The cornerstone of the new Polish Church of St. John Cantius at Chicago Avenue and Carpenter Street was consecrated in a beautiful and impressive ceremony Sunday.

The crowd was already gathered about the rising walls of the new temple at 9:30 in the morning. The front wall reaches the height of the first floor; the side walls are also under construction, and in the center, the columns that will support the nave are already rising. The rear walls, that is, the recess that will hold the main altar and the sacristy have also been begun. Here a cross was erected upon an elevation and decorated with flowers. The walls of the newly rising church were literally covered with flowers and flags; the cornerstone, suspended on a pulley, awaited being set in its proper place. Upon a platform beside it, a splendidly canopied place was prepared for the archbishop; the documents, a hammer, and a trowel, decorated with ribbons, lay upon a small table close by. The whole, with a background 2formed by the crowds surrounding the walls and the hundreds of people at the windows and on the roofs of neighboring buildings, created a beautiful and imposing scene.

At about ten o'clock societies from St. Stanislaus Kostka, St. Hedwig's and St. Michael Archangel parishes began arriving to the strains of band music. The bright uniforms of the Uhlans, Knights, Cadets, and of the members of the Krakus and Kosynier societies, with their colorful banners, mingled with the throng. A number of mounted guardsmen were also present. We will not list the societies that participated in the parade, for such a list appeared in Saturday's issue of Dziennik Chicagoski. We will add, however, that a delegation from St. Josephat Society of Town of Lake also attended. The parade was ably led by J. Paszkiewicz.

Archbishop Feehan arrived at about eleven o'clock, escorted by priests and 3society members who had gone to meet him. The Polish priests present at the ceremony were the Reverends Vincent Barzynski, who is directing the building of the new church, Simon Kobrzynski, J. Radziejewski, J. Barzynski, A. Nowicki, B. Zmijewski, J. Piechowski, Machdzicki, Sniegurski, F. Matuszewski and others. Archbishop Feehan's assistants were the Reverend Le Grand and Reverend Kasprzycki.

The procession of priests with the archbishop at its head slowly made its way to the cross, where prayers were said. The military societies of St. Stanislaus Kostka parish followed them, taking the lead in a procession that lasted an hour. After the procession ended, the cornerstone was laid. A metal box containing the documents was placed inside and the archbishop, taking the trowel in his own hand, applied the mortar, after which the cornerstone was swung into place.

At the close of the ceremony, the Reverend A. Nowicki spoke to the gathered crowds from the frame of one of the front windows. His address was an inspiring one. He said that the building under construction was to be a 4house of God, a gateway to heaven, a house in which our lives begin and end. Through His priests, God opens the gates to a Christian life for us in this house. Here a child learns his prayers, a youth learns to be a good Pole; here too, everyone can find spiritual guidance and succor in misfortune. It is a house of God, for God lives within it; it is a gateway to heaven, for it creates Christians according to the teachings of Christ. Continuing, Father Nowicki said that in spite of the hard times, thousands of people had gathered for this ceremony, ready to make offerings, for they realize that the school is the place where good Poles and faithful Catholics are made. The great throngs show that we are good Poles and have not yet lost sight of God. God will likewise remember us; He will comfort us in misfortune and He will bring it about that true Christian harmony will prevail in this new parish.

When Father Nowicki had finished his address, Archbishop Feehan blessed the people, and the ceremony was over.

The new St. John Cantius Church will be one of the most magnificient churches 5in Chicago. Its architecture will be Roman, adapted to the local climate, designed by the architect Druiding. It will be 125 feet wide at the front and 195 feet long; it will seat two thousand people, while the school, which will be located in the basement, will accommodate fourteen hundred children. In a few months we can expect to attend the consecration of the completed church.