USA > Pennsylvania > Allegheny County > Pittsburgh > A history of the Catholic church in the dioceses of Pittsburg and Allegheny from its establishment to the present time > Part 7
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The Bishop pushed forward the work on the new Cathe- dral amid almost insurmountable difficulties, arising in part out of the magnitude of the undertaking, in part out of the feelings of the people towards the Catholics, and in part out of the financial depression that was everywhere beginning to be felt. But Dr. O'Connor was not a prelate to be easily turned aside from his purpose, and while he realized to their
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THE BISHOP IN ROME.
full extent the difficulties by which he was surrounded, he yet entered upon the struggle with that energy which was charac- teristic of him, and that confidence in Divine Providence which marks the true Christian. And the people of our day who contemplate this magnificent pile have their admiration for him who planned and built it no little increased by a knowledge of the fact that it required almost superhuman efforts on the part of as great a mind as that of Bishop O'Connor to call it into existence. But he was already begin- ning to pay the penalty of his zeal in the impairing of his health, which began about this time to give evidence of a decline.
The summons of the Holy Father called the hierarchy of the Catholic world to the Eternal City, and Dr. O'Connor was again obliged to visit Rome. Leaving Father M.Mahon Administrator during his absence, he sailed on the 14th of October, 1854, and, having transacted business connected with the administration of the diocese in other parts of Europe, arrived in Rome a few days before the ever-memorable 8th of December. It was on this day that the dogma of the Imma- culate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary was defined to be an article of faith ; and it is believed that in promoting this important decision the influence of the Bishop of Pittsburg contributed no little. It is asserted by some, but upon what authority I know not, that certain alterations in the wording of the decree itself were due to the learning of the same pre- late. Having witnessed with no ordinary spiritual consola- tion the promulgation of a decree at which the whole Catholic world burst forth in acclamations of joy and thanksgiving, Dr. O'Connor returned to his diocese, arriving in Pittsburg January 24th, 1855.
In 1854 there were two churches enlarged and seven new ones built.
The great work of the Bishop-his new Cathedral-was drawing toward completion, or toward the state in which it would be allowed to remain until the times should improve ; and preparations were made for its solemn consecration. There it stood in majestic grandeur, on one of the most prominent sites in the city, having sprung into life in the
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CONSECRATION OF THE CATHEDRAL.
midst of the bitterest Know Nothing times, a silent witness of the power of the Church against the spirit of Satan. At the time of its consecration it was, if not the largest church in the United States, the largest with but one or two exceptions; while in point of architectural beauty it was, and is yet, un- surpassed by any church on the American continent.
Sunday, June 24th, 1855, was the day fixed for the solemn consecration. . The preparations were in keeping with the grandeur of the temple that was to be dedicated to the Most High. The Most Rev. F. P. Kenrick, Archbishop of Balti- more, was the consecrating prelate. The following prelates, and a large number of the clergy of this and other dioceses, were present : Most Rev. Archbishop Hughes, of New York ; Bishops O'Connor, of Pittsburg ; Poitier, of Mobile; Whelan, of Wheeling ; Henni, of Milwaukee ; O'Reilly, of Hartford ; Spalding, of Louisville; Rappe, of Cleveland ; Neumann, of Philadelphia; M'Gill, of Richmond ; Loughlin, of Brooklyn ; Amat, of Monterey; Young, of Erie; Reagan, of Chicago; Timon, of Buffalo; and Carroll, of Covington. The Bishops and clergy who assisted at the consecration entered the Cathedral at five o'clock, the people not being admitted, and the solemn ceremony was begun. At nine o'clock the pro- cession of the prelates and clergy moved from the episcopal residence to the main entrance, and passing up the nave entered the sanctuary. Soon the people, who had been im- patiently waiting, thronged into the sacred edifice, filling every available spot, and it is estimated that about six thou- sand were able to find room within its walls. Right Rev. M. Poitier, Bishop of Mobile, celebrated Mass, and Archbishop Hughes, of New York, preached the dedication sermon, tak- ing for his text the words of St. Paul, Acts xx. 28 : "Take heed to yourselves and to the whole flock, wherein the Holy Ghost hath placed you Bishops, to rule the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood." The sermon was one of Dr. Hughes' best efforts. Dr. Kenrick preached in the evening, at Vespers, on the character and virtues of St. John the Baptist. Thus ended one of the most memorable days witnessed by the Church in this country.
Says a writer of the day : " No artist, however skilled, can
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DESCRIPTION OF THE CATHEDRAL.
convey an adequate idea of the massive beauty of this build- ing. It is a cathedral. Take away even the spires and crosses, and there is no fear of its being taken for anything but a Catholic church. The former Cathedral was in its day a wonder, but this is the wonder, and will be so for many days, years, and centuries, should not some unlucky disaster over- whelm the well-proportioned pile." But it is the material structure and not the decoration that must be considered. Frescoing would undoubtedly add to its appearance; but even under the coating of dust which attaches itself to every object in the " Smoky City," the perfect harmony of all its parts uniting to form a grand whole is such as to make it one of the most splendid architectural monuments in America. The following description was furnished by Mr. Charles Bartberger, the architect: The ground form of the building is the Roman cross ; its head forms the sanctuary or chancel, its arms the south and north wings of the transept, with the dome standing over the centre. Of this dome it must be remarked that from the exterior there is nothing that could lead the spectator to look for such an object. You behold a gigantic steeple with spire and cross rising, it may indeed be said with truth, speaking of the "Smoky City, ' far above the clouds. It is then an unexpected delight when you approach the chancel to look up to a very high and very large dome, through the windows of which heaven's pure light, like an emblem of its grace, beams on the sanctuary. The stem of the cross forms the nave, with the aisles attached to its sides. The outer aisles are to be closed by towers, which are con- nected by a corridor, or rather an arcade, into which the congregation enter by three doorways from Grant Street; and two doorways, one in each tower, from the opposite sides of the building. The arcade supports the organ-loft, and is the termination of the nave and the inner aisles. The building is capable of holding at least five thousand persons. The ground upon which the cathedral stands falls from the front, giving a basement under the rear half of the building capable of accommodating about sixteen hundred persons. It is used as the children's chapel, and for lectures, etc.
The shortness of the lot, 240 feet, prevented the full ex-
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DESCRIPTION OF THE CATHEDRAL.
tension of the longitudinal dimensions of the building. The front, consequently, seems rather wide in proportion to the length. In the angles formed by the transept and the sanc- tuary are arranged the sacristies. Between these and the transept, and opening into the latter, are two chapels on each side of the high altar. The dome is supported by four mas- sive Norman pillars. Two rows of pillars support the cleres- tory roof and ceiling, while two outer rows support the roof of the aisles and their ceilings, which, as all the ceilings of the church, are finished with stucco in the rich composite style of Gothic and Byzantine.
The following are the principal dimensions: Extreme length, 220 feet ; extreme width, 140 feet ; width of front, 116 feet. The sanctuary and both wings of the transept are 42 feet square by 75 feet high ; nave, 115 feet by 42 feet wide and 75 feet high ; two aisles, each 115 feet long by 15 wide and 60 high; two outer aisles, each 100 by 14 feet and 48 high. Height of side walls from floor of church, 32 feet. Height of the clerestory walls from floor of church, 66 feet. The dome covers a square of 42 feet by 130 from the upper, or 152 from the lower floor in the clear. Its full height is 272 feet. The two towers on the corners in front are not yet finished. The basement walls are faced with brown sand- stone ; the cornice tops, etc., are of cut stone, as are the bases of the exterior walls and of the inner pillars and columns, the shafts of which are built of hard brick laid in cement. The roofs are covered with tile.
Enter the church. The first object of attraction on the right, near the entrance, in a semicircular recess with light beaming from the top, and enclosed by a semicircular railing, is the baptistery. Look around. All the appropriate orna- ments, which impart so rich a finish, are stucco work. The groined ceiling of the nave is ornamented by portraits of the twelve Apostles. The walls of the transept and sanctuary are adorned by six colossal statues representing St. Peter, St. Paul, St. Patrick, St. Bridget, St. Aloysius, and St. Rose. The windows are all of stained glass of home manufacture, not gorgeous, but in perfect keeping with the majesty of the place. The Bishop's throne, the stalls for the clergy, and the
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DECLINE OF THE BISHOP'S HEALTH.
pulpit are of white oak, and, like the massive communion- rail and eight confessionals, are carved in highly ornamental style. The same may be said of the ends and doors of the pews. The altars, five in number, including the main one, are of wood, but so beautifully carved and so richly gilded as to leave nothing to regret. The organ, which is but a small one, is placed not on the gallery over the main entrance, but in a small organ-loft in the right transept.
The estimated cost of the cathedral was eighty thousand dollars. But before its completion it cost much more ; and although the exact amount is not known, and could not per- haps be ascertained, it is no overestimate to fix it in round numbers at three hundred thousand dollars.
Seven new churches were erected in 1855, and but two in the following year.
The study and labor connected with the building of the Cathedral and the government of the diocese proved too great a burden for the Bishop ; and his health began rapidly to decline during 1855 and 1856. Toward the close of the latter year he was advised by his physician to take a trip to Europe for the benefit of his health. He accordingly sailed December 10th, accompanied by Rev. T. S. Reynolds, leav- ing Very Rev. E. M.Mahon Administrator during his absence. After stopping a short time at Rome and in other parts of Europe, he sailed for Alexandria, in Egypt, in April, 1857, stopping at Malta a few days on his way. Toward the latter end of May he passed into the Holy Land. The first Mass he celebrated at Jerusalem was in the grotto of the Holy Sepulchre. A month later he was at Constantinople; and having passed slowly through Europe he returned home, arriving in Pittsburg September 16th. But his health was but little improved, and fears were entertained that it would never be restored, or if at all, it would only be after a still further repose.
During his stay in Rome he procured the magnificent painting of the Crucifixion over the high altar of the Cathe- dral. It is from the pencil of Gagliardi, a celebrated artist, . and was painted expressly for the altar of St. Paul's. It is in the style of Guido Reni, and represents our divine Redeemer
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HE PETITIONS FOR A COADJUTOR.
hanging on the cross in the dim light of Good Friday after- noon, with Mary Magdelene clinging convulsively to the redeeming wood, while across the top of the picture is the appropriate legend which it so fittingly illustrates : " God hath so loved us." In addition to its beauty of execution is its colossal size, it being twenty-seven feet high by twelve wide. The dust of the city has dimmed the lustre of this magnifi- cent work of art, but to the eye of the critic it will ever pay a fitting tribute to the eminent master whose work it is.
The Bishop now thought of procuring aid in the admin- istration of the diocese, and accordingly petitioned the Holy See for a coadjutor. In compliance with his request, Rev. John B. Byrne, of St. Matthew's Church, Washington City, was appointed coadjutor May 9th, 1857. He did not arrive in Pittsburg until about the end of August, soon after which time the day of his consecration was fixed. But quite unex- pectedly the bulls were returned, and he retired to Mount St. Mary's, where he died a few years later. The dignity was then offered to Very Rev. Edward Purcell, brother of the Archbishop of Cincinnati; but he declined the honor, and Bishop O'Connor was left to bear the burden unaided. His health was now so much impaired that his physician required him to seek the air of a more southern clime during the win- ter months; and he accordingly set sail for the West Indies and Mexico in October, 1857. But so far from reposing he spent much of his time in collecting money for the Cathedral, an undertaking in which he met with considerable success. 1857, it will be remembered, was the year of the great financial panic; and the Bishop's home resources were limited. Returning, he arrived in Pittsburg April 22d, 1858. But his desire of laboring for the good of his diocese pre- vented him from reposing even when he professed to do so ; and his return found his health still more impaired than it was at his departure. During this year he was unable to make the visitation of his diocese; and Bishop Young, of Erie, performed it, or at least a part of it, for him.
In 1857 three new churches were added to the diocese.
Fearing that the Church would suffer from his inability to administer the affairs of the diocese, he began seriously to
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RESIGNATION OF BISHOP O'CONNOR.
entertain the thought of resigning an office he felt himself no longer able to fill. He again crossed the Atlantic July 16th, 1859, and visited Rome, leaving his brother, Rev. James O'Connor, the present Vicar Apostolic of Nebraska, Adminis- trator in his absence. He did not return, it would appear, before the beginning of the following year; and then only to bid farewell to the flock in whose behalf he had so zealously labored.
During his absence the splendid episcopal residence was destroyed by fire, November 3d, 1859. A plan of a new house was prepared which should cost $16,000 and occupy a part of the ground upon which the present palace stands; bids had been received and the contract was about concluded, when the Bishop returned; but thinking it far too expensive, he refused to ratify the contract, and determined to take up his residence in such a part of the old building as remained intact. A member of the committee, from whom I have re- ceived these particulars, then proposed that at least the front of the building should be newly faced with brick to give it the appearance of a house. To this the Bishop reluctantly gave his consent ; and so it remained for sixteen years.
Three new churches were erected in 1858.
"The resignation of the Right Rev. M. O'Connor, of the See of Pittsburg, was accepted on the 23d of May, 1860, and the announcement of the same was received by him on the 15th of June following."* The moment of separation drew near, and unexpectedly to almost all both of the clergy and laity he published his valedictory in The Catholic, under date of June 18th, 1860, which was very brief, and stated that ill- health, as many knew, had forced this painful measure upon him. He was at this time in New York City. Very Rev. James O'Connor was named Administrator until the appoint- ment of a successor. Meetings of the clergy and others of the laity were held, at which suitable addresses were pre- pared and forwarded to him July 7th, to which he replied in appropriate terms. He sailed for Europe to enter the novi- tiate of the Society of Jesus, October 13th. He visited Pitts- burg but two or three times afterwards.
* Diocesan Register.
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HIS ADMINISTRATION.
We cannot take leave of this illustrious prelate in a more fitting manner than by quoting the words of one who was long and intimately acquainted with him, and who was capable both of appreciating his worth and of expressing it in terms suitable to the subject :
" Any one who understands the resources of the Diocese of Pittsburg would find it difficult to comprehend how this zealous prelate contrived to accomplish so much for the good of religion. A stranger, after examining all that has been done-the various charitable and educational establishments that have been founded, and the number of churches built- would at once conclude that Bishop O'Connor to accomplish so much must have had the control of vast means, or must have been at the head of a numerous and influential Catholic body, possessed of immense wealth and unbounded munifi- cence. Yet Bishop O'Connor enjoyed none of these advan- tages. The Catholics of the Diocese of Pittsburg, though ever ready to extend a generous support to their religion, cannot be said to be influential in a numerical or pecuniary sense. For sixteen years they have enjoyed the advantages of an episcopal administration, all things considered perhaps the most brilliant and most successful in the history of the American Church. At their head they beheld a prelate, young, learned, zealous, and experienced, endowed with a creative genius and a rich fertility of resources under difficulties, such as fall to the lot of few men. Sublime in his conceptions and prompt in his movements, he excited the admiration of all no less by the grandeur of his plans than by the rapidity of their execution. Conscious of his own strength and the justice of his claims on popular support, he engaged in enterprises from which common men would have recoiled ; and each bold move, as it culminated in success, inspired additional confidence in his indomitable energy, and served as a base of operations for the inception of something else, which, while it tended to bring out in bold relief the most popular features of the Church, would minister in the most practical way to the increasing wants of the community around him.
" At home, year after year, there arose splendid monu-
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HE ENTERS THE SOCIETY OF JESUS.
ments attesting his industry and energy. Abroad, when questions of vast import to the interests of religion came up for discussion, so great was his reputation as a writer, lec- turer, and theologian that all turned instinctively to Pitts- burg for the light of that brilliant intellect that so long adorned its see. Accustomed not only to sketch out the out- lines, but to supply the minutest details of the various meas- ures which originated with himself for the advancement of religion, the greater part of his administration has been one of great mental activity and close application to business, suf- ficient to induce premature decay on the most vigorous con- stitution. In contemplating the improvements which on all sides mark the period over which his episcopate extends, Bishop O'Connor must be cheered with the assurance that comes from all classes of his fellow-citizens, but especially from his own flock, that he has done his duty, his whole duty, and done it well."
Justice requires us to add, with the same writer: "It would, however, be neither agreeable to him nor just to them to ignore in this brief tribute to his merits the hearty coopera- tion he received from a body of priests singularly unselfish and proud to emulate the zeal of their great Bishop. En- couraged by his counsel and stimulated by his example, they have, in the many religious institutions scattered throughout the diocese, left on imperishable record a glowing testimony of their generous efforts in the cause of religion from 1844 to 1860 .*
RT. REV. MICHAEL O'CONNOR, S.J.
Besides the picture of Bishop O'Connor's life that has already been presented to the reader, it remains to sketch the close of his career in the illustrious Society of Jesus-the ful- filment of the prophetic words of Pope Gregory XVI.
Having resigned his see, his first care was to put in exe- cution the desire which he had long entertained of entering the Society of Jesus. He accordingly entered one of the houses of the Society in Germany, where he hoped to make his novitiate unknown to all save the few to whom a knowl-
* Reminiscences of the Rev. Thos. M'Cullagh, by Rev. T. Mullen, pp. 30, 31.
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HIS DEATH.
edge of his former dignity was necessary. But it was hard for him to forget good habits, and, to his own humiliation and the surprise of all, he once saluted the community after the Gloria in the Mass with the Pax vobis of Bishops, instead of the Dominus vobiscum of the inferior clergy. By a special dis- pensation of the Father General of the Society, he was per- mitted to take the customary vows at the end of two years. Almost immediately after he returned to the United States, and taught theology for some time in the Society's college in Boston. "He was then appointed Socius of the Father Pro- vincial, and until his death was a preacher, a lecturer, and director of spiritual retreats all over the country, from Maine to Louisiana ; and out of the country, for he visited Canada and at last visited Europe."* He manifested great zeal for the poor colored people, and it was through his exertions that St. Xavier's Church, Baltimore, was purchased for their ac- commodation.
Another evidence of his humility and desire of remaining as much as possible retired from the more attractive scenes of life was the request he made of the Holy Father when the latter accepted his resignation. It is well known that when a Bishop is permitted to retire from the government of his diocese he still possesses the power necessary for adminis- tering confirmation, if asked to do so by the Bishop in whose diocese he may be for the time. Foreseeing that he would frequently be called on to administer this sacrament, Dr. O'Connor requested the Holy Father to withdraw the faculty for exercising that power, which the Pope was pleased to do.
His health improved after his resignation, but it never at- tained its pristine vigor. Age, added to his incessant labors and great mental activity, gradually undermined it, and forced him at length to retire to Woodstock College, Md., where, worn out with laboring in his Master's vineyard, he was called to his reward October 18th, 1872, in the sixty-third year of his age. His remains were deposited by the side of his brethren of the Society to which his affections ever clung, and there reposes all that is mortal of one of the most bril-
* Funeral Discourse of Fr. Clarke, S.J.
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CHARACTER OF DR. O'CONNOR.
liant lights that has ever shed its lustre on the Church in the United States.
" Father O'Connor's mind was massive, solid, and deep, expanding and embracing within its compass almost every department of science and art; and although we cannot say, 'Quid tetigit ornavit,' for neither taste nor talent fitted him for the graces of diction, we may say, 'Nihil tetigit quod non solidavit ;' for no one who listened to him in conver- sation, sermon, or lecture could have failed to observe that, whether he treated a subject analytically or synthetically, he touched and sounded its every part, and always presented it in its greatest strength. And with respect to his style, I think I should add that, like his world-renowned countryman Edmund Burke, his language became more ornamental and eloquent as he advanced in age. Statesmen and lawyers with whom he conversed on ecclesiastical subjects regarding which they had attempted to legislate, and scholars who chatted with him in regard to studies which they had made specialties, were astonished at the variety, extent, and accuracy of his learning, and were frequently convinced by the clearness and the cogency of his reasoning. They found him a giant in in- tellect : master of every subject that he handled, whether it was the taxation of ecclesiastical property, the school ques- tion, or any other subject, a match for any antagonist; and, like a true and valiant knight of the cross, ever ready to dare and to do, and, if need had been, to die for his faith. .
" It may be asked why a man of zeal so ardent and of enter- prise so constantly crowned with success laid down the bur- den of the episcopate and sought the retirement and repose of the religious life. I answer, first, that the religious life was his first choice. He had petitioned for admission into the Society of Jesus before he was consecrated. Secondly, declining health and the advice of physicians proved that it was highly proper, perhaps absolutely necessary. Thirdly, in his resignation and retirement he followed the example of some of the greatest saints whom the Church proposes not only for our admiration but for our imitation." *
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