An Impressive Ceremony

There was a very large erowd present in front of the church ediflce now ünder construction for St. Thomas Roman (Jatholic society, on Kingsley ft., at tlie corner of X. State st., on Sunday afternoon last, to witness the ceremony of laying the corner stone. Tiie day eommenced in a very dreary and dismal marnier. The rain poured down from dark and leadened ski es until about the middle of the forenoon, when it oleared off, but remained quite chilly all the day through. Rain in the mornin;; prevented hundreds of people from surrounding cities from coming liere to witness the ceremony, and vet there were hundreds of people here from various parts of the state. Hardly a Catholic family in the city but had one or more guests, and the trains on both the Aun Arbor and the Central R. R.'s brought many more. At 2 o'clock in the afternoon the Detroit contingent arrived about 200 in nnmber, together with Bishop Radeinacher and bis escort of forty uniformed kniglits of St. John, a squad picked from the several coinmanderies of the order in Detroit. The parade at once formeel and, headed by a brass band, marched through the principal streets of the city. In the parade were twenty-five uniformed Catholic Knigbts of America, from Toledo, and uniformed Knights of St. John from Detroit, and marching members of the Catholic Manual Benefit associations from Toledo, Ypsilanti, Ovvosso, Detroit, this city aud perhaps a few from otber places, followed by the visiting church dignitariea in carriages. The cornerstone laying took place after the parade and at the south front of the cburch. The stone with its accustomed contents was put in place by the Rt. Rev. Bishop Rademacher, of Fort Wayne, lnd., assisted by Fathers Sullivan and Coyle, of Detroit, both of whom are children of St. Thomas parish. Following the formal laying of the stone the Very Rev. Dr. A. Morrissey, president of the University of Notre Dame, preached a very able and eloquent sermón taking as his text the words of St. John. "For God so loved the world that lie gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believed in Hini should not perish but have everlasting life." After the sermón an opportnnity was given the great crowd to inspect the portion of the building so far completed. St. Thomas' congregation is one of the largest, most flourishing and oldest of the city. It possesses an extensive and valuable property between State and Elizabeth streets, consisting of almost an eutire bloek north of Kingsley st. Connected with the church there is a good scliool in which the Latin, Énglish, seientiüe and commercial courses are taught. Besides the scliool there is a well equipped conservatory of mnsie, whose annual June festival never fails to crowd the opera house. Upwards of L'ÜO Catholic students from the university and a goodly nuinber of people with high BChool proclivities are faithful attendauts at irit. Thomas.' church every Sunday. In the erection of t'ne church it is tliought tliat considerable help may be received from tin1 Catholics oí the state, who aio }ublic spirited enough, and have interest enough in their religión, to wish to see a grand ediflce in the Athens of tiie west, one which would command the respect of their children in attendance at the university. This would seem the most likely as nearly all the other churches have received such aid. The address, alth,ough occupying only about half an hour, was one of the flnest that has been Hstened to in thia city for inany a day, and it can truthfnlly be said that President Morrissey made an impression upon the audience that stamped him as being one of the a) les,t college presidenta of the day. The visiting churchmen from out of town were : Kt. Joseph Bademacher, of Fort Wayne, Indiana ; Very Rev. Dr. Morrissey, of NortreDame; Very Rev. F. A. O'Brien, of Kalamazoo; Rev. Dr O'Connel, Toledo; Very Rev. F. Bauiiigartner, of Detroit; Very Rev. D. Cusliing, the president of Assumption College, Sandwich, Ontario; aud the Revs. Coyle. Sullivan, Van Antwerp, Cote and Herr, of Detroit; Hally, of Wyandotte, the editor of the Catholic Wit; ness ; O'Rorke, of Monroe ; Sadlin, of Battle Creek, Baart, of Marshall ; Schenkelberg, of Jackson ; Fleming, of Dexter; Goldrick, of Xorthtield ; Kennedy of Ypsilanti; and Collins, of Canada.