Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-04-14
EASTER SUNDAY.
HOW IT WAS OBSERVED IN THIS CITY.
The Gloomy Season Of Lent Followed by
the Joyous Ceremonies Of Easter Day
Music, Lights and Flowers
Programmes at Several of
the Churches.

the Churches.
Easter, the Christian passover and
festival of the resurrection OF Christ,
was probably named from the Teutonic
Goddess of SPRING Ostera or Eostre,
whose festival occurs at the same time.
The Scotch name for il is Pasch Sunday,
10 which there is a similarity IN the
names given by the rest of the European
nations. st. Paul calls Christ "our
Pasch;" and both the Eastern and
Western Churches from the beginning
distinguished a twO-fold event in the
Easter commemoration OF the Staying
of the Lamb of God" and his resur-
rection. And the distinction between
the day on which Christ died and that
on which he rose again had not little
10 do with the Eastern controversy in
the early church, originating in differ
ence of custom with regard TO
the dav OF the week and the
day of the month on which Easter
should be celebrated. As the Christians
held that Christ, the true paschal lamb,
has been slain on the very day when
the Jews. i'm the celebration Of their
passover, inundated the tigurative lamb,
80, both in the West and in the East,
those who believed the Christian pass
over to be a commemOration OF Chrlst's
death adhered to the custom OF holding
the Easter festivity on the day pre-
scribed for the Jewish Pasch. But as
the Jews celebrated their passover on
the nth day OF the first month, that is
10 saw. the lunar month OF which the
| nth dav either falls on or next follows
thedav OF the vernal equinox, difficulties
arose, and various discussions were held
| as what should be the proper time.
/ These were ended by finally fixing 1t as
it now is, the first Sunday after the first
| full moon following the vernal equinox,
| so that Easter may come as early as the
odd Of March, or as late as the 25th OF
! April
This sacred festival has been termed
the queen of festivals" and has been
celebrated from the beginning and in
every part OF the Christian world. There
were formerly various ceremonies and
rites connected with the day, which have
nowdcgenerated into what are consider
ed mere childrcn's practices. Among
these, was that OF colOring eggs, men
ton Of which, under the name OF ''pasch
| crus." is found in history at the time OF
| Edward OF England, when the expense
of the purchasing and cOlOring OF five
thousand eggs was paid by his order
| from the roval treasury. At that time,
and since. the colOring was the work OF
| some art, the eggs being handsomely
and deliberately decorated and inscribed.
! The present custom OF fighting eggs,
now confined To urChins, has been traced
back as late us the time mentioned above,
/ where the practice was almost universal
among the young and old. There were
/ various other Easter customs and super
| stitions. many of them national in their
| character, the origin of large number
| of which, is due the ignorance Of the
/ ancient CcltS and Gaels.
YESTERDAY the Christian world emerged
from the gloomy period OF Lent, during
which period self-dCnial and abstinence
have been practiCed and now enter up
on the JOYOUS Easter season cOmmem-
orativc of risen Saviour. The
! ipv and gladncss which succeeded
the season of sorrow and sadness
was illustrated by the services, music
I and decorations in many OF the
churches, Yesterday, particularly IN
those OF the Roman Catholic, Protestant
Episcopal and Lutheran persuasions,
ali indicative OF rejoicing. The floral
decorations i'm many of the religious
cdiliccs were superb, the music that OF
iov and cxultatiOn. All in striking con-
trJst with the solemn services OF the
Lenten season. At many OF the
churches the chOirs have been for some
time past, busy rchcarSing the Easter
music used yesterday. Sermons on the
Resurrection were preached and on all
sides there were reminders that the
season Of gloom that marked the death
and cruCiiiXtlon Of Christ had passed
and another anniversary OF the Ressur-
rcction dawned upon the Christian
world.
THE CATHEDRAL"
The sanctuary oi this edihce was very
beautifully frstouned with cedar, and
the altar elegantly decorated in honor
of the grand Easter festival. The rich
display OF natural flowers and the golden
Hood of light shedding its mellow radi-
ance over the holy spot, emblemed the
aromatic spices brought by the pious
women to embalm the SaviOr's body,
and the sunburSt of glory that broke
around the tomb OF the risen Christ.
Throughout the solemn services Of the
Mass in the morning, and OF the vcspcr
chant i'm the afternoon, the joyous Faster
salutation was rc-cChOcd over and over
again-alleuia. Bishop Kahn pontiti-
Gated al 1880 4. NJ, and at the
close OF the Mass he gave the
Papal Bcnediction, which he has
the privilege Of granting four times in
the wear. The Mass was Farmers Mass
i'm Il fiat. Mrs. Whitaker presided at
the organ. Misses TENTS and Brown sus-
tanned the sopranos, Misses DeCamp
and Williamson the altos, Mcssrs. Sulli-
van, Burke and Miller the tenorS, and
Messrs. George and James MathesOn and
Nagler the basSes.
The sermon was preached by Rev.
Father sullivan from the gospel lesson
of the day Mark xvi, ~. He eX-
posed i'm touching and convenient Ian
ruage the reasons OF our Easter rejoic-
ING; dwelt on the resurrection of Christ
as the great fundamental evidence Of
our Lords divinity. and the solid ground
OF the Christians hope, and exhorted
his hearers, IN pathetic and torci-
BILE words, to rise spiritually with
Christ To ncwneSs Of liie-a life OF
grace and holiness and Christian fidelity
that they might hereafter share with
Christ, their Divine Head. in the bless
edness of His Resurrection and the
immortal glory OF His heavenly king
dom.
/ At 3 T. VI. Pontifcal Ncspers were
sung. \ brief exposition WAS gwen by
the Bishop, OF the motives why, on
Easter sunday, solemn procession Of
the Blessed Sacrament took place. The
object WAS 10 do special honor to the
risen Body OF Jesus Christ, because now
clad in robes of immortal glory, and Ge-
cause, too, the pledge OF our own future
rising unto glory. He that eateth NV
Flesh and drinkcth My Blood shall have
everlasting life. and | will raise him up
. at the last day John vi After the
exhortatIon there was a pro, ession, in
which the sacred host was borne around