The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-01-04
Especial to the Press.l

Especial to the Press1
WArERvILLE, January 3.-One of the
most beautiful of the services of the Ro-
man Catholic church was witnessed here
today when three postulants of the Ursu-
line convent took the white veil, being
clothed with the robe of religion. The
church was densely packed, many stand
ing in the grounds surrounding, being
unable to gain admission. Letus imagine
ourselves in the beautiful little chapel of
the Ursuline convent, where are gathered
the priests, the Mother Superior, her as
sistants, acolytes and part of the re-
ligious. Before them, kneeling in hum
BILE supplication, are the three postulates
awaiting the blessing of the superioress
and the religious names they are hence
forth to bear. Each in her turn is blessed
and taken by the hand and hidden arise.
The first name given is to Miss Mary
White, formerly of Providence, r. l.,
who receives the name of Sister ST. Jo-
seph. Miss Parlinof Augusta is the next
to receive her name in religion, which is
Sister ST. Anne, and the third, Miss Bran
don of Fall River, Mass, receives the
name of Sister St. Francis de Sale.
This ceremony complete, signal is
given by the superioress, and Immediate
lp the chantress commences the hymn,
20 Gtori0sG Virginiesn; at the same
time the cross-bearer steps to the front,
followed by the postulants; then come
the professed religious, the postulants,
who are to be clothed with the habit of
religion, accompanied by the Mother Su-
perior on their right hand, The mother
assistant on the left, the acolytes, the
priest and the two chaplains, all slowly
filing from the convent to the church
AS the procession appears in sight, the
chorus of the hymn is taken up by all
and thus one verse after another is rem
pered by the chantress, with her sweet
soprano voice, all joining in the chorus,
until finally disappearing in the church.
The procession having entered the
church, the celebrant (or priest), sings
the versicle and says 'Pray for them, o
Holy Mother of God, that. they may be
made worthy of the promises of Christi
After this short prayer the wax candles
are blessed and placed upon the altar,
the priest sprinkling them with holy
water, after which he approaches the
CRATE with his associates and presents
them lighted to the postulants, who re-
ceive them, kneeling on the steps of the
CRATE, where they remain until prayer
is offered and then a sermon in English
was delivered by Father Charland.
Following the sermon the postulants are
conducted by the Mother Superior again
to the CRATE and a responsive exercise
takes place, after which the postulants
courtesy to the ceiebrant and retire
accompanied by the superioress and her
assistants, to await the, blessing of the
religious habits, which they are to as
sumo in place of the secular dress now
worn. Upon their retiring from the
church the sacristan! enters bearing a
small bench upon which are laid the
robes and outside dresses to be worn by
the postulants. These dresses are the
same as those worn by the nuns with the
exception of the veil which is white,
thus the ceremony is sometimes called
s'the ceremony of the white veil.'' The
dresses are placed before the CRATE and
holy water upon them, after which they
are borne away and the wells brought in
and a like ceremony derformed.
After several chants are rendered the
postulants returned, accompanied by
attendants and approaching to the foot
of the CRATE they make gene
Election and are blessed by the priests.
and arc then adorned with the
white veil. Postulants no longer they
now stand fully clothed with the relig-
ious habit of novices. Three years now
stand before them in which to prepare
themselves for the final step of taking
the black veil.