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 THE CATHEDRAL 
 
 OK 
 
 ST. JOHN'S, NEWFOUNDUND, 
 
 WITH 
 
 AN ACCOUNT OF ITS CONSECRATION 
 
 BY 
 
 THE RIGHT llEV. DR. MUlLOCK. 
 
 •' Fecerunt autem dedicationem domus Dei In gaudio."— lieDR. vi. 16. 
 
 ^-^'r: 
 
 / 
 
 ./^ 
 
 j !^y : 
 
 9 
 
 DUBLIN: -— -^ ' 
 
 "^ — ' 
 JAMES DUFFY, 7, WELLINGTON- QUAY. 
 
 1856. 
 
AN ACCOUNT 
 
 or THB 
 
 CONSECRATION OF THE CATHEDRAL OF S. JOHN'S, 
 
 N EWFOIJNDI.AN I ). 
 
 DESCRIPTION OF THE CATHKDBAL. 
 
 In the May of 1841, the late Right Rev. Dr. Fleming laid 
 the foundation stone of this superb odllice, which overlooks 
 the city of St. John's, standing on a plot of ground of 
 about eleven acits that was obtained from the Government. 
 The site is one of the finest in the world for a building of 
 its kind, nearly, if not altogether, 300 feet over the sea, 
 facing the Atlantic, and crowning the pictures^ ae city, of 
 which it is the chief ornament. The voluntary labour and 
 subscriptions of the faithful people, especially of the ^^Sealors'* 
 and fishermen, continued from year to year, at length brought 
 the building to completion, and it was consecrated by Bishop 
 Mullock on the 9th of September, 1855. 
 
 The church, which is built in the style of a Roman 
 Basilica, is 246 feet, 6 inches long, and 186 feet, 6 inches 
 in the transept : and the facade is 99 feet wide. It is, with 
 the exception of the ambulatories, or low aisles, faced with 
 cut limestone from Galway, in Ireland, and the quoires, 
 mouldings, cornices, window-frames, and string and belt 
 courses, ai*e of Dublin granite. The fa<;ade is flanked by 
 two towers, 150 feet high; the nave and transept are 52 feet 
 wide, without including the pillars ; and the low side-aisles, 
 or, as they are called, ambulatories, open into the main build- 
 ing by a series of elegant arches. The walls are ornamented 
 with Corinthian pilasters, surmounted by a cornice 13 feet 
 wide : while the arches are artistically ornamented. The ceil- 
 ing of the nave, like many of those in Italy, is flat, enriched 
 
 B 
 
ACCOUNT OF THE CONSECRATION OF TIIK 
 
 with elaborate centre-pieces: but that of tlic ambulntorics 
 forms a succession of groined arches, correspon(lin<r to the 
 arches that open into the nave. The apsi? of the church is 
 semicircular, and forms the clioir behind the great ahar: 
 and already eiglit other altars have been erected, all 
 ornamented with statuary. The four evangelists arc placed 
 v.t a height of jibout thirty feet from the ground, at the 
 intersection of the nave and transept. The great altar 
 is, perhaps, the finest specimen of art in the whole western 
 world. It stands apart at the intersection of the nave 
 and transept, isolated, like many of those in the ancient 
 churches of Rome. The altar and tabernacle arc faced 
 with white marble, the rest is of Caen stone, or a soft, 
 cream-coloured marble. A triumphal arch, or BaldichinOf 
 beautifully carved with wreaths, and the ceiling coffered in 
 rosetts, like the arch of Titus in the Roman Ibrum, is sur- 
 mounted by a group of angels bearing aloft the cross, at 
 a height of fifty-two feet from the floor of the church. This 
 canopy, or arch, is supported by eight monolithic columns 
 of polished granite. Under the arch, on an elevated pedestal, 
 is a colossal group of the baptism of our Saviour, executed 
 by Carcw, in Caen stone : by whom also are the group of 
 angels, and the infantine figures of angels, and a lamb, which 
 ornament the arch ; the remainder of the carving was ex- 
 ecuted by W. Sullivan. Under the high altar, which is open 
 in front, is placed Hogan's most superb work — the " Dead 
 Christ," executed in the purest Carrara marble. This splendid 
 figure, which will be the pride of Newfoundland for ages, is 
 the posthumous gift of Dr. Fleming. The sanctuary is paved 
 with marble ; and at the end of the apsis is another grand 
 altar, beautiful'y carved in Caen stone by Carao. Two side 
 altars in the transept, one dedicated to the Immaculate Con- 
 ception, the other to St. Francis, with colossal statues in 
 Caen stone, by Carao, add much, from their beauty and 
 magnitude, to the grandeur of the edifice. At the end of 
 the ambulatory every vista is closed by altars dedicated to 
 S. Patrick, S. Bridget, S. Joseph, and S. Anthony. All 
 these are ornamented with statues in marble, nearly seven 
 
 t 
 
CATIIKDRAL OF ST. JOHN 8, NKWKOUNDT.AND. 
 
 a 
 
 h 
 
 V> 
 
 
 feet high, of Italian workmanslnp. Fourteen reltevi, roprc- 
 senting the Stations of the Cross, in a nmteriul like j)ronzc, 
 are placed over the arches that open from the ambulatory 
 into the nave. The two monuments in ulto-irliivo, cxcjui- 
 sitely wrought by Hogan in the purest Carrara, are perfect 
 gems of art: the one was raised to Dr. Seallan by his suc- 
 cessor ; the other is about to be erected by the present 
 bishop in memory of the Right Rev. Dr. Fleming. The 
 great organ, containing fifty stops, many of them, as the 
 conka, fagotto, double diapasonj*, &.C., of extraordinary 
 power, is by far the finest ever erected on this side of 
 the Atlantic (the American), and ranks .unong tlic greatest 
 instruments of the world. Three great bells, of tlie united 
 weight of 90 cwt., are already placed in tlie towers; 
 and six more will complete the chime, when the means 
 can be obtained. The church plate, altar ornaments, candle- 
 sticks, and other furniture, arc in keeping with the magnifi- 
 cence of the building. Although over two hundred pews arc 
 placed in the church, still the great nave is perfectly open: 
 and the choir seats arc ranged in the apsis, behind the great 
 altar. Though the paintings are but few as yet, still they arc 
 highly ornamental, and, as works of art, of much merit. On 
 the eastern side of the cathedral, and attached to it by a 
 corridor, are the Presentation Convent and Schools, beautiful 
 buildings of granite and cut limestone, which cost over 
 £10,000. At the corresponding side, on the west, is the 
 episcopal residence, built likewise of cut stone, '.d worthy 
 both of the See and of the site it occupies. A female 
 orphanage is also built on the cathedral grounds. 
 
 During the ceremonies of the Consecration of the church, 
 and the Triduum of the Immaculate Conception, and until 
 the departure of the prelates, besides the one hundred flags 
 erected on masts in front of the cathedral and on its triumphal 
 arch, the Papal flag (Tiara, and cross keys), and a flag bearing 
 the arms of St. Francis, both more than twelve feet square, 
 were hoisted on the towers ; while the Episcopal flag (a red 
 cross on a white ground) floated over the centre cross of the 
 facade. The entire frontage of the buildings is more than 
 
4 ACCOUNT OF THE CONSECRATION OF TilK 
 
 400 feet; and on the niglit of the Consecration they were 
 illuinii\fttCHl with ITilM) coloured lamps, besides several hun- 
 dred lanthorns lianj/ing in li'stoons tiom one tower to another. 
 The efl'ect was nmgicsil, and will long be remembered by 
 the people of Newfoundland. 
 
 The following accounts descriptive of the reception of the 
 bishops, the consecration ol' the church, the bancjuet given 
 by the Irish Society, and the departure of the prelates, are 
 taken from a local newspaper, the Newfoundlander. 
 
 AllRIVAL OF HIS ORACE, THE MOST REV. DR. HUGHES, ARCH- 
 BISHOP OF NEW YORK ; THE RIGHT REV. DR. CHARBONELL, 
 BISHOP OF TORONTO ; THE RIGHT REV. DR. CONNOLLY, 
 BISHOP OF NEW BRUNSWICK ; AND THE RIGHT REV. DR. 
 M'KINNON, BISHOP OF ARICIIAT. 
 
 " Tlie truly great event to which wc pointed in our last 
 number has since taken place. The illustrious princes of 
 the Church, with whose names it is our pride to grace this 
 notice, have arrived, and are in the midst of us — tlie guests 
 of their brother prelate, the Right Rev. Dr. Mullock. The 
 unprecedented honour thus conferred upon our fellow- 
 Catholics, as may well be imagined, renders this occasion 
 one of universal and intense interest. We have within late 
 years witnessed many times and incidents, which seemed to 
 have stirred the proverbial Catholic feeling of our commu- 
 nity from its lowest depths, but we challenge memory in 
 vain for enthusiasm so whole-souled, so all-absorbing, so 
 unutterable, as that which this visit has inspired. And 
 most just is the eloquent tribute to the magnitude of the 
 occasion, which now pulsates in every Catholic heart, and 
 seeks expression on every tongue. This is the magnificent 
 celebration of that triumph, the completion of our cathedral, 
 that glorious and monumental work, to which the labours, 
 the substance, and the aspirations of years have been so 
 yearningly devoted. What marvel, then, if, as we contem- 
 plate its beautiful colossal proportions, as it towers in proud 
 
t'ATIlKDHAL OF 8T. JOHN H, NKWFDL'NDI.ANU. 
 
 :» 
 
 i 
 
 sup'remlncnce ovor the city, as wo poiuirr on its trcu!<iiros 
 of art, its inuny clogiint altars, itn ^pK-iulid or^Min — wliut 
 wonder, wi; say, if thu cunsuniination ol'.such a temple, in mucU 
 a country, and chieHy l>y t)iu liuniblest nieann, sliouid iill 
 the Houls of those wl»o reared it with f^ratitudc to heav(jn, 
 and with a welcome scarcely less sacred to tlioHC pastors of 
 the One Cluirch, * built upon the rock,' who, with apostolic 
 ardour, have come to crown and participate in our jubilation ! 
 No: nmrvel indeed if it were not so; and the present numi- 
 lestations simply fuUil that which was of right expected, 
 wliich is happily characteristic of our people/' 
 
 TUE llECEPTION. 
 
 The subjoined communication to the Courier describes 
 the mode of reception of our distinguished visitors. 
 
 " The arrival of the packet on Monday evening, at eight 
 o'clock, having on board His Grace the Most Rev. Dr. 
 Hughes, Archbishop of New York; and their Lordships the 
 Right Rev. Dr. Charbonell, Bishop of Toronto; the Right 
 Rev. Dr. M'Kinnon, Bishop of Arichat; the Right Rev. Dr. 
 Connolly, Bishop of New Brunswick ; and two other clergy- 
 men, chaplains to the Archbishop and Dr. M'Kinnon, 
 brought to a climax an excitement which had pervaded the 
 community for several preceding days, in anticipation of the 
 visit of these distinguished dignitaries of the Roman Catho- 
 lic Church, who liavc come to take part in the ceremonies 
 of the consecration, on next Sunday, of the magnificent 
 cathedral which has been rais^ed, and now completed ; chiefly 
 by the contributions of the humble fishermen of the Island, 
 stimulated and encouraged by their zealous prelate and 
 priests. The preparations had been commenced suflic?.ently 
 early, so that the arrangements of the reception should be as 
 effective and suitable as possible ; and although the packet 
 was delayed by adverse weather, and did not arrive until 
 the darkness of night had set in, the different Roman Catho- 
 
ACCOUNT OF THE CUNSKCRATION OF THE 
 
 lie nocietics — llio U«'nov(>lent Irinh, the MeclianicH', and the 
 
 CoOjKTS, witll tCMlS of tllOJISftlnlH oC tl»U ^ClUMul puUlio, WOFO 
 
 drawn up in lines ulon^' Wuter-strcct from tlic Packet 
 Wluirl", lor some time previouf*ly to the landing of the pre- 
 
 (1 so d( 
 
 the fullest 
 
 Jutes to wliom tlioy appeared so desirous ol pa^'ing 
 tribute of their veneration and rcs<peet. 
 
 "The signal at tlie hill whieh announced that the Steamer 
 was in sight, put the whole eity and suhurhs for many miles 
 in motion, and every street and rond poured in its living tide, 
 until ev(«ry available ppaee along the line of procession was 
 densely crowded, and every window and doorway were 
 throng(!d by eager and enthusiastic spectators. As the 
 steamer approached the harbour, the great bells of the 
 cathedral, together with those of tiie old chapel and of the 
 convents, pealed forth a joyous welcome, with an effect 
 rendered sublimely grand by the darkness of the night, and 
 simultaneously, although unpremeditated, the windows of 
 the houses along the line were brilliantly lighted, giving to 
 the occasion the appearance of an almost general illumina- 
 tion. At about a quarter past eight, His Grace and their 
 Lordships landed, and w^cre conducted by the Right Rev. 
 Dr. Mullock to the open carriages which he had in readi- 
 ness at the wharf for them ; they then moved on in proces- 
 sion through the long files of societies and people, the 
 carriage with the Archbishop and Dr. Mullock taking the 
 lead, amidst the most deafening and enthusiastic shouts of 
 welcome and applause, the streets being lighted not alone 
 by the gas lights and the illuminated windows, but also by 
 flaming torches, which gave to the procession a most pictu- 
 resque appearance. The carriages, followed by the band of 
 the Royal Newfoundland Companies, making the night 
 resound with melody, the societies in order of seniority 
 coming next, and the populace taking up the rear, pro- 
 ceeded along Water-street, and up Cochrane-street (which 
 was particularly brilliant, as almost every window in it 
 was lighted), round by Government House, before which 
 the cheering was immense ; and then along the Military- 
 road, where passing the Convent of the Sisters of Mercy, an 
 
CATi!KOKAI. OF ST. JOHNS, NI^WFOUNDLANU. 7 
 
 vnthusiofltic cheer commenced, which waa taken up ami 
 continued along the line as it moved by, and then passing 
 throu<rh t\u; triumphal arch, erected by Dr. Mullock on 
 the (*ontincs of the great area of the Cathedral grounds i'or 
 the occasion, und which wus <iecorated by ihe national llags 
 ol' England, Ireland, France, Spain, Portugal, and the United 
 States, and from the numerous and tastefully arranged lan- 
 terns of which a flood of light poured upon the vast assem- 
 blage, giving a partial, yet picture-like distinctness to the 
 objects around, the procession entered the Cathedral amidst 
 the pealing of bells, the firing of guns, and the martial strains 
 of music, and presenting a sight interesting and exciting, 
 unc(|uallod as it was unprecedented, in Newlbundland. 
 
 " The Archbishop, Bishops, and Priests proceeded directly 
 from their carriages to the high altar, and knelt for some 
 minutes in prayer, when His Grace ascended and gave his 
 benediction to the congregation, during which a sil ico 
 pervaded, which testified their appreciation of the solemnity 
 of the occasion. Dr. Mullock then addressed his flock, and 
 in accents which betrayed his deep emotion, thanked them 
 for the reception which they had given to the Archbishop 
 and Bishops, and requested them to retire to their homes." 
 
 Addresses were presented next day to the Prelates, by 
 the Benevolent Irisli Society, and the Mechanics' Society, to 
 each of which His Grace, the Archbishop, made an eloquent 
 and appropriate reply. On Wednesday a fete chnmpetre was 
 given to the Bishops, at Virginia Lodge, by the most res- 
 pectable of the Catholic inhabitants. 
 
 FETE CHAMPETRE. 
 
 " On yesterday their Lordships were entertained by a 
 number of the Catholic gentlemen of the town, at a fete 
 champetre at A^irginia, the seat of the Hon. Judge 
 Emerson. The distinguished strangers walked through 
 the grounds of this delightful spot, and expressed their 
 
a 
 
 AeCOUNT OF THE CONSECRATION OF THE 
 
 admiration at the beauty of its scenery. On the lawn opposite 
 the Judge's residence, a large tent was erected, within which 
 a company of about one hundred and fifty ladies and gen- 
 tlemen sat down to dinner at five o'clock. It was of neces- 
 sity a hastily, but yet a well got up aflair, and all present 
 enjoyed it right heartily. After sundry inspiriting pops of 
 the champagne cork, and a sufficient circling of the board 
 by the after wines, the president, Hon. L. O'Brien, proclaimed 
 the commencement of the evening festivities in a loud call 
 for ' Music,' when the R.N.C. band struck up an air which 
 instantaneously dispersed the sitting portion of the company, 
 who retired to the drawing-room of Virginia, where they 
 were most hospitably welcomed by Mrs. Emerson and her 
 family. The lawn thus cleared for the dancers was joyously 
 occupied by them during the evening. A more gay and 
 spirited affair of the kind has seldom come off here." 
 
 ■'I 
 
 PREPARATIONS. 
 
 " When we last addressed our readers, we endeavoured 
 to portray the feelings ot heart-felt enthusiasm pervading 
 our Catholic community upon the arrival of the distinguished 
 Prelates by whom we have been honoured, and the object 
 of their visit. Since then that feeling has attained a still 
 deeper intensity, and has extended itself far and near through 
 our several outport settlements. During the whole of last 
 week, the Catholic population of these localities poured in 
 in thousands — many of them from remote districts, and after 
 having encountered severe difficulties of travelling, but all 
 invigorated and inflamed by one sentiment, before which 
 hardships and impediments were as nothing — the longing 
 desire to witness the grand solemnity of Sunday last — the 
 Consecration of our Cathedral. In every instance in which 
 it was at all possible, the zealous priests of the outports came 
 to contribute to the- splendour of the spectacle; and on the 
 day or two before Sunday our thoroughfares were literally 
 
CATHEDRAL OP ST. JOHNS, NEWFOUNDLAND. 9 
 
 thronged by, one would almost suppose the entire Catholic 
 population of the island. From early dawn on Sunday 
 morning, everything around denoted activt^ preparations for 
 the great event of the day. In whatever direction the eye 
 turned, crowds of people in holiday attire moved to-and-lro, 
 eager expectation and interest indicated in their countenances 
 and whole demeanour." 
 
 THE COySECRATION. 
 
 " At the appointed hour on Sunday morning, His Lord- 
 ship, Dr. Mullock, proceeded to the consecration. The 
 procession consisted of the following Prelates and Priests : — 
 His Grace the Most Rev. Dr. Hughes, Archbishop of New 
 York, the Right Rev. Dr. Mullock, Right Rev. Dr. Char- 
 bonnell. Bishop of Toronto, Right Rev. Dr. Connolly, Bishop 
 of New Brunswick, Right Rev. Dr. M'Kinnon, Bishop of 
 Arichat, the Very Rev. Dean Mackin, Brigus, Rev. Mr. 
 M'Nervey, Secretary and Chaplain to Dr. Hughes, Rev. 
 Mr. M'Leod, Chaplain to Dr. M'Kinnon, Rev. Messrs. Walsh, 
 Foristal, O'Donnell, and Brennan, of St. John's, Rev. E. 
 Troy, Torbay; Rev. Mr. O'Connor, Portugal Cove, Rev. 
 Messrs. Dalton and O'Connor, Harbour Grace, Rev. John 
 Dalton, Carbonear, Rev. B. Duffy, Northern Bay, Rev. E. 
 O'Keefe, Harbour Maine, Rev. M. Scanlan, Kingscove, Rev. 
 P. Ward, Tilton Harbour, Rev. Mr. Walsh, Fogo, Rev. P. 
 Cleary, Bay Bulls, Rev. J. Murphy, Fermeuse, Rev. J. 
 Cummins, Ferryland, Rev. J. Ryan, St. Mary's, Rev. E. 
 Condon and Rev. P. Nowlan, Placentia, Rev. Mr. O'Neil, 
 Trepasscy. 
 
 " Having moved towards the front of the building, and the 
 Litany of the Gaints having been recited, the Bishop headed 
 the clergy, and went thrice round the church, sprinkling 
 the exterior walls with holy water, and reciting, during 
 these processions and the intervals between them, appropriate 
 prayers Possession having been taken of the church by 
 
to 
 
 ACCOUNT OF THE CONSECRATION OF THE 
 
 the sign of the cross (whence proceeds all virtue, through 
 the merits of Him who suffered upon it) made upon the 
 threshold, the Bishop entered, and prostrating himself in the 
 middle of the church, intoned the Vent Creator, or " Spirit, 
 Creator of mankind." An immense cross, extending from. 
 the two angles formed by the pews to the angles formed by 
 the same pews near the sanctuary, had been traced during 
 the singing of the litanies, when God was invoked that He 
 might visit, confide to the guarding of the holy angels, con- 
 secrate, bless, and sanctify for his service, the temple and 
 the altar therein erected. Ashes had been spread at different 
 points upon the arms of the cross, wherein the consecrator 
 marked the different letters of the alphabet in Latin andGreek, 
 commencing at the left of the entrance on to the altar, and 
 at the right in the same manner. 
 
 " Then coming in front of the altar to be consecrated, the 
 consecrator sang Deus in adjutorium, &c., ' O God, incline 
 unto my aid,' and immediately commenced the benediction 
 of water, wine, and ashes, to mark with the sign of the cioss 
 the table of the about to be consecrated altar. The water 
 having been blessed, the procession formed again, and going 
 over, the consecrator made on the upper and lower interior 
 parts of the door the sign of the cross. The prayer to ac- 
 company this latter ceremony having been recited, the Prelate 
 returned whence he had departed, and commenced the con- 
 secration of the altar at the lower end of the sanctuary, first 
 signing with the wine, ashes, and water already prepared, 
 then sprinkling it with the same water as often as seven 
 diflferent times, afler which the clergy moved round the 
 interior walls of the church thrice, as they had done round 
 the exterior one in the beginning, the Pontiff sprinkling 
 pre-sanctified wine, ashes, and water, and reciting, both 
 during the processions, and at the intervals between them, 
 the prayers prescribed by the Pontifical. 
 
 " After these processions, the clergy from the altar went 
 to the principal entrance, the consecrator sprinkling the floor 
 with holy water, reciting the prescribed prayers. This being 
 done, he stood with his face towards the altar in the centre 
 
CATHEDRAL OF ST. JOHNS, NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 11 
 
 of the church, and having intoned an anthem, he sprinkled 
 once more *h loor with the pre-sanctified water ; first, 
 towards the en ., then towards the west, afterwards towards 
 the north, and last towards the south. Here followed a 
 prayer recited by the consecrator, liis face looking towards 
 the principal entrance, be«»ging of God that He would dedi- 
 cate, and glorify, and illuminate with his holy light the edifice 
 erected in his honour ; that He would receive with mercy, 
 protect, hearken unto, ^reserve and render happy, and keep 
 in the profession of the Holy Trinity, and in the bosom of 
 the Church, all those who should ever therein adore him. 
 
 " Having again called down the mercy of God on all those 
 who should invoke him in his holy Temple, the consecrator 
 approached the altar, and prepared the cement destined to 
 seal the sepulchre, or opening of the altars, where the relics 
 of the saints are placed, and immediately afterwards went 
 for these same relics. The consecrator having addressed 
 all present, and one of the clergymen read the decrees of 
 the Council of Trent as in the Pontifical, and the conse- 
 crator having made the sign of the cross with chrism on the 
 outside of the door of the main entrance, the procession 
 moved again towards the altar. 
 
 " Arrived at the altar, and having previously recited 
 the prayers prescribed, the Bishop anointed the four angles 
 of the opening made for the relics with chrism, placed 
 therein the relics of the saints, presented incense, and sign- 
 ing the small tablet to be placed over them with the same 
 holy oil, closed the sepulchre, in the meantime reciting the 
 appointed prayers, after which one of the clergy continued 
 to present incense when it was not presented by the Prelate 
 in person. Then followed three unctions of the table, twice 
 with the oil of catechumens, and once with holy chrism — 
 prayers and incense accompanying; having again, with appro- 
 priate prayers, anointed the altar, with a mixture of the 
 two holy oils, the consecrator, preceded by the clergy, 
 anointed twelve crosses placed in different parts of the in- 
 terior walls of the church, saying the prayer at each unction, 
 and offering, at the same, incense as prescribed. 
 
12 
 
 ACCOUNT CF THE CONSECRATION OF THE 
 
 I 
 
 ■; 
 
 *' The procession having returned to tlie sanctuary, the 
 Bishop blessed tlie incense to l)e burned on the newly con- 
 secrated altar; snrcad it on the altar where the different 
 unctions had been, and then placed over it a small burning 
 Avax taper made in the form of a cross. This ceremony and 
 the prayei-s accompanying it were follow^ed by two other 
 unctions, one at the front of the altar, the other at the four 
 angles formed by the sepulchre or base of the altar, and the 
 upper part or table; these two unctions and the prayers 
 accompanying them closed the ceremony of the consecration 
 of the church and of the principal altar. 
 
 " The two side ultars w^ere consecrated by the Right Kev. 
 Bisliop, Dr. Charbonnoll of Toronto, and by the Right Rev. 
 Bishop M'Kinnon, of Arichat." 
 
 PROCESSION, HIGH MASS, SERMON, ETC. 
 
 " At half-past 11 o'clock, the procession, composed of the 
 Bishops and Clergy, and a large number of boys, cross 
 bearers, &c. in surplices, formed at the Presentation Con- 
 vent, and came slowly round to the grand entrance of the 
 Cathedral, through a passage made amidst the largest con- 
 course ever yet assembled even on the same grounds. The 
 procession now entered the Cathedral, and after it followed 
 the dense multitude. The coup d'ceil at this moment was 
 august and beautiful in the extreme. The grand and side 
 altars splendidly lighted ; lights also at close intervals 
 through the nave and aisles; the Prelates and long array 
 of priests attired in their richest vestments ; the vast con- 
 gregation occupying every inch of the church, and waving 
 like a sea, yet withal breathless with attention — the whole 
 spectacle was of that sublimely imposing order which at 
 once profoundly subdues the heart, and elevates the soul to 
 contemplations beyond this world. 
 
 " The procession having entered the sanctuary. His Grace 
 and the Right Rev. Dr. Mullock occupied seats on a throne at 
 the Gospel side of the altar, their Lordships, Drs. JVrKinnon 
 
 ■$ 
 
 :■£! 
 
CATHEDRAL OF ST. JoIIN ^, NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 i:\ 
 
 and Charbonnell taking corresponcllng pluoes opposite. Pon- 
 tifical High Mass was now begun by the Right liev. Dr. 
 Connolly, assisted by the Rev. Mr. M'Leod as assistant 
 priest, Rev. Messrs. O'Donnell and O'Connor as deacons of 
 honour, Rev. Messrs. Dalton and Foristal as deacon and 
 sub-deacon, and the Rev. Mr. M'Nervcy master o4' cere- 
 monies. At the Gospel, His Grace Dr. Hughes, Arch- 
 bishop of New York, ascended the pulpit, and pronounced 
 the following most erudite and elegant discourse on the 
 subject of the day's solemnities. His Grace's clear and 
 distinct enunciation conveying his words to every ear. 
 
 THE SERMON. 
 
 "Now, faith is tlie stibstance of the things to be hoped for, the evidence of tiie 
 things that appear uot." IIeu. xt. 1. 
 
 If there be any one in this vast assemblage who has not 
 seen, but has desired to see, a monument of Catholic faith, 
 to-day he has but to raise his eyes and look around, for this 
 is, indeed, a monument of Catholic faith. Its erection and 
 completion would have been impossible, except by a people 
 who believe. Without that faith, alluded to in the text, 
 the existence of this magnificent Cathedral could not be 
 accounted for, in the centre of a community principally 
 made up of poor but laborious fishermen, and in a city, as it 
 may now be called, which was known but yesterday or the 
 day before, merely as a fishing station. This is a Cathedral 
 of which any city in Europe or the world might be proud. 
 Its plan was projected on a scale of surpassing magnitude ; 
 its foundations were laid broad and deep, on this elevated 
 site, commanding a prospect of unsurpassed beauty. It rose 
 on these foundations to the elevation which its proportions 
 required; and, as it surrounds us this day, we are struck 
 with admiration at the solidity, fitness, and elegance which 
 art has distributed and embodied on every side. For rich- 
 ness of material and perfection of design, its altar is unrivalled 
 on the Western side of the Atlantic ocean ; whilst, on what- 
 ever side we look, we behold the pillar of strength modulated 
 
'^P^r 
 
 ACCOUNT OP THE CONSECRATION OF THE 
 
 « I 
 
 '< ? 
 
 p I 
 
 I i 
 
 * I 
 
 into the arch of beauty. I repeat, tlien, that even as a public 
 edifice — as a specimen of architecture, there is no city in the 
 world which might not be proud of such a building as the 
 Cathedral of St. John's, which has just been consecrated. 
 And by whom has this noble Cathedral been erected? By 
 the fishermen of Newfoundland — by the hardy sons of toil, 
 possessing little of this world's substance, but unspeakably 
 rich in the divine inheritance of Catholic faith. It was 
 they who cheered on the work from its commencement; 
 it was they who, year after year, contributed liberally 
 from their scanty earnings during its progress ; and it is they 
 who have the best right to exult in the triumphant comple- 
 tion of a great work begun and sustained throughout by the 
 unwavering impulse which is derived from the spirit of faith. 
 Most of you remember the day on which your late apos- 
 tolic Bishop laid the corner stone of this Cathedral. In 
 doing so, he exemplified the whole meaning of the Apostle 
 in the words of my text. According to human view there 
 were no means to carry out the gigantic purpose which lie 
 had conceived. He had but the benediction of Heaven and 
 the support of his poor, but believing pt'bple to rely upon. 
 Yet, strong in the meaning of the inspired apostle, he knew 
 that " faith was the substance of things to be hoped for ; the 
 evidence of things that did not appear." Hence, in a large 
 spirit, and with a strong heart, he commenced the work, 
 undaunted by the prospective difficulties and even disappoint- 
 ments that were to be encountered in the progress of its 
 execution. It may be said of him, as of the royal prophet — 
 " How he swore to the Lord, he vowed a vow to the God of 
 Jacob ; if I shall enter into the tabernacle of my house, if I 
 shall go up into the bed wherein I lie, if I shall give sleep 
 to my eyes, or slumber to ray eyelids, or rest to my temples, 
 imtil I find out a place for the Lord, a house for the God of 
 Jacob." — PsAL. cxxxi. 2, 3, 4. Like the royal prophet, too, 
 he passed from the scene of his earthly labours without 
 having witnessed the final accomplishment of his holy 
 purpose. Had he been spared to witness what we behold 
 this day, he would hare regarded it as a sufficient earthly 
 
CATUKDRAL OF ST. JOHNS, NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 15 
 
 was 
 
 recompense for the toils, anxieties, and solieitude which he 
 underwent, and in which he sacrificed his lioalth, and perhaps 
 his life. But it pleased Almiglity (io«l to ordain otherwise, 
 and to call him to his heavenly reward. It must have been 
 a consolation to him, however, to know that whilst he re- 
 signed his spirit into the hands of his Creator, he transmitted 
 to a successor of his own choice the episcopal charge of his 
 beloved flock and the unfinished task which he had so nobly 
 begun. That successor, called of God to his high office, 
 was specially qualified for the charge. He brought to it 
 the same ardent faith and piety, a mind most richly stored 
 with ecclesiastical learning and general information ; ho 
 brought to it the energies of youth, and of a robust constitu- 
 tion, as well as a moral temperament particularly qualified 
 and competent to encounter difficulties of whatever descrip- 
 tion — and thus qualified, he took up the great work which 
 his predecessor had begun, and bore it onward and onward, 
 until to-day he has the consolation of witnessing its final 
 and triumphant accomplishment. On all this, my Lord 
 Bishop of Newfoundland, 1 offer you my congratulations; 
 I ofier them to the devoted clergy of your diocese, who 
 stood faithfully by your side ; 1 offer them to the faithful 
 people over whom you are appointed, and whom you govern 
 with so much spiritual advantage to themselves, so much 
 honour to the episcopal order, and to our holy religion ; and 
 I say that, considering the means by which It has been erected, 
 this monument of Catholic faith has not been surpassed, nor 
 perhaps equalled, by anything to be foimd in the annals of 
 the Christian Church. 
 
 Do not suppose, dearly beloved brethren, that in making 
 these remarks, I wish to excite in you any feeling of vain- 
 glory ; such a feeling would detract from the merit of the sacri- 
 fices you have already made. But silence on my part would 
 be affectation, for the very stones of this edifice proclaim 
 eloquently the truth of what I say. No doubt, the wealthier 
 portion of your brethren on shore have contributed liberally, 
 and probably the same has been done by persons not of our 
 communion. From their merit in tlils I would not detract, 
 but the secret of success in erecting this Cathedral, nay, the 
 
16 
 
 ACCOUNT OF TIIK CONSKCRATION OF TIIK 
 
 very basis of your commercial prosperity, is traceable to the 
 industry of those hardy and adventurous sons of the billow, 
 the fishermen of Newfoundland. They went forth, year 
 after year, to reap their precarious and perilous harvest from 
 the depths of the sea ; and year after year they returned, 
 bearing, not the gleanings, but the rich sheaves, to lay them 
 as offerings upon the altar of God, for the erection of a ta- 
 bernacle to his name. Faith, and faith alone, could have 
 inspired and sustained them during the progress of this 
 glorious undertaking. 
 
 When I speak of faith in the sense of the apostle, as 
 quoted in our text, I mean that divine principle of belief as 
 it operates in the hearts of living men. It was the same in 
 the breasts of our forefathers whilst they lived ; but now that 
 they are gone from this earth, faith, by which they lived in 
 their day and generation, has ceased for them, and been 
 replaced by knowledge. All the truths of revelation are 
 divine objects of faith, things which we are bound to believe. 
 They are true in themselves, because they have been revealed 
 by God, and were true before we were called into existence. 
 Hence they are objects of our faith, as distinguished from 
 the actual faith itself, which exists as a living principle in 
 our hearts. Again, the Church divinely instituted is at 
 once the guardian and the witness of the doctrines of reve- 
 lation, which we have to believe as objects of faith. Her 
 uniform, perpetual, and infallible testimony constitutes the 
 motive or groundwork of our belief. Thus it was in the 
 days of the apostles: their divine Master proposed to them 
 truths of revelation which it was necessary they should believe ; 
 and the gospels refer continually to this topic of " belief and 
 unbelief" among those who heard the divine word from the 
 lips of our Saviour himself. The teachings of Christ, there- 
 fore, were the objects of divine faith to his apostles and 
 disciples. They believed ; and the motive of their belief 
 was the veracity and divinity of their blessed Lord. They 
 knew by his miracles that he was a teacher sent of God ; 
 and when he proposed to them the mysteries of Christianity, 
 the doctrine of the Trinity of persons in the Godhead, the 
 doctrine of the Incarnation — of the adorable Eucharist — of 
 
CATUKDUAL OF ST. JOHN «, XKWFOL'NDLAND. 
 
 17 
 
 the infallibility of liis Church, and lier ilunition until tiic 
 consummation of tlic world — tlioy did not speculate on the 
 ddctrinc — they did not reuson — they did not disp\ite — they 
 believed. The word of Ciirist was the motive of their belief. 
 And this faith is so much a part, nay, so much the very 
 foundation of our reconciliation with our offended Creator, 
 that the apostle declares it "impossible without it to please 
 God;" and our Saviour says, "he that belie vctli and is baptized 
 shall be saved — he that bclievcth not shall be cond«;nmed." 
 It was by this faith that the lishevmen of Chdilec, after their 
 vocation and the descent of the Holy Ghost, became the 
 apostles by whose life and labours the glad tidings of reve- 
 lation were communicated to the ends of the earth. They 
 and their associates and their successors have constituted the 
 body of oflieial witnesses to testify and declare at all times 
 what were the doctrines revealed to them by Christ. Their 
 testimony has been unbroken, perpetual, and ubiquitous, 
 wherever the faith of their blessed Master has prevailed. 
 From day to day, from year to year, from generation to 
 generation, from century to century, the unanimous voice 
 of those appointed witnesses, the apostles and their successors, 
 though dispersed throughout Christendom, has been heard 
 publishing the same doctrines of revelation, and condemning 
 the errors which might spring up, claiming falsely to have 
 been revealed by the Saviour. The members of this divinely 
 constituted body of witnesses passed successively, -one by 
 one, from the scene of their earthly and apostolic labours; 
 but the body itself continued — became enlarged and extended 
 on every side, as nation after nation submitted to the sweet 
 yoke of Jesus Christ. Now, this external organization of 
 the Church is the mode and form under which its Redeemer 
 provided that the doctrines revealed by him, and which 
 constitute the objects of our faith, should be transmitted to 
 us and to those who shall come after us, under the infallible 
 attestation of witnesses appointed by him, and guaranteed 
 by the promise of his own presence with them, in order that 
 we too may believe and have eternal life. Thus, we know 
 from the Evangelists that out of the multitude of disciples 
 
IS 
 
 ACCOUNT OF THK CONSKCRATION OF TIIF. 
 
 who l)cHcvo(l, Christ selected twelve to be apostles, ami 
 communicated to thom the prerogatives of his own ministry, 
 not indeed, tliat tlioy should become tho revealers of new 
 d' i rines, but that they should be perpetual witnesses of those 
 wliich they had leumed from him. Among these twelve 
 he selected one, namely, Peter, and constituted him person- 
 ally as the rock on which his Church should perpetually 
 rest. To him alone he said: "Thou art Peter, and upon 
 this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall 
 not prevail against it." To him alone he said: " Thou being 
 once converted, confirm thy brethren." To him alone he 
 said: " Feed my lambs, feed my sheep" — that is: To thee I 
 give primacy and supreme authority over the entire sheep- 
 fold, of which I am the good Shepherd. Here, therefore, 
 we behold the external form and organization of the Christian 
 Church — the disciples, the apostles, and the divinely-appoint- 
 ed chief of all, St. Peter. That little flock has continued, 
 and under this external organization has enlarged itself to 
 the ends of the earth, presenting itself at all times under the 
 identical form which it received from the Divine Pastor. 
 Here, to-day, and everywhere, are the faithful disciples of 
 our Lord. Here and everywhere throughout Christendom 
 are the bishops of the Church, who have succeeded the 
 apostles ; but not here nor everywhere is the successor of 
 Peter, but only in the See which the blessed Chief of the 
 apostles founded in Rome ; and which, since the establish- 
 ment of Christianity, has been the centre of Catholic unity — 
 the seat of apostolic primacy and universal supremacy over 
 the Church of Christ. This Church has been the ever-living, 
 ever -speaking, ever-judging, and determining witness of 
 the truths which Christ revealed, and which are proposed 
 to one generation after another as the objects of our living 
 and active faith. It is by faith, and, if necessary, baptism, 
 that we are individually brought into communion with the 
 Church. It is through the witnessing of the Church, and 
 the grace of the sacraments, of which she is the depositary 
 and the dispenser, that we are individually brought into 
 communion with our divine Redeemer ; and it is through 
 
 \i 
 
CATUBURAL OK HT. JOHN H, NKWFUl'N|)LANI). 
 
 II* 
 
 his merits, coininunicatccl to us })y the medium of the Cliurcli, 
 in the ^racc of fuilh itself and of the gucriuuent?, that we arc 
 brought into communion witli his Eternal Father. Oh, 
 wliut a poor, I had aWnost said he<:garly, eonecption of the 
 Incarnation and ministry of Cliribt must tlmt man have who 
 restricts it to the few days of Ids mortal life, and to the limited 
 sphere of his personal mission in an obscure province of the 
 Roman empire. For him thcFoumler of Clivistiuiiity prcuclied 
 the word of life, and performed miracles, during only a period 
 of three years; for him the Incarnation and ministry of the 
 Redeemer are but a transitory apj)arition, of which certain 
 incidents have been historically prcicrved and recorded in 
 the inspired pages of the four Evangelists; for him the pre- 
 servation of the Scriptures, and the privilege of" interpreting 
 them as best each one may, are all the work of Christ that 
 survived his crucifixion on Mount Calvary. If he reads, ho 
 does not understand the intimate relations which Christ 
 established between himself and his ever-living and ever- 
 teaching representatives, namely, the apostles and their suc- 
 cessors united with their supreme Chief on earth, Peter and 
 the Bishops of Rome who have succeeded him. To them, 
 in the persons of the apostles, he declared that " all power 
 was given to him in heaven and on earth," and in the exercise 
 of that power he commanded them to " go forth, and teach 
 all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and 
 of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe 
 all things whatsoever he had commanded them," declaring, 
 at the same time, that he would " be with them all days, 
 even to the consummation of the world," adding elsewhere 
 that those who should " hear them should hear him ; and 
 those who despise them should despise him ; and those who 
 should despise him should despise the Father who sent him." 
 All this had taken place years before any portion of the New 
 Testament was written ; and in such language it is clear that 
 our blessed Saviour instituted the outward form of his Church, 
 and promised his divine and perpetual presence, in order to 
 carry on, through her instrumentality, and to diflfuse to tlie 
 very ends of the earth the works of his own ministry, and 
 
20 
 
 ACCOr.NT I'F TIIK (OXSKtlUilON OK fllK 
 
 tho morifs of Ins pncrifljv on tlio cross for thr ro<l< mption of 
 rniinkind. Kuitli, tlicii, is tlio iinwiiv<MinLr suid futirc assriit 
 oCoiir midcrstimiliiiL' to tlu' triitlis wliicli (Jod luis rcveulrd, 
 niid wliicli his Ciuiivli Ims borne <lo\vn to 11!=", ns u ilivinuly- 
 comini.s.sioned and inlullihlo witness. (Jonscqucnily, that 
 boliol', or persuasion, ns it is soinelimos culled, which i*e8ts 
 upon liuinan reasoning, upon high prol)ul)ility, upon opinion, 
 upon the interpretation which wc, us individuals, put upon 
 the pages of Holy Writ, upon, in short, tiny other foundation 
 except the infallible teaching of the Church, which Christ 
 appointed for the purpose of bearing witness to the truths 
 revealed by him, is not, and cannot be called, Divine Fuitli. 
 Wc may turn our attention now to a contemplation of 
 the changes that have been wrought in the character and 
 life of nations as well as of individuals, who have been blessed 
 with the heavenly gift of faith. Under tliis view wc may 
 consider tho devotion, the zeal, the sufTering, and the martyr- 
 dom of the Apostles, in attestation of tlic truths which they 
 preached and propagated throughout the world. During 
 the first three hundred years of our era, every species of per- 
 secution unto death was put in reiMiisition by the Roman 
 empire, for the vain purpose of sustaining paganism, and ex- 
 tinguishing the faith of Christ in tlie blood of those who 
 professed it. Many of tlie successors of St. Peter, during 
 those days of pagan cruelty and Christian heroism, con- 
 firmed the truths of revelation which they had received and 
 preached, by the testimony of their blood, under the hand 
 of the V xecutioncr. Not only the Pontiffs, but also the 
 priests and laity of the Church — the Christian nobleman — 
 the Christian slave — the citizen — the soldier — the lau'i of 
 grey hairs and the tender virgin, in short, victims ■>> ('\i • 
 rank, and of every class, were sought out, given over to tor- 
 tures ari to death, in tlie vain hope of extinguishing the 
 faith and appeasing the ferocity of a pagan people and of the 
 fabulous gods v^ their fal'ing empire. The Church beheld 
 and suifercd tho,>e ^ lelties, but her mission was to preach 
 the truths whicli (, wrist had -evealcd, and she could neither 
 cease from her lab juir, nor make any compromise to appease 
 
CATIIKIHIAI. Oh i'T. JDIIN f<, XKWKOL'NDI.ANI* 
 
 2\ 
 
 ll»o unpor of tht» rul«'rs of thi» worUl. The inrtitynlom of 
 lior chlldmi, tliouj/li uii uli'iction in uiu.' scnnc, wiw t(» lu-r a 
 .il»i«'c't of tiiumj)h ; an<l ir at unv tliuc a tear Htooil in her 
 »!Ve, »»r a bhi.sli (lilKuH'il itf<i'i( )ver lu i i,ie<'k countt'niuu'o, it 
 WHS when some child olhcr'n, t<>o '•'Cak U> iH'ur the tortures, 
 luid recourse to apostucy, and saved the hi<' of the body !> 
 denying' tlie Trutli that hud been revealed, ind of which 
 alie was the witness. 
 
 Aft'-r tlie close of this lonir pci-sccui i md when the 
 ^|la^tor of the l{onian empire liiniseU bccuni a disciple of tlie 
 cr<.>.'':>, and translcrred its symbol us the mo^r <,doriou9 jewel 
 in tlie imperial diadem, the Ciiurch, in beaiing witness to 
 the trutiis ol' revelation, had to encounter new adve -arlcs 
 and new dani,'ers. The centuries succtieding tht conversion 
 of Constantino wore the most remarkable for the piin^jing 
 up of heresies immediately or remotely conn*.'ctei for the 
 most part with the mystery of the Incarnatit)n. tli pers-on, 
 nature, and attributes of our Lord himself The authois of 
 these heresies were generally men oi' much h.irni'g and 
 intellectual capacity. Pride, which is adverse to tl. ; sim- 
 plicity of taith, was in their hearts, the subtleties of -agan 
 philosophy in tlicir understandings. Whether consei »usly 
 or not, they attempted to adulterate the deposit of faith, and 
 to propagate as doctrines of Christianity truths which C irist 
 had not revealcil. The necessity of combating these ci rors 
 «'ave occasion to those immortal writint^s which have done 
 so much lor tlie illustration of the real doctrines of Christi- 
 anity, and to whose testimony succeeding ages have so con- 
 stantly rc'lerred. Tiieir authors were what arc commonly 
 called th' • " Fathers of the Church." But not by their writings 
 alone did the successors of the apostles bear witness to the 
 truths of revelation, and a.'zainst the novelties of error. Coun- 
 cils — convoked and presided over by the successorof St. Peter, 
 or hi iniiuediate representative — assembled, in which the 
 bisht'ps ol tiie (Church recorded their testimony in favour of 
 the truth, and against the heresies of the innovators. During 
 these ige= the Church contbunded the pride of those who, 
 prolessing (alln 'licit v . yet chafed under the yoke of divine 
 
22 
 
 ACCOUNT OF THE CONSECRATION OF THE 
 
 faith. She confounded the pride of the rebellious intellect, and 
 expelled from her borders the attempted admixture of a pagan 
 philosophy, which even some individual bishops of her com- 
 munion had sought to infuse into the pure and simple teach- 
 ings of the Christian religion. Thus, after having triumphed 
 over brute force, as wielded by pagan persecutors, for three 
 hundred years, she triumphed again over the sly, seductive, 
 but dangerous subtleties of the proud and perverted intellects 
 of heresiarchs, , i^o disturbed her peace by their various 
 atttx.ipts to seduce her children from the paths of divine 
 truth into the labyrinths of human error. A third struggle 
 was in store for her. She had purified and renovated such 
 civilization as pagan Rome had established in Italy and 
 Southern Europe. But the empire itself was in progress of 
 dissolution. New tribes, new hordes, new peoples, without 
 civilization, except of the rudest type, were breaking into 
 the various departments of what had once been the Roman 
 Empire. Tliey were for the most part barbarians and ido- 
 lators, or, if they had any notion of Christianity, it was derived 
 from an erroneous source. They poured in from the North 
 in irresistible torrents. Wave after wave of such populations 
 swept over the land, carrying away all that was destructible 
 — the bark of Peter alone being enabled to resist the torrent, 
 and rise to the surface of the flood. When their irruptions 
 liad partially ceased, she had a new struggle to sustain, not 
 now against learning and perverted knowledge, but against 
 rudeness, ignorance, barbarism, and military ferocity. Yet 
 she educated those barbarians, she civilized them, she imbued 
 them with a knowledge of the Christian doctrine, and under 
 her fostering care they became the germs of the civilized 
 and Catholic nations of Europe, as they are to-day. This 
 again was the triumph of faith. She proposed to them, as 
 an infallible witness, the doctrines which her Divine Founder 
 had commanded her to teach all nations ; and on her testimony 
 they believed. Again Europe had emerged gradually from 
 this condition of ignorance of all but the Christian doctrine 
 into a period of renovated science and knowledge. The 
 improvement was the work of the Church, the indirect 
 
CATHEDRAL OF ST. JOHN S, NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 23 
 
 consequences of the belief in the Christian religion. And 
 now let the Church prepare for another contest not less cal- 
 culated to test her invincibility than those which had pre- 
 ceded.* New licresies are broaclicd and promulgated by- 
 certain proud biit rebellious cliildren whom she herself had 
 cherished in her bosom. These last errors were too irrational, 
 too clumsily supported by their authors, to be of any lasting 
 consequence, if secular governments had not taken advantage 
 of them for the attainment of secular and political ends. 
 Whilst Christendom was united, the exercise of irresponsible 
 and despotic power by sovereigns was hardly practicable in 
 the presence of the Church, and under the supervision of 
 the Holy See. Kings and rulers, though supremo in their 
 own department, yet, as professing members of the Catholic 
 Church, were held bound by her laws to the observance of 
 at least the great moral precepts of the Christian faith. They 
 could not, with her sanction, violate the sacredness of the 
 marriage bond ; they could not violate their lawful oaths, or 
 become public perjurers, or despotic tyrants, crushing the 
 people whom they were only appointed to govern, and not 
 to ojipress. This was deemed a bondage from which royalty 
 in many instances took advantage of the distractions in the 
 Church, as an opportunity to relieve and emancipate itself 
 Tlie errors of the innovators in their several countries were 
 soon blended with the policy of the state in which they lived ; 
 and their followers, if not themselves, have been obliged by 
 the power of the state to adopt such modifications, such ad- 
 ditions, or diminutions of the doctrines committed by our 
 Saviour to the guardianship and the witnessing of the Church, 
 as their temporal rulers were pleased to authorize. Again, 
 the powers of the state were applied in the forms of reward 
 and penalties to seduce the children of faith from allegiance 
 to the Church, and transform them into vassals who were 
 expected to bow down before the image which the sovereigns 
 had set up. Our forefathers in the great empire of which 
 you are now an important colony were no strangers to this 
 political system of rewards and punishments. But they were 
 men of faitli in their day. They suflercd martyrdom when 
 
m 
 
 ACCOUNT OF THE CONSECRATION OF THE 
 
 the occasion demanded it. They suffered the loss of property, 
 of position, of reputation itself, rather than recognize in a 
 mere secular government the spiritual rights, and power, and 
 authority which the Saviour of the world conferred upon 
 his Church alone ; and so they suifered loss of all things, that 
 they might preserve the heavenly inheritance of faith, and 
 transmit the same to their descendants. The contest, if not 
 over, is much abated in violence ; and in the presence of that 
 empire and of mankind wo may say with the Apostle, St. 
 John, " Tliis is the victory which conquereth the world, our 
 faith." I need not tell you, dearly beloved brethren, that 
 faith alone is not enough lor salvation ; it must be accompanied 
 by good works. It must manifest itself in the exercise of 
 those virtues which it suggests, and of which it is the foun- 
 dation and tlie support. It must be the reliance of holy 
 liope, and the groundwork of divine charity. The Council 
 of Trent speaks of faith as the " basis of good works," and as 
 " the root of justification." And the Church has ever taught, 
 in the language of the apostle, that " faith without works is 
 dead in itself." What is the secret of the devoted zeal which 
 through all ages has prompted, and still prompts, the apos- 
 tolic missionary to forsake the endearments of home, and to 
 give his labours and his life for the conversion of men who 
 liave never heard the name of Christ? What has inspired 
 the martyrs with the heroism which enabled them to triumph 
 over death ? What Is it that has sustained, and still sustains, 
 those great bencfiictors of the human race, those unappre- 
 ciated servants of God, who devote themselves to the miti- 
 gation of human suffering, at the sacrifice of worldly comfort, 
 and even of life itself? It is charity bearing evidence to 
 laith. 
 
 To this faith, operating through charity, we must trace 
 the origin of those great monuments of departed generations 
 with which Europe is studded from one eminence, so to 
 speak, to another — those minsters, as they are called in 
 England, those cathedrals, monasteries, convents, hospitals, 
 and orphan asylums, which are found on the Continent. 
 Those are, indeed, monuments of faith, that still speak for 
 
 im 
 
CATHEDRAL OF ST. JOHNS, NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 25 
 
 the belief of our religious ancestors. They are the results 
 of faith, wrought out through social co-operation into glorious 
 evidences of humanity, improved, purified, and elevated into 
 works of divine charity. Their foundations were laid deep 
 in the earth; their domes, their turrets, and their spires 
 pointed towards heaven, as if pleading to God that he might 
 pardon the sins of the earth, and thus, like lightning rods 
 in modern science, turning aside, or suspending, at least, the 
 divine vengeance against the iniquities of the world. They 
 were not the creation of mere secular governments. The 
 expenditure which they involved was not derived from taxes 
 decreed by civil legislation, and extorted in the name of the 
 state from unbelieving or unwilling contributors. Their 
 expenses were borne by the offerings of charity and of faith, 
 proceeding from many hands and many hearts, as a voluntary 
 tribute offered for the love of God and the love of man. All 
 these, as mere material structures, were, in their day of con- 
 secration, like this your own glorious cathedral, monuments 
 of faith. 
 
 But it is not in the founding of those institutions that the 
 highest evidences of the power of that faith are to be looked 
 for. A slight acquaintance with the history of the Church 
 will satisfy any one that the power of faith working by charity 
 was yet more effectually illustrated in the consecration of 
 individuals to the great labour of serving God and man by 
 a perpetual sacrifice of themselves in works of charity by 
 which such service could be sustained. Humanity in some 
 of those ages was borne down under a dense cloud of igno- 
 rance. And in presence of this you behold men and women, 
 themselves educated, and sometimes of high rank, devoting 
 themselves, for the love of God and the love of man, to the 
 life-long labour of instructing others. The aged and desti- 
 tute, the sick and wounded, the forsaken in infancy, the 
 Christian captive under the dominion of the infidel master, 
 in short, the various calamities or afflictions to which man- 
 kind arc exposed, presented, as they still present, occasions 
 for the exorcise of holy charity resting on the basis of divine 
 faith. Here is the key of those various religious orders that 
 
20 
 
 ACCOUNT OF THK CONSKCRATION OF TIIK 
 
 liave existed and still exist in the Cluircli, some devoting 
 themselves to this phase of human suffenng, some to that, 
 some to another, until at last you behold faith and charity 
 taking up and assuming voluntarily the mitigation, and, so 
 to speak, sanctification of all the sullerings to which humanity 
 is liable. Under the iniluence of these divine gifts of faith 
 and charity, the calamities of mankind have been, as it were, 
 scientiiically arranged and classified under their respective 
 heads. By the influence of the same divine gifts operating 
 in the hearts of individuals, there has always been in the 
 various religious orders a succession of volunteers to under- 
 take the work specially contemplated by their institution. 
 Not only were they inspired to undertake the work, often- 
 times of a nature most discouraging and most repulsive, but 
 they were sustained in its execution from youth to old age, 
 and that without any recompense, except the recompense of 
 faith, which is, according to the Apostle, " the substance of 
 things to be hoped for, tlie evidence of things that appear 
 not." To the mere human eye they seemed but as instructors 
 for the ignorant, nurses for the sick, substitutes for the Chris- 
 tian captive, when they caused the manacles of bondage to 
 be stricken from his hands, and f listened on their own, sisters 
 to the recovered penitents of their own sex, mothers to the 
 destitute orphan ; and to the world it has ever appeared a 
 mystery how such persons could devote themselves to such 
 labours without the prospect of any human recompense. 
 But the explanation is, that they were illumined by the 
 light of divine faith, and sustained by the fire of holy charity. 
 To them the very toils which they had to undergo were "the 
 substance of things to be hoped for," the very objects of their 
 solicitude and care were to them the " evidence of things 
 that appear not." The Redeemer had declared that what- 
 soever they should do for one of the least of his brethren 
 should be done for himself; and, consequently, their services 
 in all the departments of Christian charity were ultimately 
 directed as if to tlie very person of our Lord and Saviour 
 Jesus Christ, lie appeared not, but by faith he was evident 
 to them in the person of every suffering member of humanity. 
 
CATUEDllAL OF ST. JOHN S, NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 ■27 
 
 • All these laboured in communion with, and in subjection 
 to the Holy Catholic Church. Outside of her communion 
 nothing of the kind has ever been, or can ever be, witnessed 
 Wherever civil governments have usurped tlic functions and 
 authority of the Church, charity in its true sense has dis- 
 appeared, and faith has been replaced by mere human opinion, 
 involving speculation, doubt, and infidelity. Previous to 
 their sacrilegious usurpation of ecclesiastical supremacy in 
 their several states, the poor were abundantly provided for 
 by the voluntary offerings of a believing people. After such 
 usurpation the fountains of charity were dried up, and legal 
 coercion was necessary to provide relief for the victims of 
 destitution. Instead of the ancient establishments for their 
 relief, we behold for the first time the grim workhouse, ex- 
 hibiting more of the prison than of the asylum ; we behold 
 voluntary poverty for Christ's sake treated witii derision, and 
 the victims of involuntary destitution, if not permitted to 
 *^ unrelieved, relieved in such a manner as would imply 
 the punishment of crime no less than the relief of want. 
 
 I need hardly remind you, my dear brethren, that the 
 inculcation of the principles of divine faith and of holy charity 
 from this day forward is the great supernatural object for 
 which this noble cathedral has been this day consecrated. 
 Here, before this altar, on this ground, now blessed and sanc- 
 tified in the work of Christ, as the earth itself hnd been cursed 
 in the work of Adam, you will make known your petitions 
 to God, abiding in his Holy Tabernacle. Here you will 
 listen to the words of eternal life from the chief pastor whom 
 God has placed over you, or the priests by him commissioned 
 — here, in short, you will find lor your souls a harbour of 
 perfect rest and tranquillity, in which you will invoke the 
 divine blessing and the divine protection against the storms 
 and the dangers of the elements, which, in your humble but 
 most important industry, you will have to encounter. The 
 fact of your having erected this magnificent edifice to the 
 glory of God is an evidence both of your faith and of your 
 charity. It exhibits these as the characteristic of the Catholic 
 inhabitants of your island. The inhabitants of other lands 
 
28 
 
 ACCOUNT OF THE CONSECRATION OF THE 
 
 ,V 1 
 
 raay erect palaces lor their sovereigns, which will indicate 
 in their grandeur the existence of national wealth and of 
 national pride. The merchants ol" great cities may conspire 
 in the construction of puhlic buildings for the purposes of 
 regulating commerce and exchange ; all such structures pro- 
 claim the earthly principle from which they are derived, 
 and the earthly purpose to whicli they are dedicated. Useful 
 they may be, and no doubt are ; but if traced to their lowest 
 foundation, they will be found to rest upon the basis of mere 
 worldly pride or interested selfishness. Not so with an edifice 
 like this. A cathedral is an exception among public build- 
 ings ; its purpose, its object, and the motives which prompted 
 its erection, must all be estimated by a standard entirely 
 different from that of those public buildings whose origin 
 and end are limited by earth and time. This cathedral is 
 the product of voluntary offerings from those who expect 
 no return of the capital or interest invested in it — who expect 
 no remuneration, no privilege, other than the sacred privilege 
 of worshipping God beneath its mighty dome. 
 
 The bishops from other dioceses who have the happiness 
 to be here to-day have witnessed a spectacle worthy the ages 
 of faith. When we return to our respective homes, we shall 
 make known how the fishermen of Newfoundland, who go 
 forth on the rocking billows to prosecute the development of 
 a most important department of industry amidst the tempests 
 and dangers of the ocean — how these fishermen, I say, have 
 been able, from their scanty earnings, to economize, and to 
 create a fund sufficient to rear this magnificent temple as a 
 tabernacle to the God of Jacob. 
 
 Yet even this grand edifice, solid as it is, will perish. But 
 you, dearly beloved brethren, are to be living stones in the 
 everlasting temple which is not reared by human hands; 
 you are sustained now by that faith which is " the substance 
 of things to be hoped for, the evidence of things which appear 
 not." Let it be your care to secure the end for which you 
 were created, an eternal abode in that better world where 
 faith will be no longer necessary — where neither tempest, 
 nor suffering, nor disappointment, can reach — where you 
 
CATIIKDRAL OF ST. JOHNS, NKWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 '2i) 
 
 will be aggregated to the glorious company of the paints 
 and martyrs, and confessors, and virgins — where you will 
 sec with your eyes God our Saviour, and near him, but 
 elevated above all created beings, his ever blessed Virgin 
 Mother, who has been figuratively and beautifully termed 
 " Star of the Sea." Her sweet name is familiar to your lips 
 — It is often in your hearts. Her intercession you invoke 
 in the moment of danger, and as a safeguard against temp- 
 tation. She is nearly related to the Incarnation of our divine 
 Saviour. She is the most perlect of all God's creatures, 
 preserved from every stain of original and ol' actual sin.' And 
 under her powerl'ul patronage 1 invoke upon you the blessing 
 of Almighty God, In time and in eternity, as the only 
 adequate reward of your labours In the erection oi' this 
 glorious monument of your faith and your charity. 
 
 " The Music at the High Mass, the Te Deum, and the 
 Triduum was very fine. The Heron Family gratuitously 
 gave their services, and if possible excelled themselves on 
 the occasion. And the full effect of the noble Organ was 
 shown off by the performer to perfection. 
 
 " After Mass, the bishops, clergy, and others again formed 
 in their previous order, and proceeded from the Cathedral 
 to the Convent, through a line formed by the Benevolent 
 Irish and the Mechanics* Societies — the crowd, with the 
 Societies, prostrating as they passed, and receiving the Archi- 
 episcopal blessing. 
 
 " The Benevolent Irish Society had walked in procession 
 to the Cathedral, accompanied by a fine Band, and were 
 accommodated by His Lordship, Dr. Mullock, with places 
 behind the Altar. After Mass, the Society were hospitably 
 provided with refreshments at the Presentation Convent." 
 
 THE ILLUMINATIONS. 
 
 " As soon as the evening began to close, all the Catholic 
 inhabitants of this Catholic city commenced the work of a 
 glorious illumination, and never In this country has been 
 
 H 
 
m 
 
 ACCOUNT OF THE COXSECRATION OF THE 
 
 witnessed a display oftlie kind so soul-stirring, so beautiful, 
 80 truly eloquent beyond words, of the joy and thanksgiving 
 of a people. The musical noti;s of the Cathedral chimo 
 gave signal for the lighting, whicli began gradually, and 
 with the finest eflect. Now in one street a solitary window 
 numbered its dozen twinkling stars; next minute its neigh- 
 bour shone forth ; while you gazed, the houses that but a 
 moment before were dull and sombre with the hues of night, 
 shed forth their countless rays ; and before a quarter of an 
 hour had elapsed, every street, North, South, East, and 
 West, was bathjd in a Hood of light. It would be difficult 
 to say accurately m what localities the illuminations were 
 most brilliant, nor is it important — there appeared to be a 
 universal emulation in this respect ; and every species of 
 light, and every contrivance for increasing and variegating 
 it in blue, pink, red, green, &c., was put into immediate 
 requisition. The Cathedral, the Convents, the Bishop's 
 Palace, the Orphanage, the Orphan Asylum, the Triumphal 
 Arch, were all completely bespangled. Opposite Government 
 House, through Cochrane and several other cross streets, 
 tar barrels and torches blazed in aid of the general effect — 
 and this effect at length was a glory bright as day. Nor 
 was this confined merely to the several streets of the town ; 
 for miles around the country the same spirit had spoken, 
 the same magic torch illumined the habitations of rich and 
 poor, great and lowly. Every dwelling then sent forth its 
 tenants, and the streets were alive with human beings, all, 
 we are proud to say, conducting themselves, in the midst of a 
 scene so exciting, with an order and decorum which testified 
 their high sense of the sacrcdncss of its object. At about 
 eiffht o'clock commenced discharges of fire-arms from several 
 quarters of the town. Every man who owned, or could by 
 hook or crook get hold of a sealing gun (and the number 
 of such in St. John's and its vicinity can be easily imagined), 
 prepared that instrument of support, and made its voice re- 
 echo in the common burst of jubilation and praise. Count- 
 less skyrockets shot fortli their streams of fire, and made the 
 firmament resonant with sounds of joy. Music, too, poured 
 
CATIIKDRAL OF ST. JOHNS NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 31 
 
 out its melodies to the air; in ft word, every available lacnns 
 and symbol by which the deepest devotional triumph and 
 gratitude could find expression, was employed to proelaii. 
 as best they could, the universal sentiment oi the Cluirch of 
 Newfoundland, upon the auspicious day that saw tho 
 great work, whi a has been so truly the labour of its love, 
 at length accomplished, consecrated, and crowned. 
 
 "These hasty lines very impcrtcctly sketch tlio proceedings 
 of the most memorable day in the Catholic annals of this 
 country." i: - .v -,,■.- ''"•-^. ^-.v:' i '■:■:-,'-' --'-■ 
 
 ^1 
 
 DINNER OF THE BENEVOLENT IRISH SOCIETY TO HIS GRACE 
 THE ARCHBISHOP OF NEW YORK, AND TIIKII LORDSHIPS 
 THE BISHOPS OF TORONTO, ARICHAT, AND NEW BRUNSWICK. 
 
 " This splendid banquet, at wliich over one hundred and 
 sixty gentlemen were present, came off on Tuesday last, the 
 Hon. Laurence O'Brien presiding, and the lion. P. F. 
 Little occupying the vice-chair. After the removal of 
 the cloth, the Hon. President rose and said: — 
 
 "'Your Grace, My Lords, and Gentlemen: — This 
 being a festivity in honour of the Dignitaries of our Church, it 
 is our duty, as Catholics, to pay especial homage to the dis- 
 tinguished head of the Church. The chair of St. Peter is 
 the centre of unity ; it is the point upon which the Catholic 
 mind throughout the whole circle of the universe is con- 
 centrated, but apart from the dogmas of faith, the present 
 illustrious wearer of the tiara, as a temporal sovereign, is 
 worthy of all esteem. 1 give you, ^ 
 
 U ( 
 
 HIS HOLINESS POPE PIUS THE IX. 
 
 " The Most Rev. Dr. Hughes, Archbishop of New York 
 rose, amid loud acclamations, and said that he felt himself 
 unexpectedly called upon to respond to the toast which 
 had just been given, and which the Irish Society had 
 done honour to themselves by placing under the head of 
 
32 
 
 ACCOUNT OF TIIK CONSKCRATION uF THE 
 
 'Charter Toast,' in their rules. Certainly it was to bo 
 expected in a Society like the present, so coimecte*! with 
 our religion, that the Head of the Church sliould be thus 
 honoured, and especially the present occupant ul' the papal 
 throne, who was one of the most illustrious in the catalogue 
 of the Popes, and who had in an especial manner been called 
 upon to bear witness, by suffering, privation and ailliction, 
 to the cause of Christ. He (the Archbishop) rejoiiod at 
 this manifestation of attachment and devotittn to tlio Pope; 
 because, having not long since had the happiness of an in- 
 troduction to His Holiness, he Iclt assured that it would 
 afford him pleasure to hear that there were on this side of 
 the Atlantic those who made up for the ingratitude of petty 
 factions at home — an ingratitude which so deeply grieved 
 his paternal heart. He had no doubt that the apostolic 
 Bishop of Arichat, now present, and wlio was shortly to 
 proceed to Rome, would gladden the heart of the Pope, by 
 informing him of the enthusiasm which his sacred name had 
 awakened here to-night. This would soothe the wounds 
 caused by the calumny and persecution to which His Holi- 
 ness had been subjected. And when he should be told o! 
 the vast undertaking for the promotion of religion, and which 
 was now brouglit to a triumphant consummation by the 
 Catholic people of Newfoundland, and of their ardent devo- 
 tion to the illustrious head of our Church, he would rejoice 
 and thank God for this little instalment of comfort. He 
 (the Archbishop) should have preferred that another had 
 undertaken the pleasing task of returning thanks on this 
 occasion ; nevertheless, it was to him a most sincere pleasure 
 — a most grateful dyty. He therefore thanked them for 
 the enthusiastic manner in which they had received the name 
 of the illustrious Pontiff who now governs the Church — 
 Pius IX. (Prolonged cheering)." 
 
CATHEORAI. OF ST. JOHNS, NKWFOT'MDLAXn. 
 
 m 
 
 " Mr. PRKSIDENT then rose oiiU said — Loyulty to thuir 
 sovereip^n is an i Distinct aiul a tradition of Irishmen, and in 
 chcrisliin*,' this manly sentiment they only obey one of the 
 injunctions of our holy religion. Our present gracious 
 Queen fills the throne she adorns with Imperial dignity and 
 womanly virtue ; may she long reign over her vast empire, 
 in the aflfections of her subjects. The toast of her Majesty 
 was then drank with enthusiastic loyalty. 
 
 " The President rose and said — The policy that guides 
 the Federal Union in the periodical election of its ruler, 
 is too complex for any person not intimately conversant 
 with the motives which influence party movements to com- 
 prehend. But experience has alieady made manifest that 
 the democratic principle is always capable of producing the 
 right man for the right occasion. Springing from the same 
 common origin, we honour Americans and their constitu- 
 tional institutions, as scions of the Old Stock, branches or 
 sprouts of the Old Oak tree. I give you, ' The President of 
 the United Stotes.' 
 
 " His Grace Archbishop Hughes, of New York, again 
 rose, and was greeted with loud and prolonged cheering. 
 As soon as silence ensued, his Grace said — It was to be re- 
 gretted that there was no one present of the secular repre- 
 sentatives of the United States to respond fitly to the toast 
 wliich had now been given, and so well received. The com- 
 pliment which the toast conveyed was not diminished by thr 
 fact that it was given in close connexion with that of Her Ma- 
 jesty the Queen of England, and head of this great and 
 abnost universal empire. (Cheers.) He was aware that the 
 compliment to the Chief Magistrate of the United States was 
 intended as a compliment to the nation itself. (Cheers.) As 
 a citizen of the United States, he, therefore, felt called on to 
 respond to the honour. As a clergyman and a bishop, he 
 could not forget that the spirit of our Church is the spirit 
 of peace — peace in society, in provinces, in communities, 
 and between nations. The Church, in her liturgy, asks of 
 God the blessings of peace, with that prompting of every- 
 thing that is of peace. Catholic clergymen always, in their 
 
34 
 
 ACCOUNT OF THK CONHKCllATION OF TIIK 
 
 minIf»trntjon?», invoke tliis l)l«'.«siii;T of praco Ijotwcon tlio na- 
 lioiis of tluM'urtli ; un<l, oHpccinllv, Ix'twi'on tli<)«(! wiilcli oo- 
 ciij)y sucli consjj'u'uouM position:) uh lOn^'lan.l and A»n(;ii<'ii. 
 ((ircnt cli'jidin^'.) Wur la u •riviif culauiity. It in i*'i\u\ to ho 
 Boinctimes nocosMiiy ; and, ]»< rliups, it is ho. lint, takin;( it 
 for grunted tlmt it is soinctiincfl noccHsui y, uiulcr peculiar 
 eiicuinstunccs un<l combinations of events, j^till tlic cullivu- 
 tion of pence l)et\veen nations should bo ren^arded as one of 
 thocliief blessings anion<,'?t men. War, it is true, gives oc- 
 casion for nllianees ; but why should not peace have her 
 alliuncos too? (Cheers.) Wliy should nt)t the peaceful :\vd 
 kindly feelings, whii'h <lo honour to human nature, prevail 
 among nations, and, especially, between this part of the 
 Uritish Empire and the republic of the United States, to 
 which it lies in such close proximity? (Loud cheers.) The 
 distinguished individual, who now occupies tl»e position of 
 chief magi.stratc of the American nation, is worthy of the 
 oflicc he fills. He liad the honour of knowing him, and he 
 was proud, to say that there was no ground ibr reproach 
 against him, or against tho party with whom he acts. 
 (Cheers.) He adheres to the general, universal, impartial 
 principle of freedom on which the constitution of the na- 
 tion professes to be based. (Tremendous cheering.) He 
 (the Archbishop) was well aware that parchment constitu- 
 tions arc of little avail, unless the principles of them are 
 written in the human heart ; and in the United States the 
 principles of the constitution are in the hearts of the people. 
 (Cheers.) Class legislation — creed legislation will not be 
 tolerated there. (Loud and prolonged cheering.) And if 
 an attempt should be made to carry out such legislation — if 
 even a law should be carried in Congress with such an ob- 
 ject, he had confidence in the President that he would re- 
 fuse his signature to it. As an American, and pleased as he 
 was with the warm reception which had been given this 
 eveninjr to the name of tLv President of the United States, 
 and to the nation itself, he might, he thought, without im- 
 propriety, indulge in a little self-glorification. (Laughter.) 
 However, he would not do so ; especially as he should have 
 
 > 
 
CATIIKPRAI. «)F mT. jailNd, XRWroUMnLANP 
 
 3A 
 
 to spottk <)r|irt>ci'v'liii>.'a winch Kail hvon \i\tc\y had there, and 
 whlcli were disgnicoi'ul to it. Hut, it sli* mid bo observed, tl>at 
 wliatevcr faultrt the AiniM'icans may have, it wouUl not l>o 
 right to take the conduct and proceeding's of certain classes 
 or parties as iudiciting the tone of public feeling' in tlie na- 
 tion. One nii},'hi bo led to believe, I'rom the tone and writ- 
 ings of some of tlic newspapers, that there was a revulsion 
 in the feelings of the threat bulk of the peoph', and tliat 
 they would rejoice to so all of us. Catholics, walk- 
 ing out from among them. That, however, would be a 
 mistake — they would be very sorry to sec us go. (Loud 
 cheers.) They are not so forgetful or regardless of the na- 
 tional interests as to desire such an event; f«jr they have 
 wise and able statesmen among them, licsides, they do not 
 forget that they themselves are the offspring of emigra- 
 tion. Their ancestors were not of the aboriginal tribes 
 who swayed it over the soil ere emigration began ; but 
 they were emigrants. So they do not wish for separation ; 
 they would bo sorry to sec us leave them. And (continued his 
 Grace) I tell you this, we have not the least notion of going 
 (Laughter and cheers.) And I further tell you that if they 
 have any wish for a separation, let them pack up as quickly 
 as they can, and go. (Roars of laughter, and immense 
 cheering, which continued for several minutes, and in the 
 midst of which his Grace resumed his seat.) 
 
 " The President rose again, and said, Governor Darling 
 is scarcely four months amongst us. His Excellency was 
 deputed specially by His Sovereign to inaugurate amongst 
 us a new form of Government. It involved in the change 
 the passage of power from the representatives of the few 
 to the representatives of the many. His Excellency's ante- 
 cedents were favourable to constitutional government ; the 
 same duty devolved on him at the colony of the Cape of 
 Good Hope, where he was the first to introduce into that 
 distant dependency of the British Crown — the true principle of 
 representative government. His Excellency, in effecting the 
 change here, has earned forhimselfthecharacterof animpartial 
 ruler. In his policy, he has been guided by the spirit of the 
 
30 
 
 ACCOUNT OF THE CONSECllATION OF TIIK 
 
 Constitution. The result of that policy, in instituting whnt 
 is termed Purl i amen tary Government, and in clothing with 
 power individuals wlio are recognized as the representatives 
 of the pervading idea, may, as it does in all free .govern- 
 ments, create difrercnces of opinion ; but the general opinion 
 of the country is, that Governor Darling has fairly and faith- 
 fully discharged the dillicult <luty intrusted to him by his 
 sovereign. I give you, ' His Excellency Governor Darling.' 
 'Tlic Hon. P. F. Little returned thanks. 
 
 (< 
 
 TOAST OF THE EVENING. 
 
 " The President rose and said — I now come to a toast, 
 which will long live in the recollections of this Society. I may 
 truly and unaffectedly say, that on the present occasion my 
 feelings overpower me — a rush of ideas assails me — the reli- 
 gion we profess, its apostolic representatives, the occasion of 
 our meeting, the exalted character of our venerated guests, 
 our humility and their celebrity, our gratitude for the 
 honour done us, and their pious condescension in subjecting 
 themselves to all the privations of a sea voyage, in order to 
 do honour to our holy religion, and to bear testimony to our 
 devotedness in its cause, — emotions produced by such ideas 
 now oppress me. But how shall I attempt to individualise? 
 how shall I portray for you the character of the Archbishop 
 of New York, the illustrious divine, the eminent statesman, 
 the able polemic? How shall I speak of his Lordship of 
 Toronto, one of the noblesse of that glorious empire, which 
 has given so many missionaries to reclaim the savage, and 
 evangelise the world ? And his Lordship of Arichat, who is 
 surrounded by faithful fishermen like ourselves ; and of the 
 Bishop of New Brunswick, who is now erecting in the capital 
 city of his diocese a splendid cathedral, similar to our own ? 
 Tiieir Lordships are the first strange bishops who ever 
 visited our shores. Their arriva. ' an epoch in our history, 
 and their gracious approval of us and of our humble labour, 
 will give us renewed energy in the cause of our religion and 
 our country. I have, therefore, much pleasure in giving 
 
CATHEDRAL OF ST. JOHN S, NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 37 
 
 ' His Grace tlic Arclibishop of New York, tlieir Lor(lshlj)S 
 the Bishop of'Toronto, the lilshop of Arichat, and the Bishop 
 of New Brunswick, our distinguished Guests.' 
 
 " Most Rev. Dr. Hughes rose amid the most deafening 
 cheers. After they had subsided, he said ho hoped they 
 would not be frightened at seeing him, for the third time, on 
 his legs. (Cheers.) He did not intend, however, to make 
 anything like a speech ; but as his name was first on the list 
 of the guests whom they had honoured, he felt bound to thank 
 them, and to say that their overflowing hospitality had been 
 to him quite unexpected. He had expected much indeed 
 in the monument wliich they had raised to God ; and in this 
 he was not disappointed. But the welcome that he had re- 
 ceived from them — the enthusiastic reception they had given 
 him — all this, he confessed, surprised him. But he would 
 adhere to the promise he had set out with, of not making a 
 speech on this particular occasion; and his reasons for this 
 were : — first, when many persons were engaged in the per- 
 formance of any work, the labour of eacli became lighter 
 in proportion to the number employed. (Laughter.) With 
 this philosophy of labour he knew they were well acquainted. 
 (Cheers.) They knew, and few knew better, that with an 
 union of hearts and hands there might be accomplished in a 
 day wliat would otherwise take six months to acliieve ; and 
 this is what is called distribution of labour. (Cheers.) Again, 
 he was an enemy to monopoly. (Loud cheers.). And in 
 order that his practice might be in keeping with his doctrine, 
 he would thank them on his own behalf. (Cheers.) He 
 begged them to remember that he spoke only for himself. 
 (Laughter and cheers.) 
 
 " Right Rev. Dr. Charbonnell, Bishop of Toronto, rose, 
 and was received with acclamations. — He said if his Grace 
 the Archbishop was not fond of monoj)oly, he (Dr. Char- 
 bonnell) was not fond of co-partncrsliip. (Roars of laughter.) 
 And he, for his part, felt satisfied with what liis Grace had 
 done, and had no disposition to interfere witli his monopoly. 
 (Laughter.) In fact, he was completely tin own upon the 
 support of his Grace on this occasion ; and he regretted his 
 
i' 
 
 38 
 
 ACCOUNT OF THE CONSECRATION OF THE 
 
 inability to give expression to his feelings — to say in suit- 
 able language all that he felt. Ilis tongue did not correspond 
 with his feelings ; but, indeed, he might say that their kind- 
 ness — the kindness and warm-hearted welcome expressed by 
 those around, was enough to make any one eloquent. As 
 the representative of his nation he felt more than he could 
 express. When he looked towards that wall, and saw the 
 flag of his nation there, he derived inspiration from the sight. 
 (Loud cheers.) He wished the flag were where it ought to 
 be, on the ramparts of Scbastopol, floating side by side with 
 the flag of Britain. (Cheers.) Again, when he saw sus- 
 pended from the wall the likeness of the Archbishop of Paris, 
 he felt proud and delighted to be here to night. That Arch- 
 bishop was his first instructor in theology ; he was the first 
 who taught him the lessons of penance ; but, he declared 
 that, to-night he could not put those lessons into practice. 
 (Great cheering.) He saw, too, on the wall, by the side of 
 the Archbishop of Paris, the Apostle of Ireland, St. Patrick ; 
 and his wish to all around him was, that they might, each of 
 them, live as long as their apostle, who lived at least 1 20 years 
 — (loud cheers) — and that he himself might live so long in the 
 service of his flock, and be prepared to die for them if neces- 
 sary. (Loud and long continued cheering.) 
 
 " Right Rev. Dr. Mackinnon, Bishop of Arichat, rose, and 
 was received with loud cheering. — He said that he could as- 
 sure them it was with feelings of the deepest emotion he rose 
 to return them his humble, individual tribute of thanks 
 for the noble Irish hospitality extended to him, as well as to 
 His Grace the Archbishop of New York, and his brother bi- 
 shops since they landed on the shores of this island. He con- 
 gratulated his Lordship, Dr. Mullock, on the success which 
 crowned his noble efforts in the erection of that magnificent 
 temple which stood upon the brow of the hill above the 
 town ; and on the happiness which his Lordship must ex- 
 perience from the consummation of this great work. Again, 
 he congratulated his Lordship on being surrounded by a,body 
 of priests — distinguished for their noble character, and their 
 zeal in the dincharfre of the functions of the ministrv. And 
 
CATHEDRAL OF ST. J01i:> S, NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 39 
 
 further, he congratulated his Lordship on the union and har- 
 mony existing in this colony between priests and people, 
 and on their mutual exertions. This is, indeed, a happy 
 and consoling sight. A people thus united, and in the en- 
 joyment of free constitutional government, secured to them, 
 through their own combined and harmonious exertions, pre- 
 sent an agreeable and pleasing picture to the mind. He 
 hoped that the spint of union would long continue. There 
 was another subject to which he would allude belbrc he sat 
 down. He had the happiness to be now on his way to the 
 Holy City ; and he would avail himself of the occasion, as 
 he felt proud of the opportunity, to inform His Holiness of 
 the many gratifying events and objects which came under 
 his observation in the capital of Newfoundland. It would 
 be to him (Dr. Mackinnon) a happy opportunity when he 
 should be able to state at the loot of the papal throne with 
 what enthusiasm the name of His Holiness had been received 
 here to night ; and also what a blessing his Lordship, Dr. 
 Mullock, had brought upon his flock through his zealous and 
 until I ng exertions in the cause of the Church. (Loud cheers.) 
 He would tell His Holiness of the noble temple erected to 
 the worship of God ; of the multitudes of faithful and de- 
 voted people who attended the ceremonies of the consecra- 
 tion ; of the pious and zealous clergy who laboured here for 
 the happiness of the people and the welfare of the Church. 
 (Great cheering.) In short, he would inform His Holiness of 
 all he had seen and witnessed, calculated to give life and vi- 
 gour to the Church in Newfoundland. In conclusion, he 
 begged to thank them, in the sincerity of his heart, for their 
 great kindness and hospitality. The Right Rev. Prelate then 
 resumed his scat amid loud cheering. 
 
 " Right Rev. Dr. Connolly, Bishop of New Brunswick, 
 rose, and was greeted with loud and prolonged cheers. He 
 said, as junior member of the bar (laughter and cheers), and 
 the Benjamin of the episcopal body (renewed laughter and 
 cheering), it was with feelings of no ordinary description 
 he rose to address such an assemblage. An allusion had 
 l)een made in the course of the evening to his being en- 
 
40 
 
 ACCOUNT OF Tlii: CONSECRATION OF TlIK 
 
 gaged in the erection of a cathedral similar to that which now 
 overtops thia city; in reference to that subject he would 
 observe, that he had left behind him, upon his departure for 
 this city, from seventy to eighty men employed on that 
 building, whose aggregate wages amounted to some forty 
 pounds a day. (Cheers.) From this circumstance they 
 might form some idea of the respect which he entertained 
 for the good Bishop of Newfoundland and his people, seeing 
 that he had abandoned the supervision of his own pressing 
 business in order to assist at the consecration of the cathe- 
 dral here. (Loud cheers.) He felt that this was a sacrifice ; 
 but never in his life had he performed a sacrifice more 
 grateful to his feelings. The Irish hospitality he had 
 received, and the Irish hurrah that greeted him — (great 
 cheering) — were to him a recompense far exceeding any 
 inconvenience or sacrifice he had sufTered. Now that he 
 had seen what he never expected to have seen on this side 
 of the Atlantic, the compliment was all on one side — it 
 Avas all due to them — none to himself. He had often 
 wished for an opportunity to pay a compliment of some 
 kind or other to the distinguislied bisliop now at the head 
 of the Catholics of this island, to whom he felt under obli- 
 gations in more ways than one. But His Lordship's pre- 
 sence precluded him from saying now all that he wished. 
 He could not, however, forbear to observe, that His Lord- 
 ship is blest in having such a people ; and the people have 
 reason to rejoice that they have such a pastor. (Great 
 cheering). He had the happiness of having known his 
 Lordship in his (Dr. Connolly's) boyhood ; he knew him 
 afterwards, and at different periods in Ireland, as well as 
 elsewhere ; and he was happy to say that he then stood high 
 in his (Dr. Connolly's) rogard, as he did in the regard of all 
 who knew him — as hl;^'i in his regard then, when his 
 Lordship was but an humble priest, as now in his episcopal 
 character. (Cheers.) He was truly delighted with all that 
 he had seen since he landed upon these shores, and he felt 
 quite incompetent to give anything like o full idea of the 
 estimate which he had formed, since his arrival, of the glo- 
 
CATUELRAL OF ST. JOHNS, NEWFOUNDLAKD. 
 
 41 
 
 rious Irish cliaractcr of the people. He had lived many 
 years in their vicinity, if, indeed, a place distant some six 
 hundred miles might properly be called a vicinity, and 
 although he had heard much of them, and known them by 
 character, yet his conception of them had fallen far short of 
 the reality. He was not disposed, on this occasion, to go 
 through a catalogue of their virtues, and high and noble 
 qualities ; one reference is in itself suflifiicnt to shew what 
 they are — a reference to that grand and stupendous edifice 
 which stands on the brow of the hill that overtops the 
 city. That catlicdral is, without exception, the grandest 
 and noblest of the kind on the Continent of America, as far 
 as he had an opportunity of judging, and he had been 
 through the principal parts of the American Continent. 
 Then look at the buildings, beautiful and magnificent as 
 they are, that surround this cathedral : — the Orphanage 
 House ; the Presentation Convent and School House -, the 
 Convent of the Sisters of Mercy ; and the Episcopal Resi- 
 dence ; — seeing all this, as well as the churches and con- 
 vents scattered over the Island — seeing and knowing all 
 this, was it necessary for him to say that, in his heart, he felt 
 proud of the Catholics of Newfoundland? A more Catho- 
 lic or more Irish people could not be found anywhere, not 
 even in Ireland itself. He said all this, not with the view 
 that they should look upon themselves as being altogether 
 perfect, but in order, by giving them the meed of praise that 
 13 justly their due, to stimulate them in their career of good 
 works, and to urge them on in ^he path of noble exertion 
 which they have been so gloriously pursuing. In order to 
 know a man's character well it is necessary to keep looking 
 at his works ; and so it is with communities. The Catholics 
 of this island have achieved almost incredible things ; let them 
 still persevere in their noble exertionfe, and they will obtain 
 grace upon grace, and blessing upon blessing, and will thus 
 be enabled to transmit our faith and their Irish Catholic 
 feeling to their children. Now, he could not sit down 
 without referring to the great and invaluable services of the 
 priests of this island. Without ihem the people could have 
 
42 
 
 ACCOUNT OF THE CONSECRATION OF THE 
 
 uccomplishcd notliing (cheers) ; or, at least, could not have 
 aecoinplished as much as they had done. They are with 
 the people on all occasious; in health, in sorrow, in sick- 
 ness; they advise, console, instruct, and direct them under all 
 circumstances. (Prolonged cheering.) He could not, there- 
 fore, omit a reference to those to whom the people owed so 
 much, both spiritually and temporally ; and he would there- 
 fore propose as a volunteer toast, ' The priests of New- 
 foundland.' (Here followed the most rapturous cheering, 
 which was renewed again and again for several minutes. 
 When at length it had subsided) — 
 
 '* The Very Rev. Dean Mackin, of Brigus, having been 
 loudly called upon, arose and said, he regretted that some 
 one of his brother clergymen, more competent than himself 
 to do justice to this toast had not been called upon. How- 
 ever, in the name of the priests of Newfoundland, and in 
 his own behalf, he begged to express his sincere thanks to 
 His Grace, the Archbishop, to their Lordships, and to the 
 company, for the compliment that had been just paid to the 
 priests and himself. For his own part, he could not say 
 that he had done much for the promotion of either the 
 spiritual or temporal benefit of the people. All that he 
 could say in this respect was that he endeavoured to do all 
 that he was able, and that his sphere of action admitted of, 
 to promote their spiritual and social welfare (loud cheers) ; 
 and he would always continue to do so. (Repeated cheering.) 
 With respect to his brother clergymen, it was quite unne- 
 cessary for him to speak of their virtues and labours, which 
 were so well known to all around him (cheers), and, no 
 doubt, duly appreciated. (Great cheering.) With respect to 
 the cathedral so flatteringly alluded to by his Lordship, Dr. 
 Connolly, he (Dean Mackin) could not take any merit to 
 himself on that ground. The late lamented Bishop Fleming 
 had performed great sacrifices in the erection of that temple ; 
 he liad spared no labour or trouble in his eflTorts to bring 
 the undertaking to a successful issue. To him (Dean 
 IMackin) there appeared to be one thing wanted to the 
 c'athcdral, which he should like to sec supplied, namely, an 
 
CATIIKDRAL OF ST. JOHNS, NKWFOUi\'DLAND. 
 
 i:^ 
 
 inscription In a conspicuous part of its front, witli tlic words 
 81 (juteris vwnumcntum circHmsjiici'. Tliis would indicate 
 the grandeur and magnitude of the building, and suggest 
 an idea of the noble character of t!ie people who, with 
 humble means, raised so grand a temple to the worship of 
 God. He again begged to return his sincere thanks to His 
 Grace, the Archbishop, to their Lordships, and the company, 
 for the coraplinicnt paid to himself and the priests of New- 
 foundland. 
 
 " The next toast was the memory of his Lordship the late 
 lamented 
 
 " ' DIl. FLEMING.' 
 
 Drank in solemn silence. 
 
 " The President rose and said — I have just given the 
 memory of our late lamented pastor and prelate. That 
 memory is still green in our souls. I now beg to propose 
 the health of his most able and most zealous successor. The 
 departed prelate had qualities to fit him as the pioneer 
 of religion; his accomplished successor is endowed with 
 rare faculties to fit him to finish the glorious works com- 
 menced by our late Bishop. His Lordship's presence pre- 
 vents me from enlarging, as I would wish, upon his merits 
 and labours. I give you the health of our esteemed Bishop, 
 
 "' RIGHT REV. DR. MULLOCK.' 
 
 " Right Rev. D". Mullock rose amidst the most enthu- 
 siastic cheering. He was prevented for several minutes 
 from speaking by the repeated bursts of acclamation which 
 greeted him. His Lordship essayed more than once to ex- 
 press his thanks, but his voice was completely drowned in 
 the cheering, which increased as it continued. When 
 at length the cheering had subsided, his Lordship said, 
 there were certain moments when it became impos- 
 sible to give expression to our feelings — when language 
 failed to declare the emotions of the heart. Such was 
 the predicament in which he stood at present. If they 
 could only interpret his feelings at the present moment, 
 they would be able to appreciate their depth and intensity 
 at the enthusiasm which greeted hira. He hud been well 
 
44 
 
 ACCOUNT OF THE CONSECRATION OF TIIK 
 
 nwarc that lils name would be well received on all occa- 
 sions by his people; but he had never expected to have 
 been hailed with such enthusiasm as that wliich his name 
 had called forth this evening. It was now five years since 
 he took up the labour of his late lamented predecessor, who 
 had lost his life in its progress; and when he (Dr. Mullock) 
 had undertaken the comi)letlon of this work, his entire 
 confidence rested in two sources, namely, God and the 
 people. He knew very well that he had a treasury in the 
 hearts of the people, which would never fail him ; and with 
 sucli a resource, the accomplishment of the work that had 
 fallen into his hands he felt to be certain. The devoted 
 zeal and religious ardour of the people sustained him 
 throughout, and at length resulted in the achievement of 
 the object of his solicitude. Upon this he had calculated 
 from the commencement, and in this he was not disap- 
 pointed; for, as his Grace the Archbishop observed the 
 other day, nothing is impossible to faith. He again re- 
 peated that the only treasure he possessed, the only resource 
 on which he relied, was the ready and cordial co-operation 
 of the people. They all, of every class, lent their aid to the 
 work — the merchants, the mechanics, the shopkeepers, but 
 above all, the fishermen. It was to tliese, the fishermen — 
 the children of the sea — was chiefly due the merit of bring- 
 ing this work to a successful issue. For his own part, he 
 did not assume to himself any credit for what had been 
 done — he had not to lead, but to follow. To him nothing 
 used to seem so eloquent as the reading of the Sealers' sub- 
 scription list to this work, upon their return in the spring 
 of each year from their perilous voyage. Ills Grace the 
 Archbishop of New York is the most eloquent man on this 
 side of the Atlantic; yet the eloquence that characterizes 
 the discourses of his Grace could not be more grateful to 
 his ear, or delightful to his heart, than was that which 
 sprung from the reading of the fishermen's subscription list 
 in aid of the Cathedral funds. (Cheers.) What could be 
 more eloquent than that list which contained the names 
 and subscriptions of those adventurous, noble-hearted men. 
 
 
CATHEDRAL OF ST. JOHNS, NKWFOrNDLAND. 
 
 4') 
 
 who, returning I'rom tlnnr perilous labours on the bosom 
 of tlie ocean, poured in the (irst fruits of their labours Ibr 
 the erection of a t(!inple to the h \our and service of God? 
 (Enthusiastic cheers.) When lie saw those men ever anx- 
 ioufj to contribute tlieir labour, and alwavs wllllnir io hazard 
 their lives in thld cause — when he saw them on St. Peter 
 and Paul's day, year after year, going out to sea, and de- 
 voting the whole produce of their labour to this object — 
 when he saw all this, he Iclt that he owed his success to 
 their exertions and co-operation. When lie further saw 
 the poor labourers in the streets, and upon the wharfs, con- 
 tributing from their little earnings towards this work, Avhilc 
 they wore scarcely able to provide the necessary means of 
 subsistence for themselves and their families ; and when he 
 saw even the little boys who were toiling for the support 
 of their poor and helpless parents, give a portion of their 
 humble wages — when he saw all this, he could not enter- 
 tain any doubt of ultimate success; and he felt satisfied 
 that nothing was impossible to a faithful people. lie, him- 
 self, had no trouble, no annoyance, no embarrassment ; he 
 was comparatively exempt from all anxiety as to the result : 
 all he had to do was to say what he wished, to indicate 
 what he desired, and it was immediately done. He could 
 say — and he felt happy in the declaration — that there is 
 not a single Catholic in Newfoundland, not even one, who 
 does not support him in his labours for the good of religion. 
 (Applause). When, therefore, he saw such a devoted people 
 around him, led on by a virtuous and zealous clergy, he 
 must again repeat, that there was no merit due to him in 
 carrying out the work that had been transmitted to him, 
 and in bringing it to a successful termination. The merit 
 of all this belongs to his people and to his clergy. He 
 wished to make one observation more, and he desired not 
 to be understood as speaking in the spirit of an after-dinner 
 speech — for he felt that he was speaking on a most solemn 
 occasion, and on a most solemn subject: — if no other good 
 resulted from the extraordinary labours of the people, with 
 respect to this work, than the occasion thereby offered for 
 
40 
 
 ACCOUNT OF THE CONtiKCUATION OF THK 
 
 the visit of His Gnico the Arclibishop of New York, unci 
 their Lordsliips tlio Bisliops here, to our sliorcs — was not 
 this in itself a subject for conf^ratuhition ? (Great cheering.) 
 JIc was always anxious to see men of enlij^'htenment coin<5 
 here, because lie felt that it would bo productive of good 
 to the people and to the country : — and now our present 
 distinguished visitors sec that there are not to be found in 
 any part of the world a more Catholic people than those of 
 Newfoundland. 
 
 " For his own part, he felt like a captain who has a good 
 ship and a liiithful crew, and who, in consequence, feels 
 secure, even when the tempest blows, and the billows rise. 
 lie had his faithful and devoted clergy. There was Father 
 Kyran Walsh, a most zealous and devoted priest (enthusi- 
 astic and prolonged cheering) — who laboured unceasingly 
 and untiringly in the cause of religion and of the Church. 
 There was also Father Vereker, whose unavoidable absence 
 to-night he regretted, who went year after year along the 
 coast of Labrador, collecting contributions in aid of the Ca- 
 thedral, and deemed no k hour too great, no suffering or 
 privation too much in the prosecution of his mission. (Cheers.) 
 In short, all hia priests were indefatigable in their exertions 
 to promote the great object in which he, and they, and the 
 people were engaged. (Cheers.) The out-harbour priests were 
 as anxious as the priests of St. John's for the accomplishment 
 of this work ; and they aided, in every way they could, 
 both by contributions from themselves, and by the zeal and 
 energy in sending their people to fish on the days appointed 
 for that purpose. (Great cheering.) He, therefore, repeated, 
 that, seeing all this, there could be but little merit attributed 
 to him for all that had been done. He again thanked them 
 sincerely for the compliment they had paid him ; and ob- 
 served that the greatest consolation a Bishop can enjoy 
 is to possess the affections of the people committed 
 to his charge; and he believed that he possessed the 
 affections of his people. (Great cheering, renewed again and 
 again.) 
 
 " His Lordship then said, that he wished to propose a toast 
 
CATHKIMJAI, OK .ST. JOHN fc\ Ni:\VFOU.NI>r..\NI). 
 
 17 
 
 bclbro 1)0 sat down. It wu!' tho licultli i^f tin; llonouniblo 
 Liiwivncc Ohrich, P^'^<i<l(,'nt ot" tlio Iiish Society, and at 
 tlie sumo time, President (jt llcr Majesty's Councils, lit; 
 was a man cntitlctl to tlio respect and a|)prol)ation of this 
 Society, and of tho «.'onntry. (Chcord.) If other men had 
 acted like him, who was 8j)ondin<,' his money in tho country 
 where ho had made it, Newfoundland would be in a far 
 more improved condition than she is to-day. It was such 
 men the country rccjuired — men who, while thoy advancccl 
 their own interests, promoted also the interests of tho 
 country in which their fortunes were realized. For this ho 
 (Hon. Mr. O'lirien) had reaped his reward, both in the 
 consciousness of tho good ho wa3 doing to the country, and 
 in the honours which the country had conferred upon him. 
 Such men arc entitled to honour, as they arc themselves an 
 honour to their country. (Cheers.) 
 
 "Hon. Mr. O'Drikn, the President, ro.so and was received 
 with acclamations — Ho said that he felt greatly embarrassed 
 in rising to return thanks on this occasion. If his Lordship 
 (Dr. Mullock) had felt incapable of expressing the fulness of 
 his feelings when his Lordship's health had been given, how 
 much more so must he (Hon. Mr. O'Brien) feel, when ho 
 found himself the object of his Lordship's eulogy? It was 
 now forty-four years since ho first arrived in this country, 
 and he could say in all sincerity that he had not, in all that 
 time, experienced so much heartfelt gratification as since tho 
 arrival of the steamer which conveyed to our shores tho ex- 
 alted personages who have lionourcd us with their company 
 hereto-night. (Cheers.) This was indeed highly gratifying to 
 his feelings — ho had never expected to have enjoyed so 
 much happiness. In conclusion, he would merely observe, 
 that it was his sincere hope tliat he should for tho remainder 
 of his days merit a continuance of his Lordship's (Dr. Mul- 
 lock's) esteem and approbation . ^. i 
 
 " Tho President said, the next toast was one which he 
 knew he had but to mention in order to secure it a most 
 cordial response. It was — 
 
4>S 
 
 ACCOUNT OF TIIK CONSKCFIA TION OP TllK 
 
 it i 
 
 OLD IRKLAND AS SHE OUGHT TO BE, 
 
 " ' (Iri'iit, nloriniiii mill fnt', 
 
 1 irst ItowLT (if tilt! I'lirlli, nnd (list jjnii of tlio mm.' 
 
 (Tremendous cliocrln;,'.) Drank with all tlio honours. 
 
 *' Edward Mokiiis, Es(|., responiled t(j this toast. 
 
 " The PiiKsiDKNT said — The state oC this country when I 
 came to it, it.s rise and pro^'rcss, its comiiiercial Improve- 
 ment, the advance of religion and rolij^ious institutions, its 
 schools, its great resources, the old })olicy which made it un- 
 known and discarded — but now it is beginning to be known 
 by distinguished visitors from all parts of the world, who 
 see its geograpliical advantages — nearly half way between 
 England and the great continent of America, St. John's 
 will, ere long, be a port of call for Atlantic steamers, and 
 an electric telegraph shall unite us, in a social and commer- 
 cial bond, to the great republic of the west; but wc shall 
 never consent to any other connexion, so long as the im- 
 perial standard waves on this side of the Atlantic, and 
 our loyalty is met by justice and protection from the Crown. 
 I give you — 
 
 *' ' THE LAND WE LIVE IN.' 
 
 " Hon. Colonial Secretary responded. 
 
 " Some volunteer toasts were next proposed, and re- 
 sponded to ; among others, the health of the two reverend 
 gentlemen who accompanied our distinguished guests, 
 namely, the Rev. Mr. M'Nervy, Chaplain and Secretary to 
 His Grace the Archbishop of New York; and the Rev. 
 Mr. M'Leod, Chaplain to the Right Rev Dr. M'Kinnon, 
 Bishop of Arichat. 
 
 " Rev. Mr. M'Nervy returned thanks In a brief but elegant 
 speech. 
 
 " The President rose and said — The strugsrfc in the 
 East will be long remembered as one of the deadliest in the 
 history of events that are settled by the bloody expedient 
 of war ; but out of the circumstances that forced upon the 
 civilization of the West the necessity of defending itself 
 against Cossack aggression, out of those circumstances has 
 
lAriiKniiAL ov sr jkiin s, nkwkolnui.and 
 
 i:» 
 
 juiKToilcd t\u^ uiiioii ol' two of the most powerful Diitions of 
 tilt' wuilil. I'lult r tlio old idi'u thoy wore nuturui ejicmies; 
 n cumiiion diin^'er dis.si|nitcd tl»e mdioly dreuin, and tliin 
 year, >vlille tlic Hoveroij^iis of those ^ruut countrie.«< are Inter- 
 rli;m<.^in^', in tluir u'or;^'eou3 capituls, truly royul civilities, 
 the ll;i;.H of the two nutious lloat over their troopn, who 
 n»in|,de their Ininners and their life-hlood on the banks of 
 the Tehcrimyu. i pivo you 
 
 '" THK ALLIKD AltMIEH.' ' 
 
 " The toast was drank with all the honours. 
 
 " It bein<,' now about half-past ten o'clock, His Grace 
 the Archbishop of York, and their Lordships the Bishops, 
 and also the Priests and about a dozen gentlemen, retired. 
 We understand that those who remained prolonged tlie fes- 
 tivities beyond midniglit, and then retired to their respective 
 homes, delighted with the treat from which they liad risen, 
 and which they would long remember as the happiest event 
 of their lives, when they enjoyed what may be emphatically 
 styled — ' the feast of reason and the How ol'soul.' " 
 
 TRIDUUM IN UONOUK v)f THK IMItfACULATK CONCEPTION. 
 
 While the Prelate* wtjre assembled in St. John's, a solemn 
 Triduum, in honour oi* the Immaculate Conception of the 
 Hlessed Virgin, wa?! announced and atten-icd with the great- 
 est devotion by the faithful Catholics of St. John*?. It was 
 performed on tiic 10th, 11th, and 12th of September. Each 
 day there was Pontifical High Mass and Benediction of the 
 Most Holy Sacrament, and a sermon on the M\ tery, by one 
 of the Bishops. All the Bishops and the Clergy present at 
 the Consecration attended every day. On the lirst day the 
 Bishop of Arichat sang Mass, and the Bishop of Toronto 
 preached ; the second day the Bishop of Toronto sang Mas?, 
 and tlie Bishop of Arichat preached ; and on the third day 
 the Mass was sung by the Bishop of St. John's, New Bruns- 
 wick, and the sermon was preached by the Aichbishop of 
 New York. E 
 
50 
 
 ACCOUNT OF TUE CONSECRATION OF THE 
 
 The Consecration Ceremonies and the Triduum were 
 brought to a close on Sunday, the 16th, the octave day of 
 the Dedication. High Mass was sung by the Archbishop 
 of New York, and the sermon was preached by the Bishop 
 of St. John's, New Brunswick. 
 
 *' RECEPTION OF HIS GRACE THE ARCHBISHOP OF NEW YORK, 
 THE BISHOP OF TORONTO, THE BISHOP OF ARICHAT, AND 
 THE BISHOP OF NEW BRUNSWICK, AT HARBOUR GRACE. 
 
 " No r<ooner had it become known that their Lordships 
 had fixed upon Wednesday, the 12th instant, for their visit 
 to this town than the whole community were actively en- 
 gaged in making preparations for their reception. A trium- 
 phal arch, tastefully decorated with flags, was erected at the 
 entrance to the landing-place, the residence of W. Donnelly, 
 Esq. ; another, similarly ornamented, at the opening of the 
 avenue leading to the residence of the Very Rev. Charles 
 Dahon, V.G. Every mercantile establishment in the town, 
 and every vessel in the harbour, in like manner exhibited 
 their flags, giving to the whole harbour an air of unwonted 
 gaiety and joy. 
 
 " Several gentlemen had started ofl'in the morning, accom- 
 panied by the Temperance Band, in the steamer, to receive 
 the distinguished visitors, together with our own beloved 
 Bishop, Dr. Mullock, who accompanied them. In the after- 
 noon all eyes were directed seaward, eagerly watching for 
 the approach of the steamer ; and as soon as she was observed, 
 at a distance of about five miles, tlie entire population hurried 
 to the landing-place, and all was bustle and excitement. 
 When evening shortly after closed, not only the entire town, 
 but all the country around, became a blaze of vivid light, 
 which continued to a late hour of the night. Amid the il- 
 luminations, the residence of the Rev. Mr. Dalton, the Roman 
 Catholic Church, and the Presentation Convent, were parti- 
 cularly conspicuous. Tar barrels were lighted along the 
 sea side, and lights were flxed on the masts of all the vessels 
 in the harbour. Amid tliis glare, shedding an almost noonday 
 
CATHKDRAL OF ST. JOHNS, NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 51 
 
 light around, the firing of guns and the cheering shouts of 
 the muhitudos, the steamer arrived, and their Lordships 
 landed. 
 
 " It would be impossible to describe the romantic efFect 
 produced by the illumination of the cottages fur beyond the 
 town, as far as the eye could reach ; and here and there the 
 livid glare of the numerous bonfires, revealing occasionally 
 the neighbouring grounds and woodlands. 
 
 " The Benevolent Irish Society I'ormcd a passage for their 
 Lordships, and then Ibllowcd them in procession ; the Tem- 
 perance Band leading the way, and elevating the spirits of 
 all by their cheering strains. In this order they reached 
 the residence of our venerable Pastor, amid the waving of 
 handkerchiefs, the cheering of the people, and the discharge 
 of guns. On the whole, we have seldom witnessed a scene so 
 enlivening, or where so much unity of feeling was manitcsted, 
 or such cordial gratification exhibited. It was truly cre- 
 ditable to our spirited fellow-townsmen, and will be long 
 remembered with pride and pleasure. 
 
 " On reaching the termination of the avenue to the Rev. 
 Mr. Dalton's, their Lordships entered the beautiful newly 
 erected stone Church ; and kneeling a few moments at the 
 foot of the altar to offer a silent thanksgiving to the Most 
 High, his Grace the Archbisiiop gave the Pontifical Bene- 
 diction to the assembled multitude ; after which his Lord- 
 ship, Dr. Mullock, addressed them, briefly but warmly, 
 thanking them for thus co-operatin^f with him in paying the 
 honour and respect due to his illustrious guests, and then re- 
 quested them to retire peaceably to their homes. 
 
 " The following morning (Thursday), at eleven o'clock, 
 the time appointed for the presentation to their Lordships of 
 the address of the Roman Catholics of the district, and also 
 that of the Benevolent Irish Society, the latter body headed 
 a vast multitude of the people in procession to the abode of 
 their Lordships, where the addresses were respectfully |)re- 
 sented,jis well as one from the inhabitants ofCarbonear ; and to 
 which his Grace, the Archbishop, returned thanks severally. 
 The entire multitude having fallen on their knees His 
 
52 
 
 ACCOUNT OF THE CONSECRATION OF THE 
 
 Grace the Archbisliop and the other Prelates severally pro- 
 nounced a benediction, not only on those personally present, 
 but upon those especially who were absent from their homes 
 and their families, in pursuit of the fishery ; and all then re- 
 tired in good order, enlivened by the band, and were ever 
 and anon giving vent to their joyous feelings in prolonged 
 cheers. 
 
 " On Friday morning His Grace the Archbishop celebrat- 
 ed Mass and preached a touching and most eloquent sermon 
 on the gospel of the day, being the feast of the ' Exaltation of 
 the Cross.' Shortly afterwards their Lordships left in order 
 to visit to Brigus, viewing, as they went along, all the inter- 
 vening interesting little harbours, accompanied by several 
 gentlemen of Harbour Grace. 
 
 " On Saturday the band again went by the steamer to meet 
 their Lordships at Brigus, and accompanied them to Portugal 
 Cove, where their Lordships were enthusiastically received 
 by the people of that locality. Thus terminated a visit 
 that brought happiness to every bosom — the first occasion 
 that had ever assembled an Archbishop and four Bishops 
 of the ancient and hallowed Faith of the people, to bring 
 gratitude and joy and every exalted feeling to the hearts of 
 all the inhabitants of our long neglected island." .; . ; •- 
 
 DEPARTURE OF THE PRELATES FROM NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 If 
 
 The illustrious visitors were now about to leave the island 
 for their respective dioceses, and the inhabitants of St. 
 Jotin's determined to testify their respect for them at their 
 departure. Accordingly the Irish Society and the Me- 
 chanics' Societies assembled at the Cathedral, at half-past 
 two o'clock on Wednesday, the 19th. Thousands of people 
 already occupied the ground. The Prelates were conducted 
 to the steamer by the assembled multitude, amidst the ring- 
 ing of bells, and the continued discharge of sealing guns: the 
 vossfcls were decorated with flags ; while cannon and sealing 
 guns were fired from the wharfs, enthusiastic cheers burst 
 forth from the assembled multitude, and the steamer left the 
 
CATHEDRAL OF ST. JOHNS NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 53 
 
 harbour with the regrets and tlie blessings of the faithful 
 Catholic people of St. John's. As it was impossible for the 
 Prelate sto return all the visits or reciprocate all the atten- 
 tion? they had received during their stay, they published 
 the following Card in the Newfoundlander of 24th Sep- 
 tember. , , , - . ' . 
 
 A CARD. ^ 
 
 The Archbishop of New York, the Bishops of Toronto, 
 Arichat, and New Brunswick, cannot permit themselves lo 
 embark lor their respective homes, without giving public 
 expression to their deep and and grateful sense of tlie kind 
 and enthusiastic welcome which greeted them on their arri- 
 val, and of the many courtesies which have been extended 
 to them daring their agreeable sojourn in the capital of this 
 island. '' ';v hope to be excused fortius, the more readily, 
 as it hat i been in their power to return personally all 
 the visits, or to acknowledge all the civilities, that they 
 have received. 
 
 The object of their visit was to take part in the solemn 
 consecration of the Cathedral, and to testify their respect for 
 His Lordship, Dr. Mullock, the learned and apostolic Bi- 
 shop of Newfoundland. The two weeks of interval before 
 the arrival of the next steamboat seemed, at first, a long 
 period of absence from their flocks ; but the hospitalities of St. 
 John's have caused the days to pass almost imperceptibly. 
 They acknowledge with great pleasure the kindness and cour- 
 tesies extended to them by His Excellency, the Governor, 
 and Hon. Members of the Government, by the brave Com- 
 mander of the Garrison and his gallant officers, and indeed by 
 all classes of persons, whether in St. John's, Harbour Grace, 
 Carbonear, or Brigus, with whom it has been their privi- 
 lege to become acquainted. They hyve had an opportunity 
 of seeing the beautiful Bay of Conception, and the grand, 
 stupendous scenery within its bosom and around its borders. 
 In short, they will ever preserve a most pleasing memory of 
 their visit to Newfoundland, and their constant wish will be, 
 
54 
 
 ACCOUNT OF TUB CONSECRATION, ETC. 
 
 that every happiness and prosperity may be bestowed upon 
 its industrious, generous, warm, and noble-hearled inhabi- 
 tants. 
 
 i{t John, Archbishop of New York. 
 
 i|t Armandus Fr., Ma., Bishop of Toronto. 
 
 »{( C. J. M'Kinnon Bishop of Arichat. 
 
 i{t T. L. CoNNOLLa, Bishop of St. John, New 
 Brunswick. 
 
 The people accompanied the Bishop of the diocese and 
 the Bishop of Arichat back to the Cathedral, and thus was 
 concluded the most joyous and solemn religious ceremony 
 ever performed in Newfoundland. 
 
 f 
 
 THE END.