ST. PETER'S CATHEDRAL

Temuka Leader, Issue 1722, 10 April 1888, Page 3

ST. PETER'S CATHEDRAL

". Dr. Barrows, a Congregational minf. ister of San Francisco, recently visited Koine, and in a recent address to his congregation on hie holiday trip speaks of St. Peter's in glowing language. -The merend speaker said that it was diftcult for the traveller as he entered through the massive and ornamented door, of St. Peter's to realise that the magnificent and wonderfully contracted edifice dedicated to the worthip of G-od was the work of man. A glance at the ceiling created a doubt in the traveller's mind as to whether be was not looking at the canopy of Heaven. The numerous statues of the Saints of the Church

which were distributed around the interior of the Cathedral were veritable giants in size, and the doves on the , alters were colossal birds. The cathedral occupies an area of 240,000 square feet and is one of the most wonderful results of architectural skill and human ingenuity in the world to-day. "When the traveller contemplates it he loses •11 sense of measurement, and is ainflply lost in amazement. The grandeur and gorgeousness of the surroundings overwhelm the senses and call to mind in a very realistic manner the memories of earlier days. The Church was founded by theJßishop*of Borne ninety years after tfce advent of Christ upon earth, and it is claimed that the Bishop who founded it was consecrated by St. Peter himself to establish the monument to the living God. Dr. Barrows gave an interesting description of the various departments and altars into which the interior of the vast Cathedral is divided, and explained the purposes for which each was used. He said that the confessionals formed a Bpeeial feature of the institution, and that the faithful had an opportunity to make their confession in any language at any time of the day or night. He considered the church a miniature city, and said that no parson who had not seen it could ever properly realise its splendpur and grandeur. The memory of the music »t the Cathedral was, in the opinion of tiie weaker, something that could never be effaced from the mind of any individual who had been fortunate enough to listen to it. It was elaborate, expressive, and sacred, and could not be heard outside of Bome. Dr. Barrows dealt at length upon the missionary spirit shown by the faithful at St. Peter'a Cathedral, where rich and poor alike knelt side by side, and gave their offerings for the benefit of their religion. He said that it was mainly due to the missionary spirit shat the Catholic Church bad been able to .withstand all the shocks directed against it. _