Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-12-29
REN0UNCING THE WORLD.
BIDDING SOLEMN FAREW ELL
TO EARTHLY JOYS.

reception of Two Beautiful Young La
dies Who Have Consecrated Them
selves to God Into the Community Of
the Sisters of Mercy at the Liberty
street Convent.
AT 6o'clock last night the solemn and
impressive ceremony of receiving two
postulants into the order of the Sisters Of
Mercy was performed at the community's
Convent at Liberty aud Abercorn streets I.
About fifty relatives and friends Of the
TWO young ladies were assembled in the
pretty chapel of the Convent. The altar
was beautifully decorated with flowers
and looked superb, radiantly starred
with waxen tapers. On its right was the
Christmas crib, also brilliantly lighted.
The procession formed in one Of the up
per corridors of the Convent and slowly
entered the chapel as from the organ
pealed the solemn strains of the hymn,
30 Gloriosis Virginum."
THE PROCESSION.
First came three Of the Convent girls
clad In white. with orange blossoms In
their hair. The largest of the girls car
RED the cross and her smaller compan-
IONS on either side bore baskets of tiow-
ers. Behind the children came the Su.
perloress and attendants. Next were
the TWO postulants, beautiful young la
dies clothed very nearly alike in white
bridal wells OF India or siiken null, over
which f1oared soft white clouds of illusion
yelling. Wreaths OF orange buds and
blossoms, like beautiful diadems, crown
ed the loreheads of the candidates.
One was a perfect blonde, beneath
whose filmy yelling hung a luxuriant
mass OF golden hair. Each carried in her
wnite-gloved hands q taper, about which
orange blossoms were delicately twined.
Two Sisters walked behind the candidates.
Upon reaching the altar the postulants
kneeled while Rev. Father Caffsrty,
vicar General of the diocese, said a
prayer and blessed the habits.
BLESSING THE CANDLES.
The candles, which had been placed In
sticks, were then blessed and banded
them. Rev. Father Hennessy delivered
an interesting sermon, taking for his text
the passage in Exodus XIV. 10.
AS the Hebrews, compared with the
Egyptians. were in their time the chosen
people OF God, so now is the religious the
beloved Of the Lord. AS the Hebrews
We're led by the pillar OF fire. so is the re-
ligious led by the Holy Ghost The re-
ligious is constantly occupied with holy
exercises. Her whole life can be called
ioretaste OF heaven. Every one should
hold religious in the highest estimation.
For many reasons the vocation should be
loved and cherished.
PURE RELIGIOUS LIFE.
A religious lives more purely than a
secular. The hottest actions are often
vitia'ed by self will, but religious sac
ritices her will to Gods. st. Augustine
said of the religious: ''They praise Him
in every act of their lives" They leave
the world in the bloom of youth and leave
its snares. BY the vow of poverty they
give up the desire for riches, by the VOW
OF chastity they are cut off from the
pleasures of the sense, by the VOW of obe-
dience they extingulsh pride. A religious
dies more confidently than a secular. In
conclusion, the reverend speaker con.
graduated the candidates that they were
about to be engrafted on the beautiful tree
Of the order which they had chosen, and
which had been sown like the mustard
seed and had grown up like the tree. "He
to whom you give yourselves will never
cause you moments sadness" were the
closing words.
KNEELING AT THE ALTAR.
While kneeling, the candidates were
each asked the question: "My child, what
do you demandY
The reply was: ''The mercy OF God and
the holy habit of religion"
They were then interrogated il thew en-
tered the order OF their own free will, and
both replied aftirmatively. They then re.
tired to remove the white robes, which,
with the lighted tapers, were symbolical
of brides OF the church going forth with
the sign of faith to meet the heavenly
bridegroom. When they returned, with
the Sisters attending, they wore the sim
pie black habit and plain cap of the COM
munity. They then received their names.
The candidates were Miss Emma Mo-
Donell, of Atlanta, and MISS Ellen Tobin,
of Augusta. The former will be known
as Sister Mary Angela and the latter as
Sister Clara Agnes.
THE BENEDICTIoN.
The ceremony ended with the benedic-
ticn OF the blessed sacrament. In the
occasional the girls carving the cross
and the flowers were IN advance. Next
to them were two smaller girls
in white, behind whom were the
novces and Sisters with lighted
ia pers. During the ceremony Millard's
''Veni CREATOR was rendered, and Ros-
wigs 10 Salutaris," a solo, which was
sweetly sung bv Miss Marie O'Byrne.
The occasional was Rossi's "Tantum
Ergo" rendered by Mrs. lyman, Miss Ida
O'Byrne, Miss Marie 0'Byrne and the
Sisters.
Father Cafferty was assisted in the SER
vices by Rev. Father Hennessy and Rev.
Father McConvil.e.