The Morning herald., 1876-04-15
.EASTER SERVICES.

M6TER SERVICES.
The OossrvssSom Of Holy Week IN osss CITY
-ssrvioss at tAs Ep5secpal assd Catholic
CAssrehss Jo-sssorross. o
The Catholic and Episcopal Churches In
this city are now and have been observing
the impressive selemhities Of Holy Week, a
season which In the former church 10 mark
cd with imposing ceremonies.
At St. Peters on Wednesday, Thursday,
and yesterday, the holy office Of Tcnebr@
was chanted BY large number of clergy
men and choristsrs. o
It is called the Office of the Tenebrae from
that Latin word which signifies darkness,
for, toward the end of the chanting all the
lights used are extinguished, both to ex-
press the deepest mourning and in memory
Of tho darkness which covered the whole
earth st our Lords crucifxion. The noise
which is made BY tho clergy at the end Of
the Office, by beating little the desks or
books, and the ground with the hands and
feet, represents the earthquake and the
splitting of the rocks in the convulsive
agoaies which even inanimate nature felt
at tho death of the Son of God.
The ceremony proper may be described
as follows:
In the triangular candlestick, placed on
the left OF epistle side of the high altar, are
set fifteen candles, seven on each side and
one on the top. The cahdles Oh each side
are put out. one after every Psalm, begin
ming from the lowest towards the Gospel
side, then on the opposite. After these
fourteen; the white candle on the top being
left burning while the 4s,,sdietus is sung,
the six candles on the altar IRE put out, one
after each verse. At the beginning of the
verse, after the Bs'ssdictus, the white can
die 10 taken down from the top of the trt
angular candlestick and hid under the altar,
whilst the Assersrs Psalm and prayer are
recitsdi after which II is brought out again.
The candles to be used are not to be, white,
or be made Of blanched wax, but Of COM
mon or yellow wax as the ancient Roman
Ceremonial of Bishops" prescripes; be-
cause such are used by the Church in times
OF penance or mourning whenever she
makes use of purple or black ornaments.
But the candle placed on top Of the triangu.
lar candlestick Is in most dioceses white,
because It represents Christ Himself. This
number of catdles, and the manner Of
placing them and gradually eztinguishing
them, is q very ancient rite, and occurs in
manuscript copy Of the old "Roman
Order" (of the divine of1ceJ Of the seventh
century, published BY Mabillion.
The usual holy week services have been
held at the other Catholic and Episcopal
churches. !..4 -, ,.ft. ..I.
Tomorrow being Eastes Sunday, the ex
ercises at the church will be Of a more elab
orats character than usual. AL the Epis-
copal and Catholic churches have been
decorated, and preparations made for the
celebration Of the day.
We have only space to present the pro-
gramme in, two of the representative
churches of the city, Of either denomina-
tion, from which our readers may gain
an idea of the order of exercises In each.
As heretofore the Choir of Trinity chapel
have prebafed music Of high order of ex-
cellence for tho Easter festival, and they
will undoubtedly render it IN such man
ner As to delight the lovers of classical
church music. We understand that their
selections on this occasion are chiefly from
DR.. Tuekerman, and in addition, anthems
from 1n. Eivey and Allen. ~ -
Ths hours of service are, At half past six
O'Clock, an early celebration Of tho Holy
Comnunfon, at half past ten o'clock the
full festival ritual Of the Episcopal church.
In tho afternoon there will be carol sing
ing, followed, by the evening prayer and the
administration Of baptism; and in the even
ing spebisl service at which some OF the
morning music will be repeated. "o'' f
Nh> vro~ro m ma nf u,usic "a "A follows.