Opening of a New Church at Clyde

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXI, Issue 43, 22 October 1903, Page 19

Opening of a New Church at Clyde

(By Telegraph.) On Sunday the new Catholic Church just erected at Clyde was solemnly blessed and opened by his Lordship Bishop Verdon, assisted by the Rev. Father Murphy, Adm., St. Joseph's Cathedral, and the Rev. Father Hunt, pastor of Cromwell. The church was crowded both morning and evening, and the Catholics of Clyde are naturally very proud of their new church, which is a substantial building of stone, roofed with Marseilles tiles. The ceremony of blessing took place shortly before nine, immediately after which his Lordship celebrated Mass. At 11 o'clock a Missa Cantata was sung by the Rev. Father Murphy, when Bishop Verdon preached the oocasional sermon. The music of the Mass — Farmer's in B flat — was splendidly rendered by the choir under the leadership of Mrs. O'Kane, Mrs. Costelloe taking the principal soprano solos. An efficient orchestra under Mr, Briasco gave valuable assistance. The sermon in the evening was preached by the Rev. Father Murphy. The church, which is dedicated to St. Dunstan— Dunstan, by the way, being the former name of Clyde — is certainly a great credit to the Catholics of the district, who, although few in numbers, make up for it in generosity, a practical demonstration of which was given during the day, when the collections totalled the respectable sum of £150. In making known this result at the evening service, the zealous and popular pastor of the Cromwell parish, Rev. Father Hunt, expressed his pleasure at his people's liberality, and thanked all who had assisted at the day's ceremonies. It may be mentioned that the church was very appropriately and tastefully decorated, the work reflecting great credit on those responsible for it. Style and Dimensions. The now church is a very substantial and well-finish-ed building, being constructed on most permanent principles. The foundations are of cement concrete fixed on the solid rock, the walls of masonry, and the roof of Marseilles tiles. The fittings generally are of sound timber and workmanship. The style adopted by the architect (Mr. F. W. Petre) in designing this building ie the early English Gothic, which, though simple, has many recommendations for church architecture. Externally, the high pointed gables of both main building and porch, the long, narrow pointed ' window openings with their splayed reveals and the buttresses are quite in keeping with the style, and contribute greatly to the effect of the building. Internally, the building consists of a porch over the main entrance, a nave 18ft. by 36ft, sanctuary 12ft. by 14ft, and a sacristy Bft. by 14ft, opening into

the nave by means of a 16ft. high arch, and finished with splayed reveals, label mouldings, and decorated drops. The whole of the inside walls are finished in piaster, the dado to the -heights of the window sills being done in cement. The inside of the roof of both nave and sanctuary is of open timber work, oiled and varnished, having the lining boards laid in diagonally and each principal trussed with fretted panels set in stout frames.