Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1875-01-16
Taking the Veil.


land Herald gives the following descrlp-
ton of the Ursuline ceremony of taking
the veil
About six o'clock Bishop Racine, at
tended by thirteen assistants, and Pere
lie Moine, the chaplain, entered and
took their places before the altar pre-
paratory to celebrating mass. Stimuli
taneously with their entrance a march
was played upon the organ, and we could
see through the grille the blact-robed
nuns filing into the place in the follow
ing order First came three nuns LII
black, the middle one carrying an I'M
mense cross, and her companions on
either side bearing candles; following
them came two nuns still wearing the
white wells, then thirty or forty OF the
sisters, and last of all the five novices.
These were clad in the dress OF the
Ursulines who have taken the last vow,
with the exception of the wells, which
were white, and as the others took their
places upon either side of the chapel
they seated themselves upon chairs
facing the side of the altar. After the
celebration of mass, in which they
separately received the sacrament from
the hand of the Bishop, he addressed
them as nearly as I could make out as
follows. In order they approached the
lattice and kneeling before it the Bishop
said to each in French
My child, what do you wish r
"To become an Ursuline BUN.
"Are you willing and ready to take
the vows Of poverty, chastity, and obe-
dience to the rule of the convent and
the Mother Superior I"
After answering that they We're, these
VOWS, which were signed by them, we're
presented by them to the Mother Su-
perior. Then followed what to me was
the most touching and impressive part
of the ceremony. From the depths OF
the inner chapel came the sweet, low
music of the convent choir, which, az
the anthem proceeded, grew stronger
and fuller; then, as it ended, the sisters
nearer us-began to sing the same
dirge-like strain, and as they ceased the
five novices, rising, took it up, and in
their tremulous voices, sang it through
to the end. While they sang light ac-
compartment wasplayed upon the organ,
which, while it scarcely supported their
voices, added unspeakably to the
pathetic effect. When the music was
over Pere lie Moine took from their
places by the altar the five black wells,
which had previously been blessed, and
presented them to the Bishop, and he,
approaching the grille, called upon the
first of the novices to. come forward and
receive this last insignia of her retire
ment from the world. She left her place,
after delivering her lighted candle to one
of the sisters, and after bowling to the
ground knelt before him, while he laid
upon her bowed head the veil.
Then arising she turned to the Mother
Superior, who took from beneath it the
white one she was renouncmg, and
handed it to one of the eleven little girls
who were there to receive it. And the
nun prostrated herself upon the ground,
and. wita her arms extended iii the form
of cross, allowed herself to be covered
by the folds of her veil, which somber
pail was significant of her death to the
world. Each novice followed until the
veils had all been received, when the
ceremony closed by their being received
into the community. This was done by
each nun taking the new sisters by turns
into her arms and giving them the ''nun's
kiss of peace" that is kissing them on
either cheek. / find it very difficult to
put all this upon paper, and convey any
last idea of the solemnity of the oere-
mony. I can describe it, but my words
will not make you understand the beauty
of Mozart's "Mater Admirabilis, Lam
belletti's "Quam Dilecta, the triumph
of the anthems, or the pathos OF the
direes. nor of the effect of the breaking
daylight as it stole in through the long,
narrow windows, dimming the pale can
die light which shone upon the white
faced novices, nor the strange ecstasy
with which they, when all was over
threw themselves into the arms OF ther
sisters, the only human arms Wilch
should ever receive them lovingly.