rightly selected as the object of our special devotion and worship. It is the seat and Bymbol of the love and affection which He poured out on the children of men, collectively and individually, from the first moment His human soul was united to His Divine Person. It tells of the love He lavished on the world from His cheerless birth in the manger in Bethlehem till that love was crowned in sacrifice with immortal glory on the hill of Calvary. It tells of the words of love and pardon He spoke to poor sinners : ' Go, and sin no more ' ; of the miracles He performed for the afflicted ; of the zeal He manifested for His Father's glory ; of the intense sorrow Ho Buffered in His agony, when His soul was 'sorrowful even unto death,' and He said: 'Stay you here and watch with Me ' ; of the ardent desire He had to kindle the love of God in the bouls of men : ' I am come to cast fire on the earth, and what will I but that it be kindled ? ' In a word, from that Sacred Heart proceeded every thought and desire that tended to promote the glory of the Father and the salvation of souls. Nay, that Heart throbs to-day in His sacred bosom, at the right hand of the Father in heaven, with the same intense desire to see ths kingdom of God established and His ' will done on earth as it is in heaven.' / Such being the case, dear brethren, should we not expect * A Revelation such as was made to the Blessed Margaret Mary when the seeds of infidelity were spreading abroad and when human hearts, grown

oold, had ceased to beat responsive to the lore of the Heart of Jesus? In that revelation He exhibited His Sacred Heart pierced with the ■pear, encircled with the crown of thorns, and surrounded with flames lindicative of the ardent love He bears to the ohildren of men. He directed that devotion to His Sacred Heart should be spread far and wide, and He promised, aa you know, the most ample and precious favors to those who practise thia devotion. Let as, then, dearly beloved, love, honor, and worship the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It draws ua by the cords of Adam and by the bonds of love. It will attract you to worship God in this basilica, and every time you enter, this eaored symbol of lore will m«»pt yonr eyes and tell you better than words the whole meaning and history of the Incarnation. It will move you to a return of love, and it will inflame you with the desire of making reparation for the neglect and forgetf ulness of the friends, and the outrages and impwties of the enemies, of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. At the conclusion of the Mass his Grace Archbishop Redwood thanked, on behalf of himself and the priests and laity, the Archbishop of Melbourne and the visiting prelates and priests for their kindness in being present at the ceremony. He also thanked the architect and builders for their endeavors to have the church ready for the occasion, and complimented them on result of their labors. He thanked, too, the Catholics of Wellington for their generosity in subscribing, and particularly the congregation present for the handsome donations given that morning. The amount of the collection was, he said, close on £500. THE MUSIC. The Mass selected for the occasion was Haydn's No. 3. commonly known as the Imperial, on account of its having been composed for the coronation of the Czar Alexander I. The splendid composition was admirably rendered by the combined ohoirs of St. Mary's, St. Joseph's, and St, Mary of the Angels' under the baton of Mr, Oimino. The soloists were Madame Mertz (soprano), MiBS E. Maginnity (contralto), Mr. M. C. Rowe (tenor), and Mr. A. 8. Ballanoe (basß). Clifford'a ' Ecce Dies ' was finely rendered by Mr. A. 8. Ballance, There was a full orchestra, the first violins being in the capable hands of Herr Lehmann and Mr. J. McGlaahan. The organist wag Miss Maginnity. PONTIFICAL VESPERS. The sacred edifice waa again well filled, when his Lordship Bishop Verdon pontificated at Vespers, the dignitaries in attendance being the came as at the Mass. During the afternoon a downpour of rain set in and continued throughout the evening. This no doubt accounted for there being a smaller congregation than was expected on so memorable an occasion. The sermon waß preached by the Right Rev. Mgr. O'Reilly, who took for hi» text, ' Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church.' They had, he ■aid, assembled that morning to take part in a most solemn and important function. The chief purpose for which the church was erected was that they might have in their midit the frequent solemnising of the Mass in a temple worthy of the Holy Sacrifice of the New Law, and they had with joy in their hearts gathered to assist at that great sacrifice and the dedication of a handsome building to the Bervice of the Almighty, under the title of the Sacred Heart. The erection of this beautiful and stately temple, wherein might be received the Sacraments of God's Church, should remind them of the Church established by our Divine Saviour on earth, over which He had appointed Peter, as Visible Head, to rule and guide her for all time. There was no dogma of the Catholic Church more frequently attacked and none more easily upheld than that of the supremacy of the Sovereign Pontiff. Christ made a distinct promise to St. Peter that on him He would build His Church, that he would, as it were, be the foundation stone. On the solemn occasion, when questioning the Apostles as to Whom men took Him to be Saint Peter replied: 'Thou art Christ, the Son of the Living God.' Christ said to him : ' I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever thou ehalt bind upon earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.' These words undoubtedly meant that He gave to Peter the keys of possession of thia heavenly kingdom, and in fulfilment of that promise, after His resurrection, gave the Apoßtles, with Peter as their head, their commission to preach the Gospel, and said : ' Behold, I am with you all days even to the consummation of the world.' None of the early Christian writers even suggested that Christ did not intend the handing down of this power to the successors of St. Peter to the end of time, So it is to-day that the voice of the learned, zealons, and Holy Leo is heard throughout the Catholio Church. A learned writer who, though outside the true Church, had studied the Catholic doctrine on this point, when predicting the fall of nations and kings, Baid that only the Church would survive, and that because she had been founded by Christ, Who had appointed a vißible head to rule her for all time. At the conclusion of his sermon Monsignor O'Reilly added his quota to the congratulations offered by Archbishop Carr in the morning to Archbishop Redwood, to the pastors who had worked bo earnestly and zealously, and to the Catholics of the city on the opening of the new basilica. The latter would, he felt sure, show how deeply they appreciated the favor and blessing bestowed on them, and by their generous contributions make some sacrifices in return. Benediction wbb also given by Bishop Verdon, after which the prelates and clergy returned in processional order to the Archbishop's residence. The music at Vespers was as follows : — Psalms (Emnerich and Angeber), Magnificat (Rossi), and 'cello solo played by Mr. Cohen. The musio at Benediction consisted of Holloway's ' O Salutaris,' Schmidt's • Tantum Ergo,' Elliott's ' Divine Praises,' and Lambilotte's ' Laudate Dominum,' The orchestra again played the War Maroh from ' Athalie.' The musio at all the services was rendered in faultless style.