St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-03-22
LITTLE BARRELS OF WIN

LITTLE BARRELS OF WINE.
Peculiar Gifts Customary in Some
of the Rifles of the Catholic
Church.
New York Sun.
Archbishop Corrigan has in his poses
sion four small barrels. Two of them
were given to the late cardinal by Bishop
O'Farrell. of Trenton, when he was
made bishop, and the other two came
from Bishop McNierney, of Albany, on
like occasion. The latter two are made
of glass with appropriate inscriptions.
and have hoops of silver. The others
are also handsome, and bear the date of
the presentation. All when presented
were filled with wine.
Lit has for centuries been the custom
upon the installation of bishop in the
Roman Catholic church for him to pre-
sent two barrels of wine to the officiat-
ing prelate. When the custom began it
was substantial offering, for then the
barrels were of goOdly size and filled
with choice vintage; but, as the social
conditions became changed and barrels
of wine were no longer considered gifts
appropriate to the occasion, the barrels
were made mere ornaments, and the
original reason for the custom was for
gotten by all except the students who
were curious enough to investigate.
The church has many customs assOc1-
ated with its ceremonies which are re-
tanned merely out of respect for their
founders and not because of their own
sanctity. AS the bishop gives two bar
rels of wine, so the priest gives wax
candle to the prelate officiating at his
ordination. At the recent eanonization
oflthe new saints in Rome many of these
customs were made prominent in the
ceremonies. After the pOpe's speech the
cardinals presented him with these gifts
in the names of the new saints: A thick
wax candle; two loaves of bread, one
| covered with silver and one with gilt;
three cages, one containing doves, one
pigeons, and the third canaries and
green fnches; and the two small bar
/ relS of wine. Father Kelly, one of the
I cathedral priests, said that, the birds
were used in peculiar manner. "At
/ the 0ffertories of mass" he said, ''the
/ master of ceremonies cuts the strings
/ which keep the doors of the cages
| closed and the birds fly out In this
F part of the ceremony the birds are sup
| posed to represent the souls of the
/ saints, which have left their bodies ana
have taken their flight to heaven"
| Father Lavelle said that some of the
other customs had probably originated
in the early history of the church. Much
| of the income of the church then came
in the shape of products of the soil, for
nearly everybody was then engaged in
agricultural pursuits or derived his in
come from the efforts of those so en-
gagged. The presents given to the
officiating prelate were, therefore,
such as the donor would him
self receive and appreciate. The
| custom of giving leaves of bread origi-
mated, he thought, from the custom of
| the faithful in those early days of bring
ing all the products of the soil to the
priests to be blessed. When a number
| of Catholics conclude that departed
I member of the church has been suffi-
GENTLY good to entitle him to the honor
of ranking with the saints they petition
the holy see to canoniZe him. Some
times the petitioners are relatives of
the departed. Ohoever they are, from
them, of course, come the gifts that are
presented to the pope.