ersary day of the Independence of the United
States in a religious manner. Arrangements already had been made to hold
Divine worship earlier in the morning at Christ Church, at which the
guests of honor were invited to be present. At twelve o'clock the
congregation would march to the Church of St. Mary, where a military
Mass and a solemn Te Deum would be sung. The Reverend Seraphin Bandol,
chaplain to the French Embassy, would celebrate the Mass and deliver a
sermon appropriate to the occasion.

It had been fondly expected that the event would assume an international
tone. Events had been moving with extraordinary rapidity towards the
establishment of the Roman Catholic religion in the graces of the
government, and this celebration might demonstrate the patriotic motives
of the Catholic body beyond the shadow of a doubt. That a Congress,
which of late had condemned in the strongest terms the practices of the
Roman Catholic religion, could change in sentiment and action in so
short a time, would be an unequivocal proof of the countenance and good
will which the Catholic religion was beginning to acquire. At any rate
the example set by the governing body of the new republic attending Mass
in a Roman Catholic edifice, offering up their devout orisons in the
language, service and worship of Rome, would be a memorable one, an
augury of the new spirit of religious freedom which later would be
breathed into the Constitution of these same States by these same men.

Precisely at ten minutes before the hour they came, walking in pairs,
headed by John Hancock, the President of the Continental Congress, and
His Excellency M. Gerard, the French Ambassador. Immediately after the
Congress, marched the Supreme Executive Council of Philadelphia with
Joseph Reed at its head. Then came the French Embassy, resplendent in
its dress of blue and gold. Prominent civilians, military officers, men
of repute in city and nation, followed slowly along the crowded
thoroughfare and as slowly made their way into the small edifice.
General Washington was not present, having been prevented by duty in the
field.

Within, the little church murmured with low talking. Ordinarily, the
congregation would have been absorbed in silent contemplation before the
Presence of the Divine One, but the impressiveness of the occasion made
the people depart from their usual fervor. The little church was only
partly filled when the great procession arrived and every hea