The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1891-10-03
HOLY COAT OF TREyEs.
THE RELIC BEFORE WHICH
THOUSANDS KNEEL.
MILLIONS Hsys woeshlppst nj Its shrine
Aud Miraculous Cures are As
crlbed 90 Ii--Argenteaii's
Holy Coat.

Two birds f,vcng each other are faint
~ discernibie on this layer. The md
dle layer Is the coat itself II Is a
ahiri-like garment with short loose
sleeves. Last year a committee OF ex-
perts who examined the relic. made a
report which described the garment
as pieces OF cloth material hanging
together. spread out between upper
aud lower layeran A gauze covering
IS the third layer. There are also
pointed pieces OF sllgen material. with
ont any pattern, between tho front and
back
1T Is texture brownlsh aye
said the committee OF experts. refer
ring 10 tho coat without pattern. %
all appearance OF linen or cotton
WOOL A microscopic examination
showed a difference OF tho coat from
the outside and inside layers. The
coat being without any pattern Il was
impossible to form an opinion as TO tho
date OF It's manufacture. The experts
said the coverings tho inside and out
side layers. must have been mado In
tho east before the ninth century. per-
haps as enrly a. the iifth or sixth.
The tradition Of the Catholic church
Is that the Empress Helena mlracu-
lousy discovered many OF tho relics OF
Christi passion in Palestine These
included tho cross tho nails. the crow n
OF thorns ihe lance tho winding sheet
which developed tho body, ana the
coat without seams. On no. return
TO Trevcs. or Augusta Trcvicrum, "a
II was called, tlie western capital Of
tho Roman empire. tho Empress pre-
sented 10 The cathedral tho coat one
OF the pals. and portion OF the
crown OF thOrns. In 32i these relics
were committed 10 the care OF Agricius
Bishop OF TrevcS aud every one Of
his successors has carefully guarded
them. When the relics arrived at tho
cathedral they wore placed in the
choir and for many centuries were tho
objects OF the devotion OF millions OF
pilgrims from all parts OF The Chris
tian world. Ia f96 tho relics wore
transferred to the high alter whore
they were built in after having been
examined AMI attcstc in the presence
OF large number OF Bishops and
clergy tho magistrates and mobiles OF
the city, and eminent men from all
parts n tho word Taey were on
closed in threo iron Ghosts, one within
the other. aud each securely fastened
and sealed with the Official seals OF the
principal men present More than
three centuries after this they were
again exposed for public venoration.
After mn exposition that lasted forty
days they were once moro sealed
and vailed up within the high altar
During tho sixteonth century tho relics
were exposed several times for public
vencratlon and ON every occasion
thousands ~ pilgrims locked from all
parts, and numerous miracles were
reported % have been wrought Dur
ing the w0r3 OF the scvcnteenth and
eighteenth centuries tho relics were
sont for ia cty 90 the castle OF Ehren-
broltstelu. on the Rhine and later 20
Augsburg Ia 1910 Napoleon l. gave
permission % tho bishop 81 Treyos 90
transfer them 10 Treves; 200 600 pill
grims attended the exposition on that
occasion
Argcnteall u small town 20 the
northwest OF Paris, claims 20 possess
tho seamless garment OF Christ for
which Gao Roman soldiers cast lots
and whica WIS worn next TO the body
Those who claim Argcnteuil has the
seamless garment say that the Treves
relic was ono of tho outer garments
worn By Christ Tho Argentenil gar
mcnt l. about live feet long by three
and "a half foot wide. Tho loft sleeve
is missing. oud large piece has been
tnl1en iipm the left side. fhe garment
Is hand uovcn. and is OF camcrs hair.
il lies in caaket and has reddish
tone like Lhat Of a dried rose.
Catholic writers say that this gar
mant was bought by Chrlsts disciples
after tho cruc,n xion and was concealed
IN church Ia Galatia At the limo
OF the Persian invasion Of Asia Minor
II was saved from destruction by jew
named simeon who gave Il 10 Helena
tho mother OF Tao Emperor Constantine.
Charlcmague liually received u from
the Empress Irene. and he presented
Il 10 tho convent OF Argenteuil. Of
which one OF his daughters was nbbcss.
Every afternoon from Ascension day
20 Whit Monday tho shrine IN which
this garmcut 10 kept i carried In pro-
cossioa through the Argentenil church.
The garment as exhibited IN Us entiroty
only rare Intervals as 10 IL placed
nndcr seal bYfbc Bishop OF Versailles.
IN whose dioceso Argenteuil Is. lie
aonc has authority with The sanction
of The Fnpe to open Tho casket
Thiriy-fFa years ago Pope Plus N.