The New York herald., 1876-03-01
THE LENTEN SEASON.

To-day, being Ash Wednesday, commences the holy
season Of Lent apart by the Roman Catholic, the
Protestant Episcopal and the Greek churches for
special religious exercises, with certain restrictions
upon diet and upon indulgng in amusomcnts II com
memorates the forty days fast OF Saviour in the
DESERT and in those churches It's obligations are deemed
fully binding as that which all Christians recognize
in reference to Sunday According to the regulations
for the observance OF Lent by the Roman Catholic
Church all the days from this TO Easter Sunday April
16, days OF precept meal with the allowance
of moderate collation. at evening. coffee tea being
granted with the morning neal flesh meat may be
eaten at any time Sunday and at the principal meal
Monday, tuesday and Thursday, with the exception
OF Holy Thursday, the day preceding Good Friday 1t
Is not allowed to eat meat and FISH at
the same meal This being tho Jubilee year
In the Roman Catholic Church It is expected that Lent
will be observed with than usual icrvor II will
be naugurated to-day by masses in all Catholic
churches and by special services in all Episcopal
churches and chapels In the Catholic churches II
customary to burn Ash Wednesday morning tho
clothswhich during the preceding have been used
TO and dry the chacc containing the wine repre-
scnng the blood of the Divine Redeemcr in the
ment the ashes beng gathered and blessed at the
earliest mass after which the ancient custom OF put
ting the sign OF the the ioreheads OF the faith
iu is observed. This ceremony consists in the priest
dipping his thumb into plate Of the blessed ashes and
then making the forehead OF the faithful kneelng
at the altar railing the sign of the cross saying
'Mefnent0 hOmO qua phrtS eH, H ~ pHfrcTtm re
ferisn (Remember man, that thou art dust, and
unto dust thou shalt return.
The time for the annual recurrence OF Lent was
somewhat in dispute in the early Church. and was
thorativcy fixed by the Council OF Nice, convened IN
A. d. 325 which made Easter the first Sunday after the
full moon, which happens upon next after March 2l,
and il that full moon happens on Sunday then Easter is
TO be tho following Sunday
All the Catholic and Episcopal churches OF this and
tho neighboring cities will be throngcd with worshppers
to-day, and during the next weeks there will be
special services in them ALL Devotional exercises will
be held to-day by Rev. w. I. Sabine In the First
Reformed Episcopal church eleven A. NJ, to
which all Christians cordially invited. In
Trinity church there will be services every
Wednesday aud Friday during the holy season, at
eleven A. NJ. and al three r. NJ also in the large hall
OF Trinity school at eight I. NJ every Thursday and
in ST. Pauls church every Wednesday and
Friday evening Bishop Potter will administer the rite
OF confirmation in Trinity church Easter Car
dinn Archbishop McCoskey has issued orders for the
strict observance OF the by all Roman Catholics
IN his archdiocese
To-day also being the 1st of March, is held in high
veneration by all Weshmen and their descendants
ST. Davd's Day In honor of the patron saint of Wales
On this occasion 1t Is customary TO adorn the hatband
with sprig leek, in memory of the signal used by
the Brtons the occasion OF their defeat of the Saxons
in $40 The day will be the OF national iestiv
itics and the two Welsh benevolent societies OF this
city will hold their annual meetings this evening.