CHURCHES – Laying the foundation Stone of New Roman Catholic School-Chapel at Redcar

Accreditation the Redcar and Saltburn-by-the-Sea 11/08/1876

LAYING FOUNDATION STONE OF NEW ROMAN
CATHOLIC SCHOOL-CHAPEL AT REDCAR

          The foundation stone of the new Roman Catholic School-Chapel, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, was led by Dr. Robert Cornthwaite, Bishop of Beverley, on Tuesday last (08/08). The School-Chapel is to be erected at the South side of Redcar, about midway between Redcar Lane and West Dyke. It is to be built in Gothic style of architecture, and measures 76 feet long by 24 feet wide. There is a large vestry, to be used at present as a school room, at the back of the building. Sufficient land has been secured on which to build a Church and Parsonage at some future time, when the whole of the present erection will be used as schoolrooms. The cost of the buildings in progress will be £750, and the land purchased has cost £500. Accommodation will be afforded in the School-Chapel for 220 worshippers. At the time announced for the laying of the storm a large number of persons assembled, and shortly afterwards the Bishop, accompanied by the Rev, E, W, Riddell (priest in charge), Fathers Lacy (Middlesbrough), Sullivan (Loftus), Bulletti (Lartington Hall), Witham (Lartington), Holland (Eston), McDonnell (Stokesley), Collingwood (South Stockton), Clifford (Richmond), Malloy (Middlesbrough), Consemius (Middlesbrough), and others, arrived at the ground and proceeded to the centre of the buildings in progress. Having roped, the Bishop solemnly blessed the salt and water, and having sprinkled it on the memorial stone, the Psalms “How lovely are Thy tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts,” and “Except the Lord build the house,” were repeated. The storm was then Lord, and Julie led by the Bishop, after which accompanied by the attendant priests, he proceeded round the interior of the building, which she sprinkled with holy water, during his progress the “Miserere, “Have mercy upon me, O’ Lord,” being repeated. The Bishop then delivers a short address on the significance of the ceremony in which they had engaged. Speaking in the first place to the children of his own flock, he said with regard to those who saw for the first time a ceremony like that which had just been observed, he did not think that there could have any doubt either as to the nature of their act of the object of it. They would see the least this, that they (the Catholics) were taking the public as witnesses of the objects for which that building was to be dedicated. There would see even more than that – they would see that they had been blessing it. Why did they bless said? If they look back to the very beginning of the world they would find that one of the first directions which God gave to Moses, who communicated it to Aaron, was to bless the people. And then came their divine Lord himself, Haakon shipwrecked in the world by His blessings. He blessed the laws and the fishes; he nourished the multitudes in the desert. He blessed the elements that were used in performing the miracles, and He blessed the little children who were to be educated for His kingdom. He then instructed His apostles to carry forth the blessing of His Word, which has continued down to the present time. They bless the building because God gave them permission to do so. And yet why did they do so? Why did it need blessing? If they turned back to the beginning of the world again, they found that God looked upon the work he had done by His all mighty hand, and so that it was complete and that it would do. It could not but be good, it came from the source of all goodness, and all the creatures upon it were good. But there came a day when sin entered the world and stained the souls of the first man and woman, and then it stained the Earth from that time to this. The strain has gone on growing and increasing, and at this day a multitude of crimes were reeking in the world. Who shall say it was not stained? In that state of contamination was it fit without a blessing to be consecrated to the worship of God? Therefore, it was that since creation God had given power to His ministers to bless that which was intended for His service. Those the Earth which was for the first time to be dedicated for the instruction and education of children – for the education of their hearts as well as they are mines, as there was to be religious instruction given – it was fate that it should be blessed and consecrated to that service. More than that, they would meet there for worship until a church could be built. While they thank God for what they had achieved, there must continue to implore his blessing on their future. A procession was after wards formed, and proceeded round the stone, on which the offerings of the people were laid, and the proceedings terminated. The contract for the building is Mr. H. Bradley of Coatham, and the architects are Messrs. Carr and Westcroft, of Middlesbrough.

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Lol Hansom September 29, 2014 Churches