The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-04-12
GOOD FRIDAY.
OBSERVANCE OF THE DAY IN THE
CHURCHEs-THE CHRIST I'm ST.
ALPHONsUs CHURCH.

The solemn feast OF Good Friday is not
only hallowed by the Christian Church
throughout the world as commemorative of
the Lords death, but Is also observed by the
suspension Of business and commercial trans
actions. That day is the anniversary Of the
death by crucifxion OF one whom the Chris
tian world calls the Son Of God, who became
man. toiled, suffered and died for the redemp-
ton of sinners.
HE FOUNDED A CHURCH
upon an everlasting foundation, q rock,
against which "The gates of hell shall never
prevail"
The life virtues, patience, self-sacrifice and
death OF Jesus Christ have been faithfully
narrated in the Holy Book, and also eulogized
In the works of many and many O sacred
writer for nearly twenty centuries.
Even the profane writer's Of pagan times
spoke OF Christ with respect and called him
"a sublime philosopher"
The principles Of the Christian Church es-
tablished by him, propagated by handful
OF OBSCURE AND IGNORANT MEN,
have withstood for 1000 years the attacks OF
paganism, atheism and immortality, and
stand now frmer than ever, and will SO re-
main until the end OF the world.
| But let us return to the subject spoken Of
| aboye-the feast of Good Friday. The
| Church, In establishing Its observance, wishes
us to mediate upon the sufferlngs and death
| Of our Saviour.
st. Augustin says that.Christ suffered and
died, not by q necessity deserving the great
est sympathy, but simply by His own will, by
the exercise of His merciful power. He died
| to save mankind, and 1t was His wish to die,
not by the violence OF men, for Ii He had
willed 1t He never would have suffered
/ THE IDEAS EXPRESSED ABOVE
no doubt we're entertained by the immense
| cOncourse of the faithful who made 1t piOus
duty to visit the different churches oil the
/ city In order to pay tribute OF respect and
sympathy to the image OF the crucitied
| Saviour exposed In the main aisle ana In
front Of the high altar.
The churches were in mourning yesterday
the affairs hung with funeral draperles, the
darkened windows and the pale, twinkling
| lustre OF the wax candles, impressed the one
who entered those sacred edjfices with sense
OF mystic and involuntary sorrow.
/ ALMOST ALL THE CHURCHES
presented a like sombre picture, and each
place of worship WAS visited by many. The
custom Of the Roman Catholics on GOOD
/ Friday Is to visit at least three churches, but
many 60 beyond the usage and perform a
kind Of holy pilgrimage from one church to
the other.
AT THE JEsUITs' CHURCH,
the Cathedral and the Church Of the Arch
bishop. the prayers OF the way OF the Cross
were said from Q to in the evening, the
hours between which Christ suffered and
died on the cross. Among the churches that
noticed the Jesuits', the Cathedral, the
churches of St. Theresa, st. Alphonsus, st
Marie, Notre Dame de Bon Secours st. John
the Baptist, st. Ann, st. Augustin and st.
/ Boniface
Mary, on Constance street near jackson, IN
der the care OF the Redemptionist Fathers
we're visited by numbers of Catholics from al
parts of the city. Many entered the two
i churches to view most beautiful represent
tation OF Jesus in his sepulchre.
| THE FIGURE Is LIFE SIZE,
and reclines in tomb like to marble, which
is surrounded by lamps of various colors
The inanimate form OF our Lord, with His
crown Of thorns. under which the blood seems
to slowly ooze; the strikngly rigid outline
the body; the wonderfully delineated pallor
Of death upon the features, covered with thu
cold sweat Of death, are true to nature, ant
impresses the beholder with a sense Of invol
untary awe.
st Bonifaces Church at the corner OF Gal
vez and IapeyrOuse streets, mad also q ike
ness OIL CnElSt ILL LIS SepulCHLt, Uut vi oAlai
size
After visiting the churches during the day
the faithful returned In the evening to thu
places of worship for the purpose OF attend
ing evening services.
At the Insults and the Cathedral the ser
vices were attended by large number OF per
sons, and at late hour Good Friday was con
cluded by the ceremonies OF the "Tenebrae.
Tonight, at Tp'cloek, pools will BE- sold ut tn
Crescent Hall fer tie spring meeting Of tn
I.nuisia IN Jockey GEub