Bicentenary of the Founding of Saint Mary's Cathedral : 3

The day selected by Father Therry for the founding of the Colony's Catholic Chapel was All Saints' Day 1821.  It is most likely that he chose it to coincide with the Feast.   Somewhat daringly, Father Therry sent a letter to Governor Macquarie notifying him that the ceremony would occur, and inviting him to lay the first stone.  Governor Macquarie had laid the first stone of many buildings in the Colony, including some Anglican churches, but certainly not a Catholic building.  On 20th October, the Secretary replied that the Governor would "be very happy to have the honour of laying the first stone of the intended Roman Catholic Chapel", but stipulated that it could not be on the proposed date.  FN1  Consequently, Monday 29th October was chosen, at the hour of 1pm.  A very large number of people, Catholics and non-Catholics were present for the occasion.

Governor Macquarie
Portrait by Australian artist Arthur Levett Jackson.
Image : Wikipaedia.

Father Therry's invitation was strategic and of the greatest importance to the progress of the Catholic Faith in the Colony; but it was also somewhat unusual. If we were to accept at face value the extract from The Sydney Gazette, (reproduced in the first article of this series), the occasion was purely civic. The ceremony for laying the first stone of a Catholic Church is not a civic ceremony, however, but a rite of the Church, usually performed by a bishop. Since Father Therry's bishop was resident in Mauritius, it is a moot point whether he even knew when the first stone would be laid in far-off NSW. The laws of the Church, nevertheless, require that a bishop approve the founding of a church, including the site on which it is to be built.

A CATHOLIC RITE

There are some questions about the form of the rite which Father Therry carried out that day in 1821, since the rites associated with the blessing of a church were part of a bishop's ritual book, The Roman Pontifical, which was not necessarily in the possession of Father Therry. Various sources, however, give us a few scant details of what did take place that day.  We know that Father Therry did observe a rite and that he was dressed in his "sacerdotal vestments".  He uttered a prayer of blessing over the foundation stone whilst it was being laid by Governor Macquarie.  We also know that in a tent nearby, a small choir sang the responses to the prayers.  If all the choir had to do was to sing "Amen" at the end of a prayer or two, there would have been little need of their services.  So, it is most likely that part of the rite Of the Blessing and Laying of the Foundation Stone for the Building of a Church was observed that day and that it was certainly celebrated in Latin. FN2  Given the presence of the protestant Governor, it may be that Father Therry was inclined to modify the rite so as not to offend sensibilities.  As it was, it is recorded that Macquarie did attract a great deal of criticism for assisting at this Catholic ceremony.  FN3  

The following extract from a letter written in 1865 by Columbus Fitzpatrick (the ten-year old boy who assisted Father Therry as a server at the 1821 ceremony) would indicate that the ritual on the occasion was far from a cobbled-together abbreviated ceremony, and that singing of the chants set down in liturgical books was observed.  An important detail is that the celebration of Mass was part of the occasion, although this took place distinct from the Foundation Stone Rite, and certainly not in the presence of the Governor.   

...At all events, the Governor consented to lay the first stone of the first Catholic church in Australia.  The day was fixed, and every one of the [Government] officials, taking the cue from Government House, vied who could do most to forward the work.  Father Therry, who never put his light under a bushel, strained every nerve to make the scene an imposing one.  The trenches [marking the line of the intended walls of the building] were dug out, and a large quantity of stone placed on the ground; a marquee was erected, in which Mass was celebrated, and a procession formed which made a round of the site, while the choir chanted the various hymns appropriate for the occasion.  ¶ 

There were Catholics from all parts of the colony at the ceremony of laying the first stone, and they added not only to the appearance, but also to the subscription list.  I was then a boy serving at Mass, and it was part of my duty to hold the trowel until the time came for Father Therry to present it to the Governor.   FN4

Another newspaper correspondent from the year 1915 gives further interesting details of the occasion: 

About forty years ago [circa 1875] I had an interesting conversation with one of the masons who was at the ceremony of the laying of the foundation-stone, and who assisted to set it in its place. His name was Lawler, living then at Erin Vale, near Gunning (NSW). He stated that Father Therry had made great preparations for the occasion, and managed to get a few singers together to form a choir. The event drew a large attendance. Governor Macquarie, in official dress, accompanied by his staff, arrived and was received by the priest, who had several altar-boys in attendance. I heard in after years that Columbus Fitzpatrick, brother of the member of the Legislative Assembly, Sydney, was one of the boys. The old man told me that the ceremony was a very solemn affair, and that the silence was great whilst Father Therry read his address to the Governor, to whom he handed a silver trowel. His Excellency's reply was listened to with respectful attention.   FN5

Here follows an outline of that Latin rite, together with the text of particular prayers that were likely to have been recited.  FN6

Blessing of the Foundation Stone of a Church
as celebrated by a Bishop.

A large timber Cross - suggested to be 2 metres in height - is required to be erected beforehand on the site of the intended church and this Cross was to signify that place where the altar of the church would be erected. Of the details that have been preserved, there is no evidence that such a Cross had been erected, but we cannot say that it was not put up. The Cross is to be blessed with holy water, whilst a psalm is sung and then the following prayer is recited :

 

O Lord God, although heaven and earth cannot contain you, yet you are pleased to have a house on earth in which your name may be continually invoked. Look down with loving-kindness upon this place, and by the inpouring of your grace, purify it from all defilement and keep it pure. As you fulfilled the devout desire of your well-beloved David in the work of Solomon his son, likewise in this work be pleased to accomplish our desires, and drive from this place all the spirits of wickedness.

Attention is then focussed on the first stone, which is intended to be part of the structure of the intended wall, rather than a commemorative feature.  The following prayer invokes God's blessing over the stone :

O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, you, true God Almighty, brightness and image of the Eternal Father, and Eternal life; you who are the corner-stone cut out without hands from the mountain, and the unchanging foundation; fix firmly this stone to be laid in your name. We pray you, O Beginning and End, the Beginning which the Father created all things from before all ages, be the beginning, advancement and completion of this work which is to be undertaken for the praise and glory of your name.

The celebrant then sprinkles the stone with Holy Water and traces the Sign of the Cross upon each face of the stone.  After this, the stone was put in place, with the assistance of a stone mason. This would have been the moment when Governor Macquarie used the trowel presented to him for the occasion and the short addresses made.  The rite indicates that the Litany of the Saints is sung after this.  

In the Rite found in The Roman Pontifical, the celebrant turns his attention away from the foundation stone towards the entire site of the intended church.  He blesses the outline of the building, walking around it sprinkling the area with holy water whilst three psalms are sung.  Whether this part of the Rite was observed in 1821 is a moot point, since at this time no definite plan for Saint Mary's existed, only some ideas about its size and design.

After the hymn Veni Creator Spiritus,  FN7 the celebrant prays that the Holy Spirit will come down upon the building which is about to rise from the ground, that He would make acceptable the offerings of clergy and people, and purify the hearts of the faithful. The last petition is that the building itself may endure forever as an unfailing source of heavenly blessings: 

O God, whose clemency and loving-kindness is shown forth in every place subject to your dominion: graciously hear us and grant that the structure erected on this site may endure forever, and that all your faithful who here pray to you, may ever receive the benefits of your bounty.

Saint Mary's Chapel and associated buildings 1834.
Image : State Library of NSW.

SOME FINER DETAILS

From the memoir of William Bernard Ullathorne  FN8  are also preserved some details of the foundation of Saint Mary's.  These are in the form of testimony repeated to him by Catholics present on the day in 1821.  They indicate that Father Therry celebrated the Rite in his "sacerdotal vestments" and by this is probably meant his cassock, surplice and stole.  This may not seem so very remarkable, except one recalls that at the time, Catholic priests were forbidden by law to appear in public in priestly attire.

From Father Ullathorne's account, and the letters of Columbus Fitzpatrick and the account of the ceremony given by Mr Dywer, it is certain that a choir sang the chants appointed in the liturgical books at the Foundation stone ceremony.

We know about this very old choir through a variety of sources.  It had been formed by Mrs Catherine Fitzpatrick FN9 and a Mr Maguire in 1818 and they set about learning that liturgical music proper to the Mass and the Divine Office.  They became very accomplished.  Whether the music they provided for the Liturgy was sung to the Gregorian melodies or to other compositions (probably somewhat operatic), we cannot be certain.  How they came to have liturgical music at all is also unknown, except perhaps they had it specially sent to the Colony from England or Ireland.  That choir, formed in 1818, continued in various forms to accompany the Sacred Liturgy at Saint Mary's Church - later Cathedral - and does so until this day.

To be continued.

Further instalments:

 

The architecture of old Saint Mary's; 

What happened to the foundation stone?

AMDG

ENDNOTES 

FN1    The letter from Governor Macquarie's secretary is reproduced in Father Eris O'Brien's The Life of Archpriest J.J. Therry, Sydney, 1922

FN2   This centuries-old rite is found in the second volume of The Roman Pontifical, originally published by Pope Clement VIII in 1596.

FN3  Criticism of Governor Macquarie is detailed in a letter of Columbus Fitzpatrick 3rd July 1865 published in The Southern Argus (Goulburn).

FN4  Extract from Columbus Fitzpatrick's letter loc. cit.

FN5  Extract from a letter to the Editor by Mr A.T. Dwyer, The Freeman's Journal 23rd September 1915.

FN6  Translation of the prayers of The Roman Pontifical from the original Latin by the author of this article.

FN7  The ancient hymn to the Holy Spirit, Come O Creator, Spirit blest.

FN8  Father Ullathorne arrived in Australia in 1833 as Vicar-General.  In later years, he wrote his memoirs, which were published initially during his life, but significantly revised after his death. William Bernard Ullathorne, From Cabin Boy to Archbishop, London, 1943.

FN9  An interesting essay about this devout and dedicated Catholic pioneer can be found here: https://australiancatholichistoricalsociety.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gleesoncatherinefitzpatrick.pdf