

Above: an image of the clergy gathered for the laying of the cornerstone
of St. James Cathedral, November 12, 1905. Below: the silver trowel
Bishop O’Dea used on that occasion. Courtesy of the Archives of the
Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle.
The purchasing of land and the building of various institutions loom
large in the history of our local church, and no wonder: our buildings
are an outward sign of the ministry of the Church, and they are
expressions of the commitment of the Catholic faithful, whose
generosity, and even sacrifice, are what make them possible. It is no
surprise, then, to find in the Archives of the Archdiocese of Seattle
half a dozen gold shovels which have been used through the years at the
groundbreakings for various churches, parish halls, schools, hospitals,
and convents. More unusual is the object featured here: a solid silver
trowel bearing the inscription, “This trowel was used by The Rt. Rev.
Bishop Edward J. O’Dea in laying the corner stone of the first Catholic
Cathedral in Seattle, Wash. Nov. 12, 1905.”
The laying of cornerstones for significant buildings is a widespread
practice: the Jewish, Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox traditions all have
rites for the laying of a cornerstone or foundation stone. It is also
common to have a cornerstone ceremony for notable civic buildings,
especially libraries, universities, and statehouses. It continues to be
a significant moment today.
When Bishop O’Dea became the third Bishop of Nesqualy in 1896, he was
duly installed in the Cathedral of Saints James and Augustine in
Vancouver, built just a decade earlier by Bishop Junger. But even at
that time, it was clear that Vancouver was the wrong spot for the
cathedral church of the diocese. For one thing, it was at the extreme
corner of the vast territory, which at that time covered all of
Washington State. More importantly, Vancouver was no longer the most
significant city in the territory. Bishop O’Dea knew he would need to
move; but where? Tacoma? Spokane? Or Seattle?
The Alaska Gold Rush, which began in 1896, helped to settle the
question: Seattle boomed as 100,000 prospectors came through the young
city en route to the Yukon. By the turn of the century, it was clear
that Seattle would be the center of commerce in the Northwest. Bishop
O’Dea began planning his move in 1902. By 1905, land had been purchased
and an architect selected, and in May of that year the work began.
On November 12, 1905, the cornerstone ceremony took place, and it was,
to quote the Catholic Progress, “a red-letter day in the annals of
Catholicity.” The building was far from finished, but much progress had
been made in a few months: the exterior walls rose to the height of the
transepts, and the building was already a distinctive landmark on First
Hill. The whole city was invited to the ceremony, and it would seem that
the whole city came: the newspaper accounts of the event indicate that
some 5,000 people crowded in and around the unfinished building, “jammed
too close for comfort during the long ceremony” (Progress). It was
November, but “charming sunshine” prevailed for the duration, and there
was ample music, and a long line of clergy and visiting bishops.
At the high point of the ceremony, Bishop O’Dea went to the
cornerstone, which was placed near a wooden cross marking the location
of the future high altar. It was an open box a foot square, engraved on
each side with a cross. Bishop O’Dea placed into the box the day’s
newspapers, coins bearing the date 1905, blessed medals, photos of the
two prior cathedral churches of the diocese, and a list of donors to the
new cathedral to date. Then he used the silver trowel to seal the
cornerstone into its location. There followed a long address from Bishop
Carroll of Helena, who “declared that the cathedral when completed would
be the most magnificent, largest, and beautiful in the entire Northwest”
(Seattle Times). The service ended with more music and a general feeling
of satisfaction.
Given the numbers in attendance and the extended media coverage of
the event, it is all the more surprising that to this day we do not know
exactly where the cornerstone was laid. During the Cathedral’s
centennial celebrations from 2004-2007, many efforts were made to find
it, but without success. It is a mystery that still awaits a solution!
The silver trowel, however, remains. In fact, it was used again at
two other key moments in our history as a local Church. In 1930, Bishop
O’Dea used it to lay the cornerstone of St. Edward’s Seminary, and two
decades after that Archbishop Connolly used the same trowel to lay the
cornerstone for St. Thomas Seminary. It is a unique “holy thing” which
links us with the history of our local Church.
Corinna Laughlin, Pastoral
Assistant for Liturgy
Want to know more? Read
Journey of Faith, the illustrated history of the
Archdiocese of Seattle!
|