Gothic Pride: The Story of Building a Great Cathedral in Newark

“The Newark Cathedral”: Gothic Pilgrims at Home

Exhilarated by all that they had seen and accomplished and by their dreams for Newark, priest and architect came home, triumphant. The Advertiser painted this brightly lit scene of Doane’s return: The serenade to Rev. Father Doane last evening in honor of his return home from his travels on the continent of Europe, was a complete ovation. A torchlight procession was formed in New Street, near Washington, a little after eight o’clock, and after marching down Washington to Market streets, down Market to Broad, and then down Broad below William, it countermarched up Broad and then proceeded to the parochial residence in Bleeker Street, where a tremendous crowd had already gathered to witness the proceedings. The procession was headed by Reinhard’s Silver Cornet Band, which discoursed lively and familiar airs. . . . In the procession was borne a transparency, on one side which were the names of St. Patrick’s Temperance Societies Nos. 1 and 2, and the following inscription in Irish: “Cead mile failthe soggarth aroon,” which in English means, “A thousand times welcome our beloved pastor.” On the other side were the words, “Welcome home to our Reverend President, Y.M.C.A.” Arriving at the parochial residence, . . . a speech of welcome was made by Rev. Father Reilly. . . . The welcome [had] commenced immediately upon his arrival, for as he was making his way quietly up from the Centre street Depot, thinking that no one would see him, a shop window was thrown up and some of the good girls who were working there shouted out, “Welcome home.” A smile of pleasure and astonishment came over the faces of the children as he met 6 “The Newark Cathedral” Gothic Pilgrims at Home 51 them, one after another, and now the whole had culminated in the magnificent spectacle which he saw before him.”1 The report of Doane’s response to the throng shows his wonderful knack with people and how skillfully and subtly he imparted important lessons: He [Doane] hoped however, that the enthusiasm would not spend itself in shouts and cheers, and music and torchlights, for there was the unfinished hospital [Saint Michael’s Hospital] on the hill, which he had come home to help finish. . . . He excused himself from any lengthy remarks by the Horation plea that he was lassus maris et viarum, and that many of them know from experience the fatigue of a sea voyage, and how one feels when first on shore. At the same time he would show them that he had redeemed a promise he had made before leaving home that he would bring them a Shamrock, and lifting up the flower-pot in which it was planted, he said here it is. He had brought it in his own hands from Dublin. The Shamrock was received with deafening cheers, and then after saying that he had not brought it from the North or from the South, but from Dublin between the two, and repeating the words of the poet: “The Shamrock the Shamrock The green immortal Shamrock Chosen lead of bard and chief Old Erin’s native Shamrock,” and wishing them good night he retired. The next day Doane and O’Rourke’s pride burst upon the pages of the local press. A Newark Evening Courier headline declared: “The new Cathedral —To be the most magnificent temple in the Country.” The article announced : “The building will be in the Early English Gothic style, and will be larger than the magnificent cathedral now being erected on Fifth Avenue, New York, and even more grand and beautiful. . . . Suªce it to say that it will probably be the grandest edifice erected in this country.”2 The report suggested that the design partnership had worked out much of the exterior. Its dimensions truly were grand. The total length was to be 300 feet; the width at the transepts, 120 feet. The Advertiser proclaimed that “lofty spires will rise to a height of nearly 300 feet”—spire to spire, a match to those of 52 Gothic Vision in Newark Saint Patrick’s, which at this point were, like Newark’s, at that height only on scaled drawings.3 As Pugin would have wanted, the Newark cathedral was to be built of a local brownstone. The Cathedral’s Ultimate Site Soon after their return, Bishop Bayley, still in Europe, cabled O’Rourke through Doane: “Heartily approve your selection...