St. Patrick's Church

The Clinton Daily Herald Wednesday October 25, 1905 p. 8  submitted by Mike Kearney

$77 FOR HIGH ALTAR

DETROIT BANKER REMEMBERS CLINTON PASTOR WITH GENEROUS DONATION – GIFT IS MUCH APPRECIATED

Father Murray, pastor of St. Patrick’s church, was greatly pleased this week to receive a check for $700 for the erection of a high alter in the new church on Elm street.  The check was sent to him by one of his warm personal friends, E.H. Doyle, a Detroit, Mich., banker, who, though he has never lived nor even visited Clinton, takes much interest in Father Murray’s building project.  This is the second donation to the new church made by Mr. Doyle, who once before sent a check for $100 to Father Murray.  It is needless to say the generous gifts are appreciated by the pastor and congregation of the Elm street church.

Father Murray expresses the opinion that the new church will be ready for occupancy about the Christmas holidays.  It had been expected to have the church ready prior to that time, but there will be delay on account of the fresco work on the interior.  The church will be beautifully frescoed and decorated.

The Clinton Herald Wednesday December 20, 1905 p. 1  Opening of New St. Patrick’s  Beautiful Edifice to be opened on Christmas Day – Father Tooney of Dubuque speaks.

The new St. Patrick’s church is practically completed, both on the exterior and interior, and will be opened on Christmas day.  A high mass will be celebrated at 5 o’clock in the morning, in accordance with the custom at the church, and there will be two other masses in the morning, a low celebration at 8 o’clock, and a solemn high mass at 10.  Rev. J.J. Toomey, director of St. Raphael’s cathedral, Dubuque, will deliver the sermon.  Special music will be rendered, under the direction of Professor W.A. McArthur.  In the evening a sacred concert will be given in the new church, at which a splendid program will be given.  There will be charges for admission to the church, and the public is cordially invited by Father Murray, pastor of the church, to attend the services, to which non-Catholics will be as welcome as Catholics.  The public is invited to attend and see the prettiest church in the middle west.

The Clinton Herald Thursday December 21, 1905 p. 3 

Late addition to sacred edifices

New St. Patrick’s church of Clinton modern and beautiful building in every detail

Seating capacity is 700 building is 124x66 feet

Architecture is Graceful and Proportions Perfect

-         The Ornamentation – Brief Description of New Church on Elm Street

As the Herald stated yesterday the new St. Patrick’s church is now completed, and will be opened to the public on Christmas morning, when three masses will be celebrated, at 5 8 and 10 o’clock, respectively. 

The latest addition to the sacred edifices of Clinton is 124 feet long, 66 feet, wide and 40 feet high, and has a seating capacity of 700.  The basement is built of sawed Bedford rock, the water table and trim portage entry red sandstone, and the superstructure Gladbrook red pressed brick.  The roof and towers are of the unfading black Bangor slate; and the two graceful domes are roofed with copper, surmounted by gold leaf crosses, 110 and 86 feet, respectively, above the street.

The winter chapel (26x20 feet), and the sacristy (20x10 feet) are connected by a 8 foot rear corridor which runs at the rear of the high altar, and are so arranged that they can be heated from the rectory hard by.

The interior of the church impresses the visitor with its graceful and varied lines of architecture; and the pleasing and perfect proportions of the whole.  The arched ceiling is sustained by tall pillars that support massive capitals; and from the capitals spread out, in gentle curves and symmetrical arches, ribs that the decorator has accentuated with splendid success.

Immediately within the three great doors that stand upon the broad platform along the facade, there is an ample vestibule that runs through graceful arches to the baptistery on the east side; and to the main tower on the west.  Above the vestibule and extending out to a semi-circular balustrade beyond the interior wall, is the organ loft, lighted up by a beautiful opalescent rose window.  The apse is a perfect octagon, retreating from the nave with a noble Roman arch 34 feet high, 28 feet wide and 26 feet deep.  Sixteen feet from the north wall of the nave, there is a transcript which gives an indescribably beauty and variety to the interior. 

The windows of the new church are a triumph of the artist’s skill.  They cost $2,000 and are the donation of the parish and its friends, as memorials to their dead.  The windows are a succinct but faithful history of Jesus Christ.  The first window shows Melchizadeck, the high priest of Salem, offering sacrifice with bread and wine, as the clearest type of the Redeemer in the old Testament.  The second window shows the Annunciation; the third, (a three panel rose window in the east transept), the Nativity, The fourth the presentation in the temple, when Jesus was 8 days old.  The fifth, Christ’s first miracle at the age of 30, changing water into wine, in Cana; the seventh, Our Lord instituting the Hold Eucharist at the Last Supper; the eighth, the crucifixion on Calvary.  This is also a three-panel rose window, in the west transept; the ninth, the Resurrection on Easter morning; and the tenth and last, St. Peter feeding lambs and sheep, with outlines of a Christian church in the background.  This final window in the group, represents the mission of the church and is the only one that has not our Lord in it either in person or symbol.  “For Christ said, “A little while and now you shall not see me.”

Besides these figured windows there are several other art windows in the nave, towers vestibules and chapels.  These are all in keeping with the figured windows above, and are finished in color schemes of varicolored opalescent glass, relieved with well-known Catholic emblems.

The whole church is artistically frescoed by our local artist, W.G. Andrews.  The ceilings are cream and gold; the walls green and gold; and the pillars and pilasters ivory.

Among the mural painting three deserve special mention.  The first is a large life size painting of the Immaculate Conception from Murillo.  This has a marked prominence, on the Roman arch that spans the apse.  The other two are on each side of the transepts.  On the east is the introduction of Christianity into America.  This shows, on a panel 16x10 feet, Columbus and his fellow missionaries and mariners, with the three caravels, on one side, and the tropical coast of San Salvador with many lurking curious Indians on the other side.

On the west transept, is a companion picture – the introduction of Christianity into Ireland.  This shows that historic incident which occurred on Tara Hill where St. Patrick was summoned before the Ard-Ri Leoghaire to give reason why he started the paschal fire, before the Druids kindled their fire in honor of Bel. 

Both pictures show much skill and excellence.

The high altar is a thing of beauty.  It is finished in white and gold and rises above the sanctuary in a series of ascending arches to a height of 25 feet.  It is wired for electrical illumination, and when lit up, is fascinatingly gorgeous.

The communion rail also lays proud claim to prominent mention.  Its main outlines are Romanesque and has a series of arches, of hand-carved wood that are sustained by onyx pillars.  A slab of immaculate white marble, 8 inches wide and 2 inches deep, runs along the top.  The rail is 30 feet long, has a 6 foot double gate in the middle, and two massive posts for angels, in the ends.

At the main door, as you enter, are two Italian marble holy water fonts, 39 inches high.  These stand at the rear pews. 

The pews are antique oak and have curved seats and backs with nicely carved Romanesque ends.

The church is heated by steam, and the system is a new one, known as the Shurtleff vacuum heating system of Rock Island, Ill.

The lighting of the church is by electricity.  There is no chandelier or bracket in the building. But the whole church is lighted from a series of 16 candle power electric lamps that dot the longitudinal and transverse arches of the ceiling.  When these lights are turned on, and the worshipper gazes on the ceiling above, he feels almost enchanted, and fancies he is gazing on a starry firmament, where a myriad stars fret and palpitate away.

The architects of the building were Shick & Roth of La Crosse, Wis.  The contractor was N.C. Bacheller of the same city.  The pews and the altar and communion rail were furnished by the Dubuque Altar Co.

The new church is the culmination of 16 years of untiring effort on the part of Father Murray, who on Thanksgiving, 1889, started St. Patrick’s parish.  His parishioners are justly proud of their leader; and the community at large devoutly congratulates both him and them, on the splendid improvements they have added to the city.

The Clinton Herald Thursday December 21, 1905 p. 8

NO CHARGES TO SAINT PATRICK’S

CHRISTMAS DEDICATORY SERVICES IN THE NEW EDIFICE WILL BE FREE AND THE PUBLIC IS INVITED

Verily the newspaper man has troubles of his own, as well as other people; a few more than most people in fact.  A word added here or dropped there from his “copy” is sometimes a powerful agent to contort his meaning and put an aspect on an article entirely at variance with his original idea.  A forcible illustration of this fact is found in the following paragraph which appeared in The Herald Wednesday in connection with the announcement of the opening of St. Patrick’s church on Christmas day’

“There will be charges for admission to the church, and the public is cordially invited by Father Murray, pastor of the church, to attend the services.”

Of course the paragraph should have read; “There will be no charges for admission to the church,” but that little word of two letters, which has the reputation of being one of the two giants of this life for good or evil, was omitted by accident, and the public was misled by a reversal of the idea which the article had been intended to convey. 

The Clinton Herald Tuesday December 26, 1905 p. 3

CHRISTMAS AT SAINT PATRICK’S

HANDSOME NEW CHURCH ON ELM STREET OPENED WITH APPROPRIATE CEREMONY ON DAY OF THE NATIVITY

LARGE CONGREGATIONS ATTEND MORNING AND EVENING SERVICES

REV. J.M. TOOMEY OF DUBUQUE DELIVERS SERMON AT THE SACRED CONCERT IN THE NEW CHURCH ON CHRISTMAS EVENING

The new St. Patrick’s church was formally opened on Christmas morning, when three masses were celebrated.  The first mass commenced at 5 o’clock, at which hour a large congregation assembled in the handsome new church on Elm street.  The altars were beautifully decorated with flowers and candles and their beauty was shown to advantage when the hundreds of candles were illuminated, the effect having been most pleasing to the eye.  A low mass was celebrated at 8 o’clock and at 10 a solemn high ceremony began, with Rev. J.A. Murray, pastor of the church as celebrant, Father Sullivan deacon, and Father Kissane master of ceremonies.  The sermon was preached by Father Kissane, whose subject was thoughts on the Christmas time, and whose discourse was a most eloquent one. 

At night every seat in the auditorium was taken when Rev. J.J. Toomey, director of St. Rachel’s cathedral, Dubuque, delivered an eloquent sermon.  Father Toomey drew lessons from the lives of Lazarus and the rich man, and applied them to our every day life.  His sermon was most impressive.  It was followed by the administration of the papal blessing by Father Murray, and by benediction of the blessed sacrament.  A special choir rendered music, and the altar was beautifully decorated. 

The Herald takes pleasure in presenting today a cut of the little old building which served as the church home of the people of St. Patrick’s until it was razed to the ground a few months ago to give space to the noble edifice which stands in this place; also of the pastor of the church, Rev. J.A. Murray, whose energies since his coming to Clinton sixteen years ago have been directed to the accomplishment of the work which the year 1905 brought about for the people of his congregation; and lastly, of the fine new church which was opened yesterday, and which has been described in these columns.  It was indeed a very merry Christmas for the people of Saint Patrick’s parish.

The following guests were in attendance:

Father Toomey, Dubuque.
Father Comerford, Lyons.
Father Maloney, Fulton.
Father Eardley, Sabula.
Father Nelson, DeWitt.
Father Riordan, Grand Mound.
Father Keasone, Mercy hospital.
Father Tritz, Lyons.
Father Sullivan, Mount St. Clare.
Father Flynn, St. Mary’s. 

(With renderings of the old church and the new church, rectory and pastor.)