the beautiful santa cruz church inaugurated

As we announced in our issue of Saturday last, with sumptuous pomp, on Sunday, the 9th of February, 1919, being present, His Excellency, the Bishop of Tucson who officiated, the clergy of the city, the religious Orders and a numerous group of the faithful, was inaugurated the most beautiful Church of Santa Cruz, built, as is known under the auspices and direction of His Excellency, Bishop Henri Granjon on South 6th Avenue.

In order to understand an act under preparation, the best thermometer, if one may call so, lies in observing the Spirit, frankly revealed in the faces and attitudes of those who anxiously await the moment in which the said action is to begin, and in their pupils, in the mouth and even in respiration, now accelerated by emotion or held back by the same effects of many hundreds of persons congregated in front of the Temple and the monastery. Long before the appointed hour for the start of the Religious ceremony, one could read, with beautiful and consoling clarity, the anxiety that was felt that the Inaugural Act, begin soon, and to be able from that moment to count upon, in this city a new, elegant and Christian religious Mansion, where the oscillating light from the tapers, the refuge of silence, wise and prudent counselor, under the protection of images and objects sanctified by piety, to surrender oneself to the necessary meditations that put us into contact with God, being aware of our smallness and admiring the infinite Goodness and the Greatness of the Almighty.

When the regal star, tore, with his golden swords, afar in the East, the azure space, many Christian persons were already there, in front of the Church, coming from the farthest barrios of the city hoping to find a place, more or less comfortable during the Solemnity.

And from that hour a veritable pilgrimage came to the Church of Santa Cruz: powerful automobiles, leaving their wake of smoke and dust, pedestrians of all sexes, riders on meek or spirited steeds, passengers riding the elegant coach or the humble delivery wagon, invaded the streets adjacent to the Temple.

A little after 9 0'clock in the morning, the Bishop, with rain cape, accompanied by the priests according to custom, began the blessing of the Church and Monastery, going through everything, accompanied by a multitude that didn't want to miss anything. At 10:45 he began the Pontifical Mass, during which a sublime production composed by the immortal composer Mercadante, was played.

The Sacred Throne was occupied by the Rev. Father Lucas de San Jose who, with his literary neatness, and carrying as a beautiful treasure, all of a baggage of profound faith and conscientious erudition, produced one of those sermons that make one truly feel! He spoke to us of love, uttered such beautiful and Christian things, such, that anyone who could not have felt in the depths of his soul at that very moment, the desire to be a better person, simply had to be completely misguided.

One phrase--One priceless phrase of gold, one ermine phrase for its color, one phrase of encouragement for its beauty was what the preacher served for his well thought out sermon: "THANKS BE TO GOD!" This was the phrase Father Lucas used, after a moving entreaty to God, in his sermon Sunday last. He told us that there, in that new house of God, raised for the help of the Holy Cross, all the faithful would make a pledge from that day forward, to pay their honor to the Holy Religion He spoke to us about Spain and her labors in the service and good of Faith. He explained very clearly to us: .."He who does not love in the true and sublime acceptance of term, is not capable of approaching sacrifice and therefore cannot call himself a son of God."

That the Cross is a mother who stretches out her arms of love to whomsoever approaches her--who is an open book for those who meditate on the woes and upon life-- that she is a symbol of martyrdom because she, the Cross, was sanctified by Our Lord Jesus Christ; that death on the Cross is the most intense expression of pain, the reason why she was chosen by the Son of God, and who always, today and tomorrow, we should love with true affection in order to merit the noble name of sons of God. These were, among others, the phrases developed by the sacred speaker.

During this Christian discourse the speaker gave us a narration of the sacrifices of Bishop Granjon, condensed in that work which is in truth something that gives honor to Religion and beautifies the city. He spoke to us of Latin spirit, in its manifestations of Faith and of aesthetic beauty and gave notice with clarity that the work inaugurated that day was the most eloquent manifestation of the Love our Episcopal Pastor feels for his flock and for his race.

Mass finished, the faithful had the opportunity to venerate relic, a part of the Holy Cross upon which our Divine redeemer had expired, donated by the Lord Bishop to the Church. That Solemn and imposing religious celebration ended at one in the afternoon, leaving in the soul of those of us who had the pleasure of attending, the most beautiful, the loveliest, the most consoling of impressions it is possible for us to receive in this world. In the evening there were Rosary and Benediction, this being well attended.

May God reward those noble souls who with great resolution aided in the building of this Church of the Holy Cross. May he enlighten with his rays of love and mercy those Discalced Carmelites who will take charge of the administration of this new temple that will encourage the faith of the believers and awaken in those spirits, asleep to hour Holy Religion, the desire to be good, to be in Communion with the supreme expression of happiness: with God!

Reporter: Tomas O. Belada

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