Ninety-Nine Years

Today is the 99th anniversary of the dedication of our former parish church of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary. The church, now in danger, was dedicated on November 21, 1921. Here is what the parish history has to say about the event:

Nov. 21, 1921 Thanksgiving Day. The new Church building is dedicated by the Most Rev. Edward J. O’Dea, Bishop of Seattle, assisted by the Rt. Rev. Oswald Baran O.S.B. Abbot of Saint Martin’s and former Pastor of Holy Rosary, forty Priests from all parts of the Northwest, and eighteen Knights of the Altar. The parish’s first choirmaster, Mr. John Stellbrink conducted the thirty-member Choir. Representatives from the Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus, the Catholic Order of Foresters, and the Ancient Order of Hibernians provided an honor guard.

The Benedictine Sisters and fifteen hundred people participated in the ceremony. At 11:00am the first Solemn High Mass wass celebrated, with Rev. Mark Wiechmann O.S.B. Pastor of Holy Rosary, as celebrant.

Just after Noon, a Thanksgiving Dinner was served in the School auditorium by the ladies of the parish.

Today is also, of course, the Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which guaranteed (at least under the Old Rite and the Benedictine Rite) that whenever Mass was celebrated here on this day, it would be the Mass of the Dedication of a Church, followed by a commemoration of the Blessed Virgin.

Very clever for a Marian church!

Sadly, however, for the third year in a row, no Mass was celebrated in the church today. The day has gone unmarked and unremembered. It fills me with sadness, and I earnestly pray God that soon this will be reversed.

O God, who year by year renew for us the day
when this your holy temple was consecrated,
hear the prayers of your people
and grant that in this place
for you there may always be pure worship
and for us, fullness of redemption.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.