USA > Rhode Island > Providence County > Woonsocket > St. Charles', old and new > Part 3
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As space had to be found for a third confessional, so it had to be found also for a baptistry. Ever since the church was first built, baptism
nineteen
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ST. CHARLES' - OLD AND NEW
was administered at a provisional baptistry in the vestry. This is con- trary to the usual order, and besides was never intended to be permanent. The problem of finding space was met by pressing into use the area that was formerly taken up with one of the stairways mounting to the old choir loft. The room thus secured measures about eight by twelve feet and is reached by a door opening from the narthex. In this room, Mr. Hogan, the architect, felt that he could see opportunity for something unusually fine; and the result has justified his prevision. It is a gem of miniature Gothic. A little chapel-like enclosure, with an oak wainscotting, richly carved, rising eight feet from the floor, and surmounted by a graceful groining whose ribs and side walls and ceiling, are treated in texture of soft greyish stone color. The floor is of zenithurm, and the room is heated separately from the general plant, by electricity.
A feature of very special interest in the baptistry is the door. Like the sanctuary lamp, it is of wrought bronze. This door, in addition to the perfection of its workmanship, attracts attention by the wealth of symbolism which Mr. Larscheid, its designer, has put into it. Although a single unit, it may for convenience of description, be divided into an upper and lower half,-each half being made up of nine squares, about a foot in diameter. In the center square of the upper half, the doctrine of the deity is conveyed by a series of circles, symbols of infinity. One circle containing the letter P (Pater) represents the Father; another containing the letter F (Filius) represents the Son; and a third, containing the letters SS (Sanctus Spiritus) represents the Holy Ghost. These three unite in one circle in the center in which is the word Deus-"God." The other squares in the upper part of the door reveal God as creator by the setting forth in wrought outline the sun and moon and stars, and fishes and vege- tation. Also in these same upper squares the four evangelists are symboli- cally depicted,-a bull, for St. Matthew, a lion for St. Mark, a man for St. Luke; and an eagle for St. John.
In the lower half, the squares of the door are taken up by a graphic symbolical representation of the seven sacraments; baptism in the center, where Our Lord is submitting to the water being poured on by John, while the Holy Ghost descends in the form of a dove; penance in an upper square, under the symbol of the keys; Confirmation in the square opposite, as a descending flame; Eucharist just below Penance, as a round host with
twenty
THE NEW MEMORIAL CONFESSIONAL
ST. CHARLES' - OLD AND NEW
the monogram IHS; Confirmation in the square across from the Eucharist, by the figures of the chalice and stole, emblems of the priesthood; Matri- mony, in the square under the Eucharist, by two rings conjoined and overhung by a stole; and finally, in the lower square on the right, Extreme Unction, by appropriate symbols, and the word Pax-Peace. In short, like the craftsmen of old, Mr. Larscheid, in his wonderful work, has told many chapters of the Christian faith.
With this account of the baptistry, our brief description of the most recent renovations in the church is brought to a close; as also the objects which are the subject of the descriptions mark the culmination of the series of changes which have brought our beloved church to a point where, for beauty and strength and dignity and glory and devotional atmosphere, it may well compare with parish churches anywhere.
11
twenty-one
The Story of St. Charles' Generosity
If St. Charles stands as a monument of architectural taste and skill, it does so only by virtue of the generous contributions of many past gen- erations of faithful worshippers; for without the uninterrupted financial stream that flowed from the very beginning, no skill or taste, no matter how excellent, would have been able to express themselves. For the most part, this early giving was not in the form of large donations from a small number, but of small offerings from countless multitudes ; for our con- gregations here as well as elsewhere in Catholic parishes, have always been hard working people, ambitious and persistent in their efforts to give to Ceasar what belongs to him, but never to the point of neglecting to give to God what belongs to Him. Their names are written in the book of life; and into the next world, whither they have departed, their good works have followed them. This is our belief and the basis of our hope. How- ever beside this multitude that no man can number, there were from the very beginning individuals, here and there, whose circumstances and in- clinations led them to special acts of generosity; and though their gifts were made for God's glory only, and not for any earthly reward, still their benefactions received due recognition at the time, and they are not en- tirely forgotten by us who have been the beneficiaries of them.
Now, what is true as regards the past is just as true today. St. Charles is still supported and developed in consequence of the steady stream of contributions from countless numbers of persons who are not circumstanced to give largely, but who week in and week out, and month in and month out, and year in and year out, fail not to set aside out of their small incomes a certain amount for the support of religion. If one were to ask who they are, he would have to be told to read the parish census lists, for they make up practically our entire congregation.
To each and every one of them our gratitude goes out; and we know for certain from the teachings of our faith, that the gift according to one's means, no matter how small in itself, has been found richly acceptable in the sight of God.
However, now too as in the past, there are those whose circumstances and inclinations have led them to make special offerings. We knew when
twenty-two
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THE BAPTISTRY
ST. CHARLES' - OLD AND NEW
the present work of renovation was begun that there would be such, and we said then that the gifts so made would form part of the record to be kept in connection with the anniversary celebration. Thus it is with senti- ments of sincere gratitude and prayerful acknowledgment that we set down the following list of special contributors in alphabetical order :
Beta Alpha $ 100.00
Hannah Brown
$
20.00
The Misses Briody
100.00
Thomas J. Barry . 50.00
Rosetta Brady
225.00
Mrs. William Batchelor 100.00
Thomas Burns 35.00
Helen Brennan 25.00
Stephen Crane 20.00
John Cook
50.00
Timothy Cushing 225.00
Richard Cody
225.00
Patrick Cummings
100.00
Mrs. William Cronan
50.00
Eliza P. Corcoran. 200.00
The Misses Ann and Margaret Cox .. 100.00
George W. Carroll 100.00
Mary Cassidy 50.00
Thomas Donnelly 100.00
John Donovan 25.00
Michael Donovan 100.00
Mrs. Annie Egan. 25.00
Elizabeth and Lena Ford. 40.00
Maurice Fitzgerald 50.00
Maria Gilfillan
500.00
Eva F. Gallagher 100.00
In memory of David and Ann Brown. In memory of father and mother.
Lighting Fixture: in memory of Michael Brady family.
Small Lighting Fixture: in memory of Thomas F. Farrell.
In memory of Ann Burns. Missal: in memory of her mother.
In memory of Cook and Barry families.
Lighting Fixture: in memory of Ellen Fahey Cushing.
Lighting Fixture: in memory of his wife.
In memory of Richard and Joanna Cummings and John and Mary Burke.
In memory of Martin and Catherine Reddy Corcoran.
In memory of father and mother.
In memory of Mrs. Rosella Cassidy. In memory of William J. Donnelly.
In memory of Joanna Donovan.
In memory of father and mother.
Sanctuary Lamp: in memory of Wil- liam Gilfillan family.
In memory of Mr. and Mrs. James Gallagher and family of Ontario, Canada.
twenty-three
ST. CHARLES' - OLD AND NEW
Rev. Cornelius J. Holland
2,500.00
Nellie Head
300.00
Holy Name Society
1,500.00
Peter Hackett Estate 100.00
Mrs. J. Holland.
10.00
William Houghton
50.00
Mrs. Bertha I. Houghton.
50.00
Immaculate Conception Society. 1,500.00
Lucien Jarret 200.00
John J. Keegan.
25.00
Thomas Kennedy
50.00
John and Loretta Kiley
40.00
Ambrose Kennedy
100.00
Dr. Frank Kennedy 300.00
Mary Etta Kelly
300.00
Thomas Kenney 50.00
The Lally Family
300.00
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Linton 250.00
300.00
Frank Lally
Paul Lavimordiere
50.00
The Misses Lynch. 250.00
Mrs. John Long. 100.00
Joseph Marrah 200.00
Mrs. David McCombe 25.00
Dr. Thomas Mclaughlin 100.00
Mary S. Mee
200.00
James Monahan
100.00
William Myers
1,000.00
Daniel Morris 100.00
James V. Murray, Raymond T. Mur- ray, Mrs. Agnes Murray Mc- Weeney, Alicia Murray Larose. 2,000.00 James Mullen 13,000.00 Mr. and Mrs. Richard Murphy 225.00
Mrs. P. B. Mulvey 300.00
Edward McCarthy
100.00
The Father Holland Memorial Win- dow.
In memory of Peter Hackett and family.
In memory of John Kiley.
Large and Small Lighting Fixtures: in memory of her father and mother. In memory of Catherine Kenney.
In memory of Parker Linton. The Sedilia: in memory of Mary E. Lally.
In
memory
of
their
father
and
mother.
In memory of her husband. In memory of William A. Marrah.
In memory of her father and mother. In memory of his wife. The Painting of St. Patrick and St. Bridget: the Myers' Memorial.
Two Side Windows: in memory of Thomas P. Murray, Elizabeth Mc- Cabe Murray and Edw. B. Murray. The Mullen Memorial Organ. Lighting Fixture.
Credence Table: in memory of Peter B. Mulvey. In memory of father and mother.
twenty-four
ST. CHARLES' - OLD AND NEW
Rose McCaffrey
1,100.00
561.00
Miss Mary Mccarthy and Mrs. H. A. Greiner
200.00
William McCanna 25.00
James McCarthy 500.00
Mclaughlin Family, Summer Street 300.00
James McGrath
100.00
Charles Nulty
50.00
Mary O'Neil
25.00
Dr. J. V. O'Connor 100.00
O'Donnell Family 500.00
Timothy Quinn
100.00
Mr. and Mrs. Patrick O'Donnell .... 500.00
Miss Johanna Reilly 25.00
Bridget Ryan
500.00
William Rogers
250.00
Rosary Society
1,500.00
Miss Teresa Shepherd
1,000.00
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph St. Jean. 60.00 John Sweeney 25.00 Smith Family of Summer Street. 100.00 T. P. Smith 100.00
Mrs. Annie Sibley 25.00
The Misses Mary and Sara Trainor 50.00
Mary Winn (bequest) 1,500.00
Painting of Virgin and Child: the McCaffrey Memorial in memory of Michael McCaffrey. The Pulpit Canopy: in memory of Denis McCaffrey.
In memory of Mary E. McCarthy and John F. McCarthy.
Sanctuary Stall: in memory of his wife.
In memory of John and Bridget Mclaughlin.
In memory of his wife. In memory of Mr. and Mrs. Barry. In memory of Richard and Ellen O'Neil.
Brocaded Taffata Dossal: in memory of Patrick O'Donnell.
In memory of William and Margaret Quinn.
New
Confessional :
the
O'Donnell
Memorial.
Sanctuary Stall: in memory of Eu- gene Ryan.
Bronze Gate for Baptistry and Bap- tistry Furnishings. Painting of St. Augustine and St. Monica: the Shepherd Memorial.
In memory of Philip A. Smith. In memory of Mary McGrath. In memory of father and mother. Two Paintings representing Angels in Adoration: the Mary Winn Memo- rial.
twenty-five
St. Charles' WORLD WAR - HONOR ROLL
Army
DALTON, JEREMIAH C.
DARCY, CHARLES B.
ANDERSON, GEORGE AUDETTE, WILLIAM
AUCOIN, GEORGE
BARRY, CORNELIUS B
BEDFORD, JOHN J.
DEERHAM, JOHN
DEVINE, THOMAS E.
DEVOTO, FRANK
DEVOTO, HENRY
MCCARTHY, JAMES
MCCLURE, PHILIP
MCDONOUGH, EDWARD
McGAULEY, JOS. LEO
McKIERNAN, FRANCIS
BYRNE, RICHARD T.
CALLEN, EDWARD D.
CARNEY, EDWARD
CARNEY, JOHN F.
CARROLL, MYLES CARTWRIGHT, DANIEL
CASEY, STEPHEN
CASSIDY, GEORGE
FINNAN, WILLIAM
FITZPATRICK, THOS. B.
FLYNN, THOMAS
FRASER, JOSEPH
FRAYNIE, MORIN
MULVEY, JAMES
0
0 0 1
1
1
CRAWFORD, RAYMOND
CRAWFORD, WILLIAM
1 0 T
1 1 1
1
1
DALEY, PAUL
HUNT, EDMUND H.
Navy
FRANKLIN, WILLIAM
GILBERT, JOHN J. GILLERAN, FRANK
GILLERAN, LUKE
GRADY, WILLIAM
GRIMES, JOSEPH
KEARNEY, JOHN C.
KENNEDY, CHAS. B.
KENNEDY, HENRY
KEOUGH, DANIEL LENNOX, FRANK
QUIRK, WILLIAM H.
SMITH, BENNETT J., SMITH, HARRY
VICTORY, JOSEPH
FOX, WILLIAM
Marines
McGINLEY, WILLIAM A.
SULLIVAN, JAMES E.
CRANE, EDWARD
* Denotes died while in service.
MORRIS, WALTER MURPHY, RAYMOND MURRAY, JAMES P.
NAYLOR, WILLIAM
COOGAN, ARTHUR C.
DAIGNAULT, CLARENCE
O'DONNELL, FRANK
OWENS, GEORGE
PADIEN, JOHN QUINN, MARK B.
QUIRK, MICHAEL
FLORENTINE, JOHN *FLYNN, HAROLD *FLYNN, JAMES F. FLYNN, JOSEPH A. FLYNN, RALPH FOX, GEORGE
LENNOX, FRED McKIERNAN, JOHN
SHEVLIN, ALICE M., Nurse McPARTLIN, MICHAEL
SMITH, HARRY C. THOMSON, GEO. M.
CRYAN, JAMES
CRYAN, WILLIAM
HEALY, MARTIN F.
HOLLAND, THOMAS
CULLEN, JAMES
CUNNINGHAM, FRANK
HUGHES, CHARLES B.
CUSHING, LAWRENCE A. CUSHING, THOMAS DALEY, EDWARD
HUGHES, EDWIN HUGHES, EDWARD
WOLFE, GEORGE WILFE, WILLIAM
HUNT, EDWARD
KIRBY, CHARLES KIRBY, JOHN F.
DARCY, CHARLES B.
DARCY, EDWARD F.
DARCY, JOHN J.
DARCY, WILLIAM A.
BLAIR, GEORGE BOLAND, WILLIAM BOYLAN, WILLIAM *BRADY, JOHN F. *BRADY, STEPHEN J. BRODERICK, ADRIEN BYRNES, JAMES
DOHENY, JOHN F. DONAGHUE, JOSEPH
DONOVAN, JOHN
DORNEY, JOHN DRISCOLL, WILLIAM
DURHAM, JOHN
DURHAM, WILLIAM
DWYER, R. J. FANNING, JOHN *FELICE, JOHN FENLEY, RAYMOND T.
*MAGNER, JAMES F. McRAN, CHARLES MALONEY, DANIEL
MALONEY, DENNIS J.
MEE, EDWARD
CASSIDY, HARRY T.
CASSIDAY, MARK
CAVANAUGH, FRANK
CLANCY, WILLIAM
CLAVEN, JOHN F.
COFFEY, THOMAS
COFFIELD, EDWARD
COHEN, CHARLES
COLLINS, FRED R.
COLLINS, GEORGE P.
CONLON, LUKE
COWITT, JOHN
GILLERAN, JOHN
GIRARD, LOUIS
GLATKI, STEPHEN
GOUCHER, WILLIAM
GRAY, JAMES
GRAY, JOHN
CROWLEY, DENNIS J.
GREENHALGH,
CROWLEY, THOMAS J.
GUERTIN, RAYMOND HANDLEY, JAMES C.
RILEY, FRANK
SHEVLIN, ARCHIE
CREIGHTON, GEORGE W.
CREIGHTON, THOMAS C. CROKE, JAMES
SHEVLIN, FRANK
SHUNNEY, FRANK
SHUNNEY, JOHN A.
VICTORY, JOSEPH WALKER, A. LEO WILLIAMS, AMBROSE
*YOUNG, ANDREW E.
*BRADLEY, JOHN J. BYRNES, EDWARD C. COFFEY, MICHAEL
GEARY, DANIEL
PARTENDON, PASQUALE
REILLY, FRED
GEARY, GEORGE J.
MURPHY, JAMES A.
GALLIGAN, EMMETT
GALLIGAN, MATHEW
MURPHY, JOHN F., JR.
MYERS, CHARLES J.
GARDELLA, ANTONIO
GARDELLA, JOSEPH
O'BRIEN, JOHN J.
McKERNAN, WILLIAM MCLAUGHLIN, REV. J. J. McMICHAEL, JAMES
MEE, THOMAS
MULCAHEY, JAMES
MULGREW, WILLIAM J.
GALLIGAN, EMMETT
MURPHY, FRANK
REYNOLDS, FRANK
REYNOLDS, PETER
NULTY, VINCENT
DARCY, RAYMOND FARRELL, PATRICK FITZPATRICK, THOS. B.
LINTON, GEORGE E. LINTON, ROBERT
LONG, JOHN JR. LONG, JOHN J. LYNCH, FRANK
McCAFFREY, CHAS. J.
McCAFFREY, JOHN W.
ALLEN, HENRY *AUCOIN, GEORGE
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