The New York herald., 1868-04-13

reverend gentleman reviewed the passion OF Cnrlst
rection and the great and everlasting dement's which
He had conferred on mankind. The services ter
minated shortly after one O'Clock.
ST. Stephens Catholic Church.
This magnificent and spacious edince was densely
crowded at the forenoon service yesterday AT least
four thousand persons occupied the pews and the
space IN the great broad aises and the very STAIR
ways leading to the galleries also thronged II
was pre-euinently day Of Joy and thanksgiving
with the faithful worshipping In church. and every.
thing was done by the worthy and respected pastor
Rev. Edward J. McGlnn D. D., to make the occasion
OF our Lords resurrection as sacred, grand and i'm.
posing as circumstances would permit The large
altar was beautifully decorated with natural
nowers-artincial ones always being discarded for
similar purposes at this church-and the tabernacle
was most superbly trimmed with ivy, which wound
around the slender columns and capped the fretted
cornlces OF the pillars with charming and unosten.
tatous simplicity OF taste that at once harmoniZed
and contrasted nicely with the other and more gor.
geous surroundings. Myriads OF wax tapers burned
and sparkled, like so many stars, In beautiful
silver candelabra, high upon the grand altar
and on either side, minging their chickering's
wiz with the subdned light that stole softly through the
grandeur and ecclesiastical awe to the already
bewildering enchantment Of the sacred temple.
McEvoy, assisted by the Rev. DR.. McGllnn, and the
Rev. Fathers Early and McSweeny. Twenty acolytes
lytes in black cassocks were also upon the altar
The Rev. Father McSweeny preached an eloquent
sermon taking his text from the sixteenth chapter
OF ST. Mark. He feelingly alluded to the orphans In
his remarks, and eXhorted his hearers to contribute
generously according to their means, for the sup.
port OF these helpless children who had been beret
OF their parents. He regarded the resurrection OF
Christ rs the crowning argument OF the faith Of the
cation to so live upon earth that they might be able
TO rise hereafter unto their Saviour in Heaven.
Haydn second mass was sung by the regular
hnt piCtaa hv Thnnd hncfr md
an efficient chorus OF thirty male and female voices
under the leadership OF Mr. James Caulded, the tai
ed, and was all that could be desired. The Kyie, So
prano solo, by Madame de Lussan, and the Qu tails,
solo o sg1or Soe were both n ys
Sancte SpirituS, duet by Mesdames de Lussan and
Anschutz, are likewise deserving OF mention for the
beautiful and perfect manner IN which they were
sung
Mr. Caul1eld, previous to the mass performed the
air and variations from Hesse In q mastery manner
upon the organ and at the conclusion OF the cere.
mony the Halleujah chorus Altogether the service
was one OF the grandest most perfect and superb OF
Its kind that has been held In this city for years The
priests in their costly vestments, the surpliced AGO.
ytes, the delicious strains of nnsc oating the
ascending upwards In the sanctuary, the countless
lights and the ncomprehensibe mystery OF the mass
contributed TO make such spectacle as mas seldom
II ever before been equalled an Easter day in this
country.
The Services at 81. Adams
were opened with low celebration on Saturday
morning and continued with solemn vespers on Sat.
Vrday evening with the ecclesiastical device for mass
Of deacon and sub.deacons At both these services
the congregation was small and curious, though de.
vout and quiet. The links were again taken up nine
O'Clock yesterday morning, the matutinal service
consisting simply OF what Is termed in rituastic par
lance plain song but failed 10 call out any over
whelmlng congregation. AT hafpast ten, however
the high celebration was taken up, and by this time
people having dropped In by twos and threes and
singy, the house was well filled. The black cloth OF
Good Friday had been withdrawn and was replaced
with festal decorations OF more Joyous ensemble In
which freshly plucked flowers bore an important
part The blossom and bloom Of life were, In fact,
everywhere. They hung in grand festoons upon altar
and ectern; they peeped out nom every nook and
81 I1I the they ed the
had but the Friday before typined the Roman death
The tapers at the altar so disposed as to stand in
conical pyramids on either side had been relighted
and stood In the spectral darkness Of the interior like
SO many tall white fingers, each tipped with blaze
and each emitting OF It's own constitution sort OF
golden.yellow light, which kept up continuous nar
Ing flicker either side Of the antique altar not suf
cient indeed TO bring out plainly the oriental let
terng upon the wall above IT, bat Just sufficient to
make every letter seem creeping nondescript,
moving with every motion OF the light that made 1t
visible.
II was rather relief than otherwise therefore, to
the spectator with an imaginative inclination when
the organ, huge hundred. horned monster, broke
forth In q low moaning diminuendo which, breaking,
gradually rose into the believing bass OF crescendO
that seemed absolutely to thrill the building and the
strange letterings on the wall, and the very tapers
themselves, with sort OF nervous ague,
motion had gotten so confounded or tangled
the one with the other that the latter Ctlrred with
every pulsation OF the former. IL was relief also
when, with the opening OF side door, procession
Of priests and boys In surplice and soane tramped
In and took their places at the atar Just as II the
had been but spectral creations OF the same great
wave OF sound which had filed the building but
instant before. Then the officiating priests-the
Rev. Fathers Morrill, and Noyestook their places at
the altar and the services went on.
The musical programme FOR the day was one OF
peculiar complication. Beginning with the introlt
(Gregorian) succession Of anthems and can.
tilations occupied nearly the entire service, inter-
rupted here and there by the drowsy intonations
OF the officiating priests, who Kept up simply sort
OF lntermittng undertone In the midst OF the maZes
OF organ and cantillated responses. The introit
was succeeded BY the "Kyrie ~ the "Kyrien by the
mass Mozarts Twelfth; the mass by the Gloria In
"Sanctus - the "Sanctus" by the "Benedicus 2, the
"Benedctus" by the "Agnus Del !" the "Agnus Den
by MoZart's Twelfth Mass the mass by the Oner.
tory the 0fiertory by the "Gloria In Excelcisn and
the "Gioria In Excelcis by Mozarts Twelfth Mass,
which concluded the services-the priest delivering
al interim brief discourse OF the resurrection.
vesper celebration, with an equally complicated
las, evening.
Church OF the Most Holy Rcdeemcr.
The ceremonies commemorative OF the resurrection
OF our saviour were celebrated In the Church OF the
Most Holy Redeemer German, with ali the impress
s!yeness grandeur and completeness which have