twelve o'clock
There a number of them congregated in twos or threes to await the procession of notables , who would soon approach with great solemnity and dignity from the opposite corner of the street . The celebration came about in this manner : It was the desire of M. Gerard , the Minister Plenipotentiary of France , to commemorate the anniversary 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 .