San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-11-02
ALL SAINTS DAY.
Its Celebration in This Catholic City
Yesterday.

Yesterday All Saints Day, the first of No.
vember, being set aside by the Catholic church
like good mother as q feast of obligation in
memory and honor OF all the Saints, her
children, was duly celebrated by the faithful
in San Antonio.
There are many saints whose memories,
bright and clear, are venerated by every true
Catholic: in fact, the number of saints being
so excessively multiplied, il was found too
burdensOme to dedicate feast day TO each.
In reality, there were not days enough, even
hours, sufficient, in the year for this purpose.
Hence al eXpedent was had recourse to by
concentrating such in combination as had
no peculiar days of their own. The feast was
established by Pope Bonitace in the 9th cen
tury.
was observed by the Catholics of this city
with all due solemrity. The widow. tie
mother, the daughter, the sister, revertipg III
loving husband. or child, a sis
ter, or brother, or father, now in the cold.
cold grave, had been with them to cheer them,
aye even to join with them in the holy COM
memoration OF this day-went to that grave.
bearing wreaths and garlands of flowers to
decorate it in memory OF the dear relative
whose remains were there. 1t was touching
to the heart, yet truly admirable. to witness
the spirit OF those who went TO perform this
mission OF love. Here was seen the widow,
b wed to the ground. too deep in her sorrow
full recollection even to raise her hand TO break
the crusted sod, beneath which lay all that
was of the Cnce dear partner OF her bosom
YOnder upon her knees rested a beautiful
sister in prayer Of love, ard when we thought
it came to mid that not long ago. she whom
dust had claimed as dust and heaven for its
prize, with she in tears of grief, had grown
together like two lovely flowers upon one
steri, whic1 the same beams and showers
and breeZes lulled or awakened in their pur-
pie prime--which the same hand should
gather, the same cline shake with de
cay. But God, who moves in a myS-
FERROUS, took one TO himself snG
lett this one to the world, and she knelt be-
side the grave, though 1t Vas mo place of
work. nor device, nor knowledge. nor wis
dOm," but only the silent repository of tina
SISTER, whose passage away still seemed like
an unreal mystery, hegin1ing to follow the
sublime career of her destiny beyond the
mighty moons that move upon the verge of
natures utmost sphere, till the worlds
shadOwy walls are passed; for the dead re-
turn not, and loves ambition went beyond
this grave for satisfaction.
In the San Fernando burying place the
Mexican the German and American side by
side strewed tOwers:HpOn their loved cones.
One little grave, the reporter noticed, was
decorated only with white paper wreath,
over the headStOre of board, while at the
foot, scarce three feet away, rested few
flowers in an old tin can; some poor mothers
child. A little distance on, the towering
shaft of ,b "a rich .n mans mon, monument
the setting sun The little cemetery of the
sisters presented a touching scene The office
of the dead and the rosary was neing Chanted
by the little orphans kn"eling on the graves.
while outside Kne't the sisters of mercy re-.
peating the prayers for the souls of the de
parted A holy priest in his robes was near
the Jesus on the cross, and the ancient Gus
tom of the Blessing of the Graves was given.
In the Their cemeteries like customs took
place and the graves were beaut fully deco
rated.
Today All Souls Day, in application for the
souls of ALL the Departed, is being celebrated
even more than All Saints Day. The GENE
tories are crowded, and the sweet smelling i'll
ce!se Of the many floral sacrifices ascend in
volumes to heaven tittingly typical of the
beautiful custom so appropriately inaugu |
rated by the good old pope in the far away
centuries of the past.