The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1885-08-28
THE BLACK VEIL.
Nineteen Young Nuns I'm Minnesota rake
the Black Veil at the Same Time

Nineteen Young Nuns I'm Minnesota rake
the Black Veil at the Same Time
An eve witness thus describes the taking
IF the black veil, a few days since, by nine
Ieen Young nuns of the order OF st. Bene-
lict aft the convent of st. Joseph, Stearns
county, Mimi, this being the first tlmelnthc
history of the order OF st. Benedict III the
United States that the perpetual VOWS have
,epn taken by as great a number NJ once
The order in this state is in II hourlshlhE
condition, numbering as many as loo
sisters. 1t maintains, at the mother mouse
n st. Joseph, an excellent academy
where a great number OF the young maldehS
IF Minnesota have received ana are receiving
I valuable Christian education. ltmanaSeS
three orphan asylums, where many a niue
Naifhas been housed and made IL usefulmeln-
Ger of society. 1t also supports nine sub
ori0rips in different parts Of Minnesota and
Dakota. When | entered the church at .
o'clock a. M, | found Il deVOut COngrega-
ion gathered to witness the impressive
ceremonies. Soon after came the nineteen
candidates in the habit Of tine order, but
with long white wells on their heads, walk
,ng uD the aisle preceded and followed by
sisters prominent in the order, and
we're seated in the front pews. Pontl1clal
high mass was then celebrated by the Rt.
Rev. Abbot AleXiuS EdelbOCk, the ecCleslas-
heal head OF the order in the west. The
p~relate as well as all the priests assisting
were over six feet tall, and in the magniti-
sent robes they looked excellent. After a
very effective and eloquent sermon by
Rev. Father Ulrik, the rites began.
The nineteen sisters moved slowly up
toward the high altar where they knelt In
silent devotion. After this they went in
pairs to the Abbatial throne where they,
after having been asked some questions by
the reverend abbot, kneeling read one after
the other, the solemn VOWS. binding them for
the term of their natural lives to chastity,
obedience and poverty These vows were
written by the candidates themselves on
parchment, and after reading them they
were conducted to the high altar, where
they affixed their signatures to the instru-
ment on the sacred gospel book. The cere-
mony over, the candidates knelt in front OF
the high altar in a double row and prayed,
Suddenly they all Frustrated themselves
with their arms extended and their hands
folded as il iii silent prayer. A deep silence
raigned in the church, while the four attend,
ing sisters covered all the PROSTATE candi'
dates with
HUGE BLACK CLOTH,
in the middle Of which appeared as it was
unfolded, a. large white Benedictine cross
Candelabrums with lighted wax candles
were placed at each Of the corners OF what
now looked like one giant bier and at each
corner one sister in black veil stood with
bowed mead as If guarding the grave. Now
the organist i%ntonates a solemn dirge
and from an unseen choir mn as from a
subterranean crypt the doleful strains o
the "'Miserere." The effect was immense
and when q solemn "De Profundis" was
waited as if on slow, long ways over oul
heads, and the beautiful voices flooded
the immense building you could heal as
one sob all over the church. The tollin.
OF the bells ceases, the last deer
strains of the 'De Profundis" yibrate as in
the far distance, the black cloth with the
white cross is lifted, the candles disappear
the candidates rise to receive the blessed
feast habit of the protested sister 1.-THE Gu,
culla, so called, and which being worn over
the ordinary habit is, by the assistance o.
the sisters in waiting, put N The revcr
end abbot then presents to each the black
veil instead of the white they wear, and
places a ring on their finger as atoken that
they hereafter are to be the bride Of Christ,
Thereupon the crown OF green leaves and
orange flowers is placed on their brows, as a
promise OF the crows fglory they hope once
to wear, and the candidates, who rave now
become professed sisters, with silent, slow
tread, move toward the pews reserved for
them. While the Credo is sung each sister
lights a large "a candle, and a beautiful
sight it is TO see the many sisters kneeling,
each with a burning candlei in her hand, held
forth as an Offering to the creator. During
the o~ffertory, while the censers are swung
and the hymns OF praise watt forth in the
high dome, two and two they move up to
the alter and offa:s the candles to the Lord.
This ceremony over, the mass is resumed
and all the candidates receiveth the holy com,
munion from the hands of the reverend
father abbot, and thereupon his pontificia.
benediction, and the solemn rites are over
The Minnesota State Fair.