With his school well started, Father Earley turned his formidable energies to the task of bringing about the consecration of the church.
He had new pews and tile floors installed. But for the crowning glory, he was determined to obtain an ornate altar made from marble quarried from the district around Carrara, Italy. Father Earley knew exactly what he wanted, since he had made several trips to Rome, where he was friendly with several dignitaries in the Vatican. According to one account, he actually went to Italy to buy the altar; according to another, he ordered it from a catalogue. In any event, the altar eventually arrived, complete with a crew of Italian craftsmen to put it into place. The price of the altar was $10,000, which shows the scope of Father Earley's ambition-and his skill at fund raising.
The Consecration on May 2, 1909, must have been everything that Father Earley had wished for. A little girl at the time, Ann Lee MacNicol remembers walking in the procession with her friends behind the bishops, priests and altar boys. Wearing smilax on their heads, the littlest girls in the parish, veiled and dressed in white, strewed flower petals before the monstrance.
Further development of parish buildings had to be delayed because of the war then raging in Europe. Eighty-three members of the parish, whom Father Earley might have called on for assistance, were instead serving in the Armed Forces. Three of them made the supreme sacrifice: Frank Farrell, John D. Kelly, and Phillip McGovern.
After World War I, Father Earley decided that the parish needed a hall for its various activities. As with the building of the rectory, the men of the parish pitched in to clear the land, lay the foundation and erect the structure, which initially was called the Catholic Club. Later its name was changed to Holy Name Hall.