The Irish standard., 1891-08-29
THIS YEARS PILGRIMAGE.
Thousands Of People Flock to Treves
To See the Holy
Coat.
ITS EXPOSITION THIS MONTH.
The History of the Sacred Garment and
How it Was Brought From
Palestine.

| uOW IL W dS OIOuSSub lUm
| Palestine.
| It is fort ty-seven years since the s'hOly
coat" or the seamless garment which,
so the Scriptures attest, the Redeemer
of the world wore at the time of His
cruclfxiop, was last exposed for public
veneration at Treges, in the cathedral
Of which city the present bishop of the
diocese has announced an exposition Of
six weeks, which began on the 25th Of
this month. In that year, 1914, SAYS
the Boston Republic, Bishop Arnolai,
who then had charge of the I'reyes
diocese, ordered an exposition Of tbe
sacred 1ellc, and invited pilgrims from
all parts OF Europe to visit the cathe
dral. His invitation was accepted by
an immense aumber of pious person
ages, and many miraculous cures are
said to have been effected during the
exposition. Before that date there was
a solemn exposition IN 1910. when up
ward of quarter of a million pilgrims
locked to Treves. In 1912 Leo x. then
the Supreme Pontjf, fixed the dates Of
the expositioDs for every seventh year,
but the so-calIed reformation ensuing
shortly afterwards, and being particular.
" strong in Germany, it was found in-
expedient to place the holy coat on ex-
position, as that Pontjf wished. It's
exposition now, after lapse Of forty
seven years, is sure TO attract an i'm
mense pilgrimage to the Treves cathe-
dral; and promises to be a memorable
event in the religious history of the
close Of the century.
The holy coat is believed to have been
discovered by st. Helena when that
Empress made her memorable visit to
Palestine in the fourth century. .i,he
coat, according to the testimony OF
ancient writer's, was seamless garment
woven by the Blessed Virgin FOR the
Saviour; and pious tradition says that il
was made for Him while he was a child,
and that as he grew up it adapted itself
to bis form, needing no alteration and
suffering in no respect FROM time and
use. IF any person finds this tradition
difficult to believe, let him take up che
old testament and turn to the fifth
verse of the twenty ninth chapter of
Deuteronomy, wherein Moses tells the
Israelites: HE hath brought you forty
years through the desert; your garments
are not worn out, neither are the shoes
of your feet consumed with age" Let
him turn again to the fourth verse of
the eighth chapter of the same book,
and there he will find the words: 'rhy
raiment, with which thou vast covered,
hath not decayed for age, and thy foot
is not worn, 10 this is the fortiath year!''
After the death of the Saviour on the
cross the gospel narrative tells how
this garment was disposed OF. The
soldiers, therefore, when they had cru
cited Him." SAYS St. John, took His
garments, and they made four parts
to every soldier a part. And also His
coat Now, the coat was without
seam, woven from the top throughout.
They said then one to the other: Let
us not cut it; but cast lots for it. whose
it shall be; that the Scripture might be
fulfilled, saying: They have parted my
garments among them, and upon my
vesture they have cast lot. And the
soldiers indeed did these things"
1t is believed that some Christians
purchased this seamless coat from the
soldiers into whose possession it came
by the casting Of lots, and that when
st. Helena visited the holy places in the
fourth century, it was presented to her
by the person who then held it. The
pious Empress, as history records, made
many presents Of relics to the different
churches she visited on her way to and
from Palestine, aud to the cathedral of
Treves she gave the seamless robe. So |
great a treasure was highly prlzed by
the bishop and his clergy, who deposit
ed it in suitable place and exposed it !
from time to time for the benefit of the
people. During the Norman invasion,
in the ninth century, the precious relic |
was hidden in crypt. in order that it |
might not be stolen: and it was not
until two centuries later that it was
again exposed to the public gaze.
Treves, IN the cathedral of which city |
The holy coat is preserved, is town of
Rhenish Prussia, and is suffragan Of |
the Cologne metropolitan.
The last exposition Of the holy coat,