This Day in Brooklyn Catholic History

Last updated on: January 29, 2009 at 10:14 am by Pat McNamara

This Day in Brooklyn Catholic History 2009-01-29T10:14:00-07:00 Pat McNamara

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Today marks the dedication in 1854 of St. Boniface Church, downtown Brooklyn. A participant sent in this account of the church dedication to the Freeman’s Journal, a local Catholic paper:

Brooklyn, Feb. 8th, 1854

To the Editors of the New York Freeman’s Journal:

Messrs. Editors: In your last weekly number mention is made of the opening on the 29th January of the Catholic Church for the Germans, corner of Willoughby and Bridge Streets, in this city. Perhaps a few words more might interest the distant reader and observer of the progress of the Catholic Church; and if you consider this communication answering the object, you may find some room for it in your esteemed journal.

This church, a neat wooden edifice in the gothic style, was purchased a few months ago from an Episcopalian congregation. A small number of Germans congregated in September last to provide funds for the acquiring of a church, since long wanted for themselves and their countrymen in Brooklyn, and their efforts have been rewarded by this very remarkable and quick success. It has been placed under the patronage of the early and greatest Apostle of Germany, St. Bonifacius, to protect this new offspring from his early zealous labors in this its adopted country, and where they would preserve his holy commemoration to whom they are indebted for their conversion to Christianity.

Our much esteemed Bishop, the Right Reverend J. Loughlin, alluded in his short but impressive address particularly to this patron Saint, who had given by his example the incontestable proof of the required union with the Church of Rome, and of the acknowledged supremacy of the Bishops of Rome as the supreme Pontiffs of Christ’s Church on earth, the successors of Saints Peter and Paul, upon whose graves in Rome he made oath to that effect, whereupon he received his mission as Apostle of Germany.

The Reverend Mr. Maurice Ramsauer addressed the congregation in a beautiful and very sensible sermon in the German language, congratulating the members on this acquisition of a house of God, which they had to regard as properly their house too; to be sure it not being the abode of their bodies, but of their souls. In our common dwellings man were born, but born in sin; in the house of God we were born again by the holy baptism, and received into the graces of our Father in heaven; in our dwellings how many sins and transgressions were committed; its walls served to hide them from the view of the world, but in the house of God we confessed these secret sins with the sincere repentance of their committance, and with the resolution to alter our sinful ways, and here we were again received into the graces of God, & c. I could not do justice to the beautiful comparison borne out in every detail to show that the church ought to be considered as the house proper of its members, and can simply hint at the idea.

The singing was kindly volunteered on this occasion by the choir of St. James’ Church, and heightened the festival impression a first divine service always bears about itself.

The sketch of our beautiful altar has been furnished by Mr. Edson, architect; the execution has been done by Mr. John Haas, cabinet maker.

This is the first German Catholic Church in the city proper of Brooklyn which relieves a great want felt since a long time.

I remain
Yours most respectfully
R

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