NEW CATHOLIC CHURCH, TIMARU

New Zealand Tablet, 10 February 1910, Page 213

NEW CATHOLIC CHURCH, TIMARU

LAYING OF THE FOUNDATION STONE (From our own correspondent.) On Sunday the impressive ceremony of blessing and laying the foundation stone of the new Church of the Sacred Heart took place under the most favorable conditions. The old wooden church, ! which was erected thirty-seven years ago, has for some time been too small to accommodate the large Catholic congregation, and consequently the erection of a more commodious church in keeping with the growth of the Catholic population has become an absolute necessity. Some fourteen years ago the venerated Father Hurlin, foreseeing the necessity for accommodation, which has now arisen, insured his life, the sum to form a nucleus of a building fund, and so the original £SOO was obtained from this source. The Rev. Father Tubman, the present popular and highly esteemed Rector, on assuming charge of the parish, a year or so later, took up the work with characteristic energy and enthusiasm, and the sum of £7OOO, which he was able to announce as being in hand on Sunday, can, under Providence, be credited to his foresight and good business

capacity. His Lordship Bishop Grimes celebrated the 9 o’clock Mass, and spoke on the approaching penitential season, mentioning in conclusion the. great ceremony that was to take place that afternoon. Rev. Father Richards, of Hawarden, celebrated a Missa Cantata at 11 o’clock. His Lordship Bishop Verdon and Right Rev. Mgr. Mackay were present in the sanctuary. The choir rendered Farmer’s Mass with splendid effect, Miss Eileen Dennehy presiding at the organ. ' The Ceremony. The sun came out strong in the afternoon, but a cool breeze was blowing, and the weather conditions were most favorable for the impressive ceremony, which was timed to commence at 3 o’clock. A platform was- erected on the east side of the southern transept, and the handsome foundation stone was swung from a crane immediately in front. The Marine Band arrived. early, and gave a selection of sacred music on the lawn, and by the time the procession started from the priory there must have been 2000 persons on the grounds, among whom were, some of the leading citizens of Timaru and members of other denominations. The procession was led by the Children of Mary in regalia, followed by the members of the H.A.C.B, Society, a stalwart body of men, also in regalia, and headed by their handsome banner and then came the Right Rev. Dr. Grimes, Bishop of Christchurch, the Right Rev, Dr. Verdon, Bishop of Dunedin, Right Rev. Mgr. Mackay, V.G. (Oamaru), Very Rev. Dean Regnault, S.M. (Provincial), Very Rev. Dean Ginaty, S.M., V.G. (Christchurch), Very Rev. Father O’Shea, S.M., V.G. (Wellington), Ven. Archdeacon Devoy, S.M., and Rev. Fathers Coffey, Adm. (Dunedin), O’Connell, Buckley, Tubman, Richards, Venning, Le Petit, Aubry, Le'Floch, Kerley, and Smyth. His Lord-

ship Bishop Grimes, who officiated, laid the foundation stone with a handsome silver trowel presented ,by Messrs. O’Leary and Horton. Under the stone was placed a copper box containing current coins of the realm, copies of two Christchurch and two Timaru dailies, the New Zealand Tablet, and a special illustrated supplement of the Timaru Herald, ' showing the proposed building, a document containing the names of the present Pope, King, Bishop of the diocese, parish priest, and Mayor of the town, the architect of the building, and the overseer. The stone was the gift of Mr. Cassidy, of Levels, a generous Catholic, who also presented a like gift’to St. Andrews Church. It was handsomely finished, cut, and gilded, and on the front and side, was an inscription in Latin, of which the following is a translation : —‘ This first stone was blessed and laid by his Lordship Right Rev. Bishop Grimes, S.M., D.D., 6th February, 1910, during the pastorate of the Rev. J. Tubman, Church of the Sacred Heart,’

When the stone had been well and truly laid and blessed, the Rev. Father Tubman addressed the assemblage. He commenced his address by expressing his thankfulness to Almighty God for the ideal weather conditions under which the important ceremony was being carried out. The church in course of erection was being built to,last for centuries, and to meet the requirements of the growing and prosperous town and district. The old church had been erected in 1873 by the venerated Father Chataigner, and three years later it had to be enlarged by Father Goutenoire. It had gradually become too small for the requirements of the parish, and as far back as fifteen years ago the late Father Hurlin, who was at that time parish priest, saw the necessity in the future for a larger building; and at his request the ladies of the Altar Society insured his life for £SOO, the amount to form the'nucleus of a building fund. Until a few years ago the project had not been pushed forward, as it was recognised by his Lordship and himself that the congregation should not be unduly worried by heavy demands on their generosity. Now and then bazaars had been held, and by the generous co-operation of the parishioners and outside friends these had been uniformly successful. In the task of building the church he had received practical help and encouragement from people of all denominations in the town and throughout the Dominion. That day he had received felicitous messages from almost all the clergy of their separated brethren in Timaru. (Applause.) They now had £7OOO in hand, and by the collection that day he hoped to see that amount considerably increased. He had contemplated building a church for £BOOO or £IO,OOO, but Mr. Petre, the architect, would not be satisfied with anything inferior, and so they had the present noble design. Without the dome and sanctuary one tender came to £13,000, so they determined to carry on the work by day labor, and that day they had laid the foundations for the whole building, and they would see how far they could go. He counted on the well-known generosity of the congregation, the help of his Timaru fellow-townsmen, and the goodwill of friends from other

dioceses. He then mentioned the names of a few generous donors, amongst others: The late Mr. Nicholas Quinn, who gave £600 £300 for bells and £3OO for the building; Mr. Thomas Keating, of St. Andrews,. £200; the, late Mrs. Egan, £SO; Mr. Matthew Crannitch, £6O; Mr. Martin Kennedy, Wellington, £SO; Mr, F. Campbell, £lO 10s; Briscoe and Co., _ £lO ;10s; Mr. William Priest, £lO 10s; Mr. James Craigie, M.P., £lO 10s. lie specially thanked Mr. Cassidy for the gift of the foundation stone, and Messrs. O’Leary and Horton for the silver trowel presented to his Lordship for the ceremony. The architect, Mr. Petre, he considered a man of whom New Zealand might well be proud, and his design when; carried out would give to Timaru one of the finest churches in the Dominion. In Mr. B. Moriarty, the overseer, they had the right man in the right place. Mr. Petre spoke in the highest terms of his capabilities, and he (Father Tubman) considered that the interest Mr. Moriarty took in his work and the way he managed his staff was beyond all praise. He then asked his Lordship Bishop Grimes to address the assemblage. His Lordship’s Discourse. His Lordship Bishop Grimes then addressed those present. He gave a detailed explanation of the ceremony just concluded. He explained that in the erection of a temple for the Most High there were certain rules laid down by the Catholic Church, and these had been strictly followed. The site must be chosen or approved by the Bishop of the diocese; he must mark out the site selected, and -on the day before the placing in position of the foundation stone he must see that on the spot where the altar is to be a plain cross is planted to signify that they had taken possession of the spot and were about to sanctify it in honor of Him Who died upon, the Cross to save us. On the morning of the laying of the stone one of the first acts was to sprinkle with hallowed water the stone, which had to be of a certain shape and placed in a certain position. On concluding the detailed explanation of the ceremony that all had witnessed and taken part in, his Lordship delivered an impressive discourse based on the text, ‘ Therefore thus saith the Lord God, behold I will lay a stone in the foundations of Zion, a tried stone, a corner-stone, a precious stone, founded in the foundation ’ (Isaias, xxviii., 16), His Lordship said that the eternal Son of God had established a Church upon eartha Church which He loved, a Church for which He shed the last drop of His precious blood and He established this Church upon a living, visible foundation. The church of which they had laid the foundation stone that day would be a capacious and magnificent one, and was laid upon the foundation of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. There was no other foundation but Christ, and the Church which He had established upon earth was a society made up of souls united to Him; it was therefore palpable, and stood in need of a palpable foundation. The Son of God came to save and redeem poor fallen humanity; to restore the life of grace and glory. He would restore it abundantly, and point us the way, the truth, and the light; But how was He to do this? How hold intimate intercourse with His ungrateful

creatures? Would He clothe Himself with our infirmity, and live, and suffer, and die for us? He breathed to men the first accents of love, and became as we are, in all things except sin. The Bishop , here directed * his hearers to turn to the pages of the Bible and note the beautiful figures in which the Church of Christ was there typified House of the living God, the pillar supporting, the whole of the edifice, the city and Kingdom of God, ’etc. But among all the beautiful figures, one of the most striking was that describing the Church as the abode of Christ. He was the invisible corner stone, the invisible foundation. He would always be the head, though hidden in : the mysterious depths of the everlasting, mountain. His Lordship next directed attention to the inspired pages of Holy Writ, in the Gospel

according to St." Matthew, and spoke of the memorable circumstances under which Jesus Christ made His Churchy visible. He so identified Himself with the Church, that to attack it was to attack Jesus Christ Himself, Jesus Christ was the Rock upon which the Church must be built; • and not even the gates of hell could prevail against a : Church so established. From the commencement of Chris- : tianity down to the present day, whenever the Church was attacked, those who attacked it began by attacking the foundation stone, and this foundation stone Christ had clearly pointed out, when He changed the name of Simon to Peter, meaning rock, saying: ‘ And thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.’ From this they saw that Peter and his successors in the See of Rome might be likened to the rock —the safe foundation of the Church/which Christ came to establish on earth. His Lordship/said that he would like to expand further this point, but time Would not permit. In drawing his remarks to a close, the Bishop spoke enthusiastically concerning the Catholic Church, and of the pride that he and all the members of his Church took in it. They were proud to say that they were Catholics, ' and their great desire was to let all know, the joy and blessings which flow from a union with their Church, founded as it was upon One Who would never fail them. Before resuming his seat, his Lordship congratulated Father Tubman, the devoted parish priest, upon the energy and enthusiasm he had displayed in collecting funds for the new church; he also thanked the visiting clergy for their attendance; the press for assistance given; and the Mayor, who, his Lordship said, had, in going there that day, given another proof of his democratic, spirit, and of his keen interest in all that pertained to this progressive town —one of the most go-ahead in the Dominion. The Bishop also made a powerful appeal for a liberal collection that day, and said he hoped Father Tubman would be so well supported financially in this great undertaking that he would have to say: ‘ Step ; we have more than enough.’ The Right Rev. Dr. Verdon said he looked forward to the time when the beautiful edifice would be completed and opened for worship. He also dwelt upon the honor and privilege which Father Tubman enjoyed in being the instrument in God’s hands for the erection of a dwelling place for Our Lord. Many of the early members of the Church in Timaru had desired to see a new church erected, but they had passed away with their desire unfulfilled; those of the present day, however, would be privileged to see the consummation of these hopes and desires. The work was great and important, and he felt that God would bless it and those connected with it. Mr. Craigie, M.P., was . next introduced by the Rev. Father Tubman, and asked to say a few words. He thanked Father Tubman for the invitation to be present, expressed his pleasure at being in attendance on so memorable an occasion, and said he took it as a compliment and an honor. He went on to congratulate Father Tubman on the success so far Achieved, and said he hoped their most sanguine wishes would be realised. He belived that the site chosen for the new church was not equalled anywhere in the diocese. From its high position it would he a landmark to all vessels approaching the harbor, and its cupola would be visible dominating the town from the four points of the compass, and the building when completed would be a decided acquisition to the architecture of Timaru. It would be a splendid edifice, and the architect was certainly to be congratulated for his unique design. Mr. Craigie described the old Priory grounds when he had first seen them nearly forty years ago. -They were then a wilderness of waving tussock, and, the Rev. Father Chataigner, in selecting : them, had proved his faith in Timaru, and the fact that he was a-far-seeing man. In conclusion Mr. Craigie paid a compliment to Father Tubman as a priest and as a leading citizen of the town, and said he hoped to see him . presiding as parish priest of Timaru for many years to come. -r. Such zeal and enthusiasm as he and; the members of his Church had displayed were an object lesson to others; it deserved to be rewarded, and he hoped that it would be rewarded with the fullest possible measure of success. Rev. Father Tubman announced on Sunday evening that the collection taken up. that afternoon amounted to the gratifying total of £lloo.' He spoke very feelingly of the generosity of all, and stated that it was a great encouragement to push on with the work. Style \ and Dimensions. The church when finished will be one of the largest of the Catholic churches in the Dominion. The style chosen is that known as Italian Renaissancea style which owing to the difference of the scale in proportion to that used in Gothic architecture admits of larger buildings as to floor space being constructed at very much less cost. The two lighter of the five classic orders have been used in developing the design ; that is to say, the lonic and' Corinthian. The general plan of the building; is more marked in its cruciform development than is generally the case, largely owing to the fact that the colonnaded or arched side aisles have not been used, the architect having had recourse to a system of central grouping of arches and columns, together with a colonnaded apse, in order to make up for the aids to acoustic effect which the aisles in question give. Internally the church consists of a nave 40ft

x 90ft, two transepts each 40ft x 30ft, sanctuary and apse together 38ft x 41ft Gin. The ceiling height of the nave and transepts is 40ft, except that portion of the nave where it crosses the two transepts where the ceiling is carried up in the form of an . internal dome, which rises to a total height of 65ft from the floor. The sanctuary is 43ft in its central height, with a semi-circular colonnade forming an ambulacrum 6ft wide and 18ft high. , The main entrance, a pair of doors sft wide , and 16ft high, .is in the centre of the front under a colonnaded portico, which is covered at a height of 24ft with a masonry pediment on lonic columns, and having lonic architraves and, cornices. On either side of this portico, and standing slightly hack from it, are placed two towers, each 20ft square and rising, with their surmounting belfries and domes, to a total height of 97ft. Behind the portico and uniting the two towers is the space, or ground floor, devoted to two side entrances and the baptistery, with stairways to organ loft, etc. Above, extending between the two towers, is the organ loft, which is a space 46ft x 15ft . x 19ft high. The towers contain, in addition to five rooms for general purposes, two belfries each capable of containing from four to six bells of large size. The whole building is to be con-

structed with a cement-concrete base and foundations and wallings, etc., of Oamaru stone and brick, with a hearting of reinforced cement-concrete. The floors of the organ loft, towers, and sanctuary are also to be of reinforced cementconcrete. The central feature of the building is the cupola, which rises at the intersection of the nave and transepts, carried at the floor level on four arches 6ft thick. Springing at the level of the middle entablature and carried by sixteen lonic columns of stone above these arches, which have panelled soffits, rises the cupola tower in stone, brick, and armored concrete, built in two stages, the first containing an inside dome of embossed metal, and the second, being clear of the roof, having twenty windows to light an upper hall immediately under the cupola, which is 40ft square by 12ft high. This walling externally is finished by a stone open work parapet surmounting the crown cornice of the topmost entablature/ and at a total height from the ground level of 74ft. Above this rises the domed top of the cupola, covered with copper and surmounted with a moulded copper , top Bft in diameter and 7ft high, on which is carried a copper cross, which adds another Bft to the total height;; so that the whole, including the cupola itself, stands 102 ft from the ground level. The haunches of the cupola tower behind the parapet are of reinforced cement-concrete covered with rock asphaltum, and will form an excellent platform from which to view the town of Timaru. The roof of the organ loft between the towers will be flat and constructed in a similar manner,

and will form another point of vantage to view surrounding objects. The belfry domes, which will be eight-sided, surmounted with finial and cross, are designed to ‘ be also copper covered. The roofs of the nave, transepts, and sanctuary are to be covered with tiles, arid will drain into spoutings which are masked in the masonry. The chief internal feature is the sanctuary, which is fronted by one of the large internal arches 36ft high, 6ft deep, and 28ft wide, from which the sanctuary goes back some 30ft to the face of the apse colonnade, behind which is the sanctuary ambulacrum, 6ft wide, passing round behind the thirteen columns dividing it from the sanctuary proper. Each of these columns is of the lonic order, 17ft 6in high, the whole colonnade 'carrying a full lonic entablature, surmounted by a system of Corinthian pilasters, forming the ten bays of the clerestory, and carrying the shallow domed embossed metal ceiling of apse and sanctuary. The ultimate intention is that the spaces between the columns will be filled in with stamped Cordova leather curtains hung from brass poles at about 12ft from the floor level. On the south side of the sanctuary are the sacristies one 23ft x lift and another 17ft x sft, together with a Oft x 6ft strong room. The lighting and ventilating of the church has been well attended to, the nave and transepts having two stages of windows, each of which has two large openings provided to admit fresh air and extract expended air. There are in all twenty-four of these windows, each of them being oft by Oft high. The general scheme of the internal wall finish of nave and transepts is in two stages, with the window spaces worked into a system of recessed arches, the lower stage being of lonic detail, surmounted by a full lonic entablature of brown stone, the whole of a total height of 22ft. Above this the recessed arches round windows are of Corinthian order in detail, surmounted by a Corinthian cornice carrying the ceilings, which are in embossed metal of coffered design, each coffer having a central openwork feature to allow of further ventilation. The nave ceiling is subdivided into 42 coffers, and each transept is divided into 18 coffers, making in all 78 coffers with their ventilator extractors. The building is being carried out from the designs of Mr. F. W. Petre, architect, of Dunedin, and the works, which are being done by day labor and smaller sub-contracts, are making great progress under the supervision of Mr. B. Moriarty, of Timaru. Messrs. Briscoe and Co., Ltd., will carry out the embossed metal ceilings, the tile roofings, and the copper work of domes, etc. (By telegraph from our own correspondent.) On Monday night the Right Rev. Dr. Grimes, the Right Rev. Dr. Yerdon, and the visiting priests were entertained at a conversazione by the Catholic congregation in the Girls’ School, which was tastefully decorated. The visitors were accorded an enthusiastic reception, the entertainment proving highly enjoyable throughout. An excellent musical programme was arranged by Miss Eileen Dennehy, and was contributed to by Mesdames Raymond and Lynch, Messrs. W. Jordan, E. Budd, and Masters M. and P. O’Meeghan, Kane, Brosnahan, and Fitzgerald. His Lordship Bishop Grimes made a happy speech, thanking the Timaru congregation for their kindness to him, and commented on the energy and enterprise shown in forwarding the good work now in progress. His Lordship Bishop Yerdon, Right Rev. Mgr. Mackay, and Rev. Father Buckley also delivered addresses. At the close of the proceedings Rev. Father Tubman thanked the visitors for attending the ceremonies, and for their substantial assistance. The subscriptions received up to Tuesday morning totalled over £I2OO.