Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-03-29
SOMBRE SEASON
OF LENT CAME TO A CLOSE WITH HOLY
SATURDAY.
The Great Christian Festival Of Easter to Be
Ushsrsd Ia This MOrning-Ths Services at
the Cathedral Yesterday and the Church
Observancss Of To-day.
Holy Saturday, or Easter Eve.

Holy Saturday, or Easter Eve.
The final day Of the Holy week, in which
the Church commentaries the passion,
death and burial of Jesus Christ.
1t was the day which interviewed between
the awful tragedy upon the summit OF
Mount Calvary, when the Son Of God,
dead upon the cross, was taken down by
Pilates leave and placed in the tomb of
Joseph, and the glorious morn of the Resur-
rection Day, when the angel appeared at
the door of the tomb and said: HE is
risen
And so Friday was commemorated as the
day of Christ's lying in the sepulchre,
and the Church, arrayed in the habiliments
of mourning, wept over the closed tomb,
and to-day the same Church will greet the
triumphant resurrection with all the evil
dences of rejoicing afforded in flowers, mu-
sic. and commemorative services, while
Yesterday was given up, in the Catholic
churches, to ceremonies peculiar TO the day,
10 be described later on, and in the Episco-
pal, Lutheran and other denominations,
10 the decoration of the editices, the per-
lection of the musical programmes, and in
general, the preparations for the o0serV-
ance of the Festival of Easter.
II was confidently asserted, last evening,
that so many flowers were never before
purchased in the day preceding Easter
in Wheeling, as on yesterday. This
NAV or may not be true, but IL
is certain that many hundred dollars
were exchanged for roses, lilies, smilaX,
and other plants and greens, both cut and
potted, and at the florists it was at times
difficult TO catch the eye Of the attendants
Not only were many flowers and plants
taken for the decoration of the churches,
but countless lunches of roses, white
detailed lilies, and snowy fuchias were
carried to residences At St Luke's,
St. Mathews, the Cathedral the
English Lutheran, and other church
Is the display this morning will
be very fine and with the immense
congregations sure to 6e present, the eS-
pecial musical programmes, and the dis
courses having fitting reference to the day,
Easter will be observed in manner not
heretofore surpassed in this city And 1t
is well that this Is 10 be so. 1t is festival
which appeals TO the whole Of humanity.
Only the day Of the birth of Jesus takes
precedence aud the two are compliments
of one another. There is nothing more uni
Christian creed.
But at the outset we made reference to
yesterday-Holy Saturday-the day which
brought the Lenten season to close. The
day is one of Importance in the Catholic
church, and as such il was tittingly OBJ
served at the Cathedral, whittier large
congregation repaired at the morning ser
vice, which lasted from about eight o'clock
until ten. Rev Father Deehen officiated
as celebrant, Rev Father McElligott as
deacon, and Rev Father Bauer as sub
deacon. The ritual commenced with the
blessing of the new fire, a ceremony which
dates from the ninth century. From the
fire thus kinded a candle with three stems,
and placed on a reed, was lighted and carried
bv the deacon in procession up the central
aisle, chanting the words "Lumen Christi,
Light of Christi to which was the re
Spouse, "DeO Grdtids," Thanks be 10 God
Next came the blessing of the Paschal
candle, a great wax taper several feet
in height, handsomely decorated. The
deacon sang an anthem w5ile blessing the
condle and fixed in il five grains Of blessed
| incense, in memory of the five wounds OF
Christ and the precious spices with which
He was annointed in the tomb Then he
lighted the Easter candle from the triune
candle on the reed
The twelve prophecies from the Old
Testament were then read by the celebrant
and the procession to the baptsmal font
! followed The water was blessed with the
usual ceremonies peculiar TO Holy Satur
| dav. and the services were closed, after
| the procession of the clergy and alcolyte:
with the mass and the information OF the
Gloria in ErcelsiS."