The saddest scenes in the history of St. Joseph’s congregation were enacted at Armory E Sunday morning, when a homeless concourse of people gathered to attend mass in fulfillment of the teachings of their faith. Men and women wept aloud when Rev. M. J. Taugher spoke of the severe calamity which befell the congregation Saturday morning, and the venerable pastor himself accustomed, by the thirty-one years work of the priesthood to scenes of distress and sorrow, broke down and wept over the severing of the ties which bound them to St. Joseph’s church.

He spoke with tears streaming down his face and with the greatest difficulty. Men and women sobbed aloud as Father Taugher drew word pictures of his associations with the church and its people. He said it was not so much the financial loss that was sustained. Catholic people, he said, were accustomed to make sacrifices and today he knew that they were ready and anxious to make the sacrifices that attended the building of the beautiful church years ago.

“How can we shrink now,” said Father Taugher, “when we think of the sacrifices our forefathers made years ago when they first came to this wilderness poor in picket and few in numbers. Their first work was for their God and how happy they were when they saw the walls of their churches rise in adoration of their Divine Savior. And how immeasurably repaid were they when they saw their children receiving their first communion before those crude altars. The faith they had was founded on bedrock, and no obstacle was great enough and no trial severe enough to deter them from their purpose. The church in the wilderness those days rose along with the roofs that sheltered their families, and the walls that protected them from the dangers of the forests.

“How incomparable it is to the great sacrifice being made every day in the mass by our Savior!

“While I am an old man passing along through the evening of life, I stand ready and anxious to assume the arduous task of rebuilding the church, and may God grant me the opportunity to do so and see these – my fondest hopes, come to fruition. I know that my good people are with me. I have no need to ask for sacrifice. Your willingness is written on your faces, and let your prayers be that God may suffer our great work to proceed to completion.

“After all, we must be thankful that the fire was no worse than it was. We should return thanks to the Almighty that no lives were lost. It was God’s will and nothing else. Men and boys performed Herculean tasks in the face of certain death, and much against my wishes they entered the parsonage and saved many and costly articles of furniture. There were non-Catholic men and bost [boys] assisting the young men of our own congregation. I must acknowledge thanks to the many people outside the folds of our church who have tendered the use of buildings for our church services as well as the many expressions of sympathy extended.

“It is true,” continued Father Taugher, “that we will rebuild, but in what manner and how soon I cannot tell. When the new church goes up, the main auditorium will be on a level with the ground. After I have an opportunity to consult with Archbishop Messmer I will be able to announce the permanent arrangements for the celebration of mass this winter.”

Father Taugher’s sermon was couched in the choicest of language. He set the heart strings of his congregation a vibrating and every man, woman and child appeared ready and anxious to start out immediately on the work of raising funds for the new church. When Father Taugher spoke of the destruction of the altars the congregation was much affected. “Little did we think a week ago,” said Father Taugher, “when we worshipped before the beautiful altars of St. Joseph’s church, that we would be attending mass in a place like this this morning. The main altar you erected for the worship of your Creator. Here you stood and were joined in holy wedlock. At the altar of the Blessed Mother you brought your children and placed them under the protection of the Virgin. Then you brought them before the main altar and had them confirmed into the faith. St. Joseph’s altar you erected in adoration of the patron said of the church. They were all wiped away at a single stroke. I could stand it all until the beautiful pipe organ fell. Then my heart was broken.”

Father Taugher and his assistant, Father Gabriel, will take up their residence in the home of the late Miss Etta Foster in the course of a few days. The congregation has rented the house for a parsonage.