St. Paul daily globe., 1888-10-01
BY ORDER OF THE Pope
Requiem Mass Celebrated for Souls In
Purgatory.
SOMBER ALTAR DRAPINGS.
Close Of the Ceremonies Attendant Upon
the Jubilee Three Classes Of Souls
Described by Priest.


city and throughout the world masEes
of requiem were offered yesterday for
suffering souls in purgatory in accord
ance with the late encyclical letter of
Pope Leo. A pOntifical mass of requiem
was celebrated at the cathedral at 10:30.
Archbishop Ireland officiating. The,
other sacred offices were filled as fol-
lows: Assistant priest, Rev. J. j. Law
Ter; deacon, Rev. James Fitzpatrick;
subdeacon, Rev. James Trainor; assist
ant deacons, Rev. James Byrne and
Edward Windiscb; cross-bearer, Rev..
John Sullivan; master of ceremonies,
Rev. John Stanley. 1t was solemn
and oppressive occasion. The appear
| ance of the church from that of Thurs
day was different as it could be.
The tokens of joy and gladness
OF that day were nowhere appar-
ent, and in their place were trappings
of woe and sadness. The church was
in mourning. The altars were divested
of flowers and adornments, and the only
brightness notable came from the rays
of light shed by halfa dozen wax tapers.
The front of the altar with pail of
black cloth, the antipendium relieved
somewhat of its somberness by white
cross worked on its center. The organ
pealed forth no joyous anthems, but in
stead the low muffled minor tones of the
requiem mass
SWELLED THROUGH THE CHURCH.
The clergy were robed in their black
vestmentS only used when masses for
the dead are said. The sermon was
preached by Rev. j. j. Lawler, who
took his text ''Have Pity on Me for the
Hand of the Lord Has Smitten Me-"
in whatever season we consider the
festivalssOf the church." he said, ''relig
ion always reminds us of the end which
we are created for, impresses us with
the frailty of humankind and bids
| us be mindful of the hereafter.
Truly it is blessing for us to share in
the blessings of grand festivals. AS
there are no days so solemn sad as those
upon which some one near and dear to
| us departs this life, so there are no days
so consOling to our hearts as those set
aside for prayer and supplicatiOn for
| loved ones gone before. Not a day
| passes that masses are not offered up
! for some poor soul, not year goes
round that the I'd of November is not
set apart for the souls in bondage.
| What is the reason that our altarS are
| black to-day, that the music is mourn
! full? This is something exceptional. 1t
is because the Holy Father has sent
forth his edict to all lands to pray Tor
the dead-a fitting ceremony for the
completion of his golden jubilee.
In compliance with His command we
| gladly mingle our prayers with the
millions of others that go up from all
parts of the globe to-day and we cry out
i'll humble supplication: Eternal rest
give unto them o Lord and let eternal.
light shine upon them.'' We are taught
that the state of individuals in the
world to come depends upon the condI-
tiOn of the soul at
| THE MOMENT OF DEATH.
| Three abodes await the millions who
depart this life. Some end this life in
state of mortal sin and woe eternal is
their portion. The souls of those who
die In baptiSmal innocence will possess
joy forever. But knowing that only
the pure, the perfect, enter the king
dom of heaven, and that God will
exact reparation for every idle
word. we naturally ask what is to
become of those who die in venial sin?
Who can hope to pass through this
world without some of its defilement on
their souls? What wonder is it that the
saints taught that not one in thousand
go straight to heaven. What then shall
become of this third class? Will they
| go to eternal blessedness or eternal pun
ishment? What human Judgment
would infiict the same punishment for Il
trivial Offense as for Willful murder.
According to the teaching of our church.
third place is reserved for these
purgatory. Besides the existence of
! purgatory, we are taught that souls are
kept there by the sutfrages of the faith
| full. Twas this same doctrine that led
| Judas MaccabeuS to offer up prayers
for his soldiers who had perShed.
The Greeks and Romans also believed
in this doctrine. Though these souls
are sure one day of seeing God, yet
their sufferings are keen and searching
beyond the power of words. Great
saints have not heSitated to say that all
the torments of the martyrs were as
nothing compared to the pains of pur-
| gatory. Aside from the pain of sense,
! the great punishment is in being de-
prived of Gods presence
THE PAIN OF BANISHMENT.
With their eyes turned toward heaven
they repeat: "IIoW long shall L be de-
tanned here, where every moment seems
an age?" And the answer comes
back: "Thou shalt not 90 forth
until the last farthing is paid"
"Oh, it is a terrible thing to fall into
the hands of the living God" Will
ingly would we imagine that all our
friends and relatives are enjoying
| Gods kingdom, but if the barrier were
removed, we would see among the suf-
fering crowd those near and dear to us.
Friends of ours are there, benefactorS
as well. Yes, and perhaps father,
mother, sister or brother, and all those
send up the cry: "Have pity on me,
for the hand of the Lord has smitten
me-" How have we responded to this
call? We may be still willing to voice
their noble deeds and erect costly
monuments of brass and marble.
Brethren, all these are praiseworthy,
but of themselves of no avail to suffer
ing souls. They should live in our
prayers and good works. Oh, the cruel
forgetfulnesS of the dead for the living!
Our incense of prayer should arise in
their behalf for they are utterly in
capable of helping themselves, but lie
has left in our power the means of
tightening their burdens.