ST. PATRICK'S CATHOLIC CHURCH. Communicated.

New Zealander, Volume 3, Issue 189, 22 March 1848, Page 2

ST. PATRICK'S CATHOLIC CHURCH. Communicated.

The consecration of this beautifully substantial edifice took place on Sunday, 19th Maich, by the Right Rev. Dr. Viard, Catholic Bishop, assisted by his Clergy ; the old and venerable rights of primitive Christianity were, it may be for the first time, introduced on this desert shore, and hence it was, that they seemed to find a respomive chord in all hearts. And as the prelate poured forth in a half commanding half plaintive tone, the pathetically sublime prayers of this time hallowed liturgy, in which, the Church personifyine the Redeemer, whose ever living organ she is, exorcises bleak nature, and in the n*meof Him, whose rightful inheritance she is. gave utterance to the following sublime words, we could not fail to be moved: " O Blessed and Holy Trinity, which punfiest all things, clearest all things, and more than adornest all things. 0 Blessed Majesty of God, which fillest all things, contained all things, disposest of all things. O Blessed and holy hand of God, which sanctifiest all things, blestest all things, enrichest all things. 0 Holy God of Saints, with the humblest devotion, we beseech thy clemency that thou wouldest vouchsafe through the minis'ry of thy servant, to purify, bless, and coniecrate with the perpetual richness of thy sanctification, this Church, in honor of the holy and most victorious Cross, and in memory of thy Saint Patrick." And how touching the allusion to the uses of a Catholic Church : he continues, — " Here shall thy priests offer unto Thee the sacrifices of praise ; here shall thy faithful perform their vows ; here shall sinners lay down their burdens, here stall the falh of thy faithful be repaired 1" The same sublime tenderness pervaded all the other prayers and expressive ceremonial of the day; nor was the military, now chastened into religious music, which filled the ample aisle, of small help, to aid the miud in throwing off its coil and mounting on high. The zealous prelate, though for long hours going through his labour of love, without aught of refreshment, yet seemed alert with life to the last ; over forty of his faithful people, including a great number of fairly decked innocent childreni were confirmed, and must have given joy to his heart. The festival too, was like the Church Catholic, for even many Maones, in best attire, seemed to share largely in the joyous rite; the muiic above all, appeared to greatly impassion them. The sermon was preached by the Rev. J. P. O'Reily, of Port Nicholson, whose text was, — " Is it then to be thought that God should indeed dwe 11 upon earth, for if heaven, and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee, how much less this house which I have built ; but have regard to the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplications, 0 Lord my God; hear the hymn and the prayer which tliy servant prayeth before Thee this day, that Thy eyes may be open upon this house night and day, upon the house of which Thou hast said: My Name shall be there ; th.it thou mayest hearken to the prayer which Thy servant prayeth in this place to Thee !"~(3rd book of Kings, viii chap., 27th and following verses.) After the sermon, and towards the end of the holy saciifice of the Mass, great numbers united themselves to God iv the most Holy Communion ; shortly aiterwards, the divine ceremonial concluded, leaving all hearts, as it is ever the privilege of religion, delighted and sweetly calmed. To explain all the affecting 1 cc. remonies of this day, would lead us too far,— yet, must we my a word on a few of them of more general signification, as tending to edify our neighbour. In the first place, we may remark that the consecration of material edifices in general, is figurative of the spiriiual edifices or buildings of our souls, according to that of the Apostle,— " Now therefore, you are no more strangers and foreigners ; but you are fellow citizens with the saints and the domestics of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Chriit himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom, all the building, being framed together, groweth up into an holy temple in the Lord : In whom you also are built together into an habitation of God in the spirit." (Eph. chap ii., versei 19, &c.) The Altar accoiding, to St. John, represents our Lord who is called in Scripture the •' Corner Stone," (Psalm cxvii. verse 22 ; Matthew, chap. xxi. verse 42 ) The Greek and Latin alphabet arc traced by the Bishop on the floor of the Church in the form of a Crois, while the Benedictus ia being sung. Now, under these two languages, Greek and Litin, the great vehicles of all civilization, the Church includes every tribe and people and tongue, and means to show us that our Saviour's religion has penetrated elements the most discordant, in uniting all the faithful into one, in his mystic body. In Jesus Christ, every national separation appears destroyed by religion — of different peo • pies he has made but one, and thus fulfils his prayer in St. John, xviith chap,, ''That they all may be one, as Thou, Father in me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in us : that the world may believe that Thou hait sent me." — 21afc verse. Thus has He thrown down the trail of division, and destroyed the national enmities that divided mankind. By Him all have access to the Father, as they are all one iv Christ Jesus, so among themselves they form but one body and one spirit. All of us proclaim tfat there is but one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God the Father of all.— Epb. iv, 5. Separated from that unity, the Church teache 1 ? us that we are weak as new born babes, and are carried about by every wind of doctrine. The peo« pie sing the Kyrie Eleison (Lord have mercy on us !) while they accompany the relics borne by the Bishop aiound the Church, to testify that we should follow the footsteps of the Saints in the present life, under the guidance of Je«us Christ, their and our own head, re* presented by the Bishop, and that it is only through the gift of God's mercy, unceasingly implored, that we can hope to obtain admittance therein. The Canticles of joy are continued till again entering the Church, so to manifest the holy gladness which breaks forth in Heaven on the entrance of the faithful into their happiness. The Bishop burns on each of the five crosses of the altar, a lighted taper with grains of incense. He then invoke', on his knees, together with the faithful, the help of the Holy Ghost. Two antiphons taken from the Holy Scriptures are again sung, expressive of ihe angels presenting our prayers to God, as a sweet-smelling odour, (see Rev, v. 8.) and even the incense continues to rise until the end of the dedication, to figure to us that until the last of God's elect enter the abode of bliss— the Heavenly Jerusalem shall not ceaseto present before Christ, who is the altar of God, the prayers of the faithful. The Bishop prays that God may vouchsafe propitiously to behold that which burns on the altar, and may deign (regardless of the material fire,) to hallow it with His Divine Spirit, so that, the prayers of the faithful, figured by the incense, mny ascend to His throne as a pleasing odor, and that they may receive the grace of worthily participating in the Kuchanstic sacrifice, and thus ar.ive happily at eternal life through Jesus Christ. Churches are consecrated to the worship of God, but in honor of the Saints, to show us the intimate union existing between ChrUt and his members the Saints, for they, too, testify the fruitful effects of the coming of the Son of God into this world,— -of His ministry, and His suffeiings, Hisrcburiection and outpouring of the Spirit ; so that,

accordingly in their lives tbe effects of the life of Christ, and its undeniable fruits are brought home at once to our contemplation and to our feelings. Moreover, their brightnegiis nought else tban an irradiation from the glory of Christ, and a proof of His infinite power, who out of dust and sin, is able to raise up eternal spirits of light, He who, therefore, revereth them, glorifieth Christ, from whose power they have sprung, and whose true Divinity they attest. And now may the Lord direct our hearts and our bodies In the chari'y of God, and the patience of Christ ! , (Thess. xi. 3, 5.) Amen.