School children relive an historical procession

Photo courtesy of Douglas C. Pizac, Pizac Photography LLC

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The Most Rev. John C. Wester (front, second from left), Bishop of the Diocese of Salt Lake City, leads children from throughout the diocese on an historical walk from the site where the first cathedral stood on 200 East and Social Hall Avenue, in 1909, to the Cathedral of the Madeleine for the Centennial Celebration Aug. 14, 2009. 

SALT LAKE CITY — Students from throughout the Diocese of Salt Lake City relived the historical procession from the site of the first cathedral on 200 East at Social Hall Avenue in Salt Lake City to the site where the Cathedral of the Madeleine stands today. The children processed prior to the Centennial Celebration of Vespers Aug. 14.

"The program for the dedication of St. Mary Magdalen Cathedral is now complete," read the Aug. 14, 1909 issue of the Intermountain Catholic.

The article continued, "The dedication will begin at 9:30 Sunday morning. Rt. Rev. Bishop O’Connell, coadjutor bishop of San Francisco, will officiate. The dedication procession will consist of 100 altar boys, 200 girls, wearing white dresses, veils, and wreaths, 40 priests, eight bishops, five archbishops, and Cardinal James Gibbons of Baltimore.

"At 11 o’clock, Rt. Rev. Lawrence Scanlan will celebrate pontifical high Mass. The sermon at this Mass will be preached by Archbishop Glennon of St. Louis. At 6:30 in the evening vespers and benediction will be given. At this service Rt. Rev. Bishop Keane of Wyoming will preach.

The 1909 article continued, "For the morning services, the procession of the children will form at the old cathedral on Second East, and will march to the new cathedral, singing the Haydn "Te Deum." Seventy-five of these children are from the Kearns-Saint Ann Orphanage. The music, both morning and evening, will be rendered by a choir of 70 voices, with J. J. McClellan at the organ. Mrs. Edward McGurrin, harpist, Edward Fitzpatrick violin soloist, and Salt Lake Symphony orchestra, Nora Gleason, director.

"Owing to the fact that there are 7,500 Catholic people in Salt Lake (in 1909) and that seats for only 1,200 can be provided, it has been determined to make the admission solely by ticket for both the morning and evening service. Family pews for both services have been placed at $25, $17.50, and $12.50; with single seats $5. However, in order to provide for those who desire to attend but cannot afford to pay the higher prices, Bishop Scanlan has made an arrangement whereby seats for them may be had at $2 and $1 after Saturday noon. Tickets will be in the charge of Rev. W. K. Ryan of the cathedral, W. J. Halloran of the Merchants; bank, D. A. Callahan and Clement Schramm."

The 1909 Centennial celebration of the Cathedral took place Aug. 15, 1909. According to the 1909 article, "it was a grand and impressive celebration. Using the Gregorian chant, the singing of the Psalms was devotional and superb."

"Bishop D. J. O’Connel, who dedicated the cathedral in the morning, intoned the Adjotrium. After the ‘Magnificat,’ the Rt. Rev. J. J. Keane ascended the pulpit and delivered a logical discourse on faith," the 1909 article read. "Faith, he defined to be complete trust; then showed its necessities from human and natural analogies."

The 1909 article said, "Without faith in men, life and prayers were impossible, life a burden, and unsatisfactory motion between the gates of doubt," he said.

In the 1909 article, Bishop O’Connel said, "We are here to consecrate an altar in this magnificent building, symmetrical, beautiful, which will remain a lasting tribute to the faith that built it, through untold sacrifice. It will challenge attention as the cathedrals of old and symbolize the faith which inspired it. The Christian’s creed is based on faith. Everything depends upon it. The man who will not live by faith cannot really live at all."